1
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McMahon K, Marples NM, Spurgin LG, Rowland HM, Sheldon BC, Firth JA. Social network centrality predicts dietary decisions in a wild bird population. iScience 2024; 27:109581. [PMID: 38638576 PMCID: PMC11024920 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109581] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/24/2023] [Revised: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
How individuals balance costs and benefits of group living remains central to understanding sociality. In relation to diet, social foraging provides many advantages but also increases competition. Nevertheless, social individuals may offset increased competition by broadening their diet and consuming novel foods. Despite the expected relationships between social behavior and dietary decisions, how sociality shapes individuals' novel food consumption remains largely untested in natural populations. Here, we use wild great tits to experimentally test how sociality predicts dietary decisions. We show that individuals with more social connections have higher propensity to use novel foods compared to socially peripheral individuals, and this is unrelated to neophobia, observations, and demographic factors. These findings indicate sociable individuals may offset potential costs of competition by foraging more broadly. We discuss how social environments may drive behavioral change in natural populations, and the implications for the causes and consequences of social strategies and dietary decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keith McMahon
- Department of Biology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
| | - Nicola M. Marples
- Department of Zoology, School of Natural Sciences, Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2, Ireland
| | - Lewis G. Spurgin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Hannah M. Rowland
- Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology, Jena, Germany
- Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | - Josh A. Firth
- Department of Biology, Oxford University, Oxford, UK
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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2
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English HM, Börger L, Kane A, Ciuti S. Advances in biologging can identify nuanced energetic costs and gains in predators. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2024; 12:7. [PMID: 38254232 PMCID: PMC10802026 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-024-00448-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 01/08/2024] [Indexed: 01/24/2024]
Abstract
Foraging is a key driver of animal movement patterns, with specific challenges for predators which must search for mobile prey. These patterns are increasingly impacted by global changes, principally in land use and climate. Understanding the degree of flexibility in predator foraging and social strategies is pertinent to wildlife conservation under global change, including potential top-down effects on wider ecosystems. Here we propose key future research directions to better understand foraging strategies and social flexibility in predators. In particular, rapid continued advances in biologging technology are helping to record and understand dynamic behavioural and movement responses of animals to environmental changes, and their energetic consequences. Data collection can be optimised by calibrating behavioural interpretation methods in captive settings and strategic tagging decisions within and between social groups. Importantly, many species' social systems are increasingly being found to be more flexible than originally described in the literature, which may be more readily detectable through biologging approaches than behavioural observation. Integrating the effects of the physical landscape and biotic interactions will be key to explaining and predicting animal movements and energetic balance in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Holly M English
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland.
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Adam Kane
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Simone Ciuti
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin, Ireland
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3
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Beck KB, Farine DR, Firth JA, Sheldon BC. Variation in local population size predicts social network structure in wild songbirds. J Anim Ecol 2023; 92:2348-2362. [PMID: 37837224 PMCID: PMC10952437 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023]
Abstract
The structure of animal societies is a key determinant of many ecological and evolutionary processes. Yet, we know relatively little about the factors and mechanisms that underpin detailed social structure. Among other factors, social structure can be influenced by habitat configuration. By shaping animal movement decisions, heterogeneity in habitat features, such as vegetation and the availability of resources, can influence the spatiotemporal distribution of individuals and subsequently key socioecological properties such as the local population size and density. Differences in local population size and density can impact opportunities for social associations and may thus drive substantial variation in local social structure. Here, we investigated spatiotemporal variation in population size at 65 distinct locations in a small songbird, the great tit (Parus major) and its effect on social network structure. We first explored the within-location consistency of population size from weekly samples and whether the observed variation in local population size was predicted by the underlying habitat configuration. Next, we created social networks from the birds' foraging associations at each location for each week and examined if local population size affected social structure. We show that population size is