Oliver Schülke, Eva-Maria Rathke, Andreas Berghänel, Julia Ostner
Reciprocity in the form of contingent exchanges of goods and services is widespread across animals. While there is ample evidence for helping to be contingent upon the help received from a partner, less attention has been paid to partner avoidance based on harm inflicted by a partner. Here, we investigated whether partner choice for agonistic support against powerful targets is guided by loyalty received, i.e., the tendency to refrain from attacking the subject in a coalition with any third partner. We further assessed whether loyalty received by all cooperation partners may generate increased levels of betweenness in the coalition network of a group, a measure of indirect connectedness that has previously been associated with fitness benefits. Based on observational data from male coalitions against male group mates in Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus), loyalty received was found to predict the frequency of cooperation in coalitions and the loyalty given to a partner. We propose that loyalty-guided reciprocity will be favored in species with rank-changing coalitions where defection is particularly risky. The more loyal a male's cooperation partners were, the more central he was in the coalition network in terms of higher in betweenness, suggesting a cognitively simple strategy underlying complex network positioning. Analyses of simulated data suggest strong correlations of loyalty and betweenness to be more prevalent in the relatively small groups characteristic of many primate species.
{"title":"Male Barbary macaques choose loyal coalition partners which may increase their coalition network betweenness","authors":"Oliver Schülke, Eva-Maria Rathke, Andreas Berghänel, Julia Ostner","doi":"10.1111/eth.13413","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13413","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Reciprocity in the form of contingent exchanges of goods and services is widespread across animals. While there is ample evidence for helping to be contingent upon the help received from a partner, less attention has been paid to partner avoidance based on harm inflicted by a partner. Here, we investigated whether partner choice for agonistic support against powerful targets is guided by loyalty received, i.e., the tendency to refrain from attacking the subject in a coalition with any third partner. We further assessed whether loyalty received by all cooperation partners may generate increased levels of betweenness in the coalition network of a group, a measure of indirect connectedness that has previously been associated with fitness benefits. Based on observational data from male coalitions against male group mates in Barbary macaques (<i>Macaca sylvanus</i>), loyalty received was found to predict the frequency of cooperation in coalitions and the loyalty given to a partner. We propose that loyalty-guided reciprocity will be favored in species with rank-changing coalitions where defection is particularly risky. The more loyal a male's cooperation partners were, the more central he was in the coalition network in terms of higher in betweenness, suggesting a cognitively simple strategy underlying complex network positioning. Analyses of simulated data suggest strong correlations of loyalty and betweenness to be more prevalent in the relatively small groups characteristic of many primate species.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-10-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13413","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135590469","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
The subject of brood parasitism has become the focus of widespread attention for the numerous finely tuned adaptations that have been discovered in coevolving specialist brood parasite–host systems (Davies, 2000; Krüger, 2007; Soler, 2017a). A recent study by Antonson et al. (2022) claims to have found one of these fascinating adaptations, posing the exciting conclusion that brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater) chicks use a niche construction strategy (alteration of its own environment for its own fitness benefit) in prothonotary warbler (Protonotaria citrea) host nests. In this experimental study, the authors have found that the selective brood reduction strategy driven by cowbird nestlings is reducing, but not eliminating host broods. According to their interpretation, this appears to represent an adaptive niche construction strategy given the brood reduction results and that survival of cowbird nestlings is higher in broods of two warbler nestlings than when alone or in broods of four warbler nestlings. This is an intriguing possibility but does a niche construction strategy allowing the survival of two nestmates really exist in brown-headed cowbirds?
Niche construction is a mechanism whereby individuals actively manipulate their environment to obtain more appropriate conditions in which their possibilities of survival and reproductive success increase (Aaby & Ramsey, 2022; Odling-Smee et al., 2013; Trappes et al., 2022). In birds, nest building is a clear example of niche construction (Trappes et al., 2022). The strategy of the common cuckoo (Cuculus canorus) nestling, which soon after hatching evicts all host nestmates from the nest, allowing it to monopolize the feeding effort of its foster parents, can be considered another clear case of niche construction. Other brood parasites (non-evictors) share the nest with host nestlings, but usually, the parasitic nestling(s) outcompetes host nestlings. This also implies an active manipulation of their environment (the nest), and therefore, this strategy could also be considered niche construction. However, Antonson et al. (2022) suggest that in the brown-headed cowbird—protonotary warbler system, the brood parasite selectively manipulates brood reduction favouring the presence of two warbler nestlings in the nest. This suggestion is based on comparisons of data on nestling warbler mortality in four experimental groups, with two parasitized and two unparasitized treatments. However, the crucial prediction of the niche construction hypothesis—that is, that the cowbird nestling causes selective host brood reduction, allowing the survival of just two host nestlings—was not demonstrated.
