101
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van Horik JO, Emery NJ. Serial reversal learning and cognitive flexibility in two species of Neotropical parrots (Diopsittaca nobilis and Pionites melanocephala). Behav Processes 2018; 157:664-672. [PMID: 29656091 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2017] [Revised: 03/08/2018] [Accepted: 04/09/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Serial reversal learning of colour discriminations was assessed as an index of cognitive flexibility in two captive species of Neotropical parrots. Both species showed similar performances across serial reversals and no between species differences were observed. In a second task subjects' performances were assessed after they experienced either a low or high pre-reversal learning criterion. If reversal performances improve through processes of associative learning, a high pre-reversal criterion is expected to strengthen previously learned associations and hence impede post-reversal performances. Conversely, highly reinforced associations may facilitate the use of conditional rules that can be generalised across reversals and improve post-reversal performances. We found that high criterion subjects made fewer post-reversal errors and required fewer trials to reach criterion, than low criterion subjects. Red-shouldered macaws and black-headed caiques may therefore demonstrate capacities for solving serial reversal problems by applying conditional rules, rather than learning solely by associative processes. Such performances coincide with findings in great apes, but contrast with findings in monkeys and prosimians, which generally show impaired reversal performances when trained to a highly rigorous pre-reversal criterion. Overall, these findings suggest an evolutionary convergence of cognitive flexibility between parrots and non-human great apes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayden O van Horik
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK.
| | - Nathan J Emery
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
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102
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Mazengenya P, Bhagwandin A, Manger PR, Ihunwo AO. Putative Adult Neurogenesis in Old World Parrots: The Congo African Grey Parrot ( Psittacus erithacus) and Timneh Grey Parrot ( Psittacus timneh). Front Neuroanat 2018; 12:7. [PMID: 29487507 PMCID: PMC5816827 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2018.00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2017] [Accepted: 01/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
In the current study, we examined for the first time, the potential for adult neurogenesis throughout the brain of the Congo African grey parrot (Psittacus erithacus) and Timneh grey parrot (Psittacus timneh) using immunohistochemistry for the endogenous markers proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), which labels proliferating cells, and doublecortin (DCX), which stains immature and migrating neurons. A similar distribution of PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was found throughout the brain of the Congo African grey and Timneh grey parrots, but minor differences were also observed. In both species of parrots, PCNA and DCX immunoreactivity was observed in the olfactory bulbs, subventricular zone of the lateral wall of the lateral ventricle, telencephalic subdivisions of the pallium and subpallium, diencephalon, mesencephalon and the rhombencephalon. The olfactory bulb and telencephalic subdivisions exhibited a higher density of both PCNA and DCX immunoreactive cells than any other brain region. DCX immunoreactive staining was stronger in the telencephalon than in the subtelencephalic structures. There was evidence of proliferative hot spots in the dorsal and ventral poles of the lateral ventricle in the Congo African grey parrots at rostral levels, whereas only the dorsal accumulation of proliferating cells was observed in the Timneh grey parrot. In most pallial regions the density of PCNA and DCX stained cells increased from rostral to caudal levels with the densest staining in the nidopallium caudolaterale (NCL). The widespread distribution of PCNA and DCX in the brains of both parrot species suggest the importance of adult neurogenesis and neuronal plasticity during learning and adaptation to external environmental variations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pedzisai Mazengenya
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Adhil Bhagwandin
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Amadi O Ihunwo
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
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103
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Boucherie PH, Poulin N, Dufour V. Not much ado about something: behavioural mechanisms of pair bond separation and formation in long-term pairing rooks. ECOSCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/11956860.2017.1414671] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Palmyre H. Boucherie
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
| | - Nicolas Poulin
- Centre Statistique de Strasbourg, Institut de Recherche Mathématique Avancée, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Dufour
- Cognitive and Social Ethology Team, Délégation Alsace, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
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104
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Fedorova N, Evans CL, Byrne RW. Living in stable social groups is associated with reduced brain size in woodpeckers ( Picidae). Biol Lett 2017; 13:rsbl.2017.0008. [PMID: 28275166 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2017.0008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2017] [Accepted: 02/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Group size predicts brain size in primates and some other mammal groups, but no such relationship has been found in birds. Instead, stable pair-bonding and bi-parental care have been identified as correlates of larger brains in birds. We investigated the relationship between brain size and social system within the family Picidae, using phylogenetically controlled regression analysis. We found no specific effect of duration or strength of pair-bonds, but brain sizes were systematically smaller in species living in long-lasting social groups of larger sizes. Group-living may only present a cognitive challenge in groups in which members have individually competitive relationships; we therefore propose that groups functioning for cooperative benefit may allow disinvestment in expensive brain tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Fedorova
- School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Cara L Evans
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9ST, UK
| | - Richard W Byrne
- School of Psychology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK
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105
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106
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Whiten A, van de Waal E. Social learning, culture and the ‘socio-cultural brain’ of human and non-human primates. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2017; 82:58-75. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2016.12.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Revised: 12/15/2016] [Accepted: 12/19/2016] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
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107
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Sima MJ, Matzinger T, Bugnyar T, Pika S. Reconciliation and third-party affiliation in carrion crows. Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Jennifer Sima
- Humboldt Research Group “Evolution of Communication”; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
| | - Theresa Matzinger
- Department of Cognitive Biology; University of Vienna; Vienna Austria
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Cognitive Biology; University of Vienna; Vienna Austria
- Haidlhof Research Station; University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine; Vienna Austria
| | - Simone Pika
- Humboldt Research Group “Evolution of Communication”; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Seewiesen Germany
- Humboldt Research Group; Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution; Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History; Jena Germany
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108
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Kohn GM. Friends give benefits: autumn social familiarity preferences predict reproductive output. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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109
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Big brains stabilize populations and facilitate colonization of variable habitats in birds. Nat Ecol Evol 2017; 1:1706-1715. [DOI: 10.1038/s41559-017-0316-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 08/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
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110
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Liedtke J, Schneider JM. Social makes smart: rearing conditions affect learning and social behaviour in jumping spiders. Anim Cogn 2017; 20:1093-1106. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-017-1125-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2017] [Revised: 08/16/2017] [Accepted: 08/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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111