highly repeatable within locations across weeks and years and that some of the observed variation in local population size was predicted by the underlying habitat, with locations closer to the forest edge having on average larger population sizes. Furthermore, we show that local population size affected social structure inferred by four global network metrics. Using simple simulations, we then reveal that much of the observed social structure is shaped by social processes. Across different population sizes, the birds' social structure was largely explained by their preference to forage in flocks. In addition, over and above effects of social foraging, social preferences between birds (i.e. social relationships) shaped certain network features such as the extent of realized social connections. Our findings thus suggest that individual social decisions substantially contribute to shaping certain social network features over and above effects of population size alone.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina B. Beck
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey InstituteUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental StudiesUniversity of ZurichZurichSwitzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of BiologyAustralian National UniversityCanberraAustralian Capital TerritoryAustralia
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviourKonstanzGermany
| | - Josh A. Firth
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey InstituteUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Department of Biology, Edward Grey InstituteUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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4
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Franks VR, Thorogood R, Brekke P. Parental breeding decisions and genetic quality predict social structure of independent offspring. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4898-4910. [PMID: 37395642 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17066] [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: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, newly independent juveniles form social associations that influence later fitness, mate choice and gene flow, but little is known about the ontogeny of social environments, particularly in wild populations. Here we test whether associations among young animals form randomly or are influenced by environmental or genetic conditions established by parents. Parents' decisions determine natal birth sites, which could affect who independent young initially encounter; secondly, mate choice determines genetic condition (e.g. inbreeding) of young and the parental care they receive, which can affect sociability. However, genetic and environmental factors are confounded unless related offspring experience different natal environments. Therefore, we used a long-term genetic pedigree, breeding records and social network data from three cohorts of a songbird with high extra-pair paternity (hihi, Notiomystis cincta) to disentangle (1) how nest location and relatedness contribute to association structure once juveniles disperse away from birth sites, and (2) if juvenile and/or parental inbreeding predicts individual sociability. We detected positive spatial autocorrelation: hihi that fledged closer by were more likely to associate even after dispersing, irrespective of genetic relatedness. Juvenile inbreeding did not predict sociability, but those raised by more inbred fathers formed more, stronger, associations, which did not depend on whether that male was the genetic parent or not. These results suggest that the natal environment created by parents, rather than focal genetic condition, establishes the foundation for social associations. Overall, we highlight how social inheritance may play an important role in population dynamics and evolutionary potential in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Franks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
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5
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Beltrão P, Gomes ACR, Cardoso GC. Bullying as an advertisement of social dominance in common waxbills. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20230206. [PMID: 37312555 PMCID: PMC10265017 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.0206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Accepted: 05/25/2023] [Indexed: 06/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Bullying consists of preferentially attacking individuals lowest in the dominance hierarchy, and its functions are unclear because the most subordinate individuals do not pose social challenges to the aggressor. Instead, conflict is expected mostly between individuals of similar dominance rank or socially distant (i.e. weakly associated), among whom dominance relationships may not be well established. A possible function of bullying is that it may be used as a low-risk strategy of showing-off dominance to relevant third parties. To study this hypothesis, we monitored aggressions during feeding, the composition of audiences, dominance hierarchy and social network of common waxbills (Estrilda astrild) in an open-air mesocosm, and tested (i) whether their aggressions show a pattern of bullying, and (ii) whether audience effects influence aggressiveness. Waxbills showed bullying, most often attacking the lowest ranking individuals rather than socially distant individuals or those of similar dominance rank, and aggressions increased when the audience included socially distant individuals, indicating a signalling function of bullying. Showing-off dominance in the presence of socially distant individuals may be a strategy to manage dominance hierarchies, avoiding direct fights with potentially dangerous opponents in the audience. We suggest that bullying is a safe manner of managing dominance hierarchies, by signalling dominance status to potential opponents.
