Pub Date : 2022-01-18DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1988724
O. Dondina, A. Meriggi, L. Bani, V. Orioli
Resource selection analyses based on detection data are widely used to parametrize resistance surfaces used to identify ecological corridors. To successfully parametrize resistance, it is crucial to decouple resident and disperser behaviours yet to date connectivity studies using detection data have not addressed this issue. Here, we decoupled data of resident and dispersing wolves by analysing detection data collected within a natural corridor crossing a human dominated plain in Italy. To decouple residents and dispersers, we ran a Kernel Density analysis to investigate whether clusters of wolf detection points characterized by sharply higher points’ density exist and checked whether the areas outlined by these clusters (core areas) hold specific characteristics. Habitat selection analysis was then performed to compare the intensity of habitat selection carried out by putative residents and dispersers. We identified a high-density cluster of 30 detection points outlining a small core area stably located in the central part of the park. The dramatic differences of the R2 and the AUC of the habitat selection models performed inside (R2 = 0.506; AUC = 0.952) and outside (R2 = 0.037; AUC = 0.643) the core area corroborated the hypothesis that the core area effectively encloses detection points belonging to residents. Our results show that through simple space use analyses it is possible to roughly discriminate between detection points belonging to resident-behaving and disperser-behaving individuals and that habitat selection models separately performed on these data have extremely different results with strong possible effects on resistance surfaces parametrized from these models. Highlights We decoupled data of resident and dispersing wolves by analyzing detection data collected within a natural ecological corridor. Through space use analyses on detection data, it is possible to roughly discriminate between resident-behaving and disperser-behaving individuals. Habitat selection carried out by resident-behaving and disperser-behaving individuals is dramatically different.
{"title":"Decoupling residents and dispersers from detection data improve habitat selection modelling: the case study of the wolf in a natural corridor","authors":"O. Dondina, A. Meriggi, L. Bani, V. Orioli","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.1988724","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1988724","url":null,"abstract":"Resource selection analyses based on detection data are widely used to parametrize resistance surfaces used to identify ecological corridors. To successfully parametrize resistance, it is crucial to decouple resident and disperser behaviours yet to date connectivity studies using detection data have not addressed this issue. Here, we decoupled data of resident and dispersing wolves by analysing detection data collected within a natural corridor crossing a human dominated plain in Italy. To decouple residents and dispersers, we ran a Kernel Density analysis to investigate whether clusters of wolf detection points characterized by sharply higher points’ density exist and checked whether the areas outlined by these clusters (core areas) hold specific characteristics. Habitat selection analysis was then performed to compare the intensity of habitat selection carried out by putative residents and dispersers. We identified a high-density cluster of 30 detection points outlining a small core area stably located in the central part of the park. The dramatic differences of the R2 and the AUC of the habitat selection models performed inside (R2 = 0.506; AUC = 0.952) and outside (R2 = 0.037; AUC = 0.643) the core area corroborated the hypothesis that the core area effectively encloses detection points belonging to residents. Our results show that through simple space use analyses it is possible to roughly discriminate between detection points belonging to resident-behaving and disperser-behaving individuals and that habitat selection models separately performed on these data have extremely different results with strong possible effects on resistance surfaces parametrized from these models. Highlights We decoupled data of resident and dispersing wolves by analyzing detection data collected within a natural ecological corridor. Through space use analyses on detection data, it is possible to roughly discriminate between resident-behaving and disperser-behaving individuals. Habitat selection carried out by resident-behaving and disperser-behaving individuals is dramatically different.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85408943","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}
Pub Date : 2022-01-12DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2015450
K. Hamasaki, Y. Fang, Shigeki Dan
Some porcellanid crabs (Decapoda Anomura) are known to escape predator crabs through a hair-trigger autotomy response when they are held by the cheliped only. The porcellanid crab Petrolisthes japonicus autotomizes chelipeds, and the post-autotomy cheliped movement functions like a lizard tail, which may increase predator distraction time, affording the prey more time to escape. However, the predatory encounters between prey and the relevant predators have not been observed to understand the benefits of autotomy in P. japonicus. The present study conducted 140 predation trials to evaluate the effectiveness of cheliped autotomy by P. japonicus in avoiding predation from its potential predator crab Gaetice depressus that commonly co-occurs with P. japonicus under cobble and boulders in intertidal zones. The predator attacked the prey in many trials (84%) and successfully grasped the prey in most attack cases (94%). The prey held by the body was able to escape the predator in a few cases (7%). When the prey was held by the cheliped only, the prey autotomized the cheliped and was able to escape the predator in many cases (75 and 83%, respectively), while the predator was eating the autotomized cheliped. The predator appeared to take a long time to handle the autotomized cheliped with its claws. Thus, our laboratory experiments demonstrated that P. japonicus exhibited high incidences of cheliped autotomy when it was held by the cheliped only, enabling it to escape the predator crab at high probabilities. Furthermore, post-autotomy movements may improve the efficacy of the antipredator defence mechanism of autotomized chelipeds in P. japonicus.
