A1 Journal article (refereed)
Artificial selection for predatory behaviour results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal (2022)

Hämäläinen, A., Kiljunen, M., Koskela, E., Koteja, P., Mappes, T., Rajala, M., & Tiainen, K. (2022). Artificial selection for predatory behaviour results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal. Proceedings of the Royal Society B : Biological Sciences, 289(1970), Article 20212510. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2510

JYU authors or editors

Publication details

All authors or editors: Hämäläinen, Anni; Kiljunen, Mikko; Koskela, Esa; Koteja, Pawel; Mappes, Tapio; Rajala, Milla; Tiainen, Katariina

Journal or series: Proceedings of the Royal Society B : Biological Sciences

ISSN: 0962-8452

eISSN: 1471-2954

Publication year: 2022

Publication date: 09/03/2022

Volume: 289

Issue number: 1970

Article number: 20212510

Publisher: The Royal Society

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2021.2510

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access: 

Publication is parallel published (JYX): https://jyx.jyu.fi/handle/123456789/81991

Abstract

The diet of an individual is a result of the availability of dietary items and the individual's foraging skills and preferences. Behavioural differences may thus influence diet variation, but the evolvability of diet choice through behavioural evolution has not been studied. We used experimental evolution combined with a field enclosure experiment to test whether behavioural selection leads to dietary divergence. We analysed the individual dietary niche via stable isotope ratios of nitrogen (δ15N) and carbon (δ13C) in the hair of an omnivorous mammal, the bank vole, from four lines selected for predatory behaviour and four unselected control lines. Predatory voles had higher hair δ15N values than control voles, supporting our hypothesis that predatory voles would consume a higher trophic level diet (more animal versus plant foods). This difference was significant in the early but not the late summer season. The δ13C values also indicated a seasonal change in the consumed plant matter and a difference in food sources among selection lines in the early summer. These results imply that environmental factors interact with evolved behavioural tendencies to determine dietary niche heterogeneity. Behavioural selection thus has potential to contribute to the evolution of diet choice and ultimately the species' ecological niche breadth.

Keywords: animal behaviour; nutrition; specialisation; ecological niche; isotope analysis; Clethrionomys glareolus

Free keywords: bank vole; diet choice; predatory behaviour; specialization; stable isotopes; trophic niche

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Ministry reporting: Yes

Reporting Year: 2022

JUFO rating: 3