Epigenetic Programming of Phenotypic Differences in Behavior and the Evolution of Sociality in Rodents
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enetic Programming of Phenotypic Differences in Behavior and the Evolution of Sociality in Rodents V. S. Gromov* Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Moscow, Russia *e-mail: [email protected] Received October 24, 2019; revised October 24, 2019; accepted October 24, 2019
Abstract—In rodents, the evolution of sociality refers to the transition from solitary living to a family-group lifestyle that is characterized by the most complicated social organizations. Variation in rodent behavior related to the evolution of sociality results from the operation of neuroendocrine mechanisms that lead to epigenetic (re)programming of the behavior and, subsequently, the emergence of new, heritable phenotypes as a basis for further selection. In this article, the epigenetic effects on rodent behavior promoting the formation of a family-group social organization and, consequently, the evolution of sociality in rodents, are considered. Keywords: rodents, sociality, epigenetics, evolution DOI: 10.1134/S2079086420040027
INTRODUCTION Sociality is typically defined as group living. One extreme of the sociality continuum is occupied by conventionally solitary species, and the other is comprised of species that form groups with a complex social structure (Alexander, 1974; Crook et al., 1976; Armitage, 1981, 2007; Jarvis et al., 1994; Blumstein and Armitage, 1998; Lacey and Sherman, 2007). The evolution of sociality is the process of group formation and is, according to existing views, under the control of environmental factors. In many mammalian taxa, evolutionary transformations of the social structure occur in the direction of the formation of large groups (group-size evolution) (Pollard and Blumstein, 2008; Reiczigel et al., 2008). In accordance with the size and composition of the groups, there are different social categories (Crook and Gartlan, 1966; Eisenberg et al., 1972; Jarman, 1974; Armitage, 1981; van Schaik and van Hooff, 1983). In rodents, in contrast to other mammals, group size is not an important indicator of the sociality level (Gromov, 2017, 2018). In rodent populations there are two main types of groups that fundamentally differ in social organization: aggregations (multi-male–multifemale breeding colonies) and family groups (Gromov, 2008). Aggregations uniting adult heterosexual individuals are characterized by aggressive interactions that contribute to the territorial isolation of nesting sites of females and the formation of a dominance hierarchy among males. Family groups are characterized by long-term pair bonds, peaceful and affiliative interactions, care-giving activities not only in females but also in males, and widely developed cooperation.
In some rodent species, family groups are distinguished by the most complex social organization; therefore, the evolution of sociality in rodents should be understood as the transition from a conditionally solitary lifestyle to a family-group lifestyle characterized by complication (diversity) of the social interactions (social complexity) (Blumstein and Armitage, 1
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