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García-Vernet R, Rita D, Bérubé M, Elgueta-Serra J, Pascual Guasch M, Víkingsson G, Ruiz-Sagalés M, Borrell A, Aguilar A. Order within chaos: potential migratory strategies and individual associations in fin whales feeding off Iceland. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:36. [PMID: 38725038 PMCID: PMC11080271 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00474-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Accepted: 04/10/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The life cycle of most baleen whales involves annual migrations from low-latitude breeding grounds to high latitude feeding grounds. In most species, these migrations are traditionally considered to be carried out according to information acquired through vertical social learning during the first months of life and made individually. However, some recent studies have suggested a more complex scenario, particularly for the species of the Balaenoptera genus. METHODS Here, we studied the variation of δ15N and δ13C values along the growth axis of the baleen plate from 24 fin whales feeding off western Iceland to delve into their pattern of movements and to identify potential associations between individuals. The segment of baleen plate analyzed informed about at least two complete migratory cycles. We performed cluster analyses through two different methodologies and, whenever possible, we genotyped 20 microsatellite loci to determine potential existence of kinship. RESULTS Results of the of δ15N and δ13C values agree with a dispersion strategy in the winter breeding grounds. However, and despite the overall large variability, several pairs or groups of individuals with no kinship showed highly similar isotopic patterns for two consecutive years for both δ15N and δ13C values. CONCLUSIONS Our results suggest that, notably, some whales without kinship share the same migratory regime and destinations. We hypothesize that this could reflect either: (i) the sharing of particularly beneficial migratory regimes, and/or (ii) long-term association between individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raquel García-Vernet
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Diego Rita
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Martine Bérubé
- Marine Evolution and Conservation, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Nijenborgh 7, Groningen, 9747 AG, The Netherlands
- Center for Coastal Studies, 5 Holway Avenue, Provincetown, MA, 02657, USA
| | - Julia Elgueta-Serra
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Marina Pascual Guasch
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Gísli Víkingsson
- Marine and Freshwater Research Institute, PO Box 1390, Fornubúðum 5, 220, Hafnarfjörður, Iceland
| | - Marc Ruiz-Sagalés
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Asunción Borrell
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain
| | - Alex Aguilar
- Department of Evolutionary Biology, Ecology and Environmental Sciences, and IRBio, Faculty of Biology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona, 08028, Spain.
- Reial Acadèmia de Ciències i Arts de Barcelona (RACAB), La Rambla 115, Barcelona, 08001, Spain.
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Jowett SL, Barker ZE, Amory JR. Preferential associations in an unstable social network: applying social network analysis to a dynamic sow herd. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1166632. [PMID: 37323835 PMCID: PMC10267343 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1166632] [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: 02/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/11/2023] [Indexed: 06/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Preferential associations are fitness-enhancing ties between individuals, documented in a range of taxa. Despite this, research into preferential associations remains underrepresented in commercial species, particularly pigs. This study investigates the development of preferential associations in a dynamic sow herd. Preferential associations were defined as approaching a resting sow and then sitting or lying with physical contact with the selected sow, separated by < 1 m from the head or directly next to her, with interaction tolerated for > 60 s. For individual identification, each sow was marked with colored dots, stripes, or both, corresponding to their ear-tag number. Preferential associations were measured over one production cycle of 21 days. Behavioral observations took place on 7 days of the study, with 3 h of behavior per day recorded during peak activity times (08:00-09:00, 15:00-16:00, 20:00-21:00 h). Behaviors were recorded using five cameras, each positioned within the barn to provide coverage of the functional areas. The network metrics applied included in-degree centrality (received ties), out-degree centrality (initiated ties), centralization (the extent to which an individual is central within the network), clustering coefficient (a measure of tie strength), and the E-I Index (a measure of assortment by trait: parity, familiarity, and sociality). Individuals were added and removed during the study, so the centrality metrics of missing sows were weighted. To describe the structure of the network, brokerage typologies were applied. Brokerage typologies include five positions, including coordinators, gatekeepers, representatives, consultants, and liaisons. The results revealed social discrimination in assortment by connectedness even when ties were not reciprocal, and the most connected sows were significantly more likely to be approached than less connected individuals. The most connected sows had significantly higher in-degree and out-degree centrality. With the application of brokerage typologies, the results showed a relationship between connectedness and brokering type, with the most connected sows predominantly engaging in coordinating behavior. The results suggest that the motivation for discrimination in the unstable preferential association network was not founded upon bidirectional interactions. These findings highlight the complexities involved when forming social preferences and present a platform for further exploring the motivations for preferential associations among intensively farmed pigs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah L. Jowett