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Boucherie PH, Sosa S, Pasquaretta C, Dufour V. A longitudinal network analysis of social dynamics in rooks corvus frugilegus: repeated group modifications do not affect social network in captive rooks. Curr Zool 2017; 63:379-388. [PMID: 29491998 PMCID: PMC5804189 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/28/2016] [Accepted: 06/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Numerous studies have investigated the remarkable variation of social features and the resulting structures across species. Indeed, relationships are dynamic and vary in time according to various factors such as environmental conditions or individuals attributes. However, few studies have investigated the processes that stabilize the structures within a given species, and the behavioral mechanisms that ensure their coherence and continuity across time. Here, we used a dynamic actor-based model, RSiena, to investigate the consistency of the temporal dynamic of relationships of a group of captive rooks facing recurrent modifications in group composition (i.e., the loss and introduction of individuals). We found that changes in relationships (i.e., formation and removal) followed consistent patterns regardless of group composition and sex-ratio. Rooks preferentially interacted with paired congeners (i.e., unpopular attachment) and were more likely to form relationships with individuals bonded to a current social partner (i.e., "friends of friends", or triadic closure). The sex of individuals had no effect on the dynamic of relationships. This robust behavioral mechanisms formed the basis of inter-connected networks, composed of sub-structures of individuals emerging from the enmeshment of dyadic and triadic motifs. Overall, the present study reveals crucial aspects of the behavioral mechanisms shaping rooks social structure, suggesting that rooks live in a well-integrated society, going far beyond the unique monogamous pair-bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palmyre H. Boucherie
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Sebastian Sosa
- Formerly affiliated with Grupo de Conducta Adaptativa e Interacción, Psychology Faculty, University of Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain
| | - Cristian Pasquaretta
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Valérie Dufour
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, 23 rue Becquerel 67087 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, 67087 Strasbourg, France
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112
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Rose PE, Croft DP. Social bonds in a flock bird: Species differences and seasonality in social structure in captive flamingo flocks over a 12-month period. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2017.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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113
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Behavioral mechanisms leading to improved fitness in a subsidized predator. Oecologia 2017; 184:787-798. [PMID: 28689262 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-017-3898-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2016] [Accepted: 06/19/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
General mechanisms underlying the distribution and fitness of synanthropic predators in human-influenced landscapes remain unclear. Under the consumer resource-matching hypothesis, synanthropes are expected to distribute themselves among habitats according to resource availability, such that densities are greater in human-subsidized habitats, but mean individual fitness is equal among habitats because of negative density dependence. However, "under-matching" to human food resources can occur, because dominant individuals exclude subordinates from subsidized habitats and realize relatively high fitness. We integrated physiological, behavioral, and demographic information to test resource-matching hypotheses in Steller's jays (Cyanocitta stelleri), a synanthropic nest predator, to understand how behavior and social systems can influence how synanthropes respond to food subsidies. Jays consumed more human foods at subsidized (park campground) sites than jays at unsubsidized (interior forest) sites based on stable isotope analyses. Jays that occurred at higher densities were in better body condition (based on feather growth bars and lipid analyses), and had greater reproductive output at subsidized than unsubsidized sites. Jays with breeding territories in subsidized sites maintained relatively small home ranges that overlapped with multiple conspecifics, and exhibited a social system where dominant individuals typically won contests over food. Thus, jays appeared to be under-matched to prevalent resource subsidies despite high densities and behaviors expected to lead to resource matching. Our results also indicate that local resource subsidies within protected areas can result in source habitats for synanthropes, potentially impacting sensitive species over broader spatial scales.
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114
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Ravens remember the nature of a single reciprocal interaction sequence over 2 days and even after a month. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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115
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Kershenbaum A, Blumstein DT. Introduction to the special column: communication, cooperation, and cognition in predators. Curr Zool 2017; 63:295-299. [PMID: 29491988 PMCID: PMC5804181 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zox027] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Arik Kershenbaum
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EJ, UK
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-1606, USA
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116
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Nomura T, Izawa EI. Avian brains: Insights from development, behaviors and evolution. Dev Growth Differ 2017; 59:244-257. [DOI: 10.1111/dgd.12362] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2017] [Revised: 04/10/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2017] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tadashi Nomura
- Developmental Neurobiology; Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine; INAMORI Memorial Building 1-5 Shimogamo-Hangi cho Sakyoku Kyoto 606-0823 Japan
| | - Ei-Ichi Izawa
- Department of Psychology; Keio University; 2-15-45 Mita Minatoku Tokyo 108-8345 Japan
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117
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Holekamp KE, Benson-Amram S. The evolution of intelligence in mammalian carnivores. Interface Focus 2017; 7:20160108. [PMID: 28479979 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although intelligence should theoretically evolve to help animals solve specific types of problems posed by the environment, it is unclear which environmental challenges favour enhanced cognition, or how general intelligence evolves along with domain-specific cognitive abilities. The social intelligence hypothesis posits that big brains and great intelligence have evolved to cope with the labile behaviour of group mates. We have exploited the remarkable convergence in social complexity between cercopithecine primates and spotted hyaenas to test predictions of the social intelligence hypothesis in regard to both cognition and brain size. Behavioural data indicate that there has been considerable convergence between primates and hyaenas with respect to their social cognitive abilities. Moreover, compared with other hyaena species, spotted hyaenas have larger brains and expanded frontal cortex, as predicted by the social intelligence hypothesis. However, broader comparative study suggests that domain-general intelligence in carnivores probably did not evolve in response to selection pressures imposed specifically in the social domain. The cognitive buffer hypothesis, which suggests that general intelligence evolves to help animals cope with novel or changing environments, appears to offer a more robust explanation for general intelligence in carnivores than any hypothesis invoking selection pressures imposed strictly by sociality or foraging demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Room 203, East Lansing, MI 48824-1115, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, 103 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Biological Science Building, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.,Program in Ecology, Berry Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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118
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Loretto MC, Schuster R, Itty C, Marchand P, Genero F, Bugnyar T. Fission-fusion dynamics over large distances in raven non-breeders. Sci Rep 2017; 7:380. [PMID: 28336913 PMCID: PMC5428508 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00404-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2016] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
The influence of fission-fusion dynamics, i.e., temporal variation in group size and composition, on social complexity has been studied in large-brained mammals that rely on social bonds. Little is known about birds, even though some species like ravens have recently received attention for their socio-cognitive skills and use of social bonds. While raven breeders defend territories year-round, non-breeders roam through large areas and form groups at food sources or night roosts. We here examined the fission-fusion patterns of non-breeding ravens over years, investigating whether birds meet repeatedly either at the same or at different locations. We combined four large datasets: presence-absence observations from two study sites (Austria, Italy) and GPS-tracking of ravens across two study areas (Austria, France). As expected, we found a highly dynamic system in which individuals with long phases of temporary settlement had a high probability of meeting others. Although GPS-tagged ravens spread out over thousands of square kilometres, we found repeated associations between almost half of the possible combinations at different locations. Such a system makes repeated interactions between individuals at different sites possible and likely. High fission-fusion dynamics may thus not hinder but shape the social complexity of ravens and, possibly, other long-term bonded birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthias-Claudio Loretto
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Vienna, Austria.
- Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, A-4645, Grünau im Almtal, Austria.
| | - Richard Schuster
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, 3041 - 2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, B.C., V6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Biology, 1125 Colonel By Drive, Carleton University, Ottawa, K1S 5B6, Canada
| | - Christian Itty
- Office National de la Chasse et de Faune sauvage, Délégation Régionale Occitanie, Actisud Bâtiment 12, 18 rue Jean Perrin, F-31100, Toulouse, France
| | - Pascal Marchand
- Office National de la Chasse et de Faune sauvage, Délégation Régionale Occitanie, Actisud Bâtiment 12, 18 rue Jean Perrin, F-31100, Toulouse, France
| | - Fulvio Genero
- Riserva naturale regionale del Lago di Cornino, I-33030 Forgaria nel Friuli, Udine, Italy
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, A-1090, Vienna, Austria
- Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Fischerau 11, A-4645, Grünau im Almtal, Austria
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119
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Farrow LF, Doohan SJ, McDonald PG. Alarm calls of a cooperative bird are referential and elicit context-specific antipredator behavior. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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120
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Kavaliers M, Choleris E. Out-Group Threat Responses, In-Group Bias, and Nonapeptide Involvement Are Conserved across Vertebrates: (A Comment on Bruintjes et al., "Out-Group Threat Promotes Within-Group Affiliation in a Cooperative Fish"). Am Nat 2017; 189:453-458. [PMID: 28350495 DOI: 10.1086/690838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
The challenges and threats posed by out-groups have major effects on human social behavior and how individuals interact with one another. We briefly review evidence here that out-group threat similarly affects nonhuman animal behavior. Actual and potential threats posed by out-group individuals (unfamiliar and genetically nonrelated individuals of the same species) affect social behavior promoting "out-group" avoidance and "in-group" bias and enhancing in-group (familiar and/or genetically related individuals) affiliation and interactions. Individuals from out-groups present risks of pathogen exposure as well as being threats to resources, territory, and offspring. All of these threats function to promote in-group bias in humans and nonhumans. There are also striking similarities in the underlying neurobiological mechanisms mediating the responses to out-group threat and the expression of in-group bias. In particular, the evolutionarily conserved, hormone-regulated nonapeptide systems (oxytocin, arginine-vasopressin, and homologous neuropeptides and their receptors) are involved in the mediation of the detection and avoidance of out-groups and response to in-groups and facilitation of in-group responses across multiple vertebrate species. Consequently, comparative investigations of both the behavioral expression of and the mechanism underlying out-group avoidance and in-group bias are necessary for a full understanding of the evolution of social behavior and responses to in- and out-groups.
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121
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Heathcote RJP, Darden SK, Franks DW, Ramnarine IW, Croft DP. Fear of predation drives stable and differentiated social relationships in guppies. Sci Rep 2017; 7:41679. [PMID: 28150706 PMCID: PMC5288725 DOI: 10.1038/srep41679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/11/2016] [Accepted: 12/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Social relationships can have important consequences for fitness in animals. Whilst numerous studies have shown that individuals often join larger groups in response to perceived predation risk (i.e. fear of predation), the importance of predation risk in driving the formation and stability of social relationships within groups has been relatively ignored. We experimentally tested how predation threat influenced fine-scale social network structure using Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata). When perceived predation risk was high, individuals developed stable and more differentiated social ties compared to when perceived risk was low. Intriguingly, social differentiation coincided with shoals being somewhat smaller under high-perceived risk, suggesting a possible conflict between forming stable social relationships and larger social groups. Individuals most at risk of predation (large and bold individuals) showed the most exaggerated responses in several social measures. Taken together, we provide the first experimental evidence that proximate risk of predation can increase the intensity of social relationships and fine-scale social structure in animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert J. P. Heathcote
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter. EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Safi K. Darden
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter. EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Daniel W. Franks
- Department of Biology and Department of Computer Science, University of York, York YO10 5DD, UK
| | - Indar W. Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Darren P. Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter. EX4 4QG, UK
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122
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Scheiber IBR, Weiß BM, Kingma SA, Komdeur J. The importance of the altricial - precocial spectrum for social complexity in mammals and birds - a review. Front Zool 2017; 14:3. [PMID: 28115975 PMCID: PMC5242088 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-016-0185-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 12/08/2016] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Various types of long-term stable relationships that individuals uphold, including cooperation and competition between group members, define social complexity in vertebrates. Numerous life history, physiological and cognitive traits have been shown to affect, or to be affected by, such social relationships. As such, differences in developmental modes, i.e. the ‘altricial-precocial’ spectrum, may play an important role in understanding the interspecific variation in occurrence of social interactions, but to what extent this is the case is unclear because the role of the developmental mode has not been studied directly in across-species studies of sociality. In other words, although there are studies on the effects of developmental mode on brain size, on the effects of brain size on cognition, and on the effects of cognition on social complexity, there are no studies directly investigating the link between developmental mode and social complexity. This is surprising because developmental differences play a significant role in the evolution of, for example, brain size, which is in turn considered an essential building block with respect to social complexity. Here, we compiled an overview of studies on various aspects of the complexity of social systems in altricial and precocial mammals and birds. Although systematic studies are scarce and do not allow for a quantitative comparison, we show that several forms of social relationships and cognitive abilities occur in species along the entire developmental spectrum. Based on the existing evidence it seems that differences in developmental modes play a minor role in whether or not individuals or species are able to meet the cognitive capabilities and requirements for maintaining complex social relationships. Given the scarcity of comparative studies and potential subtle differences, however, we suggest that future studies should consider developmental differences to determine whether our finding is general or whether some of the vast variation in social complexity across species can be explained by developmental mode. This would allow a more detailed assessment of the relative importance of developmental mode in the evolution of vertebrate social systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabella B R Scheiber
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, University of Leipzig, Faculty of Bioscience, Pharmacy and Psychology, Institute of Biology, Talstraße 33, 04103 Leipzig, Germany.,Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jan Komdeur
- The University of Groningen, Behavioural and Physiological Ecology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), Nijenborgh 7, 9747 AG Groningen, The Netherlands
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Matějů J, Kratochvíl L, Pavelková Z, Pavelková Řičánková V, Vohralík V, Němec P. Absolute, not relative brain size correlates with sociality in ground squirrels. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20152725. [PMID: 27009231 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2725] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2015] [Accepted: 02/24/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The social brain hypothesis (SBH) contends that cognitive demands associated with living in cohesive social groups favour the evolution of large brains. Although the correlation between relative brain size and sociality reported in various groups of birds and mammals provides broad empirical support for this hypothesis, it has never been tested in rodents, the largest mammalian order. Here, we test the predictions of the SBH in the ground squirrels from the tribe Marmotini. These rodents exhibit levels of sociality ranging from solitary and single-family female kin groups to egalitarian polygynous harems but feature similar ecologies and life-history traits. We found little support for the association between increase in sociality and increase in relative brain size. Thus, sociality does not drive the evolution of encephalization in this group of rodents, a finding inconsistent with the SBH. However, body mass and absolute brain size increase with sociality. These findings suggest that increased social complexity in the ground squirrels goes hand in hand with larger body mass and brain size, which are tightly coupled to each other.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jan Matějů
