Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?

[EN] Background Limited information exists on the active role of females during mate searching. Theory primarily focuses on male reproductive behaviours, suggesting male distribution follows that of females, while female distribution is influenced by food resources and habitat. This approach might u...

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Autores: Penteriani Dragone, Vincenzo, Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar, Kojola, Ilpo, Heikkinen, Samuli, Fedorca, Ancuta, García Sánchez, María Pino, Fedorca, Mihai, Find’o, Slavomír, Skuban, Michaela 1976-, Balbontín Arenas, Javier, Zarzo Arias, Alejandra, Falcinelli, Daniele, Ordiz Fernández, Andrés Avelino, Swenson, Jon E. 1951-
Tipo de documento: artigo
Estado:Versão publicada
Data de publicação:2025
País:España
Recursos:Universidad de León
Repositório:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
OAI Identifier:oai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/25365
Acesso em linha:https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-025-00553-6
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/25365
Access Level:Acceso aberto
Palavra-chave:Biología
Zoología
Females
Infanticide
Mating excursions
Mating strategies
Movement ecology
Roaming–to–mate
Ursus arctos
2401.02 Comportamiento Animal
2401.06 Ecología Animal
2401.18 Mamíferos
3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat
2401.03 Comunicación Animal
3104.11 Reproducción
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network_acronym_str ES
network_name_str España
repository_id_str
dc.title.none.fl_str_mv Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
title Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
spellingShingle Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
Penteriani Dragone, Vincenzo
Biología
Zoología
Females
Infanticide
Mating excursions
Mating strategies
Movement ecology
Roaming–to–mate
Ursus arctos
2401.02 Comportamiento Animal
2401.06 Ecología Animal
2401.18 Mamíferos
3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat
2401.03 Comunicación Animal
3104.11 Reproducción
title_short Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
title_full Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
title_fullStr Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
title_full_unstemmed Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
title_sort Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?
dc.creator.none.fl_str_mv Penteriani Dragone, Vincenzo
Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar
Kojola, Ilpo
Heikkinen, Samuli
Fedorca, Ancuta
García Sánchez, María Pino
Fedorca, Mihai
Find’o, Slavomír
Skuban, Michaela 1976-
Balbontín Arenas, Javier
Zarzo Arias, Alejandra
Falcinelli, Daniele
Ordiz Fernández, Andrés Avelino
Swenson, Jon E. 1951-
author Penteriani Dragone, Vincenzo
author_facet Penteriani Dragone, Vincenzo
Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar
Kojola, Ilpo
Heikkinen, Samuli
Fedorca, Ancuta
García Sánchez, María Pino
Fedorca, Mihai
Find’o, Slavomír
Skuban, Michaela 1976-
Balbontín Arenas, Javier
Zarzo Arias, Alejandra
Falcinelli, Daniele
Ordiz Fernández, Andrés Avelino
Swenson, Jon E. 1951-
author_role author
author2 Delgado Sánchez, María del Mar
Kojola, Ilpo
Heikkinen, Samuli
Fedorca, Ancuta
García Sánchez, María Pino
Fedorca, Mihai
Find’o, Slavomír
Skuban, Michaela 1976-
Balbontín Arenas, Javier
Zarzo Arias, Alejandra
Falcinelli, Daniele
Ordiz Fernández, Andrés Avelino
Swenson, Jon E. 1951-
author2_role author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
author
dc.contributor.none.fl_str_mv Zoologia
Facultad de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales
dc.subject.none.fl_str_mv Biología
Zoología
Females
Infanticide
Mating excursions
Mating strategies
Movement ecology
Roaming–to–mate
Ursus arctos
2401.02 Comportamiento Animal
2401.06 Ecología Animal
2401.18 Mamíferos
3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat
2401.03 Comunicación Animal
3104.11 Reproducción
topic Biología
Zoología
Females
Infanticide
Mating excursions
Mating strategies
Movement ecology
Roaming–to–mate
Ursus arctos
2401.02 Comportamiento Animal
2401.06 Ecología Animal
2401.18 Mamíferos
3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat
2401.03 Comunicación Animal
3104.11 Reproducción