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Affiliation(s)
- Patrícia Beltrão
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Ana Cristina R. Gomes
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
| | - Gonçalo C. Cardoso
- CIBIO, Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos, InBIO Laboratório Associado, Campus de Vairão, Universidade do Porto, 4485-661 Vairão, Portugal
- BIOPOLIS Program in Genomics, Biodiversity and Land Planning, CIBIO, Campus de Vairão, 4485–661 Vairão, Portugal
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6
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Beck KB, Sheldon BC, Firth JA. Social learning mechanisms shape transmission pathways through replicate local social networks of wild birds. eLife 2023; 12:85703. [PMID: 37128701 PMCID: PMC10154030 DOI: 10.7554/elife.85703] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/20/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2023] [Indexed: 05/03/2023] Open
Abstract
The emergence and spread of novel behaviours via social learning can lead to rapid population-level changes whereby the social connections between individuals shape information flow. However, behaviours can spread via different mechanisms and little is known about how information flow depends on the underlying learning rule individuals employ. Here, comparing four different learning mechanisms, we simulated behavioural spread on replicate empirical social networks of wild great tits and explored the relationship between individual sociality and the order of behavioural acquisition. Our results reveal that, for learning rules dependent on the sum and strength of social connections to informed individuals, social connectivity was related to the order of acquisition, with individuals with increased social connectivity and reduced social clustering adopting new behaviours faster. However, when behavioural adoption depends on the ratio of an individuals' social connections to informed versus uninformed individuals, social connectivity was not related to the order of acquisition. Finally, we show how specific learning mechanisms may limit behavioural spread within networks. These findings have important implications for understanding whether and how behaviours are likely to spread across social systems, the relationship between individuals' sociality and behavioural acquisition, and therefore for the costs and benefits of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina B Beck
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
| | - Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom
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7
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Dunning J, Burke T, Hoi Hang Chan A, Ying Janet Chik H, Evans T, Schroeder J. Opposite-sex associations are linked with annual fitness, but sociality is stable over lifetime. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:315-324. [PMID: 37192923 PMCID: PMC10183206 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/25/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal sociality, an individual's propensity to associate with others, has fitness consequences through mate choice, for example, directly, by increasing the pool of prospective partners, and indirectly through increased survival, and individuals benefit from both. Annually, fitness consequences are realized through increased mating success and subsequent fecundity. However, it remains unknown whether these consequences translate to lifetime fitness. Here, we quantified social associations and their link to fitness annually and over lifetime, using a multi-generational, genetic pedigree. We used social network analysis to calculate variables representing different aspects of an individual's sociality. Sociality showed high within-individual repeatability. We found that birds with more opposite-sex associates had higher annual fitness than those with fewer, but this did not translate to lifetime fitness. Instead, for lifetime fitness, we found evidence for stabilizing selection on opposite-sex sociality, and sociality in general, suggesting that reported benefits are only short-lived in a wild population, and that selection favors an average sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jamie Dunning
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biosciences, The University of Sheffield, UK
| | - Alex Hoi Hang Chan
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, UK
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Germany
- Max Plank Institute of Animal Behaviour, Germany
| | - Heung Ying Janet Chik
- Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, Netherlands
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Australia
| | - Tim Evans
- Center for Complexity Science, Imperial College London, UK
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8
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Regan CE, Beck KB, McMahon K, Crofts S, Firth JA, Sheldon BC. Social phenotype-dependent selection of social environment in wild great and blue tits: an experimental study. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221602. [DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1602] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
There is growing evidence that individuals actively assess the match between their phenotype and their environment when making habitat choice decisions (so-called matching habitat choice). However, to our knowledge, no studies have considered how the social environment may interact with social phenotype in determining habitat choice, despite habitat choice being an inherently social process and growing evidence for individual variation in sociability. We conducted an experiment using wild great and blue tits to understand how birds integrate their social phenotype and social environment when choosing where and how to feed. We used programmable feeders to (i) record social interactions and estimate social phenotype, and (ii) experimentally manipulate the local density experienced by birds of differing social phenotype. By tracking feeder usage, we estimated how social environment and social phenotype predicted feeder choice and feeding behaviour. Both social environment and social phenotype predicted feeder usage, but a bird's decision to remain in a particular social environment did not depend on their social phenotype. By contrast, for feeding behaviour, responses to the social environment depended on social phenotype. Our results provide rare evidence of matching habitat choice and shed light on the dependence of habitat choice on between-individual differences in social phenotype.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte E. Regan