- Museum Karlovy Vary, Pod Jelením skokem 30, Karlovy Vary 360 01, Czech Republic
| | - Lukáš Kratochvíl
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, Praha 2 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Zuzana Pavelková
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, Praha 2 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Věra Pavelková Řičánková
- Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Branišovská 31, České Budějovice 370 05, Czech Republic
| | - Vladimír Vohralík
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, Praha 2 128 44, Czech Republic
| | - Pavel Němec
- Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Viničná 7, Praha 2 128 44, Czech Republic
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124
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Schwing R, Jocteur E, Wein A, Noë R, Massen JJM. Kea cooperate better with sharing affiliates. Anim Cogn 2016; 19:1093-1102. [PMID: 27473206 PMCID: PMC5054053 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1017-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2016] [Revised: 06/27/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Controlled studies that focus on intraspecific cooperation tasks have revealed striking similarities, but also differences, in abilities across taxa as diverse as primates, fish, and birds. Such comparisons may provide insight into the specific socio-ecological selection pressures that led to the evolution of cooperation. Unfortunately, however, compared to primates data on birds remain relatively scarce. We tested a New Zealand psittaciform, the kea, in a dyadic cooperation task using the loose-string design. During trials our subjects were in separate compartments, but obtained a common reward that could be divided multiple ways, allowing the examination of reward division effects. Ten individuals were tested twice in 44 combinations of partners. Dyads with a high affiliation score attempted to cooperate more often and were also more often successful in doing so. Furthermore, dyads that shared rewards more equally seemed to be more likely to attempt cooperation in the next trial. Like other bird and some monkey species, but unlike, for example, chimpanzees, kea did not spontaneously show understanding of either the role of the partner or the mechanism behind the cooperation task. This may point to true disparities between species, but may also be due to differences in task design and/or the amount of exposure to similar tasks and individual skills of the subjects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raoul Schwing
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Haidlhof Research Station, University of Veterinary Medicine, University of Vienna, Bad Vöslau, Austria.
| | - Elodie Jocteur
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, IPHC, Strasbourg, France
| | - Amelia Wein
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ronald Noë
- Faculté Psychologie, Université de Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jorg J M Massen
- Haidlhof Research Station, University of Veterinary Medicine, University of Vienna, Bad Vöslau, Austria.
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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125
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Kulahci IG, Rubenstein DI, Bugnyar T, Hoppitt W, Mikus N, Schwab C. Social networks predict selective observation and information spread in ravens. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160256. [PMID: 27493780 PMCID: PMC4968472 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2016] [Accepted: 06/15/2016] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Animals are predicted to selectively observe and learn from the conspecifics with whom they share social connections. Yet, hardly anything is known about the role of different connections in observation and learning. To address the relationships between social connections, observation and learning, we investigated transmission of information in two raven (Corvus corax) groups. First, we quantified social connections in each group by constructing networks on affiliative interactions, aggressive interactions and proximity. We then seeded novel information by training one group member on a novel task and allowing others to observe. In each group, an observation network based on who observed whose task-solving behaviour was strongly correlated with networks based on affiliative interactions and proximity. Ravens with high social centrality (strength, eigenvector, information centrality) in the affiliative interaction network were also central in the observation network, possibly as a result of solving the task sooner. Network-based diffusion analysis revealed that the order that ravens first solved the task was best predicted by connections in the affiliative interaction network in a group of subadult ravens, and by social rank and kinship (which influenced affiliative interactions) in a group of juvenile ravens. Our results demonstrate that not all social connections are equally effective at predicting the patterns of selective observation and information transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ipek G. Kulahci
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Daniel I. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Nace Mikus
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Schwab
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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126
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Brown MJ, Jones DN. Cautious Crows: Neophobia in Torresian Crows (Corvus orru) Compared with Three Other Corvoids in Suburban Australia. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12517] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Matthew J. Brown
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; Griffith University; Nathan QLD Australia
| | - Darryl N. Jones
- Environmental Futures Research Institute; Griffith University; Nathan QLD Australia
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127
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Cauchoix M, Chaine AS. How Can We Study the Evolution of Animal Minds? Front Psychol 2016; 7:358. [PMID: 27014163 PMCID: PMC4791388 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2016.00358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/08/2015] [Accepted: 02/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
During the last 50 years, comparative cognition and neurosciences have improved our understanding of animal minds while evolutionary ecology has revealed how selection acts on traits through evolutionary time. We describe how cognition can be subject to natural selection like any other biological trait and how this evolutionary approach can be used to understand the evolution of animal cognition. We recount how comparative and fitness methods have been used to understand the evolution of cognition and outline how these approaches could extend our understanding of cognition. The fitness approach, in particular, offers unprecedented opportunities to study the evolutionary mechanisms responsible for variation in cognition within species and could allow us to investigate both proximate (i.e., neural and developmental) and ultimate (i.e., ecological and evolutionary) underpinnings of animal cognition together. We highlight recent studies that have successfully shown that cognitive traits can be under selection, in particular by linking individual variation in cognition to fitness. To bridge the gap between cognitive variation and fitness consequences and to better understand why and how selection can occur on cognition, we end this review by proposing a more integrative approach to study contemporary selection on cognitive traits combining socio-ecological data, minimally invasive neuroscience methods and measurement of ecologically relevant behaviors linked to fitness. Our overall goal in this review is to build a bridge between cognitive neuroscientists and evolutionary biologists, illustrate how their research could be complementary, and encourage evolutionary ecologists to include explicit attention to cognitive processes in their studies of behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alexis S Chaine
- Institute for Advanced Study in ToulouseToulouse, France; Station for Experimental Ecology in Moulis, CNRSMoulis, France
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128
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Duboscq J, Romano V, Sueur C, MacIntosh AJ. Network centrality and seasonality interact to predict lice load in a social primate. Sci Rep 2016; 6:22095. [PMID: 26915589 PMCID: PMC4768153 DOI: 10.1038/srep22095] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2015] [Accepted: 02/04/2016] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Lice are socially-transmitted ectoparasites. Transmission depends upon their host's degree of contact with conspecifics. While grooming facilitates ectoparasite transmission via body contact, it also constrains their spread through parasite removal. We investigated relations between parasite burden and sociality in female Japanese macaques following two opposing predictions: i) central females in contact/grooming networks harbour more lice, related to their numerous contacts; ii) central females harbour fewer lice, related to receiving more grooming. We estimated lice load non-invasively using the conspicuous louse egg-picking behaviour performed by macaques during grooming. We tested for covariation in several centrality measures and lice load, controlling for season, female reproductive state and dominance rank. Results show that the interaction between degree centrality (number of partners) and seasonality predicted lice load: females interacting with more partners had fewer lice than those interacting with fewer partners in winter and summer, whereas there was no relationship between lice load and centrality in spring and fall. This is counter to the prediction that increased contact leads to greater louse burden but fits the prediction that social grooming limits louse burden. Interactions between environmental seasonality and both parasite and host biology appeared to mediate the role of social processes in louse burden.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie Duboscq
