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Wilson VAD, Masilkova M. Does the primate face cue personality? PERSONALITY NEUROSCIENCE 2023; 6:e7. [PMID: 38107779 PMCID: PMC10725780 DOI: 10.1017/pen.2023.5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2023] [Revised: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 05/31/2023] [Indexed: 12/19/2023]
Abstract
When looking at others, primates primarily focus on the face - detecting the face first and looking at it longer than other parts of the body. This is because primate faces, even without expression, convey trait information crucial for navigating social relationships. Recent studies on primates, including humans, have linked facial features, specifically facial width-to-height ratio (fWHR), to rank and Dominance-related personality traits, suggesting these links' potential role in social decisions. However, studies on the association between dominance and fWHR report contradictory results in humans and variable patterns in nonhuman primates. It is also not clear whether and how nonhuman primates perceive different facial cues to personality traits and whether these may have evolved as social signals. This review summarises the variable facial-personality links, their underlying proximate and evolutionary mechanisms and their perception across primates. We emphasise the importance of employing comparative research, including various primate species and human populations, to disentangle phylogeny from socio-ecological drivers and to understand the selection pressures driving the facial-personality links in humans. Finally, we encourage researchers to move away from single facial measures and towards holistic measures and to complement perception studies using neuroscientific methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vanessa A D Wilson
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
- Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution (ISLE), University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michaela Masilkova
- Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Czech University of Life Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic
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2
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Aung T, Hill AK, Pfefferle D, McLester E, Fuller J, Lawrence JM, Garcia-Nisa I, Kendal RL, Petersdorf M, Higham JP, Galat G, Lameira AR, Apicella CL, Barelli C, Glenn ME, Ramos-Fernandez G, Puts DA. Group size and mating system predict sex differences in vocal fundamental frequency in anthropoid primates. Nat Commun 2023; 14:4069. [PMID: 37429846 PMCID: PMC10333282 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-39535-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2023] [Indexed: 07/12/2023] Open
Abstract
Vocalizations differ substantially between the sexes in many primates, and low-frequency male vocalizations may be favored by sexual selection because they intimidate rivals and/or attract mates. Sexual dimorphism in fundamental frequency may be more pronounced in species with more intense male mating competition and in those with large group size, where social knowledge is limited and efficient judgment of potential mates and competitors is crucial. These non-mutually exclusive explanations have not been tested simultaneously across primate species. In a sample of vocalizations (n = 1914 recordings) across 37 anthropoid species, we investigated whether fundamental frequency dimorphism evolved in association with increased intensity of mating competition (H1), large group size (H2), multilevel social organization (H3), a trade-off against the intensity of sperm competition (H4), and/or poor acoustic habitats (H5), controlling for phylogeny and body size dimorphism. We show that fundamental frequency dimorphism increased in evolutionary transitions towards larger group size and polygyny. Findings suggest that low-frequency male vocalizations in primates may have been driven by selection to win mating opportunities by avoiding costly fights and may be more important in larger groups, where limited social knowledge affords advantages to rapid assessment of status and threat potential via conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Toe Aung
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA
- Psychology and Counseling Department, Immaculata University, Immaculata, PA, USA
| | - Alexander K Hill
- Department of Anthropology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
| | - Dana Pfefferle
- Welfare and Cognition Group, Cognitive Neuroscience Laboratory, German Primate Center - Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany & Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, German Primate Center & University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Edward McLester
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - James Fuller
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Jenna M Lawrence
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental Biology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | | | | | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY, USA
| | - Gérard Galat
- IRD (French National Research Institute for Sustainable Development), Montpellier, France
| | | | - Coren L Apicella
- Department of Psychology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
| | - Claudia Barelli
- Department of Biology, University of Florence, Sesto Fiorentino, Florence, Italy
| | - Mary E Glenn
- Department of Anthropology, California State Polytechnic University Humboldt, Arcata, CA, USA
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez
- Institute for Research on Applied Mathematics and Systems and C3-Centro de Ciencias de la Complejidad, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - David A Puts
- Department of Anthropology, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, PA, USA.
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3
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Tebelmann H, Gansloßer U. Social Reward Behaviour in Two Groups of European Grey Wolves ( Canis lupus lupus)-A Case Study. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13050872. [PMID: 36899729 PMCID: PMC10000159 DOI: 10.3390/ani13050872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2023] [Revised: 02/21/2023] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Prosociality occurs in many species and is likely to be a crucial factor for the survival of group-living animals. Social feedback is an important mechanism for the coordination of group decisions. Since group-living animals with specific personality axes, i.e., boldness, are known to provide certain benefits for their group, bold actions might receive more prosocial feedback than other actions. Our case study aims to determine whether bold behaviour, i.e., novel object interaction (Nobj), might be answered more frequently with prosocial behaviours. We investigated the differences in the frequency of occurrence in prosocial behaviours after three different individual actions in two groups of grey wolves. We aim to outline the development of a social reward behavioural category as part of social feedback mechanisms. We used Markov chain models for probability analyses, and a non-parametric ANOVA to test for differences between the influences of individual behaviours on the probability of a prosocial behaviour chain. We additionally tested for the potential influences of age, sex and personality on the frequency of Nobj. Our results suggest that bold interactions are more often responded to with prosocial behaviour. Bold behaviour might be more often socially rewarded because of its benefits for group-living animals. More research is needed to investigate whether bold behaviour is more frequently responded to prosocially, and to investigate the social reward phenomenon.