description [EN] Background Limited information exists on the active role of females during mate searching. Theory primarily focuses on male reproductive behaviours, suggesting male distribution follows that of females, while female distribution is influenced by food resources and habitat. This approach might underestimate the females’ role in shaping mating strategies. Incorporating a female perspective into mating studies can enhance our understanding of evolutionary factors. Methods Using GPS data from brown bears Ursus arctos across Finland, Romania and Slovakia, we explored female movement behaviour during the mating period. First, we estimated movement speed, total distance and net distance at a daily scale. Then, we quantitatively described when the movement peaks occur by estimating two critical points of the functions described by each of the aforementioned movement parameters: (1) the point in time when the rate of change in brown bear movement behaviour is the highest; and (2) the point in time when each aspect of brown bear movement is most pronounced. We quantified temporal variations in male and female movements throughout the year using generalized additive mixed models, while we used linear mixed models to assess the relationship between peak movement parameters, bear sex and population. Results Our findings identified two overlooked behaviours: (1) male and female movement parameters showed the highest rate of change during the mating season, challenging the notion of male roaming as the primary mating strategy; and (2) females travelled the longest distances during the mating season, potentially seeking high-quality mates. This behaviour aligns with the strategy of engaging in copulations with multiple males to avoid infanticide. Conclusions Our study reveals novel insights into the active role of female brown bears in mating strategies, challenging traditional male-centric views. These results support the need for detailed investigations into female behaviours across mammalian taxa, which offer potential to advance our understanding of mammalian social and mating systems. Local differences also underscore the importance of social and ecological conditions to explain variation in the female role in mating strategies
publishDate 2025
dc.date.none.fl_str_mv 2025
dc.type.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/semantics/article
info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion
format article
status_str publishedVersion
dc.identifier.none.fl_str_mv https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-025-00553-6
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/25365
url https://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-025-00553-6
https://hdl.handle.net/10612/25365
dc.language.none.fl_str_mv Inglés
language_invalid_str_mv Inglés
dc.relation.none.fl_str_mv info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico del Sistema de I+D+i/PID2020-114181 GB-I00
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/Principado de Asturias/SEKUENS/IDE
info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/CINEA/LIFE programme/LIFE17 NAT
dc.rights.none.fl_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
rights_invalid_str_mv http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
eu_rights_str_mv openAccess
dc.publisher.none.fl_str_mv BioMed Central (BMC)
publisher.none.fl_str_mv BioMed Central (BMC)
dc.source.none.fl_str_mv reponame:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
instname:Universidad de León
instname_str Universidad de León
reponame_str BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
collection BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de León
repository.name.fl_str_mv
repository.mail.fl_str_mv
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spelling Mating from a female perspective: Do brown bear females play an active role in mate searching?Penteriani Dragone, VincenzoDelgado Sánchez, María del MarKojola, IlpoHeikkinen, SamuliFedorca, AncutaGarcía Sánchez, María PinoFedorca, MihaiFind’o, SlavomírSkuban, Michaela 1976-Balbontín Arenas, JavierZarzo Arias, AlejandraFalcinelli, DanieleOrdiz Fernández, Andrés AvelinoSwenson, Jon E. 1951-BiologíaZoologíaFemalesInfanticideMating excursionsMating strategiesMovement ecologyRoaming–to–mateUrsus arctos2401.02 Comportamiento Animal2401.06 Ecología Animal2401.18 Mamíferos3105.09 Influencia del Hábitat2401.03 Comunicación Animal3104.11 Reproducción[EN] Background Limited information exists on the active role of females during mate searching. Theory primarily focuses on male reproductive behaviours, suggesting male distribution follows that of females, while female distribution is influenced by food resources and