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Strasbourg, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
| | - Valeria Romano
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Strasbourg, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
| | - Cédric Sueur
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Département Ecologie, Physiologie et Ethologie, Strasbourg, France
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Unit of Social Ecology, CP231, Université libre de Bruxelles, Campus Plaine, Brussels, Belgium
| | - Andrew J.J. MacIntosh
- Kyoto University Primate Research Institute, Inuyama, Japan
- Kyoto University Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto, Japan
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129
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Sima MJ, Pika S, Bugnyar T. Experimental Manipulation of Food Accessibility Affects Conflict Management Behaviour in Ravens. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Miriam Jennifer Sima
- Department of Cognitive Biology; University of Vienna; Vienna Austria
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Humboldt Research Group “Comparative Gestural Signalling”; Seewiesen Germany
| | - Simone Pika
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Humboldt Research Group “Comparative Gestural Signalling”; Seewiesen Germany
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Cognitive Biology; University of Vienna; Vienna Austria
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130
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Ikkatai Y, Watanabe S, Izawa EI. Reconciliation and third-party affiliation in pair-bond budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus). BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Some group-living animals show conciliatory tendencies towards specific group members after conflicts, referred to as post-conflict affiliation (PC-affiliation). PC-affiliation with a former opponent and a third-party bystander is classified as ‘reconciliation’ and ‘third-party affiliation’, respectively. PC-affiliation is assumed to be mediated by high-quality social relationships between individuals. Recently, studies assessing lifelong monogamous birds, such as corvids, have found PC-affiliation as a case of convergent evolution with regard to primates. Nevertheless, PC-affiliation divergence in birds is still poorly understood. Here, we report that pair-bonds of budgerigars, a lifelong-monogamous small parrot, engage in both reconciliation and third-party affiliation. We also found that males initiated both types of PC-affiliation more often than females. However, during reconciliation, this skewed affiliation pattern was unlikely specific to the PC-context but could also stem from sex differences in basic social-behavioural features (i.e., female dominance over males and males’ primary role in initiating affiliation with females), which are common outside the PC-context. Conversely, the third-party PC-affiliation pattern was significantly different from the basic affiliation pattern: affiliations were initiated more often by combatant winners, by bystander males toward defeated females, and less often by defeated males. These results suggest specific signal and stress reduction functions related to PC-affiliation among budgerigar pair-bonds. The present study supports the view that PC-affiliations, based on high-quality relationships, did not only evolve in mammals but also in birds, with species-specific forms associated with social behavioural tendencies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yuko Ikkatai
- Department of Psychology, Keio University, Japan
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131
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Scandurra A, Alterisio A, D’Aniello B. Behavioural effects of training on water rescue dogs in the Strange Situation Test. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2015.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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132
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The Evolution of Brains and Cognitive Abilities. Evol Biol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/978-3-319-41324-2_5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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133
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Boucherie PH, Mariette MM, Bret C, Dufour V. Bonding beyond the pair in a monogamous bird: impact on social structure in adult rooks (Corvus frugilegus). BEHAVIOUR 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The formation of social bonds outside the mated pair is not frequently reported in monogamous birds, although it may be expected in some species like rooks, living in groups all year round. Here we explore the social structure of captive adult rooks over three breeding seasons. We recorded proximities and affiliations (i.e., allofeeding, allopreening, contact-sit) to classify relationships according to their strength. Three categories of relationships emerged: primary (i.e., pairs), secondary and weak relationships. Affiliations and sexual behaviours were not restricted to pairs, and secondary relationships were clearly recognizable. Mixed-sex secondary relationships were qualitatively equivalent to pairs (i.e., same behaviours in the same proportions), although they were quantitatively less intense. Same sex pairs occurred, and were qualitatively equivalent to mixed-sex pairs. Overall we found that rooks social structure is more than just an aggregation of pairs, which highlights the importance of considering extra-pair relationships in socially monogamous birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Palmyre H. Boucherie
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
| | - Mylène M. Mariette
- Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Melbourne, VIC 3216, Australia
| | - Céline Bret
- German Primate Centre, Leibniz-Institut für Primatenforschung, Kellnerweg 4, 37077 Göttingen, Germany
| | - Valérie Dufour
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, 23 rue Becquerel, 67087 Strasbourg, France
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134
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Roulin A, Des Monstiers B, Ifrid E, Da Silva A, Genzoni E, Dreiss AN. Reciprocal preening and food sharing in colour-polymorphic nestling barn owls. J Evol Biol 2015; 29:380-94. [PMID: 26563617 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2014] [Accepted: 11/05/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Barn owl (Tyto alba) siblings preen and offer food items to one another, behaviours that can be considered prosocial because they benefit a conspecific by relieving distress or need. In experimental broods, we analysed whether such behaviours were reciprocated, preferentially exchanged between specific phenotypes, performed to avoid harassment and food theft or signals of hierarchy status. Three of the results are consistent with the hypothesis of direct reciprocity. First, food sharing was reciprocated in three-chick broods but not in pairs of siblings, that is when nestlings could choose a partner with whom to develop a reciprocating interaction. Second, a nestling was more likely to give a prey item to its sibling if the latter individual had preened the former. Third, siblings matched their investment in preening each other. Manipulation of age hierarchy showed that food stealing was directed towards older siblings but was not performed to compensate for a low level of cooperation received. Social behaviours were related to melanin-based coloration, suggesting that animals may signal their propensity to interact socially. The most prosocial phenotype (darker reddish) was also the phenotype that stole more food, and the effect of coloration on prosocial behaviour depended upon rank and sex, suggesting that colour-related prosociality is state dependent.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Roulin
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - B Des Monstiers
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - E Ifrid
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - A Da Silva
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - E Genzoni
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - A N Dreiss
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Biophore, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.,Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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135
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Size does matter: crocodile mothers react more to the voice of smaller offspring. Sci Rep 2015; 5:15547. [PMID: 26493940 PMCID: PMC4616036 DOI: 10.1038/srep15547] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/28/2015] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Parental care is widespread in Archosaurs (birds, crocodilians, dinosaurs and pterosaurs), and this group provides a useful model for the evolution of parent-offspring interactions. While offspring signalling has been well-studied in birds, the modulation of parental care in crocodilians remains an open question. Here we show that acoustic communication has a key role in the dynamics of crocodilian’ mother-offspring relationships. We found embedded information about the emitter’s size in juvenile calls of several species, and experimentally demonstrated that Nile crocodile mothers breeding in the wild are less receptive to the calls of larger juveniles. Using synthetized sounds, we further showed that female’ reaction depends on call pitch, an important cue bearing size information. Changes in acoustic interactions may thus go with the break of maternal care as well as dispersal of juvenile crocodilians. This process could have characterized other archosaurs displaying rapid early growth such as dinosaurs and pterosaurs.