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3RT, UK
| | - Kristina B. Beck
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3RT, UK
| | - Keith McMahon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3RT, UK
| | - Sam Crofts
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3RT, UK
| | - Josh A. Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3RT, UK
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Biology, University of Oxford, 11a Mansfield Road, Oxford OX1 3RT, UK
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9
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Perryman RJ, Mourier J, Venables SK, Tapilatu RF, Setyawan E, Brown C. Reef manta ray social dynamics depend on individual differences in behaviour. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.06.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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10
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Tavares SB, Whitehead H, Doniol-Valcroze T. Assessing social structure: a data-driven approach to define associations between individuals. Mamm Biol 2022; 102:551-566. [PMID: 36721404 PMCID: PMC9883313 DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00231-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2021] [Accepted: 01/16/2022] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Our interpretation of animal social structures is inherently dependent on our ability to define association criteria that are biologically meaningful. However, association thresholds are often based upon generalized preconceptions of a species' social behaviour, and the impact of using these arbitrary definitions has been largely overlooked. In this study we suggest a probability-based method for defining association thresholds using lagged identification rates on photographic records of identifiable individuals. This technique uses a simple model of emigration/immigration from photographable clusters to identify the time-dependent lag value between identifications of two individuals that corresponds to approximately 75% probability of being in close spatial proximity and likely associating. This lag value is then used as the threshold to define associations for social analyses. We applied the technique to a dataset of northern resident killer whales (Orcinus orca) in the Northeast Pacific and tested its performance against two arbitrary thresholds. The probabilistic association maximized the variation in association strengths at different levels of the social structure, in line with known social patterns in this population. Furthermore, variability in inferred social structure metrics generated by different association criteria highlighted the consequential effect of choosing arbitrary thresholds. Data-driven association thresholds are a promising approach to study populations without the need to subjectively define associations in the field, especially in societies with prominent fission-fusion dynamics. This method is applicable to any dataset of sequential identifications where it can be assumed that associated individuals will tend to be identified in close proximity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s42991-022-00231-9.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara B. Tavares
- Cetacean Research Program, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, Canada
| | - Hal Whitehead
- Department of Biology, Dalhousie University, Halifax, Canada
| | - Thomas Doniol-Valcroze
- Cetacean Research Program, Pacific Biological Station, Fisheries and Oceans Canada, Nanaimo, Canada
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11
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Hundt PJ, White LA, Craft ME, Bajer PG. Social associations in common carp ( Cyprinus carpio): Insights from induced feeding aggregations for targeted management strategies. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8666. [PMID: 35309746 PMCID: PMC8901867 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8666] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/07/2021] [Revised: 12/30/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Heterogeneity in social interactions can have important consequences for the spread of information and diseases and consequently conservation and invasive species management. Common carp (Cyprinus carpio) are a highly social, ubiquitous, and invasive freshwater fish. Management strategies targeting foraging carp may be ideal because laboratory studies have suggested that carp can learn, have individual personalities, a unique diet, and often form large social groups. To examine social feeding behaviors of wild carp, we injected 344 carp with passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and continuously monitored their feeding behaviors at multiple sites in a natural lake in Minnesota, USA. The high-resolution, spatio-temporal data were analyzed using a Gaussian mixture model (GMM). Based on these associations, we analyzed group size, feeding bout duration, and the heterogeneity and connectivity of carp social networks at foraging sites. Wild carp responded quickly to bait, forming aggregations most active from dusk to dawn. During the 2020 baiting period (20 days), 133 unique carp were detected 616,593 times. There was some evidence that feeding at multiple sites was constrained by basin geography, but not distance alone. GMM results suggested that feeding bouts were short, with frequent turnover of small groups. Individual foraging behavior was highly heterogeneous with Gini coefficients of 0.79 in 2020 and 0.66 in 2019. "Superfeeders"-those contributing to 80% of total cumulative detections (top 18% and top 29% of foragers in 2020 and 2019 respectively)-were more likely to be detected earlier at feeding stations, had larger body sizes, and had higher network measures of degree, weighted degree, and betweenness than non-superfeeders. Overall, our results indicate that wild carp foraging is social, easily induced by bait, dominated by large-bodied individuals, and potentially predictable, which suggests social behaviors could be leveraged in management of carp, one of the world's most recognizable and invasive fish.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter J. Hundt