{"title":"Cheliped function in the porcellanid crab Petrolisthes japonicus: autotomy as an effective antipredator defence mechanism","authors":"K. Hamasaki, Y. Fang, Shigeki Dan","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.2015450","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.2015450","url":null,"abstract":"Some porcellanid crabs (Decapoda Anomura) are known to escape predator crabs through a hair-trigger autotomy response when they are held by the cheliped only. The porcellanid crab Petrolisthes japonicus autotomizes chelipeds, and the post-autotomy cheliped movement functions like a lizard tail, which may increase predator distraction time, affording the prey more time to escape. However, the predatory encounters between prey and the relevant predators have not been observed to understand the benefits of autotomy in P. japonicus. The present study conducted 140 predation trials to evaluate the effectiveness of cheliped autotomy by P. japonicus in avoiding predation from its potential predator crab Gaetice depressus that commonly co-occurs with P. japonicus under cobble and boulders in intertidal zones. The predator attacked the prey in many trials (84%) and successfully grasped the prey in most attack cases (94%). The prey held by the body was able to escape the predator in a few cases (7%). When the prey was held by the cheliped only, the prey autotomized the cheliped and was able to escape the predator in many cases (75 and 83%, respectively), while the predator was eating the autotomized cheliped. The predator appeared to take a long time to handle the autotomized cheliped with its claws. Thus, our laboratory experiments demonstrated that P. japonicus exhibited high incidences of cheliped autotomy when it was held by the cheliped only, enabling it to escape the predator crab at high probabilities. Furthermore, post-autotomy movements may improve the efficacy of the antipredator defence mechanism of autotomized chelipeds in P. japonicus.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"81138264","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}
Pub Date : 2022-01-10DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1989052
A. R. da Silva, G. F. Rodrigues, Geovana Bastos Paluski, N. R. Vieira, R. A. Gregati
We studied the hermit crab–shell interaction network of rocky shores in South Brazil using both community and populational (demographic groups) approaches which evaluated both inter and intraspecific perspectives. The community was composed of six hermit crab species and 33 gastropod shell species. We found a recurrent pattern in which the network structure was characterized by a modular and specialized pattern. The specialization at the species level varies in the community species and for ontogenetic groups. The configuration of the modules changed when switching from community to populational approaches, consisting of three and four modules, respectively. Resource partitioning must be a very important feature in these systems due to both the specific and demographic needs of each group. Our results reveal a pattern in which these types of interactions are modular and specialized, with those patterns being uncommon for non-mutualistic interactions in hermit crab-gastropod networks. The analyses showed difference in the network metrics when considering intra and interspecific perspectives. The mandatory nature of these interactions and the resource dynamics of the gastropod shells when occupied by hermit crabs may partially explain the patterns found for these unique interactions.
