Proximity to humans is associated with longer maternal care in brown bears

Proximity to humans is associated with longer maternal care in brown bears. Van de Walle, J., Leclerc, M., Steyaert, S., M., J., G., Zedrosser, A., Swenson, J., E., & Pelletier, F. Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 73(12):158, Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 12, 2019.

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© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Abstract: In the sexual conflict over the duration of maternal care, male mammals may improve their reproductive success by forcing early mother–offspring separation in species where lactation supresses estrus. However, when individual females benefit from continuing to care for their current offspring, they should adopt counter-strategies to avoid separation from offspring. Here, we tested whether spatial segregation from adult males and proximity to humans during the mating season could be associated with longer maternal care in the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos). Using resource selection functions (RSFs), we contrasted habitat selection patterns of adult males and those of adult females with yearlings that either provided 1.5 years of maternal care (“short-care females”) or continued care for an additional year (“long-care females”) during the mating season, the period when family break-ups typically occur. Males and short-care females had similar habitat selection patterns during the mating season. In contrast, habitat selection patterns differed between males and long-care females, suggesting spatial segregation between the two groups. In particular, long-care females used areas closer to human habitations compared with random locations (defined here as selection), whereas males used areas further to human habitations compared with random locations (defined here as avoidance). Our results show a correlation between habitat selection behavior and the duration of maternal care. We suggest that proximity to humans during the mating season may represent a female tactic to avoid adverse interactions with males that may lead to early weaning of offspring. Significance statement: In mammalian species where lactation supresses ovulation, males may gain a reproductive advantage by forcing early mother-offspring separation; however females can respond through behavioral tactics. We show that female brown bears with yearling cubs can spatially segregate from males during the mating season and that this behavior is associated with longer maternal care. Females selecting areas close to human habitations tend to keep their yearlings for an additional year, suggesting that human presence could have a shielding effect from males. Our study is among the few to explore sexual conflicts over the duration of maternal care close to weaning and shows that animals have the potential to adjust their behavioral tactics to make use of human-dominated landscapes.

@article{
 title = {Proximity to humans is associated with longer maternal care in brown bears},
 type = {article},
 year = {2019},
 keywords = {10,1007,Brown bear,Maternal care,Sexual conflict,Spatial segregation,article,brown bear,communicated by k,contains supplementary,doi,e,electronic supplementary material the,https,maternal care,online version of this,org,ruckstuhl,s00265-019-2764-y,sexual conflict,spatial segregation},
 pages = {158},
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 month = {12},
 publisher = {Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology},
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 abstract = {© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Abstract: In the sexual conflict over the duration of maternal care, male mammals may improve their reproductive success by forcing early mother–offspring separation in species where lactation supresses estrus. However, when individual females benefit from continuing to care for their current offspring, they should adopt counter-strategies to avoid separation from offspring. Here, we tested whether spatial segregation from adult males and proximity to humans during the mating season could be associated with longer maternal care in the Scandinavian brown bear (Ursus arctos). Using resource selection functions (RSFs), we contrasted habitat selection patterns of adult males and those of adult females with yearlings that either provided 1.5 years of maternal care (“short-care females”) or continued care for an additional year (“long-care females”) during the mating season, the period when family break-ups typically occur. Males and short-care females had similar habitat selection patterns during the mating season. In contrast, habitat selection patterns differed between males and long-care females, suggesting spatial segregation between the two groups. In particular, long-care females used areas closer to human habitations compared with random locations (defined here as selection), whereas males used areas further to human habitations compared with random locations (defined here as avoidance). Our results show a correlation between habitat selection behavior and the duration of maternal care. We suggest that proximity to humans during the mating season may represent a female tactic to avoid adverse interactions with males that may lead to early weaning of offspring. Significance statement: In mammalian species where lactation supresses ovulation, males may gain a reproductive advantage by forcing early mother-offspring separation; however females can respond through behavioral tactics. We show that female brown bears with yearling cubs can spatially segregate from males during the mating season and that this behavior is associated with longer maternal care. Females selecting areas close to human habitations tend to keep their yearlings for an additional year, suggesting that human presence could have a shielding effect from males. Our study is among the few to explore sexual conflicts over the duration of maternal care close to weaning and shows that animals have the potential to adjust their behavioral tactics to make use of human-dominated landscapes.},
 bibtype = {article},
 author = {Van de Walle, Joanie and Leclerc, Martin and Steyaert, Sam M. J. G. and Zedrosser, Andreas and Swenson, Jon E. and Pelletier, Fanie},
 doi = {10.1007/s00265-019-2764-y},
 journal = {Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology},
 number = {12}
}

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