In addition, this study selectively cites publications and raises several other key questions. Antonson et al. (2022) base their study on the ‘beggin
由于在共同进化的特殊寄主-寄主系统中发现了许多精细调节的适应,育雏寄生的主题已成为广泛关注的焦点(Davies, 2000;克鲁格,2007;太阳系,2017)。Antonson等人(2022)最近的一项研究声称发现了其中一种令人着迷的适应性,并提出了令人兴奋的结论,即褐头牛鹂(Molothrus ater)雏鸟在原冠莺(Protonotaria citrea)宿主巢穴中使用生态位构建策略(改变自身环境以获得自身健康利益)。在本实验研究中,作者发现,由牛椋鸟雏鸟驱动的选择性减育策略是减少而不是消除宿主窝。根据他们的解释,考虑到雏鸟数量减少的结果,这似乎代表了一种适应性生态位构建策略,而且两只莺巢的雏鸟存活率高于单独或四只莺巢的雏鸟存活率。这是一种有趣的可能性,但是在棕头牛鹂中真的存在一种允许两个同伴生存的生态位构建策略吗?生态位构建是一种机制,通过这种机制,个体主动操纵其环境,以获得更合适的条件,从而增加其生存和繁殖成功的可能性(aby & Ramsey, 2022;Odling-Smee et al., 2013;Trappes et al., 2022)。在鸟类中,筑巢是生态位建设的一个明显例子(Trappes et al., 2022)。普通杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)的筑巢策略,在孵化后不久就把所有的寄主同伴赶出巢,从而垄断了养父母的喂养努力,可以被认为是生态位构建的另一个明显案例。其他幼虫寄生虫(非驱逐者)与寄主雏鸟共享巢穴,但通常情况下,寄主雏鸟比寄主雏鸟竞争更激烈。这也意味着它们对环境(巢穴)的主动操纵,因此,这种策略也可以被认为是生态位构建。然而,Antonson等人(2022)认为,在褐头牛头鸟-原尾莺系统中,幼虫寄生虫选择性地操纵幼虫减少,有利于巢中有两只莺的雏鸟。这一建议是基于四个实验组的雏鸟死亡率数据的比较,两个寄生和两个未寄生处理。然而,生态位构建假说的关键预测——即,牛鹂的雏鸟导致选择性的寄主窝减少,只允许两个寄主窝存活——并没有得到证明。此外,本研究选择性地引用了出版物,并提出了其他几个关键问题。Antonson等人(2022)的研究基于“乞讨协助假说”(Kilner等人,2004),该假说认为,与寄主雏鸟共用巢穴的棕头牛鹂雏鸟比单独饲养的牛鹂雏鸟生长得更快,因为寄生雏鸟利用寄主雏鸟发出的乞讨叫声来获取资源。也就是说,寄主雏鸟的乞讨表现迫使它们的父母增加食物传递的速度,由于其更高的竞争能力,这些额外的食物将被雏鸟消耗掉(Kilner et al., 2004)。为了支持寄生雏鸟需要宿主雏鸟的帮助才能获得足够数量的食物这一假设,作者引用了所有支持这一假设的出版物,包括在该假设提出之前(Lichtenstein & Sealy, 1998)和之后(Gloag et al., 2012;Hoover & Reetz, 2006;Kilner et al., 2004;Li & Hauber, 2021)。其中一篇论文Li和Hauber(2021)明确指出,这一假设仅适用于中型宿主物种。此外,Gloag等人(2012)报告称,乞讨援助假说仅在一个小宿主物种中得到支持,而在一个较大的宿主物种中没有得到支持。不幸的是,Antonson et al.(2022)没有提到任何不支持驱逐幼虫寄生虫乞讨援助假说预测的实验研究(Grim et al., 2009;Hauber & Moskát, 2008;Martín-Gálvez et al., 2005)。Antonson et al.(2022)似乎也没有意识到其他研究(例如Bolopo et al., 2015;Rivers et al., 2010;Soler & de Neve, 2013)和一篇综述(Soler, 2017b)得出的结论是,在几个共用巢穴的寄生虫物种中,较大的雏鸟成功地竞争额外的食物,无论它们是宿主还是寄生虫。Antonson et al.(2022)在他们的论文中没有讨论这一关键因素(即寄生雏鸟相对于宿主雏鸟的大小)是如何影响哪只雏鸟获得额外食物的,因为寄生雏鸟和宿主雏鸟共享的巢穴会产生强烈的乞讨行为。 由于在共同进化的特殊寄主-寄主系统中发现了许多精细调节的适应,育雏寄生的主题已成为广泛关注的焦点(Davies, 2000;克鲁格,2007;太阳系,2017)。Antonson等人(2022)最近的一项研究声称发现了其中一种令人着迷的适应性,并提出了令人兴奋的结论,即褐头牛鹂(Molothrus ater)雏鸟在原冠莺(Protonotaria citrea)宿主巢穴中使用生态位构建策略(改变自身环境以获得自身健康利益)。在本实验研究中,作者发现,由牛椋鸟雏鸟驱动的选择性减育策略是减少而不是消除宿主窝。根据他们的解释,考虑到雏鸟数量减少的结果,这似乎代表了一种适应性生态位构建策略,而且两只莺巢的雏鸟存活率高于单独或四只莺巢的雏鸟存活率。这是一种有趣的可能性,但是在棕头牛鹂中真的存在一种允许两个同伴生存的生态位构建策略吗?生态位构建是个体主动操纵环境以获得更合适的生存条件和繁殖成功率增加的一种机制(aby &拉姆齐,2022;Odling-Smee et al., 2013;Trappes et al., 2022)。在鸟类中,筑巢是生态位建设的一个明显例子(Trappes et al., 2022)。普通杜鹃(Cuculus canorus)的筑巢策略,在孵化后不久就把所有的寄主同伴赶出巢,从而垄断了养父母的喂养努力,可以被认为是生态位构建的另一个明显案例。其他幼虫寄生虫(非驱逐者)与寄主雏鸟共享巢穴,但通常情况下,寄主雏鸟比寄主雏鸟竞争更激烈。这也意味着它们对环境(巢穴)的主动操纵,因此,这种策略也可以被认为是生态位构建。然而,Antonson等人(2022)认为,在褐头牛头鸟-原尾莺系统中,幼虫寄生虫选择性地操纵幼虫减少,有利于巢中有两只莺的雏鸟。这一建议是基于四个实验组的雏鸟死亡率数据的比较,两个寄生和两个未寄生处理。然而,生态位构建假说的关键预测——即,牛鹂的雏鸟导致选择性的寄主窝减少,只允许两个寄主窝存活——并没有得到证明。此外,本研究选择性地引用了出版物,并提出了其他几个关键问题。Antonson等人(2022)的研究基于“乞讨协助假说”(Kilner等人,2004),该假说认为,与寄主雏鸟共用巢穴的棕头牛鹂雏鸟比单独饲养的牛鹂雏鸟生长得更快,因为寄生雏鸟利用寄主雏鸟发出的乞讨叫声来获取资源。也就是说,寄主雏鸟的乞讨表现迫使它们的父母增加食物传递的速度,由于其更高的竞争能力,这些额外的食物将被雏鸟消耗掉(Kilner et al., 2004)。为了支持寄生雏鸟需要宿主雏鸟的帮助来获得足够数量的食物这一假设,作者引用了之前所有支持这一假设的出版物(Lichtenstein &Sealy, 1998)和假说提出后(Gloag et al., 2012;胡佛,Reetz, 2006;Kilner et al., 2004;李,霍伯,2021)。其中一篇论文Li和Hauber(2021)明确指出,这一假设仅适用于中型
{"title":"Does a niche construction strategy adaptation really exist in brown-headed cowbirds?","authors":"Manuel Soler","doi":"10.1111/eth.13412","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13412","url":null,"abstract":"<p>The subject of brood parasitism has become the focus of widespread attention for the numerous finely tuned adaptations that have been discovered in coevolving specialist brood parasite–host systems (Davies, <span>2000</span>; Krüger, <span>2007</span>; Soler, <span>2017a</span>). A recent study by Antonson et al. (<span>2022</span>) claims