{"title":"Downscaling hermit crab-gastropod network to demographic groups unveils recurrent patterns","authors":"A. R. da Silva, G. F. Rodrigues, Geovana Bastos Paluski, N. R. Vieira, R. A. Gregati","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.1989052","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1989052","url":null,"abstract":"We studied the hermit crab–shell interaction network of rocky shores in South Brazil using both community and populational (demographic groups) approaches which evaluated both inter and intraspecific perspectives. The community was composed of six hermit crab species and 33 gastropod shell species. We found a recurrent pattern in which the network structure was characterized by a modular and specialized pattern. The specialization at the species level varies in the community species and for ontogenetic groups. The configuration of the modules changed when switching from community to populational approaches, consisting of three and four modules, respectively. Resource partitioning must be a very important feature in these systems due to both the specific and demographic needs of each group. Our results reveal a pattern in which these types of interactions are modular and specialized, with those patterns being uncommon for non-mutualistic interactions in hermit crab-gastropod networks. The analyses showed difference in the network metrics when considering intra and interspecific perspectives. The mandatory nature of these interactions and the resource dynamics of the gastropod shells when occupied by hermit crabs may partially explain the patterns found for these unique interactions.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85138596","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}
Pub Date : 2022-01-09DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2015454
E. Heymann
This paper reviews the advances made in the study of olfactory communication in New World primates (Platyrrhini) made since the last major review in 2006, particularly the findings on scent-marking. Relatively few papers specifically addressed this topic, and some others include pertinent information collected during studies addressing other research questions. The majority of papers stems from research on callitrichids and night monkeys. Results of the latter studies refute my earlier hypothesis on a link between sex-biased scent marking and the relative importance of paternal care, but emphasize the need for using sexual selection as a theoretical framework for analyzing olfactory communication. The only two papers that examined scent marking in the context of territoriality and intergroup relations rejected a territorial function, but this remains a debated issue. I suggest to exploit the quasi-experimental condition created by habitat fragmentation to address this question. Portable Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) devices have been employed for the first time to examine the chemical composition of scent-gland secretions of wild New World primates. Expanding this technology to examine scent marks in situ and how their chemical profile and thus information content changes after deposition will be a promising approach for the future. Finally, I propose to integrate the theoretical framework developed by Carthey and co-workerson the role of microbes for the mediation of olfactory communication into studies of New World primate scent marking.
{"title":"New sniffing at New World primates: recent advances in the study of platyrrhine olfactory communication","authors":"E. Heymann","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.2015454","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.2015454","url":null,"abstract":"This paper reviews the advances made in the study of olfactory communication in New World primates (Platyrrhini) made since the last major review in 2006, particularly the findings on scent-marking. Relatively few papers specifically addressed this topic, and some others include pertinent information collected during studies addressing other research questions. The majority of papers stems from research on callitrichids and night monkeys. Results of the latter studies refute my earlier hypothesis on a link between sex-biased scent marking and the relative importance of paternal care, but emphasize the need for using sexual selection as a theoretical framework for analyzing olfactory communication. The only two papers that examined scent marking in the context of territoriality and intergroup relations rejected a territorial function, but this remains a debated issue. I suggest to exploit the quasi-experimental condition created by habitat fragmentation to address this question. Portable Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS) devices have been employed for the first time to examine the chemical composition of scent-gland secretions of wild New World primates. Expanding this technology to examine scent marks in situ and how their chemical profile and thus information content changes after deposition will be a promising approach for the future. Finally, I propose to integrate the theoretical framework developed by Carthey and co-workerson the role of microbes for the mediation of olfactory communication into studies of New World primate scent marking.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"82419498","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}
Pub Date : 2022-01-09DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2015452
Lara Narbona Sabaté, Geoffrey Mesbahi, G. Dezecache, Cristiane Cäsar, K. Zuberbühler, Mélissa Berthet
The emergent field of animal linguistics applies linguistics tools to animal data in order to investigate potential linguistic-like properties of their communication. One of these tools is the “Urgency Principle”, a pragmatic principle stating that in an alarm sequence, calls providing information about the nature or location of a threat must come before those that do not. This theoretical principle has helped understand the alarm system of putty-nosed monkeys, but whether it is relevant for animal communication systems more generally remains to be tested. Moreover, while animal communication systems can convey information via a large set of encoding mechanisms, the Urgency Principle was developed for only one encoding mechanism, call ordering. Here, we propose to extend this principle to other encoding mechanisms and empirically test this with the alarm call system of black-fronted titi monkeys (Callicebus nigrifrons). We investigated how information about the context of emission unfolded with the emission of successive calls. Specifically, we analysed how contextual parameters influenced the gradual sequential organization of the first 50 calls in the sequence, using methods borrowed from computational linguistics and random forest algorithms. We hypothesized that, if the extended Urgency Principle reflected the sequential organization of titi monkey alarm call sequences, mechanisms encoding urgent information about the predatory situation should appear before encoding mechanisms that do not. Results supported the hypothesis that mechanisms encoding for urgent information relating to a predator event consistently appeared before mechanisms encoding for less-urgent social information. Our study suggests that the extended Urgency Principle applies more generally to animal communication, demonstrating that conceptual tools from linguistics can successfully be used to study nonhuman communication systems.