- Department of Animal Science, Writtle University College, Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
- Department of Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology of the Polish Academy of Sciences, Magdalenka, Poland
| | | | - Jonathan R. Amory
- Department of Animal Science, Writtle University College, Chelmsford, Essex, United Kingdom
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Starkweather KE, Reynolds AZ, Zohora F, Alam N. Shodagor women cooperate across domains of work and childcare to solve an adaptive problem. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210433. [PMID: 36440563 PMCID: PMC9703234 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0433] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 05/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Across human societies, women's economic production and their contributions to childcare are critical in supporting reproductive fitness for themselves, their spouses and children. Yet, the necessity of performing both work and childcare tasks presents women with an adaptive problem in which they must determine how best to allocate their time and energy between these tasks. Women often use cooperative relationships with alloparents to solve this problem, but whether or not women cooperate across different domains (e.g. work and childcare) to access alloparents remains relatively under-explored. Using social network data collected with Shodagor households in Bangladesh, we show that women who need childcare help in order to work draw on cooperative work partners as potential alloparents, and that all women rely heavily on kin, but not reciprocal cooperation for childcare help. These results indicate that Shodagor women strategize to create work and childcare relationships in ways that help solve the adaptive problem they face. We discuss the implications of our results and the example provided by Shodagor women for a broader understanding of women's cooperative relationships, including the importance of socio-ecological circumstances and gendered divisions of labour in shaping women's cooperative strategies. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- K. E. Starkweather
- Department of Anthropology, University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago, IL 60607, USA
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology, and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - A. Z. Reynolds
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 8731, USA
| | - F. Zohora
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, ICDDR,B, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
| | - N. Alam
- Health Systems and Population Studies Division, ICDDR,B, Dhaka 1212, Bangladesh
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4
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Delarue JJY, Moors-Murphy H, Kowarski KA, Davis GE, Urazghildiiev IR, Martin SB. Acoustic occurrence of baleen whales, particularly blue, fin, and humpback whales, off eastern Canada, 2015–2017. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2022. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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5
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Dalle Luche G, Boggs ASP, Kucklick JR, Hawker DW, Wisse JH, Bengtson Nash S. Steroid hormone profiles and body conditions of migrating male humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). Gen Comp Endocrinol 2021; 313:113888. [PMID: 34425085 DOI: 10.1016/j.ygcen.2021.113888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 08/08/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
Abstract
Simultaneous analysis of multiple steroid hormones from remotely obtained blubber biopsies has the potential to concurrently provide information regarding stress and reproductive status from free-swimming cetaceans, while also investigating correlations between hormone concentrations and other health biomarkers. In this study we measured blubber concentration profiles of eight reproductive and adrenal steroid hormones (17α-hydroxy-progesterone, testosterone, androstenedione, progesterone, cortisol, 11-deoxy-corticosterone, oestrone, and oestradiol) together with body condition, as determined by the inverse Adipocyte Index, of 101 male humpback whales. Whales were sampled randomly at two time points, while migrating to and from their northeast Australian breeding grounds, allowing for intra- and inter-seasonal profile analysis. Testosterone, progesterone and cortisol together with androstenedione 17α-hydroxyprogesterone, and oestrone concentrations (the latter quantified for the first time in live biopsied male humpback whales) decreased between the northward and southward migrations. Decreasing testosterone levels during the height of humpback whale conceptions suggests asynchronicity between blubber testosterone levels and the expected peak of male fertility. Statistically significant relationships between levels of certain steroid analytes were observed and appeared to change between the early and late breeding seasons. During the northward migration, testosterone, progesterone, androstenedione, oestrone and 17α-hydroxyprogesterone levels were positively correlated. Cortisol concentrations correlated positively with those of testosterone during the northward migration, but negatively during the southward migration. Androstenedione and testosterone were positively correlated with adiposity during the late breeding season. These hormone-hormone and hormone-adiposity correlations may be reflective of the activation of certain steroid hormone synthesis pathways, or alternatively, of concomitant physiological stimuli. As steroid hormones work in concert, information on multiple steroid hormones is needed to interpret endocrinological status and understand the relationships between these compounds and ancillary health markers. This study provides steroid hormone profiles of wild male humpback whales, as well as the first insight into seasonal male endocrinology as a function of adiposity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Greta Dalle Luche
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia.