to have found one of these fascinating adaptations, posing the exciting conclusion that brown-headed cowbird (<i>Molothrus ater</i>) chicks use a niche construction strategy (alteration of its own environment for its own fitness benefit) in prothonotary warbler (<i>Protonotaria citrea</i>) host nests. In this experimental study, the authors have found that the selective brood reduction strategy driven by cowbird nestlings is reducing, but not eliminating host broods. According to their interpretation, this appears to represent an adaptive niche construction strategy given the brood reduction results and that survival of cowbird nestlings is higher in broods of two warbler nestlings than when alone or in broods of four warbler nestlings. This is an intriguing possibility but does a niche construction strategy allowing the survival of two nestmates really exist in brown-headed cowbirds?</p><p>Niche construction is a mechanism whereby individuals actively manipulate their environment to obtain more appropriate conditions in which their possibilities of survival and reproductive success increase (Aaby & Ramsey, <span>2022</span>; Odling-Smee et al., <span>2013</span>; Trappes et al., <span>2022</span>). In birds, nest building is a clear example of niche construction (Trappes et al., <span>2022</span>). The strategy of the common cuckoo (<i>Cuculus canorus</i>) nestling, which soon after hatching evicts all host nestmates from the nest, allowing it to monopolize the feeding effort of its foster parents, can be considered another clear case of niche construction. Other brood parasites (non-evictors) share the nest with host nestlings, but usually, the parasitic nestling(s) outcompetes host nestlings. This also implies an active manipulation of their environment (the nest), and therefore, this strategy could also be considered niche construction. However, Antonson et al. (<span>2022</span>) suggest that in the brown-headed cowbird—protonotary warbler system, the brood parasite selectively manipulates brood reduction favouring the presence of two warbler nestlings in the nest. This suggestion is based on comparisons of data on nestling warbler mortality in four experimental groups, with two parasitized and two unparasitized treatments. However, the crucial prediction of the niche construction hypothesis—that is, that the cowbird nestling causes selective host brood reduction, allowing the survival of just two host nestlings—was not demonstrated.</p><p>In addition, this study selectively cites publications and raises several other key questions. Antonson et al. (<span>2022</span>) base their study on the ‘beggin","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-10-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13412","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"135695465","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Direct reciprocity is the tendency to repay others' cooperation. This tendency can be crucial to maintain cooperation in evolving populations. Once direct reciprocity evolves, individuals have a long-run interest to cooperate, even if it is costly in the short run. The major theoretical framework to describe reciprocal behavior is the repeated prisoner's dilemma. Over the past decades, this game has been the major workhorse to predict when reciprocal cooperation ought to evolve, and which strategies individuals are supposed to adopt. Herein, we compare these predictions with the empirical evidence from experiments with human subjects. From a theory-driven perspective, humans represent an ideal test case, because they give researchers the most flexibility to tailor the experimental design to the assumptions of a model. Overall, we find that theoretical models describe well in which situations people cooperate. However, in the important case of “indefinitely repeated games,” they have difficulties to predict which strategies people use.