{"title":"Animal linguistics in the making: the Urgency Principle and titi monkeys’ alarm system","authors":"Lara Narbona Sabaté, Geoffrey Mesbahi, G. Dezecache, Cristiane Cäsar, K. Zuberbühler, Mélissa Berthet","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.2015452","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.2015452","url":null,"abstract":"The emergent field of animal linguistics applies linguistics tools to animal data in order to investigate potential linguistic-like properties of their communication. One of these tools is the “Urgency Principle”, a pragmatic principle stating that in an alarm sequence, calls providing information about the nature or location of a threat must come before those that do not. This theoretical principle has helped understand the alarm system of putty-nosed monkeys, but whether it is relevant for animal communication systems more generally remains to be tested. Moreover, while animal communication systems can convey information via a large set of encoding mechanisms, the Urgency Principle was developed for only one encoding mechanism, call ordering. Here, we propose to extend this principle to other encoding mechanisms and empirically test this with the alarm call system of black-fronted titi monkeys (Callicebus nigrifrons). We investigated how information about the context of emission unfolded with the emission of successive calls. Specifically, we analysed how contextual parameters influenced the gradual sequential organization of the first 50 calls in the sequence, using methods borrowed from computational linguistics and random forest algorithms. We hypothesized that, if the extended Urgency Principle reflected the sequential organization of titi monkey alarm call sequences, mechanisms encoding urgent information about the predatory situation should appear before encoding mechanisms that do not. Results supported the hypothesis that mechanisms encoding for urgent information relating to a predator event consistently appeared before mechanisms encoding for less-urgent social information. Our study suggests that the extended Urgency Principle applies more generally to animal communication, demonstrating that conceptual tools from linguistics can successfully be used to study nonhuman communication systems.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"89508910","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}
Pub Date : 2022-01-09DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.2015449
D. Blank
Self-grooming is the most commonly observed behavior and serves numerous functions, with the removal of ectoparasites likely the most important. According to a predominant conception, grooming is regulated by two mechanisms: a programmed-grooming model and a stimulus-driven model. The programmed-grooming model predicts, first, that smaller body-size females must groom more frequently compared to larger males (body-size principle); second, the smaller young groom significantly more often than adults (developmental grooming); and third, rutting males, busy with social vigilance, groom significantly less often than females (vigilance principle). The impact of molting was also tested on the grooming rate as an additional hypothesis that is not a part of the programmed-grooming model. According to investigations of a wide variety of ungulates in captive and natural conditions, the predictions of the programmed-grooming mechanism were found to be accurate for most sexually dimorphic ungulates. Here, I tested the principles of the programmed-grooming model in free living, wild goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), which are parasitized by both keds and ticks. My study found the following: (a) the body-size principle was not supported by my data, especially during the gazelles’ molting and rutting periods; (b) the developmental grooming model did not relate to the grooming behavior of goitered gazelle fawns; (c) the vigilance principle was not applicable to male goitered gazelles; and (d) spring molting increased the grooming rate drastically for both males and females and likely had the greatest effect over any other factor, even though keds also contributed to the grooming rate at this time. Though previous studies of tick parasitism on many ungulate species demonstrated that oral grooming was more consistent with programmed-grooming than the stimulus-driven grooming model, my study of ked parasitism of goitered gazelles showed the opposite, suggesting that grooming driven mechanisms were parasite-host dependent. However, grooming behavior is likely a multifaceted phenomenon depending not only on body size, vigilance rate or even from ectoparasite burden, but also on numerous other factors.
