151
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The effect of alternative forms of hunting on the social organization of two small populations of lions Panthera leo in southern Africa. ORYX 2014. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605313001336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAfrican lion Panthera leo populations have declined as a result of various anthropogenic factors, and most extant populations are small, which further compromises their persistence. Lions in unfenced areas are more exposed to illegal hunting, snaring and poisoning, and populations in fenced reserves are subject to population control by removal of selected individuals from particular age and sex classes. During 2000–2011 19 lions from the mostly unfenced Northern Tuli Game Reserve in Botswana were shot, snared or poisoned. By contrast, only one lioness was shot outside the fenced Venetia Limpopo Nature Reserve 10 km away, in South Africa, where 29 lions were trophy hunted or culled. We found that the mean population size, sex ratio and litter size were the same for both reserves but population density, pride size and cub survival rate were significantly higher in the fenced reserve. The size of the population in Northern Tuli was constrained by a high rate of indiscriminate anthropogenic mortality, with 94.7% of adult mortality occurring outside the reserve. The different forms of anthropogenic suppression in evidence at the two reserves resulted in different population-level responses, which will ultimately affect population viability. As conservation strategies are attempting to remove fences and establish larger conservation areas, this study indicates how fences can influence population dynamics in areas where human presence threatens large carnivores.
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152
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Kushnir H, Weisberg S, Olson E, Juntunen T, Ikanda D, Packer C. Using landscape characteristics to predict risk of lion attacks on humans in south-eastern Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12157] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hadas Kushnir
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior; University of Minnesota; 100 Ecology Building 1987 Upper Buford Circle St. Paul MN 55108 U.S.A
| | - Sanford Weisberg
- School of Statistics; University of Minnesota; 312 Ford Hall 224 Church St. SE Minneapolis MN 55455 U.S.A
| | - Erik Olson
- Department of Geography; Environment & Society; University of Minnesota; 414 Social Science 267 19th Ave S Minneapolis MN 55455 U.S.A
| | - Thomas Juntunen
- Department of Geography; Environment & Society; University of Minnesota; 414 Social Science 267 19th Ave S Minneapolis MN 55455 U.S.A
| | - Dennis Ikanda
- Tanzania Wildlife Research Institute; P.O. Box 661 Arusha Tanzania
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution & Behavior; University of Minnesota; 100 Ecology Building 1987 Upper Buford Circle St. Paul MN 55108 U.S.A
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153
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154
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Gavrilets S, Fortunato L. A solution to the collective action problem in between-group conflict with within-group inequality. Nat Commun 2014; 5:3526. [PMID: 24667443 PMCID: PMC3974216 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms4526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2013] [Accepted: 02/27/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Conflict with conspecifics from neighbouring groups over territory, mating opportunities and other resources is observed in many social organisms, including humans. Here we investigate the evolutionary origins of social instincts, as shaped by selection resulting from between-group conflict in the presence of a collective action problem. We focus on the effects of the differences between individuals on the evolutionary dynamics. Our theoretical models predict that high-rank individuals, who are able to usurp a disproportional share of resources in within-group interactions, will act seemingly altruistically in between-group conflict, expending more effort and often having lower reproductive success than their low-rank group-mates. Similar behaviour is expected for individuals with higher motivation, higher strengths or lower costs, or for individuals in a leadership position. Our theory also provides an evolutionary foundation for classical equity theory, and it has implications for the origin of coercive leadership and for reproductive skew theory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergey Gavrilets
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Department of Mathematics, National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee 37996, USA
| | - Laura Fortunato
- Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Oxford, 64 Banbury Road, Oxford OX2 6PN, UK
- Santa Fe Institute, 1399 Hyde Park Rd, Santa Fe, New Mexico 87501, USA
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155
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Soso SB, Koziel JA, Johnson A, Lee YJ, Fairbanks WS. Analytical methods for chemical and sensory characterization of scent-markings in large wild mammals: a review. SENSORS 2014; 14:4428-65. [PMID: 24603639 PMCID: PMC4003951 DOI: 10.3390/s140304428] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2013] [Revised: 01/15/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2014] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