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136
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Fletcher GJO, Simpson JA, Campbell L, Overall NC. Pair-bonding, romantic love, and evolution: the curious case of Homo sapiens. PERSPECTIVES ON PSYCHOLOGICAL SCIENCE 2015; 10:20-36. [PMID: 25910380 DOI: 10.1177/1745691614561683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 118] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
Abstract
This article evaluates a thesis containing three interconnected propositions. First, romantic love is a "commitment device" for motivating pair-bonding in humans. Second, pair-bonding facilitated the idiosyncratic life history of hominins, helping to provide the massive investment required to rear children. Third, managing long-term pair bonds (along with family relationships) facilitated the evolution of social intelligence and cooperative skills. We evaluate this thesis by integrating evidence from a broad range of scientific disciplines. First, consistent with the claim that romantic love is an evolved commitment device, our review suggests that it is universal; suppresses mate-search mechanisms; has specific behavioral, hormonal, and neuropsychological signatures; and is linked to better health and survival. Second, we consider challenges to this thesis posed by the existence of arranged marriage, polygyny, divorce, and infidelity. Third, we show how the intimate relationship mind seems to be built to regulate and monitor relationships. Fourth, we review comparative evidence concerning links among mating systems, reproductive biology, and brain size. Finally, we discuss evidence regarding the evolutionary timing of shifts to pair-bonding in hominins. We conclude there is interdisciplinary support for the claim that romantic love and pair-bonding, along with alloparenting, played critical roles in the evolution of Homo sapiens.
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137
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Carter G, Leffer L. Social Grooming in Bats: Are Vampire Bats Exceptional? PLoS One 2015; 10:e0138430. [PMID: 26445502 PMCID: PMC4596566 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0138430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence for long-term cooperative relationships comes from several social birds and mammals. Vampire bats demonstrate cooperative social bonds, and like primates, they maintain these bonds through social grooming. It is unclear, however, to what extent vampires are special among bats in this regard. We compared social grooming rates of common vampire bats Desmodus rotundus and four other group-living bats, Artibeus jamaicensis, Carollia perspicillata, Eidolon helvum and Rousettus aegyptiacus, under the same captive conditions of fixed association and no ectoparasites. We conducted 13 focal sampling sessions for each combination of sex and species, for a total of 1560 presence/absence observations per species. We observed evidence for social grooming in all species, but social grooming rates were on average 14 times higher in vampire bats than in other species. Self-grooming rates did not differ. Vampire bats spent 3.7% of their awake time social grooming (95% CI = 1.5-6.3%), whereas bats of the other species spent 0.1-0.5% of their awake time social grooming. Together with past data, this result supports the hypothesis that the elevated social grooming rate in the vampire bat is an adaptive trait, linked to their social bonding and unique regurgitated food sharing behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gerald Carter
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
| | - Lauren Leffer
- Department of Biology, University of Maryland, College Park, Maryland, United States of America
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138
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Gill LF, Goymann W, Ter Maat A, Gahr M. Patterns of call communication between group-housed zebra finches change during the breeding cycle. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26441403 PMCID: PMC4592938 DOI: 10.7554/elife.07770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2015] [Accepted: 09/04/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Vocal signals such as calls play a crucial role for survival and successful reproduction, especially in group-living animals. However, call interactions and call dynamics within groups remain largely unexplored because their relation to relevant contexts or life-history stages could not be studied with individual-level resolution. Using on-bird microphone transmitters, we recorded the vocalisations of individual zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) behaving freely in social groups, while females and males previously unknown to each other passed through different stages of the breeding cycle. As birds formed pairs and shifted their reproductive status, their call repertoire composition changed. The recordings revealed that calls occurred non-randomly in fine-tuned vocal interactions and decreased within groups while pair-specific patterns emerged. Call-type combinations of vocal interactions changed within pairs and were associated with successful egg-laying, highlighting a potential fitness relevance of calling dynamics in communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisa F Gill
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | | | | | - Manfred Gahr
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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139
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Zduniak P, Kosicki JZ, Yosef R. Sexual aggression by intruders in hooded crow Corvus cornix. Acta Ethol 2015; 19:91-94. [PMID: 26843781 PMCID: PMC4722061 DOI: 10.1007/s10211-015-0222-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/26/2014] [Revised: 08/24/2015] [Accepted: 09/08/2015] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
The hooded crow Corvus cornix is a west Palaearctic, solitary nesting, monogamous corvid. In the breeding season, populations are characterized by a social organization wherein breeding pairs are territorial and non-breeding individuals, called floaters, live in flocks. During a study of the breeding ecology of the hooded crow, conducted in a protected flooded area, we monitored nests with video cameras. We recorded two separate incidents when intruders attacked a female at the nest. We believe that she remained in the nest in order to prevent the strangers cannibalizing the nestlings by mantling over the brood. The spatio-temporal occurrence of these attacks suggests that the observed behaviour is intraspecific sexual aggression wherein non-breeding males mounted an immobilized female.