{"title":"Direct reciprocity among humans","authors":"Charlotte S. L. Rossetti, Christian Hilbe","doi":"10.1111/eth.13407","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13407","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Direct reciprocity is the tendency to repay others' cooperation. This tendency can be crucial to maintain cooperation in evolving populations. Once direct reciprocity evolves, individuals have a long-run interest to cooperate, even if it is costly in the short run. The major theoretical framework to describe reciprocal behavior is the repeated prisoner's dilemma. Over the past decades, this game has been the major workhorse to predict when reciprocal cooperation ought to evolve, and which strategies individuals are supposed to adopt. Herein, we compare these predictions with the empirical evidence from experiments with human subjects. From a theory-driven perspective, humans represent an ideal test case, because they give researchers the most flexibility to tailor the experimental design to the assumptions of a model. Overall, we find that theoretical models describe well in which situations people cooperate. However, in the important case of “indefinitely repeated games,” they have difficulties to predict which strategies people use.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13407","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136341607","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Fionnuala R. McCully, Sébastien Descamps, Stephanie M. Harris, Freddie Mckendrick, Natasha Gillies, Stephen J. Cornell, Ben J. Hatchwell, Samantha C. Patrick
In long-lived monogamous species, the trigger of costly re-pairing is not always clear. Limited research suggests that within-pair behavioural compatibility may be an important driver of partnership success, as cooperation should be enhanced when pair members' decisions complement one another. Animals' decision-making processes are influenced by personality traits – defined as individual differences in behaviour that are stable in time. Despite the potential for the personality trait ‘boldness’ to (a) directly impact individual willingness to re-pair and (b) indirectly impact re-pairing choices via reproductive success, there is currently little work exploring how re-pairing decisions might be impacted by the pair members' personalities. Using a 13-year dataset, we investigated whether within-pair boldness and its relationship with breeding success explained re-pairing patterns of black-legged kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla), breeding in two Arctic colonies. We found that pairs with dissimilar boldness levels were more likely to experience breeding failure and that failed pairs were more likely to re-pair the following year. Despite this, only one colony displayed evidence of assortative mating by boldness, and there was no indication that re-pairing impacted reproductive success the following season. Neither individual nor pair boldness directly influenced re-pairing probability; however, in both colonies, re-pairing birds chose partners that were slightly more similar to themselves in boldness than their previous mates. These results imply an indirect pathway by which poorer behavioural compatibility within pairs may lead to breeding failure and ultimately re-pairing. Our findings highlight the importance of behavioural compatibility, and possibly personality, in mitigating sexual conflict and its population-specific drivers.