In conjoining the disciplines of "ethology" and "chemistry" the field of "Ethochemistry" has been instituted. Ethochemistry is an effective tool in conservation efforts of endangered species and the understanding of behavioral patterns across all species. Chemical constituents of scent-markings have an important, yet poorly understood function in territoriality, reproduction, dominance, and impact on evolutionary biology, especially in large mammals. Particular attention has recently been focused on scent-marking analysis of great cats (Kalahari leopards (Panthera pardus), puma (Puma concolor) snow leopard (Panthera uncia), African lions (Panthera leo), cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus), and tigers (Panthera tigris)) for the purpose of conservation. Sensory analyses of scent-markings could address knowledge gaps in ethochemistry. The objective of this review is to summarize the current state-of-the art of both the chemical and sensory analyses of scent-markings in wild mammals. Specific focus is placed on sampling and sample preparation, chemical analysis, sensory analysis, and simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses. Constituents of exocrine and endocrine secretions have been most commonly studied with chromatography-based analytical separations. Odor analysis of scent-markings provides an insight into the animal's sensory perception. A limited number of articles have been published in the area of sensory characterization of scent marks. Simultaneous chemical and sensory analyses with chromatography-olfactometry hyphenation could potentially aid conservation efforts by linking perceived odor, compounds responsible for odor, and resulting behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Simone B Soso
- Environmental Science Interdepartmental Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Jacek A Koziel
- Environmental Science Interdepartmental Graduate Program, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Anna Johnson
- Department of Animal Science, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - Young Jin Lee
- Department of Chemistry, Iowa State University, Ames, IA 50011, USA.
| | - W Sue Fairbanks
- Department of Natural Resource Ecology and Management, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, OK 74078, USA.
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156
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Cusick JA, Herzing DL. The Dynamic of Aggression: How Individual and Group Factors Affect the Long-Term Interspecific Aggression Between Two Sympatric Species of Dolphin. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Cusick
- Department of Biological Sciences; Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton FL USA
- The Wild Dolphin Project; Jupiter FL USA
| | - Denise L. Herzing
- Department of Biological Sciences; Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton FL USA
- The Wild Dolphin Project; Jupiter FL USA
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157
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Abell J, Kirzinger MWB, Gordon Y, Kirk J, Kokeŝ R, Lynas K, Mandinyenya B, Youldon D. A social network analysis of social cohesion in a constructed pride: implications for ex situ reintroduction of the African lion (Panthera leo). PLoS One 2013; 8:e82541. [PMID: 24376544 PMCID: PMC3869708 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0082541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2013] [Accepted: 11/01/2013] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal conservation practices include the grouping of captive related and unrelated individuals to form a social structure which is characteristic of that species in the wild. In response to the rapid decline of wild African lion (Panthera leo) populations, an array of conservational strategies have been adopted. Ex situ reintroduction of the African lion requires the construction of socially cohesive pride structures prior to wild release. This pilot study adopted a social network theory approach to quantitatively assess a captive pride's social structure and the relationships between individuals within them. Group composition (who is present in a group) and social interaction data (social licking, greeting, play) was observed and recorded to assess social cohesion within a released semi-wild pride. UCINET and SOCPROG software was utilised to represent and analyse these social networks. Results indicate that the pride is socially cohesive, does not exhibit random associations, and the role of socially influential keystone individuals is important for maintaining social bondedness within a lion pride. These results are potentially informative for the structure of lion prides, in captivity and in the wild, and could have implications for captive and wild-founder reintroductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jackie Abell
- Coventry University, Coventry, United Kingdom
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Livingstone, Zambia
| | | | - Yvonne Gordon
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Antelope Park, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Jacqui Kirk
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Livingstone, Zambia
| | - Rae Kokeŝ
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Livingstone, Zambia
| | - Kirsty Lynas
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Antelope Park, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - Bob Mandinyenya
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Antelope Park, Gweru, Zimbabwe
| | - David Youldon
- African Lion & Environmental Research Trust, Livingstone, Zambia
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158
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Miller S, Bissett C, Burger A, Courtenay B, Dickerson T, Druce D, Ferreira S, Funston P, Hofmeyr D, Kilian P, Matthews W, Naylor S, Parker D, Slotow R, Toft M, Zimmermann D. Management of Reintroduced Lions in Small, Fenced Reserves in South Africa: An Assessment and Guidelines. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.3957/056.043.0202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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159