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4
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Berthet M, Coye C, Dezecache G, Kuhn J. Animal linguistics: a primer. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:81-98. [PMID: 36189714 PMCID: PMC10091714 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of language has been investigated by several research communities, including biologists and linguists, striving to highlight similar linguistic capacities across species. To date, however, no consensus exists on the linguistic capacities of non-human species. Major controversies remain on the use of linguistic terminology, analysis methods and behavioural data collection. The field of 'animal linguistics' has emerged to overcome these difficulties and attempt to reach uniform methods and terminology. This primer is a tutorial review of 'animal linguistics'. It describes the linguistic concepts of semantics, pragmatics and syntax, and proposes minimal criteria to be fulfilled to claim that a given species displays a particular linguistic capacity. Second, it reviews relevant methods successfully applied to the study of communication in animals and proposes a list of useful references to detect and overcome major pitfalls commonly observed in the collection of animal behaviour data. This primer represents a step towards mutual understanding and fruitful collaborations between linguists and biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Berthet
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, 75005, Paris, France.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution, University of Zürich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zürich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Camille Coye
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, 75005, Paris, France.,Center for Ecology and Conservation, Bioscience Department, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | - Jeremy Kuhn
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, 75005, Paris, France
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5
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Barrault C, Soldati A, Hobaiter C, Mugisha S, De Moor D, Zuberbühler K, Dezecache G. Thermal imaging reveals social monitoring during social feeding in wild chimpanzees. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210302. [PMID: 35934961 PMCID: PMC9358323 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Understanding the affective lives of animals has been a long-standing challenge in science. Recent technological progress in infrared thermal imaging has enabled researchers to monitor animals' physiological states in real-time when exposed to ecologically relevant situations, such as feeding in the company of others. During social feeding, an individual's physiological states are likely to vary with the nature of the resource and perceptions of competition. Previous findings in chimpanzees have indicated that events perceived as competitive cause decreases in nasal temperatures, whereas the opposite was observed for cooperative interactions. Here, we tested how food resources and audience structure impacted on how social feeding events were perceived by wild chimpanzees. Overall, we found that nasal temperatures were lower when meat was consumed as compared to figs, consistent with the idea that social feeding on more contested resources is perceived as more dangerous and stressful. Nasal temperatures were significant affected by interactions between food type and audience composition, in particular the number of males, their dominance status, and their social bond status relative to the subject, while no effects for the presence of females were observed. Our findings suggest that male chimpanzees closely monitor and assess their social environment during competitive situations, and that infrared imaging provides an important complement to access psychological processes beyond observable social behaviours. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Cognition, communication and social bonds in primates’.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire Barrault
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Adrian Soldati
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | | | - Delphine De Moor
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland.,Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda.,School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Guillaume Dezecache
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda.,Université Clermont Auvergne, LAPSCO CNRS, Clermont-Ferrand, France
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6
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Benítez ME, Painter MC, Guisneuf N, Bergman TJ. Answering big questions with small data: the use of field experiments in primate cognition. Curr Opin Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cobeha.2022.101141] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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7
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8
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Assessing male gelada chest patches: color measurement and physiological mechanisms. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-021-00211-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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9
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Palagi E, Bergman TJ. Bridging Captive and Wild Studies: Behavioral Plasticity and Social Complexity in Theropithecus gelada. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:3003. [PMID: 34680022 PMCID: PMC8532610 DOI: 10.3390/ani11103003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 10/12/2021] [Accepted: 10/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Cognitive ethology explores the ability of animals to flexibly adapt their behavior to rapid physical and social environment fluctuations. Although there is a historical dichotomy between field and captive studies, recently, a growing interest in questions that sit at the intersection of cognitive and adaptive perspectives has helped bridge this divide. By focusing on Theropithecus gelada, we discuss the three main reasons why this hybrid approach is extremely successful. First, captive and wild studies provide data at different social, spatial, and temporal scales that can be synthesized to give a fuller picture of the behavior. Secondly, apparently conflicting results from captive and wild settings are powerful tools to explore behavioral flexibility and latent behavioral tendencies. Third, the different settings provide ways of validating and exploring behaviors that are noticed in the other setting. Although we were able to bring together our captive and wild research to demonstrate these ideas, we could have obtained a more integrated vision on the proximate and ultimate gelada behavioral and cognitive strategies if we had considered this hybrid approach from the beginning. We hope that this manuscript stimulates scholars in designing their studies by taking into account the incredible potential of a complementary captive-wild research approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elisabetta Palagi