{"title":"Grooming behavior in goitered gazelles: the programmed versus stimulus-driven hypothesis","authors":"D. Blank","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.2015449","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.2015449","url":null,"abstract":"Self-grooming is the most commonly observed behavior and serves numerous functions, with the removal of ectoparasites likely the most important. According to a predominant conception, grooming is regulated by two mechanisms: a programmed-grooming model and a stimulus-driven model. The programmed-grooming model predicts, first, that smaller body-size females must groom more frequently compared to larger males (body-size principle); second, the smaller young groom significantly more often than adults (developmental grooming); and third, rutting males, busy with social vigilance, groom significantly less often than females (vigilance principle). The impact of molting was also tested on the grooming rate as an additional hypothesis that is not a part of the programmed-grooming model. According to investigations of a wide variety of ungulates in captive and natural conditions, the predictions of the programmed-grooming mechanism were found to be accurate for most sexually dimorphic ungulates. Here, I tested the principles of the programmed-grooming model in free living, wild goitered gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa), which are parasitized by both keds and ticks. My study found the following: (a) the body-size principle was not supported by my data, especially during the gazelles’ molting and rutting periods; (b) the developmental grooming model did not relate to the grooming behavior of goitered gazelle fawns; (c) the vigilance principle was not applicable to male goitered gazelles; and (d) spring molting increased the grooming rate drastically for both males and females and likely had the greatest effect over any other factor, even though keds also contributed to the grooming rate at this time. Though previous studies of tick parasitism on many ungulate species demonstrated that oral grooming was more consistent with programmed-grooming than the stimulus-driven grooming model, my study of ked parasitism of goitered gazelles showed the opposite, suggesting that grooming driven mechanisms were parasite-host dependent. However, grooming behavior is likely a multifaceted phenomenon depending not only on body size, vigilance rate or even from ectoparasite burden, but also on numerous other factors.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2022-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"80716064","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}
Pub Date : 2021-12-23DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1988723
M. Bertini, G. Annicchiarico, C. Bresciani, Giada Cordoni, E. Palagi
The capacity to promptly and congruently respond to others’ facial signals has at its basis a mirror neuron mechanism. In Rapid (< 1 sec, RFM) and Delayed (1–5 sec, DFM) Facial Mimicry the expression emitted by an individual (trigger) is perceived and replicated by an observer. The occurrence of mimicry phenomena has been demonstrated almost exclusively in the play domain. Here, we aim at evaluating the presence of RFM/DFM during playful interactions between infant bonobos (Pan paniscus), one of the most playful primate species. We video-recorded 435 play sessions between five infants (< 48 months of age) belonging to the bonobo colony hosted at the Wilhelma Zoo (Germany). Via a frame-by-frame video-analysis, we demonstrated the presence of both RFM and DFM. These two phenomena were enhanced by face-to-face interactions between playmates. Hence, the access to others’ faces allows the player to perceive, decode and replicate signals, thus promoting a mutual intersubjective engagement with the partner. The occurrence of DFM suggests that in bonobos, as in chimpanzees, such mirror event is present just starting from infancy. The less automaticity characterizing DFM compared to RFM could be due to the involvement of more complex and time-demanding cognitive processes. Neither RFM nor DFM increased the duration of play sessions. Probably, the mimicry phenomena in infant bonobos are not recruited for manipulating the sessions, which are highly balanced and fair, but possibly for sharing the playful mood between interacting subjects thus increasing their level of familiarity and affiliation.