habitat. This approach might underestimate the females’ role in shaping mating strategies. Incorporating a female perspective into mating studies can enhance our understanding of evolutionary factors. Methods Using GPS data from brown bears Ursus arctos across Finland, Romania and Slovakia, we explored female movement behaviour during the mating period. First, we estimated movement speed, total distance and net distance at a daily scale. Then, we quantitatively described when the movement peaks occur by estimating two critical points of the functions described by each of the aforementioned movement parameters: (1) the point in time when the rate of change in brown bear movement behaviour is the highest; and (2) the point in time when each aspect of brown bear movement is most pronounced. We quantified temporal variations in male and female movements throughout the year using generalized additive mixed models, while we used linear mixed models to assess the relationship between peak movement parameters, bear sex and population. Results Our findings identified two overlooked behaviours: (1) male and female movement parameters showed the highest rate of change during the mating season, challenging the notion of male roaming as the primary mating strategy; and (2) females travelled the longest distances during the mating season, potentially seeking high-quality mates. This behaviour aligns with the strategy of engaging in copulations with multiple males to avoid infanticide. Conclusions Our study reveals novel insights into the active role of female brown bears in mating strategies, challenging traditional male-centric views. These results support the need for detailed investigations into female behaviours across mammalian taxa, which offer potential to advance our understanding of mammalian social and mating systems. Local differences also underscore the importance of social and ecological conditions to explain variation in the female role in mating strategiesSIOpen Access funding provided thanks to the CRUE-CSIC agreement with Springer Nature. V.P., J.B., A.Z.-A., A.O. and J.E.S. were financially supported by the I + D + i Project PID2020-114181 GB-I00 funded by MCIN/AEI/ https:// doi. org/ 10. 13039/ 50110 00110 33 and by the European Union. V.P. and M.M.D. were also financially supported by Grants for Research Groups of Public I+D+i Organizations in the Principality of Asturias (IDE/2024/000779; SEKUENS and EU funds). A. Z-A. was also financially supported by a Margarita Salas contract financed by the European Union-NextGenerationEU, Ministerio de Universidades y Plan de Recuperacion, Transformacion y Resiliencia, through the call of the Universidad de Oviedo (Asturias). The Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry financially supported I.K. S.F. was financially supported by the project ITMS 26220120069 under the Operational Programme Research and Development funded by the European Regional Development Fund. Dr. Joachim and Hanna Schmidt Stiftung für Umwelt und Verkehr, Germany, financially supported M.S. The financial support for A.F., M.F. and P.G.S. was provided by the project LIFE17NAT/IT/464 SAFECROSSING, by a grant (Nucleu Programme PN 23090304) of the Romanian National Authority for Scientific Research and Innovation and “Creșterea capacității și performanței instituționale a INCDS ‘Marin Drăcea’ în activitatea de CDI—CresPerfInst” (Contract nr. 34PFE/30 December 2021) from the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization, Programul 1—Dezvoltarea sistemului naţional de cercetare—dezvoltare, Subprogram 1.2—Performanţă instituţională—Proiecte de finanţare a excelenţei în CDIBioMed Central (BMC)ZoologiaFacultad de Ciencias Biologicas y Ambientales2025info:eu-repo/semantics/articleinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersionhttps://movementecologyjournal.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s40462-025-00553-6https://hdl.handle.net/10612/25365reponame:BULERIA. Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Leóninstname:Universidad de LeónInglésinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/AEI/Programa Estatal de Generación de Conocimiento y Fortalecimiento Científico y Tecnológico del Sistema de I+D+i/PID2020-114181 GB-I00info:eu-repo/grantAgreement/Principado de Asturias/SEKUENS/IDEinfo:eu-repo/grantAgreement/CINEA/LIFE programme/LIFE17 NAThttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccessoai:buleria.unileon.es:10612/253652026-06-24T12:43:27Z
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