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Affiliation(s)
- Piotr Zduniak
- />Department of Avian Biology & Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| | - Jakub Z. Kosicki
- />Department of Avian Biology & Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Umultowska 89, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
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140
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Perez EC, Elie JE, Boucaud ICA, Crouchet T, Soulage CO, Soula HA, Theunissen FE, Vignal C. Physiological resonance between mates through calls as possible evidence of empathic processes in songbirds. Horm Behav 2015; 75:130-41. [PMID: 26407661 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2015.09.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2014] [Revised: 09/13/2015] [Accepted: 09/18/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Physiological resonance - where the physiological state of a subject generates the same state in a perceiver - has been proposed as a proximate mechanism facilitating pro-social behaviours. While mainly described in mammals, state matching in physiology and behaviour could be a phylogenetically shared trait among social vertebrates. Birds show complex social lives and cognitive abilities, and their monogamous pair-bond is a highly coordinated partnership, therefore we hypothesised that birds express state matching between mates. We show that calls of male zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata produced during corticosterone treatment (after oral administration of exogenous corticosterone and during visual separation from the partner) provoke both an increase in corticosterone concentrations and behavioural changes in their female partner compared to control calls (regular calls emitted by the same male during visual separation from the partner only), whereas calls produced during corticosterone treatment by unfamiliar males have no such effect. Irrespective of the caller status (mate/non-mate), calls' acoustic properties were predictive of female corticosterone concentration after playback, but the identity of mate calls was necessary to fully explain female responses. Female responses were unlikely due to a failure of the call-based mate recognition system: in a discrimination task, females perceive calls produced during corticosterone treatment as being more similar to the control calls of the same male than to control calls of other males, even after taking acoustical differences into account. These results constitute the first evidence of physiological resonance solely on acoustic cues in birds, and support the presence of empathic processes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emilie C Perez
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR9197, F-42023 Saint-Etienne, France.
| | - Julie E Elie
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Psychology & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Ingrid C A Boucaud
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR9197, F-42023 Saint-Etienne, France.
| | - Thomas Crouchet
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR9197, F-42023 Saint-Etienne, France.
| | - Christophe O Soulage
- Université de Lyon, INSA de Lyon, CarMeN, INSERM U1060, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Hédi A Soula
- Université de Lyon, INSA de Lyon, CarMeN, INSERM U1060, F-69621 Villeurbanne, France; EPI Beagle, INRIA Rhône-Alpes, F-69603 Villeurbanne, France.
| | - Frédéric E Theunissen
- University of California, Berkeley, Department of Psychology & Helen Wills Neuroscience Institute, CA 94720, USA.
| | - Clémentine Vignal
- Université de Lyon/Saint-Etienne, Neuro-PSI/ENES CNRS UMR9197, F-42023 Saint-Etienne, France.
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141
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Jelbert SA, Singh PJ, Gray RD, Taylor AH. New Caledonian crows rapidly solve a collaborative problem without cooperative cognition. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0133253. [PMID: 26266937 PMCID: PMC4534463 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0133253] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2014] [Accepted: 06/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing comparative evidence that the cognitive bases of cooperation are not unique to humans. However, the selective pressures that lead to the evolution of these mechanisms remain unclear. Here we show that while tool-making New Caledonian crows can produce collaborative behavior, they do not understand the causality of cooperation nor show sensitivity to inequity. Instead, the collaborative behavior produced appears to have been underpinned by the transfer of prior experience. These results suggest that a number of possible selective pressures, including tool manufacture and mobbing behaviours, have not led to the evolution of cooperative cognition in this species. They show that causal cognition can evolve in a domain specific manner–understanding the properties and flexible uses of physical tools does not necessarily enable animals to grasp that a conspecific can be used as a social tool.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah A. Jelbert
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
- * E-mail:
| | - Puja J. Singh
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Russell D. Gray
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Alex H. Taylor
- School of Psychology, University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, New Zealand
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142
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Relative Brain and Brain Part Sizes Provide Only Limited Evidence that Machiavellian Behaviour in Cleaner Wrasse Is Cognitively Demanding. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0135373. [PMID: 26263490 PMCID: PMC4532450 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0135373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/29/2014] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
It is currently widely accepted that the complexity of a species’ social life is a major determinant of its brain complexity, as predicted by the social brain hypothesis. However, it remains a challenge to explain what social complexity exactly is and what the best corresponding measures of brain anatomy are. Absolute and relative size of the brain and of the neocortex have often been used as a proxy to predict cognitive performance. Here, we apply the logic of the social brain hypothesis to marine cleaning mutualism involving the genus Labroides. These wrasses remove ectoparasites from ‘client’ reef fish. Conflict occurs as wrasse prefer client mucus over ectoparasites, where mucus feeding constitutes cheating. As a result of this conflict, cleaner wrasse show remarkable Machiavellian-like behaviour. Using own data as well as available data from the literature, we investigated whether the general brain anatomy of Labroides provides any indication that their Machiavellian behaviour is associated with a more complex brain. Neither data set provided evidence for an increased encephalisation index compared to other wrasse species. Published data on relative sizes of brain parts in 25 species of the order Perciformes suggests that only the diencephalon is relatively enlarged in Labroides dimidiatus. This part contains various nuclei of the social decision making network. In conclusion, gross brain anatomy yields little evidence for the hypothesis that strategic behaviour in cleaning selects for larger brains, while future research should focus on more detailed aspects like the sizes of specific nuclei as well as their cryoarchitectonic structure and connectivity.
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143
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Sheehan MJ, Bergman TJ. Is there an evolutionary trade-off between quality signaling and social recognition? Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv109] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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144
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Sewall KB. Social Complexity as a Driver of Communication and Cognition. Integr Comp Biol 2015; 55:384-95. [PMID: 26078368 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icv064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Cognition and communication both can be essential for effectively navigating the social environment and thus, social dynamics could select for enhanced abilities for communication and superior cognition. Additionally, social experience can influence both the ability to communicate effectively and performance in cognitive tasks within an individual's lifetime, consistent with phenotypic plasticity in these traits. Historically, research in animal cognition and animal communication has often addressed these traits independently, despite potential commonalities in social function and underlying mechanisms of the brain. Integrating research on animal communication and cognition will provide a more comprehensive understanding of how the social environment may shape behavior and specializations of the brain for sociality through both evolutionary and developmental processes. This selective review of research on the impacts of social dynamics on cognition and communication in animals aims to highlight areas for future research at both the ultimate and proximate levels. In particular, additional work on the effects of the social environment on cognitive performance over an individual's lifetime, and comparative studies of specialized abilities for communication, should be pursued.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kendra B Sewall
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, 1405 Perry Street, Blacksburg, VA 24061, USA
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145
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Kappeler PM, Cremer S, Nunn CL. Sociality and health: impacts of sociality on disease susceptibility and transmission in animal and human societies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20140116. [PMID: 25870402 PMCID: PMC4410382 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2014.0116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 140] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 02/06/2015] [Indexed: 02/06/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper introduces a theme issue presenting the latest developments in research on the impacts of sociality on health and fitness. The articles that follow cover research on societies ranging from insects to humans. Variation in measures of fitness (i.e. survival and reproduction) has been linked to various aspects of sociality in humans and animals alike, and variability in individual health and condition has been recognized as a key mediator of these relationships. Viewed from a broad evolutionary perspective, the evolutionary transitions from a solitary lifestyle to group living have resulted in several new health-related costs and benefits of sociality. Social transmission of parasites within groups represents a major cost of group living, but some behavioural mechanisms, such as grooming, have evolved repeatedly to reduce this cost. Group living also has created novel costs in terms of altered susceptibility to infectious and non-infectious disease as a result of the unavoidable physiological consequences of social competition and integration, which are partly alleviated by social buffering in some vertebrates. Here, we define the relevant aspects of sociality, summarize their health-related costs and benefits, and discuss possible fitness measures in different study systems. Given the pervasive effects of social factors on health and fitness, we propose a synthesis of existing conceptual approaches in disease ecology, ecological immunology and behavioural neurosciences by adding sociality as a key factor, with the goal to generate a broader framework for organismal integration of health-related research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Sylvia Cremer
- IST Austria (Institute of Science and Technology Austria), Klosterneuburg, Austria
| | - Charles L Nunn
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA Duke Global Health Institute, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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146
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Abstract
One of the key challenges confronting cognitive science is to discover natural categories of cognitive function. Of special interest is the unity or diversity of cognitive control mechanisms. Evolutionary history is an underutilized resource that, together with neuropsychological and neuroscientific evidence, can help to provide a biological ground for the fractionation of cognitive control. Comparative evidence indicates that primate brain evolution has produced dissociable mechanisms for external action control and internal self-regulation, but that most real-world behaviors rely on a combination of these. The archeological record further indicates the timing and context of distinctively human elaborations to these cognitive control functions, including the gradual emergence of increasingly complex hierarchical action control.