{"title":"Playful interactions and facial mimicry in infant bonobos (Pan paniscus)","authors":"M. Bertini, G. Annicchiarico, C. Bresciani, Giada Cordoni, E. Palagi","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.1988723","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1988723","url":null,"abstract":"The capacity to promptly and congruently respond to others’ facial signals has at its basis a mirror neuron mechanism. In Rapid (< 1 sec, RFM) and Delayed (1–5 sec, DFM) Facial Mimicry the expression emitted by an individual (trigger) is perceived and replicated by an observer. The occurrence of mimicry phenomena has been demonstrated almost exclusively in the play domain. Here, we aim at evaluating the presence of RFM/DFM during playful interactions between infant bonobos (Pan paniscus), one of the most playful primate species. We video-recorded 435 play sessions between five infants (< 48 months of age) belonging to the bonobo colony hosted at the Wilhelma Zoo (Germany). Via a frame-by-frame video-analysis, we demonstrated the presence of both RFM and DFM. These two phenomena were enhanced by face-to-face interactions between playmates. Hence, the access to others’ faces allows the player to perceive, decode and replicate signals, thus promoting a mutual intersubjective engagement with the partner. The occurrence of DFM suggests that in bonobos, as in chimpanzees, such mirror event is present just starting from infancy. The less automaticity characterizing DFM compared to RFM could be due to the involvement of more complex and time-demanding cognitive processes. Neither RFM nor DFM increased the duration of play sessions. Probably, the mimicry phenomena in infant bonobos are not recruited for manipulating the sessions, which are highly balanced and fair, but possibly for sharing the playful mood between interacting subjects thus increasing their level of familiarity and affiliation.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"85803485","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}
Pub Date : 2021-12-23DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1989054
Jeffrey G. Driscoll, Franco M. Alo, Amélie Paoli, R. Weladji, Ø. Holand, J. Kumpula, T. Soveri
The operational sex ratio (OSR), the ratio of sexually active males to sexually receptive females, is one of the main measures used to predict the intensity and direction of mating competition, influencing the opportunity for sexual selection. Here, we conducted the first experimental study to investigate how OSR and male age impacts the intensity of mating competition in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), under semi-natural conditions during the rut. We manipulated OSR on two levels in two enclosures, a female biased treatment (3♂:6♀ = OSR 0.5) and a sex balanced treatment (3♂:3♀ = OSR 1), over 2 years with males from two age groups, and with females of various ages. We found some support for prevailing OSR theory, notably with female intrasexual competition occurring at lower frequencies in OSR 1 than OSR 0.5, and male intrasexual competition occurring at higher frequencies in the older male age group. Courtship behaviour was found to occur at higher frequencies in OSR 1 than OSR 0.5; however, there was no effect of male age. To successfully pass on genes to the next generation, one needs access to mates and winning a competitive bout is not always indicative of successfully accomplishing gene flow. Studies on OSR have the potential to help us understand the drivers behind sexual competition and how best to predict breeding outcomes during a rut.
{"title":"Influence of operational sex ratio and male age on mating competition intensity in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus)","authors":"Jeffrey G. Driscoll, Franco M. Alo, Amélie Paoli, R. Weladji, Ø. Holand, J. Kumpula, T. Soveri","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.1989054","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1989054","url":null,"abstract":"The operational sex ratio (OSR), the ratio of sexually active males to sexually receptive females, is one of the main measures used to predict the intensity and direction of mating competition, influencing the opportunity for sexual selection. Here, we conducted the first experimental study to investigate how OSR and male age impacts the intensity of mating competition in reindeer (Rangifer tarandus), under semi-natural conditions during the rut. We manipulated OSR on two levels in two enclosures, a female biased treatment (3♂:6♀ = OSR 0.5) and a sex balanced treatment (3♂:3♀ = OSR 1), over 2 years with males from two age groups, and with females of various ages. We found some support for prevailing OSR theory, notably with female intrasexual competition occurring at lower frequencies in OSR 1 than OSR 0.5, and male intrasexual competition occurring at higher frequencies in the older male age group. Courtship behaviour was found to occur at higher frequencies in OSR 1 than OSR 0.5; however, there was no effect of male age. To successfully pass on genes to the next generation, one needs access to mates and winning a competitive bout is not always indicative of successfully accomplishing gene flow. Studies on OSR have the potential to help us understand the drivers behind sexual competition and how best to predict breeding outcomes during a rut.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-12-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"83963635","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}
Pub Date : 2021-12-22DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1989053
Jianping Liu, W. Liang
Breeding tits in the family Paridae let out a hissing call when encountering nest predators, which is thought to be acoustic Batesian mimicry. The antipredator effect of the hissing call of Paridae has only been confirmed in several studies. To identify whether the hissing call of Japanese tits (Parus minor) affects the feeding behavior of the nest predator Swinhoe’s striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei), we played back white noise, the call of Oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis), and the hissing call of Japanese tits to squirrels. The squirrels responded differently to the three types of sounds played back. The proportion of squirrels that still fed while the hissing call of tits being played (26.1%) was significantly lower than that when white noise (91.3%) and the call of doves (85.7%) being played. The alert time of feeding squirrels to the hissing call of tits was also significantly longer than that to white noise and the call of doves. Our study suggests that the hissing call of tits can change the feeding behavior of the nest predator squirrel, which may reduce nest predation in cavity birds.