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Matoba T, Kutsukake N, Hasegawa T. Head rubbing and licking reinforce social bonds in a group of captive African lions, Panthera leo. PLoS One 2013; 8:e73044. [PMID: 24023806 PMCID: PMC3762833 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0073044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Many social animals have a species-specific repertoire of affiliative behaviours that characterise individualised relationships within a group. To date, however, quantitative studies on intragroup affiliative behaviours in social carnivores have been limited. Here, we investigated the social functions of the two most commonly observed affiliative behaviours in captive African lions (Panthera leo): head rubbing and licking. We conducted behavioural observations on a captive group of lions composed of 7 males and 14 females, and tested hypotheses regarding three social functions: tension reduction, social bonding, and social status expression. Disproportionately frequent male-male and female-to-male head rubbing was observed, while more than 95% of all licking interactions occurred in female-female dyads. In accordance with the social bond hypothesis, and in disagreement with the social status expression hypothesis, both head rubbing and licking interactions were reciprocal. After controlling for spatial association, the dyadic frequency of head rubbing was negatively correlated with age difference while licking was positively correlated with relatedness. Group reunion after daily separation did not affect the frequencies of the affiliative behaviours, which was in disagreement with the predictions from the tension reduction hypothesis. These results support the social bond hypothesis for the functions of head rubbing and licking. Different patterns of affiliative behaviour between the sexes may reflect differences in the relationship quality in each sex or the differential predisposition to licking due to its original function in offspring care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomoyuki Matoba
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Nobuyuki Kutsukake
- Department of Evolutionary Studies of Biosystems, The Graduate University for Advanced Studies, Hayama, Japan
- Precursory Research for Embryonic Science and Technology (PRESTO), Japan Science and Technology Agency, Kawaguchi, Japan
| | - Toshikazu Hasegawa
- Department of Cognitive and Behavioral Science, Graduate School of Arts and Sciences, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan
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160
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Willems EP, Hellriegel B, van Schaik CP. The collective action problem in primate territory economics. Proc Biol Sci 2013; 280:20130081. [PMID: 23516240 PMCID: PMC3619503 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.0081] [Citation(s) in RCA: 77] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2013] [Accepted: 02/21/2013] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Group-living animals often do not maintain territories, but instead have highly overlapping ranges, even though in principle these are economically defendable. We investigate whether this absence of range defence reflects a collective action problem, since a territory can be considered a public good. In a comparative analysis comprising 135 primate species, we find a positive association between range overlap and group size, controlling for economic defendability and phylogenetic non-independence. We subsequently demonstrate that groups with multiple adults of both sexes suffer levels of range overlap twice as high as groups with only a single adult representative of either sex, consistent with the presence of a collective action problem. Finally, we reveal that this collective action problem can be overcome through philopatry of the larger sex. These results suggest that a social complication of group living is a stronger determinant of between-group relations among social animals than ecological factors, but also that collective defence is still achieved where the dominant sex is philopatric and effective defence is critical to reproductive success and survival. In addition, our findings support the idea that human-like warfare, defined as escalated collective territorial conflict, has an evolutionary basis reflected by cases of convergent evolution among non-human primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erik P Willems
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
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161
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Between-group contest competition among tufted capuchin monkeys, Sapajus nigritus, and the role of male resource defence. Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.02.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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162
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Holekamp KE, Swanson EM, Van Meter PE. Developmental constraints on behavioural flexibility. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120350. [PMID: 23569298 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We suggest that variation in mammalian behavioural flexibility not accounted for by current socioecological models may be explained in part by developmental constraints. From our own work, we provide examples of constraints affecting variation in behavioural flexibility, not only among individuals, but also among species and higher taxonomic units. We first implicate organizational maternal effects of androgens in shaping individual differences in aggressive behaviour emitted by female spotted hyaenas throughout the lifespan. We then compare carnivores and primates with respect to their locomotor and craniofacial adaptations. We inquire whether antagonistic selection pressures on the skull might impose differential functional constraints on evolvability of skulls and brains in these two orders, thus ultimately affecting behavioural flexibility in each group. We suggest that, even when carnivores and primates would theoretically benefit from the same adaptations with respect to behavioural flexibility, carnivores may nevertheless exhibit less behavioural flexibility than primates because of constraints imposed by past adaptations in the morphology of the limbs and skull. Phylogenetic analysis consistent with this idea suggests greater evolutionary lability in relative brain size within families of primates than carnivores. Thus, consideration of developmental constraints may help elucidate variation in mammalian behavioural flexibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, 203 Natural Sciences, MI 48824, USA.