{"title":"Links between personality, reproductive success and re-pairing patterns in a long-lived seabird","authors":"Fionnuala R. McCully, Sébastien Descamps, Stephanie M. Harris, Freddie Mckendrick, Natasha Gillies, Stephen J. Cornell, Ben J. Hatchwell, Samantha C. Patrick","doi":"10.1111/eth.13405","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13405","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In long-lived monogamous species, the trigger of costly re-pairing is not always clear. Limited research suggests that within-pair behavioural compatibility may be an important driver of partnership success, as cooperation should be enhanced when pair members' decisions complement one another. Animals' decision-making processes are influenced by personality traits – defined as individual differences in behaviour that are stable in time. Despite the potential for the personality trait ‘boldness’ to (a) directly impact individual willingness to re-pair and (b) indirectly impact re-pairing choices via reproductive success, there is currently little work exploring how re-pairing decisions might be impacted by the pair members' personalities. Using a 13-year dataset, we investigated whether within-pair boldness and its relationship with breeding success explained re-pairing patterns of black-legged kittiwakes (<i>Rissa tridactyla</i>), breeding in two Arctic colonies. We found that pairs with dissimilar boldness levels were more likely to experience breeding failure and that failed pairs were more likely to re-pair the following year. Despite this, only one colony displayed evidence of assortative mating by boldness, and there was no indication that re-pairing impacted reproductive success the following season. Neither individual nor pair boldness directly influenced re-pairing probability; however, in both colonies, re-pairing birds chose partners that were slightly more similar to themselves in boldness than their previous mates. These results imply an indirect pathway by which poorer behavioural compatibility within pairs may lead to breeding failure and ultimately re-pairing. Our findings highlight the importance of behavioural compatibility, and possibly personality, in mitigating sexual conflict and its population-specific drivers.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13405","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134960352","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Anna V. Klenova, Elena V. Chelysheva, Nina A. Vasilieva, Ilya A. Volodin, Elena V. Volodina
Wild cheetahs Acinonyx jubatus of all age classes, from newborns to adults, use their long-distance chirps for communication with conspecifics. We investigated the ontogenetic changes of eight acoustic parameters of the chirps produced by wild-living cheetahs across 14 age classes in Kenya. Chirp maximum fundamental frequency (f0max) was found to be best acoustic correlate of cheetah age. The f0max was the highest in neonates (up to 10 kHz), then decreased steadily across age classes and reached a plateau of about 1 kHz in mature adults older than 4 years. Based on a close relationship of f0max with age, we fitted polynomial models for estimating cheetah age by their chirps. We discuss that gradual changes of chirp f0max suggest the gradual development of cheetah vocal apparatus. Model for age estimation by chirps in the cheetah proposed in this study may provide conservationists a non-invasive bioacoustic tool for estimating cheetah age, particularly at ages younger than 4 years. However, introducing more data from cheetahs of precisely known age would be necessary for obtaining more accurate results of age determination by voice for the older individuals.
{"title":"Acoustic features of long-distance calls of wild cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) are linked to the caller age from newborns to adults","authors":"Anna V. Klenova, Elena V. Chelysheva, Nina A. Vasilieva, Ilya A. Volodin, Elena V. Volodina","doi":"10.1111/eth.13406","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13406","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Wild cheetahs <i>Acinonyx jubatus</i> of all age classes, from newborns to adults, use their long-distance chirps for communication with conspecifics. We investigated the ontogenetic changes of eight acoustic parameters of the chirps produced by wild-living cheetahs across 14 age classes in Kenya. Chirp maximum fundamental frequency (f0max) was found to be best acoustic correlate of cheetah age. The f0max was the highest in neonates (up to 10 kHz), then decreased steadily across age classes and reached a plateau of about 1 kHz in mature adults older than 4 years. Based on a close relationship of f0max with age, we fitted polynomial models for estimating cheetah age by their chirps. We discuss that gradual changes of chirp f0max suggest the gradual development of cheetah vocal apparatus. Model for age estimation by chirps in the cheetah proposed in this study may provide conservationists a non-invasive bioacoustic tool for estimating cheetah age, particularly at ages younger than 4 years. However, introducing more data from cheetahs of precisely known age would be necessary for obtaining more accurate results of age determination by voice for the older individuals.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"134960193","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Hung Tan, Jack A. Brand, Bradley O. Clarke, Jack L. Manera, Jake M. Martin, Bob B. M. Wong, Lesley A. Alton
Anthropogenic sources of environmental pollution are ever-increasing as urban areas expand and more chemical compounds are used in daily life. The stimulant caffeine is one of the most consumed chemical compounds worldwide, and as a result, has been detected as an environmental contaminant in all types of major water sources on all continents. Exposure of wildlife to environmental pollutants can disrupt the energy balance of these organisms, as restoration of homeostasis is prioritised. In turn, energy allocated to other key biological processes such as growth or reproduction may be affected, consequently reducing the overall fitness of an individual. Therefore, we aimed to investigate if long-term exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of caffeine had any energetic consequences on wildlife. Specifically, we exposed wild eastern mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) to one of three nominal concentrations of caffeine (0, 100 and 10,000 ng/L) and assayed individuals for metabolic rate, general activity, antipredator and foraging behaviour and body size as measures of energy expenditure or energy intake. We found no differences in any measured traits between any of the given exposure treatments, indicating that exposure to caffeine at current environmental levels may not adversely affect the energy balance and fitness of vulnerable freshwater fish.