{"title":"Hissing calls of tits elicit vigilance in feeding squirrels","authors":"Jianping Liu, W. Liang","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.1989053","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1989053","url":null,"abstract":"Breeding tits in the family Paridae let out a hissing call when encountering nest predators, which is thought to be acoustic Batesian mimicry. The antipredator effect of the hissing call of Paridae has only been confirmed in several studies. To identify whether the hissing call of Japanese tits (Parus minor) affects the feeding behavior of the nest predator Swinhoe’s striped squirrel (Tamiops swinhoei), we played back white noise, the call of Oriental turtle doves (Streptopelia orientalis), and the hissing call of Japanese tits to squirrels. The squirrels responded differently to the three types of sounds played back. The proportion of squirrels that still fed while the hissing call of tits being played (26.1%) was significantly lower than that when white noise (91.3%) and the call of doves (85.7%) being played. The alert time of feeding squirrels to the hissing call of tits was also significantly longer than that to white noise and the call of doves. Our study suggests that the hissing call of tits can change the feeding behavior of the nest predator squirrel, which may reduce nest predation in cavity birds.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-12-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"90975099","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}
Pub Date : 2021-12-14DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2021.1988718
J. Gould, Jose W. Valdez
In animal mating systems, individuals obtain fitness benefits by selecting a mate that increases their chance of reproductive success. Among amphibians, it is generally considered that females select males, primarily based on advertisement calls that signal their size, quality or compatibility. Yet, it is becoming increasingly apparent that amphibians exhibit a wide range of mating systems, including those where assortative mating can occur. Herein, we investigated mate selection in the sandpaper frog, Lechriodus fletcheri; an Australian anuran that breeds explosively during discrete periods of rainfall over an extended breeding period. We compared the size and condition of amplecting pairs relative to other potential suitors within the available population of reproductively active adults over 3 consecutive breeding years. We found no relationship between the SVL of amplecting pairs and no effect of SVL on amplecting status of males within pools. Instead, the condition of amplecting pairs was positively correlated, leading to positive assortative mating. While there was a general decline in condition of adult males and females across each season, changes in the temporal availability of better conditioned mates does not account for the assortative mating were found. Males found in amplexus were also generally of poorer condition, which may occur as individuals investing more heavily into higher-signalling effort are more successful in finding a mate but at the expense of maintaining current condition. We propose that both findings could be evidence of active mate choice in an explosive breeding species. Our findings highlight the need to consider mate condition alongside size to detect the presence of assortative mating or non-random mating among explosive breeding amphibians.
{"title":"Dating on your level: assortative mating based on body condition in an amphibian","authors":"J. Gould, Jose W. Valdez","doi":"10.1080/03949370.2021.1988718","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1080/03949370.2021.1988718","url":null,"abstract":"In animal mating systems, individuals obtain fitness benefits by selecting a mate that increases their chance of reproductive success. Among amphibians, it is generally considered that females select males, primarily based on advertisement calls that signal their size, quality or compatibility. Yet, it is becoming increasingly apparent that amphibians exhibit a wide range of mating systems, including those where assortative mating can occur. Herein, we investigated mate selection in the sandpaper frog, Lechriodus fletcheri; an Australian anuran that breeds explosively during discrete periods of rainfall over an extended breeding period. We compared the size and condition of amplecting pairs relative to other potential suitors within the available population of reproductively active adults over 3 consecutive breeding years. We found no relationship between the SVL of amplecting pairs and no effect of SVL on amplecting status of males within pools. Instead, the condition of amplecting pairs was positively correlated, leading to positive assortative mating. While there was a general decline in condition of adult males and females across each season, changes in the temporal availability of better conditioned mates does not account for the assortative mating were found. Males found in amplexus were also generally of poorer condition, which may occur as individuals investing more heavily into higher-signalling effort are more successful in finding a mate but at the expense of maintaining current condition. We propose that both findings could be evidence of active mate choice in an explosive breeding species. Our findings highlight the need to consider mate condition alongside size to detect the presence of assortative mating or non-random mating among explosive breeding amphibians.","PeriodicalId":55163,"journal":{"name":"Ethology Ecology & Evolution","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":1.2,"publicationDate":"2021-12-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"79730964","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}
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