- Unit of Ethology, Department of Biology, University of Pisa, Via Alessandro Volta 6, 56126 Pisa, Italy
- Natural History Museum, University of Pisa, Via Roma 79, Calci, 56011 Pisa, Italy
| | - Thore J. Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 4054 East Hall 530 Church Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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10
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Caro T, Brockelsby K, Ferrari A, Koneru M, Ono K, Touche E, Stankowich T. The evolution of primate coloration revisited. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Primates are noted for their varied and complex pelage and bare skin coloration but the significance of this diverse coloration remains opaque. Using new updated information, novel scoring of coat and skin coloration, and controlling for shared ancestry, we reexamined and extended findings from previous studies across the whole order and the five major clades within it. Across primates, we found (i) direct and indirect evidence for pelage coloration being driven by protective coloration strategies including background matching, countershading, disruptive coloration, and aposematism, (ii) diurnal primates being more colorful, and (iii) the possibility that pelage color diversity is negatively associated with female trichromatic vision; while (iv) reaffirming avoidance of hybridization driving head coloration in males, (v) darker species living in warm, humid conditions (Gloger’s rule), and (vi) advertising to multiple mating partners favoring red genitalia in females. Nonetheless, the importance of these drivers varies greatly across clades. In strepsirrhines and cercopithecoids, countershading is important; greater color diversity may be important for conspecific signaling in more diurnal and social strepsirrhines; lack of female color vision may be associated with colorful strepsirrhines and platyrrhines; whereas cercopithecoids obey Gloger’s rule. Haplorrhines show background matching, aposematism, character displacement, and red female genitalia where several mating partners are available. Our findings emphasize several evolutionary drivers of coloration in this extraordinarily colorful order. Throughout, we used coarse but rigorous measures of coloration, and our ability to replicate findings from earlier studies opens up opportunities for classifying coloration of large numbers of species at a macroevolutionary scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tim Caro
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Center for Population Biology, University of California, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Kasey Brockelsby
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Annie Ferrari
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Manisha Koneru
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Konatsu Ono
- Department of Animal Biology, University of California, Davis, 1 Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Edward Touche
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, 24 Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Theodore Stankowich
- Department of Biological Sciences, California State University, 1250 Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, CA 90840, USA
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11
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Matsuda I, Stark DJ, Saldivar DAR, Tuuga A, Nathan SKSS, Goossens B, van Schaik CP, Koda H. Large male proboscis monkeys have larger noses but smaller canines. Commun Biol 2020; 3:522. [PMID: 32958853 PMCID: PMC7506553 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01245-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2019] [Accepted: 08/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
The uniquely enlarged noses of male proboscis monkeys are prominent adornments, and a sexually selected male trait. A recent study showed significant correlations among nose, body, and testis sizes and clear associations between nose size and the number of females in a male's harem. However, to date, the analyses of other common male traits, i.e., canines, are lacking. Whereas male nose size had a positive correlation with body size, we unexpectedly found a negative correlation between body and canine sizes. We explain this by an interaction between sexual and natural selection. Larger noses in males may interfere with the use of canines, thereby reducing their effectiveness as weapons. Additionally, longer canines are opposed by natural selection because the larger gape it imposes upon its bearer reduces foraging efficiency, particularly in folivores. This unique case of decoupling of body and canine size reveals that large canines carry an ecological cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ikki Matsuda
- Chubu University Academy of Emerging Sciences, 1200, Matsumoto-cho, Kasugai-shi, Aichi, 487-8501, Japan. .,Wildlife Research Center of Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. .,Japan Monkey Centre, Inuyama, Japan. .,Institute for Tropical Biology & Conservation, Universiti Malaysia, Sabah, Malaysia.
| | - Danica J Stark
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia
| | - Diana A Ramirez Saldivar
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia.,Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia
| | | | | | - Benoit Goossens
- Danau Girang Field Centre, c/o Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia.,Sabah Wildlife Department, Sabah, Malaysia.,Sustainable Places Research Institute, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK.,Organisms and Environment Division, Cardiff School of Biosciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Carel P van Schaik
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Hiroki Koda
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, 484-8506, Japan.