{"title":"No evidence that the widespread environmental contaminant caffeine alters energy balance or stress responses in fish","authors":"Hung Tan, Jack A. Brand, Bradley O. Clarke, Jack L. Manera, Jake M. Martin, Bob B. M. Wong, Lesley A. Alton","doi":"10.1111/eth.13403","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13403","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Anthropogenic sources of environmental pollution are ever-increasing as urban areas expand and more chemical compounds are used in daily life. The stimulant caffeine is one of the most consumed chemical compounds worldwide, and as a result, has been detected as an environmental contaminant in all types of major water sources on all continents. Exposure of wildlife to environmental pollutants can disrupt the energy balance of these organisms, as restoration of homeostasis is prioritised. In turn, energy allocated to other key biological processes such as growth or reproduction may be affected, consequently reducing the overall fitness of an individual. Therefore, we aimed to investigate if long-term exposure to environmentally relevant concentrations of caffeine had any energetic consequences on wildlife. Specifically, we exposed wild eastern mosquitofish (<i>Gambusia holbrooki</i>) to one of three nominal concentrations of caffeine (0, 100 and 10,000 ng/L) and assayed individuals for metabolic rate, general activity, antipredator and foraging behaviour and body size as measures of energy expenditure or energy intake. We found no differences in any measured traits between any of the given exposure treatments, indicating that exposure to caffeine at current environmental levels may not adversely affect the energy balance and fitness of vulnerable freshwater fish.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-09-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13403","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"136072988","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Recognizing form and function of animal defenses is paramount to understanding the ecological and evolutionary forces behind predator and prey dynamics. Color patterns are strongly related to defensive strategies in animals. Some rely on camouflage to avoid detection, while others are brightly colored and conspicuously signal their noxiousness to potential predators. Still others combine cryptic dorsal coloration with colorful patches that are concealed in resting position but are facultatively unveiled by special behavior or simply during activity. Such hidden conspicuous color patches may be an intermediate stage in the evolution from camouflage to aposematism. Many species, especially treefrogs of the family Hylidae, are generally considered to be cryptic, yet show colorful patches on their flanks or thighs and have defensive skin secretions that may have unpalatable properties. We investigated whether the conspicuous black and yellow spotted pattern on the thighs of Eastern Gray Treefrogs (Hyla versicolor) serve as an aposematic signal. We conducted a palatability study to test whether Gray Treefrog skin secretions are unpalatable, and a clay model field study to test whether the conspicuous black and yellow thigh pattern is an aposematic warning coloration that reduces predation. Frog secretions were discriminated against during palatability assays, and clay models painted with a spotted black and yellow pattern suffered lower predation rates. Our findings support the hypothesis that hidden color patches act as aposematic signals in Gray Treefrogs and suggest that more species benefit from aposematic coloration than currently appreciated.