| | - Ashley S P Boggs
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - John R Kucklick
- National Institute of Standards and Technology, Hollings Marine Laboratory, Charleston, SC 29412, USA
| | - Darryl W Hawker
- School of Environment and Science, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
| | - Jillian H Wisse
- Nicholas School of the Environment, Duke University, Durham, NC 27710, USA
| | - Susan Bengtson Nash
- Environmental Futures Research Institute, Griffith University, Brisbane, QLD 4111, Australia
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6
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Keen EM, Pilkington J, O’Mahony É, Thompson KL, Hendricks B, Robinson N, Dundas A, Nichol L, Alidina HM, Meuter H, Picard CR, Wray J. Fin whales of the Great Bear Rainforest: Balaenoptera physalus velifera in a Canadian Pacific fjord system. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256815. [PMID: 34478477 PMCID: PMC8415578 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256815] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2021] [Accepted: 08/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Fin whales (Balaenoptera physalus) are widely considered an offshore and oceanic species, but certain populations also use coastal areas and semi-enclosed seas. Based upon fifteen years of study, we report that Canadian Pacific fin whales (B. p. velifera) have returned to the Kitimat Fjord System (KFS) in the Great Bear Rainforest, and have established a seasonally resident population in its intracoastal waters. This is the only fjord system along this coast or elsewhere in which fin whales are known to occur regularly with strong site fidelity. The KFS was also the only Canadian Pacific fjord system in which fin whales were commonly found and killed during commercial whaling, pointing to its long-term importance. Traditional knowledge, whaling records, and citizen science databases suggest that fin whales were extirpated from this area prior to their return in 2005-2006. Visual surveys and mark-recapture analysis documented their repopulation of the area, with 100-120 whales using the fjord system in recent years, as well as the establishment of a seasonally resident population with annual return rates higher than 70%. Line transect surveys identified the central and outer channels of the KFS as the primary fin whale habitat, with the greatest densities occurring in Squally Channel and Caamaño Sound. Fin whales were observed in the KFS in most months of the year. Vessel- and shore-based surveys (27,311 km and 6,572 hours of effort, respectively) indicated regular fin whale presence (2,542 detections), including mother-calf pairs, from June to October and peak abundance in late August-early September. Seasonal patterns were variable year-to-year, and several lines of evidence indicated that fin whales arrived and departed from the KFS repeatedly throughout the summer and fall. Additionally, we report on the population's social network and morphometrics. These findings offer insights into the dynamics of population recovery in an area where several marine shipping projects are proposed. The fin whales of the Great Bear Rainforest represent a rare exception to general patterns in this species' natural history, and we highlight the importance of their conservation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric M. Keen
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Environmental Studies, Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, TN, United States of America
- Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - James Pilkington
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Éadin O’Mahony
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Kim-Ly Thompson
- Environmental Studies, University of Victoria, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Benjamin Hendricks
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- SoundSpace Analytics, Cumberland, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Nicole Robinson
- Gitga’at Oceans and Lands Department, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Archie Dundas
- Gitga’at Oceans and Lands Department, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Linda Nichol
- Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, British Columbia, Canada
| | | | - Hermann Meuter
- Pacific Whale Society, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Chris R. Picard
- Gitga’at Oceans and Lands Department, Hartley Bay, British Columbia, Canada
| | - Janie Wray
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Pacific Orca Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
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7
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Miller LJ, Lauderdale LK, Mellen JD, Walsh MT, Granger DA. Assessment of animal management and habitat characteristics associated with social behavior in bottlenose dolphins across zoological facilities. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0253732. [PMID: 34460835 PMCID: PMC8405028 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0253732] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2020] [Accepted: 06/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Bottlenose dolphins are a behaviorally complex, social species that display a variety of social behaviors. Because of this, it is important for zoological facilities to strive to ensure animals display species-appropriate levels of social behavior. The current study is part of the multi-institutional study entitled "Towards understanding the welfare of cetaceans in zoos and aquariums" commonly referred to as the Cetacean Welfare Study. All participating facilities were accredited by the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums and/or the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. Behavioral data were collected on 47 bottlenose dolphins representing two subspecies, Tursiops truncatus and Tursiops aduncus, at 25 facilities. The social behaviors of group related activity (group active) as well as interacting with conspecifics (interact with conspecific) were examined for their relationships to both animal management factors and habitat characteristics. The behavioral state of group active and the rate of interact with conspecific were both positively related to the frequency of receiving new forms of environmental enrichment. Both were inversely related to the random scheduling of environmental enrichment. Additional results suggested interact with conspecific was inversely related with daytime spatial experience and that males displayed group active more than females. Overall, the results suggested that animal management techniques such as the type and timing of enrichment may be more important to enhance social behavior than habitat characteristics or the size of the habitat. Information gained from this study can help facilities with bottlenose dolphins manage their enrichment programs in relation to social behaviors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lance J. Miller
