Artificial selection for predatory behavior results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal
Cite this dataset
Hämäläinen, Anni et al. (2022). Artificial selection for predatory behavior results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal [Dataset]. Dryad. https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.3tx95x6hq
Abstract
The diet of an individual is a result of the availability of dietary items and the individual's foraging skills and preferences. Behavioral differences may thus influence diet variation, but the evolvability of diet choice through behavioral evolution has not been studied. We used experimental evolution combined with a field enclosure experiment to test whether behavioral 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, bank vole, from 4 lines selected for predatory behavior and 4 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 vs. 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 behavioral tendencies to determine dietary niche heterogeneity. Behavioral selection thus has potential to contribute to the evolution of diet choice and ultimately the species' ecological niche breadth.
Methods
Please refer to the methods description in the paper (RSPB-2021-2510, Artificial selection for predatory behavior results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal) and its electronic supplementary material.
Usage notes
Artificial selection for predatory behavior results in dietary niche differentiation in an omnivorous mammal
Anni Hämäläinen, Mikko Kiljunen, Esa Koskela, Pawel Koteja, Tapio Mappes, Milla Rajala, Katariina Tiainen
The file contains raw isotope data for bank voles (Myodes glareolus) and potential food sources from a field experiment. The data are provided on two sheets, one for voles and one for potential food sources.
Sheet "raw_data_voles" contains stable isotope data and metadata for bank voles:
| Column name | Description |
| Season | Season, i.e. experiment replicate round (1: early summer, 2: late summer) |
| Enclosure | Enclosure number (1-11) |
| Treat_density | Density treatment (H: high, L: low) |
| Dam_ID | Mother's identity code |
| Selection | Selection regime (C: runselected control, P: artificial selection for predatory behavior) |
| Line | Replicate selection line (C1-4, P1-4) |
| Pup_ID | Young vole identity code |
| Sex | Sex of young vole |
| Date_collect | Date of hair sample collection |
| Head | Head width of young vole |
| Bodymass | Body mass (g) of young vole |
| Samplemass | Sampled mass (g) of hair for isotope analyses |
| d13C | Isotope ratio of carbon (δ13C) in hair of young vole |
| d15N | Isotope ratio of nitrogen (δ15N) in hair of young vole |
Sheet "raw_data_sources" contains stable isotope data and metadata for possible food sources consumed in the field enclosures by bank voles:
| Column name | Description |
| Kingdom | Grouping of food sources at kingdom level (animal, fungi, plant) |
| Group | Sub-grouping food sources |
| Taxon | Taxonomic division |
| Type | Grouping of food sources according to predicted trophic level |
| Parts | Parts of organism sampled |
| Year | Year of collection (2019 from Peltokangas enclosures, 2020 from Pukara enclosures) |
| Season | Time of sample collection: 1= early summer (June/July), 2= late summer (August/September) |
| d13C | δ13C isotope ratio |
| d15N | δ15N isotope ratio |
| %C | % of carbon in the sample |
| %N | % of nitrogen in the sample |
| C/N | Ratio of nitrogen to carbon in the sample (%C/%N)) |
Funding
Academy of Finland, Award: 324605
Academy of Finland, Award: 326533
National Science Center, Award: 2018/29/B/NZ8/01924
National Science Center, Award: 2016/23/B/NZ8/00888
Jagiellonian University, Award: DS/WBINOZ/INOS/757