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163
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Lutermann H, Bennett NC, Speakman JR, Scantlebury M. Energetic benefits of sociality offset the costs of parasitism in a cooperative mammal. PLoS One 2013; 8:e57969. [PMID: 23451285 PMCID: PMC3581474 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0057969] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2012] [Accepted: 01/29/2013] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Sociality and particularly advanced forms of sociality such as cooperative breeding (living in permanent groups with reproductive division of labour) is relatively rare among vertebrates. A suggested constraint on the evolution of sociality is the elevated transmission rate of parasites between group members. Despite such apparent costs, sociality has evolved independently in a number of vertebrate taxa including humans. However, how the costs of parasitism are overcome in such cases remains uncertain. We evaluated the potential role of parasites in the evolution of sociality in a member of the African mole-rats, the only mammal family that exhibits the entire range of social systems from solitary to eusocial. Here we show that resting metabolic rates decrease whilst daily energy expenditure and energy stores (i.e. body fat) increase with group size in social Natal mole rats (Cryptomys hottentotus natalensis). Critically, larger groups also had reduced parasite abundance and infested individuals only showed measurable increases in energy metabolism at high parasite abundance. Thus, in some circumstances, sociality appears to provide energetic benefits that may be diverted into parasite defence. This mechanism is likely to be self-reinforcing and an important factor in the evolution of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heike Lutermann
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
- * E-mail: (HL); (MS)
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - John R. Speakman
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Zoology Building, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
- State Key Laboratory of Molecular and Developmental Biology, Institute of Genetics and Developmental Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, People's Republic of China
| | - Michael Scantlebury
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
- * E-mail: (HL); (MS)
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164
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Brink H, Smith RJ, Skinner K. Methods for lion monitoring: a comparison from the Selous Game Reserve, Tanzania. Afr J Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert J. Smith
- Durrell Institute of Conservation and Ecology; University of Kent; Canterbury; Kent; CT2 7NR; UK
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165
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SCHEL ANNEMARIJKE, RAWLINGS BRUCE, CLAIDIÈRE NICOLAS, WILKE CLAUDIA, WATHAN JEN, RICHARDSON JO, PEARSON SOPHIE, S. HERRELKO ELIZABETH, WHITEN ANDREW, SLOCOMBE KATIE. Network Analysis of Social Changes in a Captive Chimpanzee Community Following the Successful Integration of Two Adult Groups. Am J Primatol 2012. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - BRUCE RAWLINGS
- Department of Psychology; University of York; York; United Kingdom
| | - NICOLAS CLAIDIÈRE
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews; United Kingdom
| | - CLAUDIA WILKE
- Department of Psychology; University of York; York; United Kingdom
| | - JEN WATHAN
- Department of Psychology; University of York; York; United Kingdom
| | - JO RICHARDSON
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland; Edinburgh Zoo; Edinburgh; United Kingdom
| | - SOPHIE PEARSON
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland; Edinburgh Zoo; Edinburgh; United Kingdom
| | | | - ANDREW WHITEN
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Psychology; University of St Andrews; St Andrews; United Kingdom
| | - KATIE SLOCOMBE
- Department of Psychology; University of York; York; United Kingdom
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166
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Group hunting within the Carnivora: physiological, cognitive and environmental influences on strategy and cooperation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1423-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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167
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Stahler DR, MacNulty DR, Wayne RK, vonHoldt B, Smith DW. The adaptive value of morphological, behavioural and life-history traits in reproductive female wolves. J Anim Ecol 2012; 82:222-34. [PMID: 23043440 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2012.02039.