- Conservation Science and Animal Welfare Research, Chicago Zoological Society–Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
| | - Lisa K. Lauderdale
- Conservation Science and Animal Welfare Research, Chicago Zoological Society–Brookfield Zoo, Brookfield, IL, United States of America
| | - Jill D. Mellen
- Biology Department, Portland State University, Portland, OR, United States of America
| | - Michael T. Walsh
- Department of Comparative, Diagnostic & Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, United States of America
| | - Douglas A. Granger
- Institute for interdisciplinary Salivary Bioscience Research, University of California, Irvine, CA, United States of America
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8
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Wray J, Keen E, O’Mahony ÉN. Social survival: Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) use social structure to partition ecological niches within proposed critical habitat. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0245409. [PMID: 34161375 PMCID: PMC8221492 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0245409] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/24/2020] [Accepted: 05/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal culture and social bonds are relevant to wildlife conservation because they influence patterns of geography, behavior, and strategies of survival. Numerous examples of socially-driven habitat partitioning and ecological-niche specialization can be found among vertebrates, including toothed whales. But such social-ecological dynamics, described here as ‘social niche partitioning’, are not known among baleen whales, whose societies—particularly on foraging grounds—are largely perceived as unstructured and incidental to matters of habitat use and conservation. However, through 16 years of behavioral observations and photo-identifications of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) feeding within a fjord system in the Canadian Pacific (primarily within Gitga’at First Nation waters), we have documented long-term pair bonds (up to 12 years) as well as a complex societal structure, which corresponds closely to persistent patterns in feeding strategy, long-term site fidelity (extended occupancy and annual rate of return up to 75%), specific geographic preferences within the fjord system, and other forms of habitat use. Randomization tests of network congruency and clustering algorithms were used to test for overlap in patterns of social structure and habitat use, which confirmed the occurrence of social niche partitioning on the feeding grounds of this baleen whale species. In addition, we document the extensive practice of group bubble net feeding in Pacific Canada. This coordinated feeding behavior was found to strongly mediate the social structure and habitat use within this humpback whale society. Additionally, during our 2004–2019 study, we observed a shift in social network structure in 2010–2012, which corresponded with environmental and demographic shifts including a sudden decline in the population’s calving rate. Our findings indicate that the social lives of humpback whales, and perhaps baleen whales generally, are more complex than previously supposed and should be a primary consideration in the assessment of potential impacts to important habitat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janie Wray
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Pacific Orca Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- * E-mail:
| | - Eric Keen
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Marine Ecology & Telemetry Research, Seabeck, Washington, United States of America
- Sewanee: The University of the South, Sewanee, Tennessee, United States of America
| | - Éadin N. O’Mahony
- North Coast Cetacean Society, Alert Bay, British Columbia, Canada
- Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, East Sands, St Andrews, United Kingdom
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9
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Community through Culture: From Insects to Whales. Bioessays 2019; 41:e1900060. [DOI: 10.1002/bies.201900060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2019] [Revised: 08/07/2019] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
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10
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Rendell L, Cantor M, Gero S, Whitehead H, Mann J. Causes and consequences of female centrality in cetacean societies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180066. [PMID: 31303160 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans are fully aquatic predatory mammals that have successfully colonized virtually all marine habitats. Their adaptation to these habitats, so radically different from those of their terrestrial ancestors, can give us comparative insights into the evolution of female roles and kinship in mammalian societies. We provide a review of the diversity of such roles across the Cetacea, which are unified by some key and apparently invariable life-history features. Mothers are uniparous, while paternal care is completely absent as far as we currently know. Maternal input is extensive, lasting months to many years. Hence, female reproductive rates are low, every cetacean calf is a significant investment, and offspring care is central to female fitness. Here strategies diverge, especially between toothed and baleen whales, in terms of mother-calf association and related social structures, which range from ephemeral grouping patterns to stable, multi-level, societies in which social groups are strongly organized around female kinship. Some species exhibit social and/or spatial philopatry in both sexes, a rare phenomenon in vertebrates. Communal care can be vital, especially among deep-diving species, and can be supported by female kinship. Female-based sociality, in its diverse forms, is therefore a prevailing feature of cetacean societies. Beyond the key role in offspring survival, it provides the substrate for significant vertical and horizontal cultural transmission, as well as the only definitive non-human examples of menopause. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Rendell
- 1 Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews , St Andrews KY16 9TH , UK
| | - Mauricio Cantor
- 2 Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina , Florianópolis 88040-970 , Brazil.,3 Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná , Pontal do Paraná 83255-000 , Brazil.,4 School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg-Braamfontein , South Africa
| | - Shane Gero
- 5 Department of Zoophysiology, Institute for Bioscience, Aarhus University , Aarhus 8000 , Denmark
| | - Hal Whitehead
- 6 Department of Biology, Dalhousie University , Halifax , Canada B3H 4J1
| | - Janet Mann
- 7 Department of Biology, Georgetown University , Washington, DC 20057 , USA
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11
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An enhanced associative learning-based exploratory whale optimizer for global optimization. Neural Comput Appl 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00521-019-04015-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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12
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Genov T, Centrih T, Kotnjek P, Hace A. Behavioural and temporal partitioning of dolphin social groups in the northern Adriatic Sea. MARINE BIOLOGY 2019; 166:11. [PMID: 30613111 PMCID: PMC6299055 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Complex social structure is a prominent feature in several mammal species. Such structure may lead to behavioural diversity not only among populations, but also within a single population, where different subsets of a population may exhibit different types of behaviour. As a consequence, understanding social structure is not only interesting biologically, but may also help conservation and management efforts, because not all segments of a population necessarily respond to or interact with human activities in the same way, or at the same time. In this study, we examined the social structure of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Gulf of Trieste and adjacent waters (northern Adriatic Sea), based on a 9-year dataset, using social network metrics and association indices. We assessed whether different segments of the population show differences in behaviour and interactions with fisheries. Dolphin social network was structured into distinct social clusters of mixed sexes. We found no evidence of male alliances. The two largest social clusters overlapped spatially, but not temporally, as they used the same area at different times of day. Such diel temporal partitioning does not appear to have been documented in cetaceans previously. The two clusters also differed in ways they interact with fisheries, as one regularly interacted with trawlers, while the other did not. This study demonstrates how different segments of animal populations can interact differently with human activities and in turn respond differently to anthropogenic impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilen Genov
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Tina Centrih
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
| | - Polona Kotnjek
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
| | - Ana Hace
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
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13
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Fournet MEH, Gabriele CM, Culp DC, Sharpe F, Mellinger DK, Klinck H. Some things never change: multi-decadal stability in humpback whale calling repertoire on Southeast Alaskan foraging grounds. Sci Rep 2018; 8:13186. [PMID: 30262835 PMCID: PMC6160409 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-31527-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/31/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating long term trends in acoustic communication is essential for understanding the role of sound in social species. Humpback whales are an acoustically plastic species known for producing rapidly-evolving song and a suite of non-song vocalizations (“calls”) containing some call types that exhibit short-term stability. By comparing the earliest known acoustic recordings of humpback whales in Southeast Alaska (from the 1970’s) with recordings collected in the 1990’s, 2000’s, and 2010’s, we investigated the long-term repertoire stability of calls on Southeast Alaskan foraging grounds. Of the sixteen previously described humpback whale call types produced in Southeast Alaska, twelve were detected in both 1976 and 2012, indicating stability over a 36-year time period; eight call types were present in all four decades and every call type was present in at least three decades. We conclude that the conservation of call types at this temporal scale is indicative of multi-generational persistence and confirms that acoustic communication in humpback whales is comprised of some highly stable call elements in strong contrast to ever-changing song.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E H Fournet
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA. .,Alaska Whale Foundation, Petersburg, Alaska, USA. .,Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies, Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Newport, Oregon, USA.