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12
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The Role of Sexual Selection in the Evolution of Facial Displays in Male Non-human Primates and Men. ADAPTIVE HUMAN BEHAVIOR AND PHYSIOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s40750-020-00139-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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13
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Teichroeb JA, Stead SM, Edwards PD, Landry F, Palme R, Boonstra R. Anogenital distance as a measure of male competitive ability in Rwenzori Angolan colobus. Am J Primatol 2020; 82:e23111. [PMID: 32083334 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2019] [Revised: 01/15/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Anogenital distance (AGD) is positively correlated to fetal androgen exposure and developmental masculinization in mammals. Independent of overall body size, AGD shows a strong positive correlation with male fertility and in rodents, AGD is a good indicator of male competitive ability and is associated with female choice. We hypothesized that AGD will also predict male competitive ability in non-human primates. To test this, we measured AGD noninvasively with a parallel laser in a wild population of Angolan colobus monkeys (Colobus angolensis ruwenzorii) in Uganda and correlated to it to their social structure. C. angolensis ruwenzorii form a multilevel society with both one-male/multifemale units (OMUs) and multimale/multifemale units (MMUs). We compared AGD in males from five OMUs and six MMUs and related it to their fecal androgen metabolite concentrations, dominance rank and body size, and to the number of females in their unit. Males in OMUs had greater access to females, so were predicted to have longer AGDs, but this was not found. AGD also did not correlate overall with mean fecal androgen metabolites in MMUs. However, AGD was correlated with dominance rank in MMUs, demonstrating that higher-ranking males in these multimale units had longer AGDs. Body size did not show the same relationship with dominance rank, suggesting that male rank was not just a reflection of absolute male size. Our findings indicate that AGD predicts male competitive ability in this species and that it may be a useful correlate throughout the non-human primates. These results also support the idea that prenatal androgen exposure increases the likelihood of the expression of behaviors that maintain high dominance rank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie A Teichroeb
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Samantha M Stead
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Phoebe D Edwards
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Florence Landry
- Department of Anthropology, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Rudy Boonstra
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Toronto Scarborough, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
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14
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Social relationships and greetings in wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes): use of signal combinations. Primates 2019; 60:507-515. [PMID: 31552566 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-019-00758-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/02/2019] [Accepted: 09/12/2019] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Signals of submission, so-called 'greetings', represent an important tool for the regulation of social life in primates. In chimpanzees, vocalizations and gestures are commonly employed to communicate greetings, however, the topic of signal complexity (i.e., combinations of signals) during greeting instances has been neglected by research to date. Here, we investigate combinatorial possibilities in vocal greetings in a free-ranging group of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and study how greeter sex, rank relationship between an interacting pair, and strength of the social bond of a greeting dyad influence signal complexity. Results show that the social bond and the dominance distance between individuals engaged in a greeting bout are important determiners for vocal combinations. The findings indicate that greeting signals in chimpanzees, like other vocal signals of the species, can become subject to social influences.
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15
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DeCasien AR, Higham JP. Primate mosaic brain evolution reflects selection on sensory and cognitive specialization. Nat Ecol Evol 2019; 3:1483-1493. [PMID: 31548648 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-019-0969-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Accepted: 07/26/2019] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
The mammalian brain is composed of numerous functionally distinct structures that vary in size within and between clades, reflecting selection for sensory and cognitive specialization. Primates represent a particularly interesting case in which to examine mosaic brain evolution since they exhibit marked behavioural variation, spanning most social structures, diets and activity periods observed across mammals. Although studies have consistently demonstrated a trade-off between visual and olfactory specialization in primates, studies of some regions (for example, the neocortex) have produced conflicting results. Here, we analyse the socioecological factors influencing the relative size of 33 brain regions, using updated statistical techniques and data from more species and individuals than previous studies. Our results confirm that group-living species and those with high-quality diets have expanded olfactory or visual systems, depending on whether they are nocturnal or diurnal. Conversely, regions associated with spatial memory are expanded in solitary species and those with low-quality diets, suggesting a trade-off between visual processing and spatial memory. Contrary to previous work, we show that diet quality predicts relative neocortex size at least as well as, if not better than, social complexity. Overall, our results demonstrate that primate brain structure is largely driven by selection on sensory and cognitive specializations that develop in response to divergent socioecological niches.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alex R DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA. .,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA.