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147
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Abstract
Friend of a friend relationships, or the indirect connections between people, influence our health, well-being, financial success and reproductive output. As with humans, social behaviours in other animals often occur within a broad interconnected network of social ties. Yet studies of animal social behaviour tend to focus on associations between pairs of individuals. With the increase in popularity of social network analysis, researchers have started to look beyond the dyad to examine the role of indirect connections in animal societies. Here, I provide an overview of the new knowledge that has been uncovered by these studies. I focus on research that has addressed both the causes of social behaviours, i.e. the cognitive and genetic basis of indirect connections, as well as their consequences, i.e. the impact of indirect connections on social cohesion, information transfer, cultural practices and fitness. From these studies, it is apparent that indirect connections play an important role in animal behaviour, although future research is needed to clarify their contribution.
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148
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Tóth Z, Baldan D, Albert C, Hoi H, Griggio M. Effect of ornament manipulations on following relations in male bearded reedlings. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2015.1030782] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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149
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Kubitza RJ, Bugnyar T, Schwab C. Pair bond characteristics and maintenance in free-flying jackdaws Corvus monedula: effects of social context and season. JOURNAL OF AVIAN BIOLOGY 2015; 46:206-215. [PMID: 25892848 PMCID: PMC4398860 DOI: 10.1111/jav.00508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2014] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Most birds rely on cooperation between pair partners for breeding. In long-term monogamous species, pair bonds are considered the basic units of social organization, albeit these birds often form foraging, roosting or breeding groups in which they repeatedly interact with numerous conspecifics. Focusing on jackdaws Corvus monedula, we here investigated 1) the interplay between pair bond and group dynamics in several social contexts and 2) how pair partners differ in individual effort of pair bond maintenance. Based on long-term data on free-flying birds, we quantified social interactions between group members within three positive contexts (spatial proximity, feeding and sociopositive interactions) for different periods of the year (non-breeding, pre-breeding, parental care). On the group level, we found that the number of interaction partners was highest in the spatial proximity context while in the feeding and sociopositive contexts the number of interaction partners was low and moderately low, respectively. Interactions were reciprocated within almost all contexts and periods. Investigating subgrouping within the flock, results showed that interactions were preferentially directed towards the respective pair partner compared to unmated adults. When determining pair partner effort, both sexes similarly invested most into mutual proximity during late winter, thereby refreshing their bond before the onset of breeding. Paired males fed their mates over the entire year at similar rates while paired females hardly fed their mates at all but engaged in sociopositive behaviors instead. We conclude that jackdaws actively seek out positive social ties to flock members (close proximity, sociopositive behavior), at certain times of the year. Thus, the group functions as a dynamic social unit, nested within are highly cooperative pair bonds. Both sexes invested into the bond with different social behaviors and different levels of effort, yet these are likely male and female proximate mechanisms aimed at maintaining and perpetuating the pair bond.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin J Kubitza
- Section of Ecology, Dept of Biology, Univ. of Turku, FI-20014 Turku, Finland; Konrad Lorenz Research Station for Ethology, Fischerau 11, AT-4645 Grünau, Austria,
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Konrad Lorenz Research Station for Ethology, Fischerau 11, AT-4645 Grünau, Austria; Dept of Cognitive Biology, Univ. of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, AT-1090 Vienna, Austria
| | - Christine Schwab
- Konrad Lorenz Research Station for Ethology, Fischerau 11, AT-4645 Grünau, Austria; Dept of Cognitive Biology, Univ. of Vienna, Althanstrasse 14, AT-1090 Vienna, Austria
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150
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Sánchez-Macouzet O, Rodríguez C, Drummond H. Better stay together: pair bond duration increases individual fitness independent of age-related variation. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:rspb.2013.2843. [PMID: 24827435 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.2843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 81] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Prolonged pair bonds have the potential to improve reproductive performance of socially monogamous animals by increasing pair familiarity and enhancing coordination and cooperation between pair members. However, this has proved very difficult to test robustly because of important confounds such as age and reproductive experience. Here, we address limitations of previous studies and provide a rigorous test of the mate familiarity effect in the socially monogamous blue-footed booby, Sula nebouxii, a long-lived marine bird with a high divorce rate. Taking advantage of a natural disassociation between age and pair bond duration in this species, and applying a novel analytical approach to a 24 year database, we found that those pairs which have been together for longer establish their clutches five weeks earlier in the season, hatch more of their eggs and produce 35% more fledglings, regardless of age and reproductive experience. Our results demonstrate that pair bond duration increases individual fitness and further suggest that synergistic effects between a male and female's behaviour are likely to be involved in generating a mate familiarity effect. These findings help to explain the age- and experience-independent benefits of remating and their role in life-history evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Oscar Sánchez-Macouzet
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México D.F., 04510, Mexico
| | - Cristina Rodríguez
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México D.F., 04510, Mexico
| | - Hugh Drummond
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Instituto de Ecología, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, A.P. 70-275, México D.F., 04510, Mexico
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