| | - Christine M Gabriele
- Humpback Whale Monitoring Program, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Gustavus, Alaska, USA
| | - David C Culp
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon, USA
| | - Fred Sharpe
- Alaska Whale Foundation, Petersburg, Alaska, USA
| | - David K Mellinger
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies, Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Newport, Oregon, USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, USA
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14
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Silk JB, Seyfarth RM, Cheney DL. Quality versus quantity: do weak bonds enhance the fitness of female baboons? Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.04.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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15
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Fournet MEH, Matthews LP, Gabriele CM, Mellinger DK, Klinck H. Source levels of foraging humpback whale calls. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2018; 143:EL105. [PMID: 29495694 DOI: 10.1121/1.5023599] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Humpback whales produce a wide range of low- to mid-frequency vocalizations throughout their migratory range. Non-song "calls" dominate this species' vocal repertoire while on high-latitude foraging grounds. The source levels of 426 humpback whale calls in four vocal classes were estimated using a four-element planar array deployed in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Southeast Alaska. There was no significant difference in source levels between humpback whale vocal classes. The mean call source level was 137 dBRMS re 1 μPa @ 1 m in the bandwidth of the call (range 113-157 dBRMS re 1 μPa @ 1 m), where bandwidth is defined as the frequency range from the lowest to the highest frequency component of the call. These values represent a robust estimate of humpback whale source levels on foraging grounds and should append earlier estimates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle E H Fournet
- Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Oregon 97331, USA
| | - Leanna P Matthews
- Biology Department, Syracuse University, Syracuse, New York 13244, USA
| | - Christine M Gabriele
- Humpback Whale Monitoring Program, Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Gustavus, Alaska 99826, USA
| | - David K Mellinger
- Cooperative Institute for Marine Resources Studies, Oregon State University and NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, Newport, Oregon 97365, USA
| | - Holger Klinck
- Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14850, USA
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16
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Pierszalowski SP, Gabriele CM, Steel DJ, Neilson JL, Vanselow PBS, Cedarleaf JA, Straley JM, Baker CS. Local recruitment of humpback whales in Glacier Bay and Icy Strait, Alaska, over 30 years. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00761] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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17
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Williams SH, Gende SM, Lukacs PM, Webb K. Factors affecting whale detection from large ships in Alaska with implications for whale avoidance. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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18
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Godoy I, Vigilant L, Perry SE. Cues to kinship and close relatedness during infancy in white-faced capuchin monkeys, Cebus capucinus. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
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19
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Parks SE, Cusano DA, Stimpert AK, Weinrich MT, Friedlaender AS, Wiley DN. Evidence for acoustic communication among bottom foraging humpback whales. Sci Rep 2014; 4:7508. [PMID: 25512188 PMCID: PMC4267198 DOI: 10.1038/srep07508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 44] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2014] [Accepted: 12/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae), a mysticete with a cosmopolitan distribution, demonstrate marked behavioural plasticity. Recent studies show evidence of social learning in the transmission of specific population level traits ranging from complex singing to stereotyped prey capturing behaviour. Humpback whales have been observed to employ group foraging techniques, however details on how individuals coordinate behaviour in these groups is challenging to obtain. This study investigates the role of a novel broadband patterned pulsed sound produced by humpback whales engaged in bottom-feeding behaviours, referred to here as a ‘paired burst' sound. Data collected from 56 archival acoustic tag deployments were investigated to determine the functional significance of these signals. Paired burst sound production was associated exclusively with bottom feeding under low-light conditions, predominantly with evidence of associated conspecifics nearby suggesting that the sound likely serves either as a communicative signal to conspecifics, a signal to affect prey behaviour, or possibly both. This study provides additional evidence for individual variation and phenotypic plasticity of foraging behaviours in humpback whales and provides important evidence for the use of acoustic signals among foraging individuals in this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Susan E Parks
