Fluctuating asymmetry as a proxy for oxidative stress in wild boar

Abstract

The study of fluctuating asymmetry (FA) in living organisms has produced contradictory results over the past few decades of research. Though the protocol for measuring FA is firmly established, the sources of FA remain unclear in many cases. Our goal is to examine the relationship between FA and both the concentration of biomarkers of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and body condition in a medium-sized mammal, the European wild boar (Sus scrofa). Using a Partial Least Squares regression (PLSr), we found a positive significant relationship (Stone–Geisser test) between oxidative stress and FA but a negative relationship between oxidative stress and body condition. Our results suggest that FA can be used to assess the physiological costs associated with oxidative stress in mammals.