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2011] [Accepted: 08/14/2012] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Reproduction in social organisms is shaped by numerous morphological, behavioural and life-history traits such as body size, cooperative breeding and age of reproduction, respectively. Little is known, however, about the relative influence of these different types of traits on reproduction, particularly in the context of environmental conditions that determine their adaptive value. Here, we use 14 years of data from a long-term study of wolves (Canis lupus) in Yellowstone National Park, USA, to evaluate the relative effects of different traits and ecological factors on the reproductive performance (litter size and survival) of breeding females. At the individual level, litter size and survival improved with body mass and declined with age (c. 4-5 years). Grey-coloured females had more surviving pups than black females, which likely contributed to the maintenance of coat colour polymorphism in this system. The effect of pack size on reproductive performance was nonlinear as litter size peaked at eight wolves and then declined, and litter survival increased rapidly up to three wolves, beyond which it increased more gradually. At the population level, litter size and survival decreased with increasing wolf population size and canine distemper outbreaks. The relative influence of these different-level factors on wolf reproductive success followed individual > group > population. Body mass was the primary determinant of litter size, followed by pack size and population size. Body mass was also the main driver of litter survival, followed by pack size and disease. Reproductive gains because of larger body size and cooperative breeding may mitigate reproductive losses because of negative density dependence and disease. These findings highlight the adaptive value of large body size and sociality in promoting individual fitness in stochastic and competitive environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel R Stahler
- Yellowstone Wolf Project, Yellowstone Center for Resources, Yellowstone National Park, WY, 82190, USA.
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168
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169
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Randić S, Connor RC, Sherwin WB, Krützen M. A novel mammalian social structure in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.): complex male alliances in an open social network. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3083-90. [PMID: 22456886 PMCID: PMC3385473 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial mammals with differentiated social relationships live in 'semi-closed groups' that occasionally accept new members emigrating from other groups. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, exhibit a fission-fusion grouping pattern with strongly differentiated relationships, including nested male alliances. Previous studies failed to detect a group membership 'boundary', suggesting that the dolphins live in an open social network. However, two alternative hypotheses have not been excluded. The community defence model posits that the dolphins live in a large semi-closed 'chimpanzee-like' community defended by males and predicts that a dominant alliance(s) will range over the entire community range. The mating season defence model predicts that alliances will defend mating-season territories or sets of females. Here, both models are tested and rejected: no alliances ranged over the entire community range and alliances showed extensive overlap in mating season ranges and consorted females. The Shark Bay dolphins, therefore, present a combination of traits that is unique among mammals: complex male alliances in an open social network. The open social network of dolphins is linked to their relatively low costs of locomotion. This reveals a surprising and previously unrecognized convergence between adaptations reducing travel costs and complex intergroup-alliance relationships in dolphins, elephants and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srđan Randić
- Biology Department, UMass Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Richard C. Connor
- Biology Department, UMass Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - William B. Sherwin
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Michael Krützen
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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170
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MARKHAM ACATHERINE, ALBERTS SUSANC, ALTMANN JEANNE. Intergroup conflict: Ecological predictors of winning and consequences of defeat in a wild primate population. Anim Behav 2012; 82:399-403. [PMID: 22837555 PMCID: PMC3402089 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
In many social species, competition between groups is a major factor proximately affecting group-level movement patterns and space use and ultimately shaping the evolution of group living and complex sociality. Here we evaluated the factors influencing group-level dominance among 5 social groups of wild baboons (Papio cynocephalus), in particular focusing on the spatial determinants of dominance and the consequences of defeat. When direct conflict occurred between conspecific baboon groups, the winning group was predicted by differences in the number of adult males in each group and/or groups that had used the areas surrounding the encounter location more intensively than their opponent in the preceding 9 or 12 months. Relative intensity of space use over shorter timescales examined (3 and 6 months) was a poor predictor of the interaction's outcome. Losing groups but not winning groups experienced clear short-term costs. Losing groups used the area surrounding the interaction less following an agonistic encounter (relative to their intensity of use of the area prior to the interaction). These findings offer insight into the influences and consequences of intergroup competition on group-level patterns of space use.