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244, U.S.A
| | - Dana A Cusano
- Department of Biology, Syracuse University, Syracuse NY 13244, U.S.A
| | | | - Mason T Weinrich
- Whale Centre of New England, Gloucester, Massachusetts 01931, U.S.A
| | - Ari S Friedlaender
- Oregon State University Marine Mammal Institute, Newport, OR 97365, U.S.A
| | - David N Wiley
- Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary, NOAA National Ocean Service, Scituate, MA 02066, U.S.A
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20
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Huo M, Heyvaert M, Van den Noortgate W, Onghena P. Permutation Tests in the Educational and Behavioral Sciences. METHODOLOGY-EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF RESEARCH METHODS FOR THE BEHAVIORAL AND SOCIAL SCIENCES 2014. [DOI: 10.1027/1614-2241/a000067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Over the past two decades, permutation tests (PTs) have received much attention in the educational and behavioral sciences. The aim of this article is to review the theoretical developments of PTs, the active areas in the educational and behavioral research using PTs, and the types of analysis under which PTs have been applied. We obtained 224 published articles, which included 141 theoretical articles and 83 application articles. After scrutinizing each article, we are happy to see that (1) some researchers began to advocate introducing PTs into basic statistics training; (2) computing load for PTs may be reduced dramatically by some intelligent algorithms; (3) PTs began to be applied in new areas such as studies on the relationship between brain and behavior and the relationship between gene and behavior; (4) besides simple types of analysis such as independent two-group comparison, PTs can also be carried out under more complex situations such as multivariate analysis. However, we should also notice that PTs are still mostly used for simple analyses (e.g., randomness analysis).
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Affiliation(s)
- Ming Huo
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Methodology of Educational Science Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
| | - Mieke Heyvaert
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Methodology of Educational Science Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
| | - Wim Van den Noortgate
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Methodology of Educational Science Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
| | - Patrick Onghena
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, Methodology of Educational Science Research Group, Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium
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21
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Wikberg EC, Ting N, Sicotte P. Familiarity is more important than phenotypic similarity in shaping social relationships in a facultative female dispersed primate, Colobus vellerosus. Behav Processes 2014; 106:27-35. [PMID: 24747067 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2013] [Revised: 03/22/2014] [Accepted: 04/04/2014] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Animals often bias affiliative behaviors toward kin, but it is unclear what mechanism most species use to discriminate kin. We investigated if facultative dispersed female primates use phenotype matching and/or familiarity to discriminate female kin. We studied 38 adult female Colobus vellerosus at Boabeng-Fiema, Ghana. We determined dyadic co-residency status and age proximity using long-term demographic data, R-values from 17 short tandem repeat loci, and interaction rates using focal samples collected during one year. Approach rates were not strongly affected by how long females had resided together, which contrasts to the familiarity hypothesis. Females approached and groomed maternal kin more than other females, which supports the mother-mediated familiarity hypothesis. Females did not discriminate paternal half siblings from non-kin, and they did not prefer to interact with females of similar age. Short-term co-resident kin did not bias affiliation toward each other, indicating that female colobus cannot consistently recognize less familiar kin via phenotype matching or that biasing behaviors toward less familiar kin is not beneficial. Despite showing facultative dispersal that may reduce the accuracy of using familiarity as a kin recognition mechanism, female choice of social partners was based on familiarity, which conforms to the pattern observed in many female philopatric primates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva C Wikberg
- Department of Integrated Biosciences, University of Tokyo, Bioscience Building 502, 5-1-5 Kashiwanoha, Kashiwa, Chiba 277-8562, Japan; Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada.
