Behavioral plasticity shapes population aging patterns in a long-lived avian scavenger.

Autor:	Acácio M; School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel., Gahm K; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA., Anglister N; School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel., Vaadia G; School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel., Hatzofe O; Science Division, Israel Nature and Parks Authority, Jerusalem, Israel., Harel R; Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany., Efrat R; Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel., Nathan R; Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Jerusalem, Israel., Pinter-Wollman N; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA., Spiegel O; School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
Jazyk:	angličtina
Zdroj:	Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America [Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A] 2024 Aug 27; Vol. 121 (35), pp. e2407298121. Date of Electronic Publication: 2024 Aug 20.
DOI:	10.1073/pnas.2407298121
Abstrakt:	Studying the mechanisms shaping age-related changes in behavior ("behavioral aging") is important for understanding population dynamics in our changing world. Yet, studies that capture within-individual behavioral changes in wild populations of long-lived animals are still scarce. Here, we used a 15-y GPS-tracking dataset of a social obligate scavenger, the griffon vulture ( Gyps fulvus ), to investigate age-related changes in movement and social behaviors, and disentangle the role of behavioral plasticity and selective disappearance in shaping such patterns. We tracked 142 individuals for up to 12 y and found a nonlinear increase in site fidelity with age: a sharp increase in site fidelity before sexual maturity (<5 y old), stabilization during adulthood (6 to 15 y), and a further increase at old age (>15 y). This pattern resulted from individuals changing behavior throughout their life (behavioral plasticity) and not from selective disappearance. Mature vultures increased the predictability of their movement routines and spent more nights at the most popular roosting sites compared to younger individuals. Thus, adults likely have a competitive advantage over younger conspecifics. These changes in site fidelity and movement routines were mirrored in changes to social behavior. Older individuals interacted less with their associates (decreasing average strength with age), particularly during the breeding season. Our results reveal a variety of behavioral aging patterns in long-lived species and underscore the importance of behavioral plasticity in shaping such patterns. Comprehensive longitudinal studies are imperative for understanding how plasticity and selection shape the persistence of wild animal populations facing human-induced environmental changes. Competing Interests: Competing interests statement:The authors declare no competing interest.
Databáze:	MEDLINE
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