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Behavioral Island Syndrome and Its Ecological Drivers in the Mednyi Island Arctic Fox Population

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Abstract—

There is a change in many features of biology in reptiles, birds, and mammals (inhabitants of oceanic islands), which is called “island syndrome.” The behavioral aspect of these changes is poorly understood. Based on a 40-year study of the biology of the arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus) on Mednyi Island, we show that the island arctic foxes changed many behavioral characteristics compared to mainland foxes. They use smaller home ranges, travel shorter daily distances, and have much smaller natal dispersal distances. An increase in the family size of the island arctic foxes and a decrease in litter size lead to an increase in parental and kin investment and increased cooperation between family members. At the same time, the island foxes, to a large extent, lost their fear of humans. These features correspond to the traits of island syndrome. On the other hand, as opposed to what is found in most island populations, the Mednyi Island Arctic foxes exhibit a stronger territoriality, apparently in response to an increased risk of infanticide. In addition, unlike the continental population, a sex-biased dispersal and inheritance of home ranges through the maternal line are clearly pronounced. A departure of males beyond the border of the settlement of sisters can be considered as a mechanism for avoiding inbreeding. A comparison with fox populations (Urocyon littoralis) on the Channel Islands (Southern California) suggests that these features evolved under the influence of specific environmental drivers of Mednyi Island: patchy and highly predictable resource distribution. These same peculiarities of the distribution of resources led to a strengthening of one more driver—“social landscape”—and the emergence of a new behavioral metatrait of the island population—conservatism in a spatial, reproductive, and foraging behavior.

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ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Data for this study were collected starting in 1976; over these years, dozens of students and graduate students of Moscow State University were involved in these works. We are grateful to them. Field collection of data could not have happened without the assistance of the management of the Komandorsky Nature Reserve, the employees of which always provided us with every possible assistance in logistics and organization of the works. Our friends and colleagues from Kamchatka, specialists in marine mammals, provided enormous assistance in transporting us to the remote islands and helped with data collection. We are very grateful to A.V. Chabovskii for a complete and thorough analysis of the manuscript and detailed comments; they greatly assisted us in preparing the final text. We are also grateful to K.A. Rogovin for the constructive advice.

Funding

The collection of data for this study was supported by the Russian Foundation for Basic Research and Moscow State University.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Moscow State University, 119234, Moscow, Russia

    M. E. Goltsman & E. P. Kruchenkova

  2. Institute of Experimental Pathology, University of Muenster, D-48149, Muenster, Germany

    L. O. Doronina

  3. Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, University of Muenster, D-48149, Muenster, Germany

    L. O. Doronina

  4. Joint Institute for Individualisation in a Changing Environment (JICE), University of Muenster and Bielefeld University, D-48149, Muenster, Germany

    L. O. Doronina

Authors
  1. M. E. Goltsman
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  2. E. P. Kruchenkova
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  3. L. O. Doronina
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Corresponding authors

Correspondence to M. E. Goltsman or L. O. Doronina.

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ETHICS APPROVAL AND CONSENT TO PARTICIPATE

This study was carried out in compliance with ethical standards and laws of the Russian Federation. All works were carried out after receiving the permissions from the expert commission of the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Russian Federation and Rosprirodnadzor.

CONFLICT OF INTEREST

The authors of this work declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

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Translated by A. Barkhash

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Goltsman, M.E., Kruchenkova, E.P. & Doronina, L.O. Behavioral Island Syndrome and Its Ecological Drivers in the Mednyi Island Arctic Fox Population. Biol Bull Rev 14, 394–404 (2024). https://doi.org/10.1134/S2079086424030046

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