| | - Nelson Ting
- Department of Anthropology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, 1218 University of Oregon, 308 Condon Hall, Eugene, OR 97403, USA
| | - Pascale Sicotte
- Department of Anthropology, University of Calgary, 2500 University Drive N.W., Calgary, AB T2N1N4, Canada
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22
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Palacios DM, Baumgartner MF, Laidre KL, Gregr EJ. Beyond correlation: integrating environmentally and behaviourally mediated processes in models of marine mammal distributions. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2013. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00558] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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23
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Barendse J, Best PB, Carvalho I, Pomilla C. Mother knows best: occurrence and associations of resighted humpback whales suggest maternally derived fidelity to a Southern Hemisphere coastal feeding ground. PLoS One 2013; 8:e81238. [PMID: 24349047 PMCID: PMC3857176 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0081238] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/12/2013] [Accepted: 10/10/2013] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Site fidelity is common among migratory cetaceans, including humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae). In the Northern Hemisphere it has been found that fidelity to humpback whale feeding grounds is transferred maternally but this has never been shown for the species in the Southern Hemisphere. We examined this in a unique feeding area off west South Africa using resighting data of 68 individually identified humpback whales by means of photographic (tail flukes and dorsal fins) and/or molecular methods (microsatellite genotyping) over an 18 year span. We found short-term association patterns and recurrent visits typical of other feeding grounds. Males and females had different seasonality of attendance. Significant female-dominated presence corresponded to timing of an expected influx of females on their southward migration from the breeding ground: firstly non-nursing (possibly pregnant) females in mid-spring, and mothers and calves in mid-to late summer. The potential benefit of this mid-latitude feeding area for females is illustrated by a record of a cow with known age of at least 23 years that produced calves in three consecutive years, each of which survived to at least six months of age: the first record of successful post-partum ovulation for this species in the Southern Hemisphere. We recorded association of a weaned calf with its mother, and a recurring association between a non-lactating female and male over more than two years. Moreover, three animals first identified as calves returned to the same area in subsequent years, sometimes on the same day as their mothers. This, together with numerous Parent-Offspring relations detected genetically among and between resighted and non-resighted whales is strongly suggestive of maternally derived site fidelity at a small spatial scale by a small sub-population of humpback whales.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaco Barendse
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Sustainability Research Unit / South African National Parks, Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (George Campus), George, South Africa
- * E-mail:
| | - Peter B. Best
- Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Inês Carvalho
- Ocean Giants Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
- Faculdade de Ciências do Mar e Ambiente, Universidade do Algarve, Campus Gambelas, Faro, Portugal
| | - Cristina Pomilla
- Ocean Giants Program, Wildlife Conservation Society, Bronx, New York, United States of America
- Sackler Institute for Comparative Genomics, American Museum of Natural History, New York, New York, United States of America
- Department of Public Health and Primary Care, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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24
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Bercovitch FB, Berry PSM. Age proximity influences herd composition in wild giraffe. J Zool (1987) 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- F. B. Bercovitch
- Primate Research Institute & Wildlife Research Center; Kyoto University; Inuyama Japan
- Giraffe Conservation Foundation; Surrey England
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25
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Allen J, Weinrich M, Hoppitt W, Rendell L. Network-based diffusion analysis reveals cultural transmission of lobtail feeding in humpback whales. Science 2013; 340:485-8. [PMID: 23620054 DOI: 10.1126/science.1231976] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 17.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
We used network-based diffusion analysis to reveal the cultural spread of a naturally occurring foraging innovation, lobtail feeding, through a population of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) over a period of 27 years. Support for models with a social transmission component was 6 to 23 orders of magnitude greater than for models without. The spatial and temporal distribution of sand lance, a prey species, was also important in predicting the rate of acquisition. Our results, coupled with existing knowledge about song traditions, show that this species can maintain multiple independently evolving traditions in its populations. These insights strengthen the case that cetaceans represent a peak in the evolution of nonhuman culture, independent of the primate lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jenny Allen
- Sea Mammal Research Unit and Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
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26
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Rekdahl ML, Dunlop RA, Noad MJ, Goldizen AW. Temporal stability and change in the social call repertoire of migrating humpback whales. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2013; 133:1785-95. [PMID: 23464047 DOI: 10.1121/1.4789941] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Quantifying the stability of a species vocal repertoire is fundamental for further investigations into repertoire function and geographic variation. Changes to the repertoire of sounds used in the song displays of male humpback whales have been well studied. In contrast, little is known about the stability of this species' non-song vocal calls. The stability of the social call repertoire of east Australian humpback whales was investigated from 1997, 2003-2004, and 2008. Out of 46 qualitatively defined call types, 19 were classified as "song-unit calls" that tended to change with the song, and 15 were "inconsistent" and only found in one or two years. Twelve call types were "stable" and present in all years and were commonly produced (64.2% of calls). Stable calls tended to vary in some of the measured call parameters but there was no clear trend between years. This result could indicate that minor changes to calls are not permanent, but reflect individual differences in call production or the graded nature of calls within different social environments. This research has clearly identified stable calls in the call repertoire of humpback whales and while their function is not well understood, their stability suggests an important role in social interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melinda L Rekdahl
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics Lab, School of Veterinary Science, The University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia.
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