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA.,New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
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16
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Freeberg TM, Gentry KE, Sieving KE, Lucas JR. On understanding the nature and evolution of social cognition: a need for the study of communication. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.04.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
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17
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Freeman AR, Sheehan MJ, Ophir AG. Anogenital distance predicts sexual odour preference in African giant pouched rats. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.12.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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18
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Ramos-Fernandez G, King AJ, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ, Crofoot MC, Di Fiore A, Lehmann J, Schaffner CM, Snyder-Mackler N, Zuberbühler K, Aureli F, Boyer D. Quantifying uncertainty due to fission-fusion dynamics as a component of social complexity. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180532. [PMID: 29848648 PMCID: PMC5998110 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Groups of animals (including humans) may show flexible grouping patterns, in which temporary aggregations or subgroups come together and split, changing composition over short temporal scales, (i.e. fission and fusion). A high degree of fission-fusion dynamics may constrain the regulation of social relationships, introducing uncertainty in interactions between group members. Here we use Shannon's entropy to quantify the predictability of subgroup composition for three species known to differ in the way their subgroups come together and split over time: spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and geladas (Theropithecus gelada). We formulate a random expectation of entropy that considers subgroup size variation and sample size, against which the observed entropy in subgroup composition can be compared. Using the theory of set partitioning, we also develop a method to estimate the number of subgroups that the group is likely to be divided into, based on the composition and size of single focal subgroups. Our results indicate that Shannon's entropy and the estimated number of subgroups present at a given time provide quantitative metrics of uncertainty in the social environment (within which social relationships must be regulated) for groups with different degrees of fission-fusion dynamics. These metrics also represent an indirect quantification of the cognitive challenges posed by socially dynamic environments. Overall, our novel methodological approach provides new insight for understanding the evolution of social complexity and the mechanisms to cope with the uncertainty that results from fission-fusion dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez
- Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria en Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, CA, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, WA, USA
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Denis Boyer
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
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19
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Petersdorf M, Dubuc C, Georgiev AV, Winters S, Higham JP. Is male rhesus macaque facial coloration under intrasexual selection? Behav Ecol 2017; 28:1472-1481. [PMID: 29622929 PMCID: PMC5872909 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx110] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/12/2016] [Revised: 07/10/2017] [Accepted: 07/27/2017] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Exaggerated male traits can evolve under intra- or intersexual selection, but it remains less clear how often both mechanisms act together on trait evolution. While the males of many anthropoid primate species exhibit colorful signals that appear to be badges of status under intrasexual selection, the red facial coloration of male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) appears to have evolved primarily under intersexual selection and female mate choice. Nonetheless, experiments show that red color is salient to males, raising the question of whether the signal may also be under intrasexual selection. Here, we examine whether males express this signal more strongly in competitive contexts. Facial images were collected on all 15 adult males of a free-ranging social group during the peak of the mating season, and coloration was quantified using visual models. Results show that males more similar in facial redness were more likely to interact aggressively than more dissimilar ones, suggesting that color may be involved in the assessment of rivals. Furthermore, males exhibited darker coloration on days they were observed copulating, and dominance rank predicted facial redness only on copulating days, suggesting that coloration may also advertise motivation to defend a mate. Male rhesus macaque facial coloration may thus mediate agonistic interactions with rivals during competition over reproductive opportunities, such that it is under both inter- and intrasexual selection. However, color differences were small, raising perceptibility questions. It remains possible that color variation reflects differences in male condition, which in turn alter investment towards male-male competition and mating effort.
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Affiliation(s)
- Megan Petersdorf
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
| | - Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
| | - Alexander V Georgiev
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 E 57th St,
Chicago, IL 60637, USA
- School of Biological Sciences, Bangor University, Deiniol Road, Bangor,
Gwynedd LL57 2UW, UK
| | - Sandra Winters
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Pl, New York,
NY 10003, USA
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20
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Rubow J, Cherry MI, Sharpe LL. A comparison of individual distinctiveness in three vocalizations of the dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula
). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Janneke Rubow
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Michael I. Cherry
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch South Africa
| | - Lynda L. Sharpe
- Department of Botany and Zoology; Stellenbosch University; Stellenbosch South Africa
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21
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de Souza AR, Teixeira GVM, do Nascimento FS. Individually distinctive facial patterning without a signal value: a case of ‘missing’ social knowledge in the paper wasp Polistes versicolor? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2388-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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22
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Benítez ME, Pappano DJ, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ. Evidence for mutual assessment in a wild primate. Sci Rep 2017; 7:2952. [PMID: 28592809 PMCID: PMC5462830 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-02903-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2016] [Accepted: 04/20/2017] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
In aggressive interactions, game theory predicts that animals should assess an opponent's condition relative to their own prior to escalation or retreat. Despite the benefits of such mutual assessment, few studies have been able to reject simpler assessment strategies. Here we report evidence for mutual assessment in a wild primate. Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) males have conspicuous loud calls that may function as a signal of male quality. "Leader" males with harems putatively use loud calls to deter challenges from non-reproductive "bachelor" males. By contrast, leader males pose no threat to each other and congregate in large groups for a dilution effect against bachelors. In playback experiments and natural observations, gelada males responded to loud calls according to both their own and their opponent's attributes. Although primates routinely classify others relative to themselves using individual attributes, this represents some of the first direct evidence for mutual assessment in primate signaling contests.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcela E Benítez
