Dittrich Carolin, Mangione Rosanna, Marquis Olivier, Ringler Eva, Lemaire Jérémy
Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Science University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna Vienna Austria.
Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology University of Vienna Vienna Austria.
Ecol Evol. 2025 Apr 23;15(4):e71337. doi: 10.1002/ece3.71337. eCollection 2025 Apr.
The identification of genetic mating systems in a variety of species has challenged the previous view on animal mating patterns over the past decade, resulting in the identification of multiple paternity across all vertebrate classes. In crocodylians, all species that have been investigated demonstrate multiple paternity, which may represent the ancestral state of the clade. The smooth-fronted caiman, , is one of the last species whose genetic mating system has yet to be investigated. In this study, we analyzed genetic samples of the smooth-fronted caiman in French Guiana, a secretive species that is difficult to observe in the wild. Scute samples were taken from three populations and five groups of neonates that hatched shortly before. Microsatellite markers were used to infer the minimum number of fathers that sired each clutch. Our results clearly show that multiple paternity was common, with 60% of the sampled group of neonates showing a minimum of two sires. The potential ecological and behavioral implications of this finding are discussed, as well as recommendations for future research avenues to elucidate this cryptic species' mating behavior and environmental constraints.
在过去十年中，对多种物种遗传交配系统的识别挑战了以往关于动物交配模式的观点，导致在所有脊椎动物类别中都发现了多重父权现象。在鳄目动物中，所有已被研究的物种都表现出多重父权现象，这可能代表了该类群的祖先状态。滑额凯门鳄是最后一批其遗传交配系统尚未被研究的物种之一。在本研究中，我们分析了法属圭亚那滑额凯门鳄的基因样本，这是一种在野外很难观察到的隐秘物种。从三个种群和五组刚出生不久的幼鳄身上采集了盾片样本。使用微卫星标记来推断每个巢穴中父本的最少数量。我们的结果清楚地表明，多重父权现象很常见，60%的幼鳄样本显示至少有两个父本。本文讨论了这一发现潜在的生态和行为意义，以及对未来研究途径的建议，以阐明这种隐秘物种的交配行为和环境限制因素。