{"title":"Hidden black and yellow thigh color acts as an aposematic signal in the Eastern Gray Treefrog (Hyla versicolor)","authors":"Joseph S. Cannizzaro IV, Gerlinde Höbel","doi":"10.1111/eth.13404","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13404","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Recognizing form and function of animal defenses is paramount to understanding the ecological and evolutionary forces behind predator and prey dynamics. Color patterns are strongly related to defensive strategies in animals. Some rely on camouflage to avoid detection, while others are brightly colored and conspicuously signal their noxiousness to potential predators. Still others combine cryptic dorsal coloration with colorful patches that are concealed in resting position but are facultatively unveiled by special behavior or simply during activity. Such hidden conspicuous color patches may be an intermediate stage in the evolution from camouflage to aposematism. Many species, especially treefrogs of the family Hylidae, are generally considered to be cryptic, yet show colorful patches on their flanks or thighs and have defensive skin secretions that may have unpalatable properties. We investigated whether the conspicuous black and yellow spotted pattern on the thighs of Eastern Gray Treefrogs (<i>Hyla versicolor</i>) serve as an aposematic signal. We conducted a palatability study to test whether Gray Treefrog skin secretions are unpalatable, and a clay model field study to test whether the conspicuous black and yellow thigh pattern is an aposematic warning coloration that reduces predation. Frog secretions were discriminated against during palatability assays, and clay models painted with a spotted black and yellow pattern suffered lower predation rates. Our findings support the hypothesis that hidden color patches act as aposematic signals in Gray Treefrogs and suggest that more species benefit from aposematic coloration than currently appreciated.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-09-05","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"46420419","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
A defining feature of parasitism is the harm parasites cause to their host via a reduction in lifetime reproductive success. Harm, also referred to as “virulence,” may involve host mortality or sublethal effects, such as a decreased body condition or protracted development of immature individuals. We considered a system where colonies of the social spider Anelosimus eximius serve as hosts to confamilial kleptoparasitic spiders that steal food resources. In a laboratory experiment with parasitized and non-parasitized colonies, we tested whether this host–parasite interaction meets the criterium of harm to host individuals and colonies. We assessed survival and measured scaled mass indices (SMI) before and after the experimental period. Linear mixed effects models demonstrated that colonies exposed to kleptoparasites had lower SMI values at the end of the experiment compared to controls, but found no effect of kleptoparasitism on mortality in treatment and control groups. We conclude that kleptoparasites meet the criterium of harm to their host to be considered parasitic and provide the first empirical measure of virulence for this study system.
{"title":"Sublethal effects of kleptoparasitism on experimental social spider colonies","authors":"Samantha Straus, Leticia Avilés","doi":"10.1111/eth.13401","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13401","url":null,"abstract":"<p>A defining feature of parasitism is the harm parasites cause to their host via a reduction in lifetime reproductive success. Harm, also referred to as “virulence,” may involve host mortality or sublethal effects, such as a decreased body condition or protracted development of immature individuals. We considered a system where colonies of the social spider <i>Anelosimus eximius</i> serve as hosts to confamilial kleptoparasitic spiders that steal food resources. In a laboratory experiment with parasitized and non-parasitized colonies, we tested whether this host–parasite interaction meets the criterium of harm to host individuals and colonies. We assessed survival and measured scaled mass indices (SMI) before and after the experimental period. Linear mixed effects models demonstrated that colonies exposed to kleptoparasites had lower SMI values at the end of the experiment compared to controls, but found no effect of kleptoparasitism on mortality in treatment and control groups. We conclude that kleptoparasites meet the criterium of harm to their host to be considered parasitic and provide the first empirical measure of virulence for this study system.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-08-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13401","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"47886608","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Cristina Romero-Diaz, Bryce R. Wetherell, Danielle Ury, Mikayla Reuter, Jake A. Pruett, Emília P. Martins, Alison G. Ossip-Drahos
Animals evolve in complex selective regimes, where a suite of different factors can shape signal use. We might predict that more closely related species will exhibit more similar behavior than those more distantly related; however, sometimes signals are shaped more profoundly by the environment or other forces. Lizards in the genus Sceloporus communicate with conspecifics with multimodal signals that combine species-typical push-up and headbob displays and chemical signals in the form of femoral gland secretions. Here, we examine behavioral activity and signal use across three closely related populations of the Sceloporus undulatus species complex from diverse habitats across the United States, to test the relative roles of habitat and phylogeography in shaping communicative behavior. We filmed undisturbed levels of activity for free-ranging males of S. consobrinus, syn. S. u. erythrocheilus, in Colorado, S. undulatus hyacinthinus in Indiana and S. u. undulatus in Georgia, and scored frequency and rates of behavior important for communication. We found that populations differed in their use of communicative signals in a way that deviates from expectations based solely on phylogeographic proximity or habitat, suggesting that plasticity or adaptation to conditions that vary among populations may be especially important. Specifically, canonical discriminant analyses found the largest differences in movement patterns. Sceloporus u. hyacinthinus was the most behaviorally different out of the three: males in this population had lower movement rates and particularly low levels of chemosensory behavior while male S. consobrinus and S. u. undulatus showed similar rates of chemosensory acts and headbob/push-up displays. Phenotypic and environmental variation among closely related populations, in combination with phylogeographic knowledge can help us untangle the processes responsible for the origin and maintenance of organismal diversity in communicative behavior.