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Affiliation(s)
- A. CATHERINE MARKHAM
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
| | - SUSAN C. ALBERTS
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina
- Institute for Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - JEANNE ALTMANN
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
- Institute for Primate Research, National Museums of Kenya, Nairobi, Kenya
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171
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Arsznov BM, Sakai ST. Pride Diaries: Sex, Brain Size and Sociality in the African Lion (Panthera leo) and Cougar (Puma concolor) . BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2012; 79:275-89. [DOI: 10.1159/000338670] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2011] [Accepted: 04/04/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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172
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Intergroup Aggression in Chimpanzees and War in Nomadic Hunter-Gatherers. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2012; 23:5-29. [DOI: 10.1007/s12110-012-9132-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 133] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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173
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Liddle JR, Shackelford TK, Weekes–Shackelford VA. Why Can't We All Just Get Along? Evolutionary Perspectives on Violence, Homicide, and War. REVIEW OF GENERAL PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1037/a0026610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We review and discuss the evolutionary psychological literature on violence, homicide, and war in humans and nonhumans, and in doing so argue that an evolutionary perspective can substantially enhance our understanding of these behaviors. We provide a brief primer on evolutionary psychology, describing the basic tenets of the field. The theories of sexual selection and parental investment are explained and subsequently used to highlight the evolutionary logic underlying the use of violence by humans and other animals. Our examination of violent behavior begins with a focus on nonhuman animals, reviewing the different contexts in which violence occurs and discussing how an evolutionary perspective can explain why it occurs in these contexts. We then examine violence in humans and illustrate the similarities and differences between human and nonhuman violence. Finally, we summarize what an evolutionary perspective can offer in terms of understanding violence, homicide, and war, and discuss directions for future research.
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174
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Mourier J, Vercelloni J, Planes S. Evidence of social communities in a spatially structured network of a free-ranging shark species. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.11.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 131] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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175
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Valeix M, Hemson G, Loveridge AJ, Mills G, Macdonald DW. Behavioural adjustments of a large carnivore to access secondary prey in a human-dominated landscape. J Appl Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2664.2011.02099.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 139] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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176
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Wilson ML, Kahlenberg SM, Wells M, Wrangham RW. Ecological and social factors affect the occurrence and outcomes of intergroup encounters in chimpanzees. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 104] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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177
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Abstract
In many social animals, group-mates cooperate to defend their range against intrusion by neighboring groups. Because group size tends to be highly variable, such conflicts are often asymmetric. Although numerical superiority is assumed to provide a competitive advantage, small groups can generally defend their ranges, even when greatly outnumbered. The prevailing explanation for this puzzling phenomenon is that individuals in relatively large groups experience a greater temptation to flee from conflicts, in effect leveling the balance of power. Using playback experiments simulating territorial intrusions by wild capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus) groups, we show that such a collective action problem does indeed undermine the competitive ability of large groups. Focal capuchins were more likely to run away from territorial intrusions when their group had a numeric advantage; each one-individual increase in relative group size raised the odds of flight by 25%. However, interaction location had a more important impact on individuals' reactions, creating a strong home-field advantage. After controlling for relative group size, the odds that a focal animal fled were 91% lower in experiments that occurred in the center compared with on the edge of its group's range, whereas the odds that it rushed toward the speaker were more than sixfold higher. These location-dependent patterns of defection and cooperation create a competitive advantage for residents over intruders across a wide range of relative group sizes, which may stabilize range boundaries and provide a general explanation for how groups of widely divergent sizes can coexist, even in the face of intense intergroup competition.