- Department of Psychology, Language Research Center, Georgia State University, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
| | - David J Pappano
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey, USA
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA.,Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan, USA
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23
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Sheehan MJ, Choo J, Tibbetts EA. Heritable variation in colour patterns mediating individual recognition. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2017; 4:161008. [PMID: 28386452 PMCID: PMC5367277 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.161008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2016] [Accepted: 01/27/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the developmental and evolutionary processes that generate and maintain variation in natural populations remains a major challenge for modern biology. Populations of Polistes fuscatus paper wasps have highly variable colour patterns that mediate individual recognition. Previous experimental and comparative studies have provided evidence that colour pattern diversity is the result of selection for individuals to advertise their identity. Distinctive identity-signalling phenotypes facilitate recognition, which reduces aggression between familiar individuals in P. fuscatus wasps. Selection for identity signals may increase phenotypic diversity via two distinct modes of selection that have different effects on genetic diversity. Directional selection for increased plasticity would greatly increase phenotypic diversity but decrease genetic diversity at associated loci. Alternatively, heritable identity signals under balancing selection would maintain genetic diversity at associated loci. Here, we assess whether there is heritable variation underlying colour pattern diversity used for facial recognition in a wild population of P. fuscatus wasps. We find that colour patterns are heritable and not Mendelian, suggesting that multiple loci are involved. Additionally, patterns of genetic correlations among traits indicated that many of the loci underlying colour pattern variation are unlinked and independently segregating. Our results support a model where the benefits of being recognizable maintain genetic variation at multiple unlinked loci that code for phenotypic diversity used for recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J. Sheehan
- Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Cornell University, Ithaca 14853, NY, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48190, MI, USA
| | - Juanita Choo
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48190, MI, USA
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology, Okinawa 904-0495, Japan
| | - Elizabeth A. Tibbetts
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor 48190, MI, USA
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24
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Benítez ME, le Roux A, Fischer J, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ. Acoustic and Temporal Variation in Gelada (Theropithecus gelada) Loud Calls Advertise Male Quality. INT J PRIMATOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9922-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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25
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Favaro L, Gili C, Da Rugna C, Gnone G, Fissore C, Sanchez D, McElligott AG, Gamba M, Pessani D. Vocal individuality and species divergence in the contact calls of banded penguins. Behav Processes 2016; 128:83-8. [PMID: 27102762 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.04.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/27/2015] [Revised: 04/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/15/2016] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Penguins produce contact calls to maintain social relationships and group cohesion. Such vocalisations have recently been demonstrated to encode individual identity information in the African penguin. Using a source-filter theory approach, we investigated whether acoustic cues of individuality can also be found in other Spheniscus penguins and the acoustic features of contact calls have diverged within this genus. We recorded vocalisations from two ex-situ colonies of Humboldt penguin and Magellanic penguin (sympatric and potentially interbreeding in the wild) and one ex-situ group of African penguins (allopatric although capable of interbreeding with the other two species in captivity). We measured 14 acoustic parameters from each vocalisation. These included temporal (duration), source-related (fundamental frequency, f0), and filter-related (formants) parameters. They were then used to carry out a series of stepwise discriminant function analyses (with cross-validation) and General Linear Model comparisons. We showed that contact calls allow individual discrimination in two additional species of the genus Spheniscus. We also found that calls can be classified according to species in a manner far greater than that attributable by chance, even though there is limited genetic distance among African, Humboldt, and Magellanic penguins. Our results provide further evidence that the source-filter theory is a valuable framework for investigating the biologically meaningful information contained in bird vocalisations. Our findings also provide novel insights into penguin vocal communication and suggest that contact calls of the penguin family are affected by selection for individuality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livio Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy.
| | - Claudia Gili
- Acquario di Genova, Costa Edutainment SpA, Genoa, Italy
| | | | - Guido Gnone
- Acquario di Genova, Costa Edutainment SpA, Genoa, Italy
| | - Chiara Fissore
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | | | - Alan G McElligott
- Queen Mary University of London, Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, London, UK
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
| | - Daniela Pessani
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Turin, Italy
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26
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Allen WL, Higham JP. Assessing the potential information content of multicomponent visual signals: a machine learning approach. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2014.2284. [PMID: 25652832 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.2284] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Careful investigation of the form of animal signals can offer novel insights into their function. Here, we deconstruct the face patterns of a tribe of primates, the guenons (Cercopithecini), and examine the information that is potentially available in the perceptual dimensions of their multicomponent displays. Using standardized colour-calibrated images of guenon faces, we measure variation in appearance both within and between species. Overall face pattern was quantified using the computer vision 'eigenface' technique, and eyebrow and nose-spot focal traits were described using computational image segmentation and shape analysis. Discriminant function analyses established whether these perceptual dimensions could be used to reliably classify species identity, individual identity, age and sex, and, if so, identify the dimensions that carry this information. Across the 12 species studied, we found that both overall face pattern and focal trait differences could be used to categorize species and individuals reliably, whereas correct classification of age category and sex was not possible. This pattern makes sense, as guenons often form mixed-species groups in which familiar conspecifics develop complex differentiated social relationships but where the presence of heterospecifics creates hybridization risk. Our approach should be broadly applicable to the investigation of visual signal function across the animal kingdom.