{"title":"Population differences in multimodal lizard communication are not well explained by habitat or history","authors":"Cristina Romero-Diaz, Bryce R. Wetherell, Danielle Ury, Mikayla Reuter, Jake A. Pruett, Emília P. Martins, Alison G. Ossip-Drahos","doi":"10.1111/eth.13402","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13402","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Animals evolve in complex selective regimes, where a suite of different factors can shape signal use. We might predict that more closely related species will exhibit more similar behavior than those more distantly related; however, sometimes signals are shaped more profoundly by the environment or other forces. Lizards in the genus <i>Sceloporus</i> communicate with conspecifics with multimodal signals that combine species-typical push-up and headbob displays and chemical signals in the form of femoral gland secretions. Here, we examine behavioral activity and signal use across three closely related populations of the <i>Sceloporus undulatus</i> species complex from diverse habitats across the United States, to test the relative roles of habitat and phylogeography in shaping communicative behavior. We filmed undisturbed levels of activity for free-ranging males of <i>S. consobrinus,</i> syn. <i>S. u. erythrocheilus</i>, in Colorado, <i>S. undulatus hyacinthinus</i> in Indiana and <i>S. u. undulatus</i> in Georgia, and scored frequency and rates of behavior important for communication. We found that populations differed in their use of communicative signals in a way that deviates from expectations based solely on phylogeographic proximity or habitat, suggesting that plasticity or adaptation to conditions that vary among populations may be especially important. Specifically, canonical discriminant analyses found the largest differences in movement patterns. <i>Sceloporus u. hyacinthinus</i> was the most behaviorally different out of the three: males in this population had lower movement rates and particularly low levels of chemosensory behavior while male <i>S. consobrinus</i> and <i>S. u. undulatus</i> showed similar rates of chemosensory acts and headbob/push-up displays. Phenotypic and environmental variation among closely related populations, in combination with phylogeographic knowledge can help us untangle the processes responsible for the origin and maintenance of organismal diversity in communicative behavior.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/eth.13402","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"43994887","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Among various environmental factors, temperature has been considered a main determinant of outcomes of predator–prey interactions involving ectotherms. Although numerous studies have aimed to examine temperature effects on those interactions, few studies have been conducted under fully natural conditions. In this study, we examined the degree to which temperature affects the outcomes of encounters between a Japanese pit viper (Mamushi, Gloydius blomhoffii) and its prey under natural conditions. We continuously recorded ambushing behaviors and body temperatures of these snakes in the field using videography. We found that, over the range of temperatures at which Mamushi hunted, (1) temperature has only limited effects on whether Mamushis initiate a strike at prey and whether strikes successfully hit the prey; (2) prey reactions to strikes, such as whether they dodge the strike or the latency from strike initiation to dodge, are not affected by temperature; and (3) factors such as distance to prey and prey dodging movements are greater determinants than temperature on the outcomes of encounters between free-ranging Mamushi and their prey. Our results suggest that temperature effects on the outcomes of free-ranging snake–prey interactions may be smaller than hitherto considered.
{"title":"How important is temperature for strike success of ectotherms? Thermal effects on predator–prey interactions of free-ranging pit vipers (Gloydius blomhoffii)","authors":"Tomonori Kodama, Akira Mori","doi":"10.1111/eth.13400","DOIUrl":"10.1111/eth.13400","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Among various environmental factors, temperature has been considered a main determinant of outcomes of predator–prey interactions involving ectotherms. Although numerous studies have aimed to examine temperature effects on those interactions, few studies have been conducted under fully natural conditions. In this study, we examined the degree to which temperature affects the outcomes of encounters between a Japanese pit viper (Mamushi, <i>Gloydius blomhoffii</i>) and its prey under natural conditions. We continuously recorded ambushing behaviors and body temperatures of these snakes in the field using videography. We found that, over the range of temperatures at which Mamushi hunted, (1) temperature has only limited effects on whether Mamushis initiate a strike at prey and whether strikes successfully hit the prey; (2) prey reactions to strikes, such as whether they dodge the strike or the latency from strike initiation to dodge, are not affected by temperature; and (3) factors such as distance to prey and prey dodging movements are greater determinants than temperature on the outcomes of encounters between free-ranging Mamushi and their prey. Our results suggest that temperature effects on the outcomes of free-ranging snake–prey interactions may be smaller than hitherto considered.</p>","PeriodicalId":50494,"journal":{"name":"Ethology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.7,"publicationDate":"2023-08-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"48879871","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}