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178
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Bateman AW, Ozgul A, Coulson T, Clutton-Brock TH. Density dependence in group dynamics of a highly social mongoose, Suricata suricatta. J Anim Ecol 2011; 81:628-39. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2656.2011.01934.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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179
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Barocas A, Ilany A, Koren L, Kam M, Geffen E. Variance in centrality within rock hyrax social networks predicts adult longevity. PLoS One 2011; 6:e22375. [PMID: 21818314 PMCID: PMC3144894 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0022375] [Citation(s) in RCA: 94] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2011] [Accepted: 06/26/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background In communal mammals the levels of social interaction among group members vary considerably. In recent years, biologists have realized that within-group interactions may affect survival of the group members. Several recent studies have demonstrated that the social integration of adult females is positively associated with infant survival, and female longevity is affected by the strength and stability of the individual social bonds. Our aim was to determine the social factors that influence adult longevity in social mammals. Methodology/Principal Findings As a model system, we studied the social rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), a plural breeder with low reproductive skew, whose groups are mainly composed of females. We applied network theory using 11 years of behavioral data to quantify the centrality of individuals within groups, and found adult longevity to be inversely correlated to the variance in centrality. In other words, animals in groups with more equal associations lived longer. Individual centrality was not correlated with longevity, implying that social tension may affect all group members and not only the weakest or less connected ones. Conclusions/Significance Our novel findings support previous studies emphasizing the adaptive value of social associations and the consequences of inequality among adults within social groups. However, contrary to previous studies, we suggest that it is not the number or strength of associations that an adult individual has (i.e. centrality) that is important, but the overall configuration of social relationships within the group (i.e. centrality SD) that is a key factor in influencing longevity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adi Barocas
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
| | - Lee Koren
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- Department of Comparative Biology and Experimental Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Calgary, Calgary, Canada
| | - Michael Kam
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheva, Israel
| | - Eli Geffen
- Department of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
- * E-mail:
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180
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Craft ME, Volz E, Packer C, Meyers LA. Disease transmission in territorial populations: the small-world network of Serengeti lions. J R Soc Interface 2011; 8:776-86. [PMID: 21030428 PMCID: PMC3104347 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2010.0511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 101] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2010] [Accepted: 10/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Territoriality in animal populations creates spatial structure that is thought to naturally buffer disease invasion. Often, however, territorial populations also include highly mobile, non-residential individuals that potentially serve as disease superspreaders. Using long-term data from the Serengeti Lion Project, we characterize the contact network structure of a territorial wildlife population and address the epidemiological impact of nomadic individuals. As expected, pride contacts are dominated by interactions with neighbouring prides and interspersed by encounters with nomads as they wander throughout the ecosystem. Yet the pride-pride network also includes occasional long-range contacts between prides, making it surprisingly small world and vulnerable to epidemics, even without nomads. While nomads increase both the local and global connectivity of the network, their epidemiological impact is marginal, particularly for diseases with short infectious periods like canine distemper virus. Thus, territoriality in Serengeti lions may be less protective and non-residents less important for disease transmission than previously considered.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meggan E Craft
- Boyd Orr Centre for Population and Ecosystem Health, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK.