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Affiliation(s)
- William L Allen
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Cottingham Road, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
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27
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Gero S, Whitehead H, Rendell L. Individual, unit and vocal clan level identity cues in sperm whale codas. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:150372. [PMID: 26909165 PMCID: PMC4736920 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150372] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2015] [Accepted: 12/03/2015] [Indexed: 05/09/2023]
Abstract
The 'social complexity hypothesis' suggests that complex social structure is a driver of diversity in animal communication systems. Sperm whales have a hierarchically structured society in which the largest affiliative structures, the vocal clans, are marked on ocean-basin scales by culturally transmitted dialects of acoustic signals known as 'codas'. We examined variation in coda repertoires among both individual whales and social units-the basic element of sperm whale society-using data from nine Caribbean social units across six years. Codas were assigned to individuals using photo-identification and acoustic size measurement, and we calculated similarity between repertoires using both continuous and categorical methods. We identified 21 coda types. Two of those ('1+1+3' and '5R1') made up 65% of the codas recorded, were shared across all units and have dominated repertoires in this population for at least 30 years. Individuals appear to differ in the way they produce '5R1' but not '1+1+3' coda. Units use distinct 4-click coda types which contribute to making unit repertoires distinctive. Our results support the social complexity hypothesis in a marine species as different patterns of variation between coda types suggest divergent functions, perhaps representing selection for identity signals at several levels of social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shane Gero
- Zoophysiology, Department of Bioscience, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Jutland, Denmark
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada B3H 4J1
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, and Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
- Author for correspondence: Shane Gero e-mail:
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada B3H 4J1
| | - Luke Rendell
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, and Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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28
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Sheehan MJ, Bergman TJ. A quality signaling–recognition trade-off at the level of the type of interaction not species: a response to comments on Sheehan and Bergman. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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29
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Grueter CC, Zhu P, Allen WL, Higham JP, Ren B, Li M. Sexually selected lip colour indicates male group-holding status in the mating season in a multi-level primate society. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2015; 2:150490. [PMID: 27019735 PMCID: PMC4807456 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.150490] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 06/05/2023]
Abstract
Sexual selection typically produces ornaments in response to mate choice, and armaments in response to male-male competition. Unusually among mammals, many primates exhibit colour signals that may be related to one or both processes. Here, we document for the first time correlates of facial coloration in one of the more brightly coloured primates, the black-and-white snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus bieti). Snub-nosed monkeys have a one-male unit (OMU) based social organization, but these units aggregate semi-permanently into larger bands. This form of mating system causes many males to become associated with bachelor groups. We quantified redness of the prominent lower lip in 15 males (eight bachelors, seven OMU holders) in a group at Xiangguqing, China. Using mixed models, our results show that lip redness increases with age. More interestingly, there is a significant effect of the interaction of group-holding status and mating season on redness; that is, lip colour of OMU males undergoes reddening in the mating season, whereas the lips of subadult and juvenile bachelor males become paler at that time of year. These results indicate that lip coloration is a badge of (group-holding) status during the mating season, with non-adults undergoing facial differentiation, perhaps to avoid the costs of reproductive competition. Future research should investigate whether lip coloration is a product of male-male competition, and/or female mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cyril C. Grueter
- School of Anatomy, Physiology and Human Biology, The University of Western Australia, Crawley/Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Pingfen Zhu
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - William L. Allen
- School of Biological, Biomedical and Environmental Sciences, University of Hull, Hull HU6 7RX, UK
| | - James P. Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Baoping Ren
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
| | - Ming Li
- Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100101, People's Republic of China
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30
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Favaro L, Gamba M, Alfieri C, Pessani D, McElligott AG. Vocal individuality cues in the African penguin (Spheniscus demersus): a source-filter theory approach. Sci Rep 2015; 5:17255. [PMID: 26602001 PMCID: PMC4658557 DOI: 10.1038/srep17255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2015] [Accepted: 10/26/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
The African penguin is a nesting seabird endemic to southern Africa. In penguins of the genus Spheniscus vocalisations are important for social recognition. However, it is not clear which acoustic features of calls can encode individual identity information. We recorded contact calls and ecstatic display songs of 12 adult birds from a captive colony. For each vocalisation, we measured 31 spectral and temporal acoustic parameters related to both source and filter components of calls. For each parameter, we calculated the Potential of Individual Coding (PIC). The acoustic parameters showing PIC ≥ 1.1 were used to perform a stepwise cross-validated discriminant function analysis (DFA). The DFA correctly classified 66.1% of the contact calls and 62.5% of display songs to the correct individual. The DFA also resulted in the further selection of 10 acoustic features for contact calls and 9 for display songs that were important for vocal individuality. Our results suggest that studying the anatomical constraints that influence nesting penguin vocalisations from a source-filter perspective, can lead to a much better understanding of the acoustic cues of individuality contained in their calls. This approach could be further extended to study and understand vocal communication in other bird species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livio Favaro
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Marco Gamba
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Chiara Alfieri
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Daniela Pessani
- Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina 13, 10123 Turin, Italy
| | - Alan G. McElligott
- Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, Mile End Road, London E1 4NS, UK
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31
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Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) recognize group membership via olfactory cues alone. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2013-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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32
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33
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34