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181
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Stockley P, Bro-Jørgensen J. Female competition and its evolutionary consequences in mammals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 86:341-66. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00149.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 307] [Impact Index Per Article: 23.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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182
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Batchelor TP, Briffa M. Fight tactics in wood ants: individuals in smaller groups fight harder but die faster. Proc Biol Sci 2011; 278:3243-50. [PMID: 21389029 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2011.0062] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
When social animals engage in inter-group contests, the outcome is determined by group sizes and individual masses, which together determine group resource-holding potential ('group RHP'). Individuals that perceive themselves as being in a group with high RHP may receive a motivational increase and increase their aggression levels. Alternatively, individuals in lower RHP groups may increase their aggression levels in an attempt to overcome the RHP deficit. We investigate how 'group RHP' influences agonistic tactics in red wood ants Formica rufa. Larger groups had higher total agonistic indices, but per capita agonistic indices were highest in the smallest groups, indicating that individuals in smaller groups fought harder. Agonistic indices were influenced by relative mean mass, focal group size, opponent group size and opponent group agonistic index. Focal group attrition rates decreased as focal group relative agonistic indices increased and there was a strong negative influence of relative mean mass. The highest focal attrition rates were received when opponent groups were numerically large and composed of large individuals. Thus, fight tactics in F. rufa seem to vary with both aspects of group RHP, group size and the individual attributes of group members, indicating that information on these are available to fighting ants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim P Batchelor
- Marine Biology and Ecology Research Centre, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK.
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183
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Effect of sociality and season on gray wolf (Canis lupus) foraging behavior: implications for estimating summer kill rate. PLoS One 2011; 6:e17332. [PMID: 21390256 PMCID: PMC3046980 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0017332] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2010] [Accepted: 01/27/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Understanding how kill rates vary among seasons is required to understand predation by vertebrate species living in temperate climates. Unfortunately, kill rates are only rarely estimated during summer. Methodology/Principal Findings For several wolf packs in Yellowstone National Park, we used pairs of collared wolves living in the same pack and the double-count method to estimate the probability of attendance (PA) for an individual wolf at a carcass. PA quantifies an important aspect of social foraging behavior (i.e., the cohesiveness of foraging). We used PA to estimate summer kill rates for packs containing GPS-collared wolves between 2004 and 2009. Estimated rates of daily prey acquisition (edible biomass per wolf) decreased from 8.4±0.9 kg (mean ± SE) in May to 4.1±0.4 kg in July. Failure to account for PA would have resulted in underestimating kill rate by 32%. PA was 0.72±0.05 for large ungulate prey and 0.46±0.04 for small ungulate prey. To assess seasonal differences in social foraging behavior, we also evaluated PA during winter for VHF-collared wolves between 1997 and 2009. During winter, PA was 0.95±0.01. PA was not influenced by prey size but was influenced by wolf age and pack size. Conclusions/Significance Our results demonstrate that seasonal patterns in the foraging behavior of social carnivores have important implications for understanding their social behavior and estimating kill rates. Synthesizing our findings with previous insights suggests that there is important seasonal variation in how and why social carnivores live in groups. Our findings are also important for applications of GPS collars to estimate kill rates. Specifically, because the factors affecting the PA of social carnivores likely differ between seasons, kill rates estimated through GPS collars should account for seasonal differences in social foraging behavior.
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185
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Multiple resource values and fighting ability measures influence intergroup conflict in guerezas (Colobus guereza). Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.10.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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Mosser A, Fryxell JM, Eberly L, Packer C. Serengeti real estate: density vs. fitness-based indicators of lion habitat quality. Ecol Lett 2009; 12:1050-60. [PMID: 19708970 DOI: 10.1111/j.1461-0248.2009.01359.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 88] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Habitat quality is typically inferred by assuming a direct relationship between consumer density and resource abundance, although it has been suggested that consumer fitness may be a more accurate measure of habitat quality. We examined density vs. fitness-based measures of habitat quality for lions in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. A 40-year average of female reproductive success (yearling cubs per female) was best explained by proximity to river confluences, whereas patterns of productivity (yearling cubs per km(2)) and adult female density (individuals per km(2)) were associated with more general measures of habitat quality and areas of shelter in poor habitat. This suggests that density may not accurately distinguish between high-quality 'source' areas and low-quality sites that merely provide refuges for effectively non-reproductive individuals. Our results indicate that density may be a misleading indicator of real estate value, particularly for populations that do not conform to an ideal free distribution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Mosser
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA.
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