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Dubuc C, Allen WL, Cascio J, Lee DS, Maestripieri D, Petersdorf M, Winters S, Higham JP. Who cares? Experimental attention biases provide new insights into a mammalian sexual signal. Behav Ecol 2015; 27:68-74. [PMID: 29622915 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2015] [Revised: 06/16/2015] [Accepted: 06/19/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The effects of intrasexual and intersexual selection on male trait evolution can be difficult to disentangle, especially based on observational data. Male-male competition can limit an observer's ability to identify the effect of female mate choice independently from sexual coercion. Here, we use an experimental approach to explore whether an ornament, the red facial skin exhibited by male rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), might be involved in both female mate choice and male-male competition. We used a noninvasive experimental approach based on the looking time paradigm in a free-ranging setting, showing images of differently colored male faces to both adult females (N = 91) and males (N = 77), as well as to juveniles (N = 94) as a control. Results show that both adult females and males looked longer at dark red faces compared with pale pink ones. However, when considering the proportion of subjects that looked longer at dark red faces regardless of preference strength, only females showed a significant dark red bias. In contrast, juveniles did not show any preferences between stimuli, suggesting that the adult bias is not a consequence of the experimental design or related to a general sensory bias for red coloration among all age-sex classes. Collectively, these results support the role the ornament plays in female mate choice in this species and provide the first evidence that this ornament may play a role in male-male competition as well, despite a general lack of observational evidence for the latter effect to date.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Dubuc
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - William L Allen
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Julie Cascio
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - D Susie Lee
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, The University of Chicago, 940 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA, and.,Department of Comparative Human Development, The University of Chicago, 1126 East 59th Street, Chicago, IL 60637, USA
| | - Megan Petersdorf
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - Sandra Winters
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
| | - James P Higham
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, 25 Waverly Place, New York, NY 10003, USA
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35
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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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36
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Sheehan MJ, Nachman MW. Morphological and population genomic evidence that human faces have evolved to signal individual identity. Nat Commun 2014; 5:4800. [PMID: 25226282 PMCID: PMC4257785 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms5800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/17/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Facial recognition plays a key role in human interactions, and there has been great interest in understanding the evolution of human abilities for individual recognition and tracking social relationships. Individual recognition requires sufficient cognitive abilities and phenotypic diversity within a population for discrimination to be possible. Despite the importance of facial recognition in humans, the evolution of facial identity has received little attention. Here we demonstrate that faces evolved to signal individual identity under negative frequency-dependent selection. Faces show elevated phenotypic variation and lower between-trait correlations compared with other traits. Regions surrounding face-associated single nucleotide polymorphisms show elevated diversity consistent with frequency-dependent selection. Genetic variation maintained by identity signalling tends to be shared across populations and, for some loci, predates the origin of Homo sapiens. Studies of human social evolution tend to emphasize cognitive adaptations, but we show that social evolution has shaped patterns of human phenotypic and genetic diversity as well.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael J Sheehan
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Integrative Biology, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Michael W Nachman
- Museum of Comparative Zoology and Integrative Biology, University of California, 3101 Valley Life Science Building, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
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38
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Dubuc C, Allen WL, Maestripieri D, Higham JP. Is male rhesus macaque red color ornamentation attractive to females? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014; 68:1215-1224. [PMID: 25246728 PMCID: PMC4167843 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1732-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Male sexually-selected traits can evolve through different mechanisms: conspicuous and colorful ornaments usually evolve through inter-sexual selection, while weapons usually evolve through intra-sexual selection. Male ornaments are rare among mammals in comparison to birds, leading to the notion that female mate choice generally plays little role in trait evolution in this taxon. Supporting this view, when ornaments are present in mammals they typically indicate social status and are products of male-male competition. This general mammalian pattern, however, may not apply to rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta). Males of this species display conspicuous skin coloration, but this expression is not correlated to dominance rank, and is therefore unlikely to have evolved due to male-male competition. Here, we investigate whether male color expression influences female proceptivity towards males in the Cayo Santiago free-ranging rhesus macaque population. We collected face images of 24 adult males varying in dominance rank and age at the peak of the mating season, and modeled these to rhesus macaque visual perception. We also recorded female socio-sexual behaviors towards these males. Results show that dark red males received more sexual solicitations, by more females, than pale pink ones. Together with previous results, our study suggests that male color ornaments are more likely to be a product of inter- rather than intra-sexual selection. This may especially be the case in rhesus macaques due to the particular characteristics of male-male competition in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Constance Dubuc
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago
| | - William L. Allen
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University
| | - Dario Maestripieri
- Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago
- Department of Comparative Human Development, University of Chicago
| | - James P. Higham
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology, New York University
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Pitcher BJ, Briefer EF, Vannoni E, McElligott AG. Fallow bucks attend to vocal cues of motivation and fatigue. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art131] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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SEMPLE STUART, HIGHAM JAMESP. Primate Signals: Current Issues and Perspectives. Am J Primatol 2013; 75:613-20. [DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/21/2012] [Accepted: 01/07/2013] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- STUART SEMPLE
- Centre for Research in Evolutionary and Environmental Anthropology; University of Roehampton; Holybourne Avenue, London; United Kingdom
| | - JAMES P. HIGHAM
- Center for the Study of Human Origins, Department of Anthropology; New York University; New York, New York
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