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
- Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC)St. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Lauren A. White
- National Socio‐Environmental Synthesis CenterUniversity of MarylandAnnapolisMarylandUSA
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
| | - Przemyslaw G. Bajer
- Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation BiologyUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
- Minnesota Aquatic Invasive Species Research Center (MAISRC)St. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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12
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Beck KB, Farine DR, Kempenaers B. Social network position predicts male mating success in a small passerine. Behav Ecol 2021; 32:856-864. [PMID: 34690546 PMCID: PMC8528538 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/26/2020] [Revised: 03/17/2021] [Accepted: 03/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals differ in the quantity and quality of their associations with conspecifics. The resulting variation in the positions that individuals occupy within their social environment can affect several aspects of life history, including reproduction. While research increasingly shows how social factors can predict dyadic mating patterns (who will breed with whom), much less is known about how an individual's social position affects its overall likelihood to acquire mating partner(s). We studied social networks of socially monogamous blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) to investigate whether the number and strength of connections to opposite-sex conspecifics, the ratio between same- and opposite-sex connections, and the tendency to move between social groups in the months prior to breeding affect individuals' success in acquiring 1) a breeding partner and 2) an extrapair partner. After controlling for differences in spatial location, we show that males that moved more often between social groups were more likely to acquire a breeding partner. Moreover, adult males that associated with more females were more likely to sire extrapair young. The number of female associates also predicted the proportion of familiar female breeding neighbors, suggesting that familiarity among neighbors may facilitate opportunities for extrapair matings. In females, none of the network metrics significantly predicted the likelihood of acquiring a breeding or extrapair partner. Our study suggests that the positioning of males within their social environment prior to breeding can translate into future mating success, adding an important new dimension to studies of (extrapair) mating behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina B Beck
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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13
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Reichert MS, Enriquez MS, Carlson NV. New dimensions for animal communication networks: space and time. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:814-824. [PMID: 33744960 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Communication is a social process and usually occurs in a network of signalers and receivers. While social network analysis has received enormous recent attention from animal behaviorists, there have been relatively few attempts to apply these techniques to communication networks. Communication networks have the potential to offer novel insights into social network studies, and yet are especially challenging subjects, largely because of their unique spatiotemporal characteristics. Namely, signals propagate through the environment, often dissociating from the body of the signaler, to influence receiver behavior. The speed of signal propagation and the signal's active space will affect the congruence of communication networks and other types of social network; in extreme cases the signal may persist and only first be detected long after the signaler has left the area. Other signals move more rapidly and over greater distances than the signaler could possibly move to reach receivers. We discuss the spatial and temporal consequences of signaling in networks and highlight the distinction between the physical location of the signaler and the spread of influence of its signals, the effects of signal modality and receiver sensitivity on communication network properties, the potential for feedbacks between network layers, and approaches to analyzing spatial and temporal change in communication networks in conjunction with other network layers.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Nora V Carlson
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
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14
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Madsen AE, Vander Meiden LN, Shizuka D. Social partners and temperature jointly affect morning foraging activity of small birds in winter. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa134] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Daily foraging activity of small wintering birds is classically thought to be driven by the need to gather enough energy reserves to survive each night. A separate line of research has shown that sociality is a major driver in winter foraging activities in many species. Here, we used wintering birds as a study system to move toward an integrative understanding of the influence of energy requirements and sociality on foraging ecology. We used RFID-enabled feeders in Lincoln, Nebraska, USA in January–March 2019 to measure foraging activity in two species (downy woodpeckers, Dryobates pubescens, and white-breasted nuthatches, Sitta carolinensis). We analyzed the relationship between overnight temperature and morning foraging activity and found that lowest overnight temperature was weakly correlated with morning visitation at feeders. We then used a network approach to ask if flock associations explain similarity in birds’ foraging activity. In both species, individuals with stronger associations in a social network were more likely to share similar feeder activity, and an index of social partners’ activity explained foraging activity better than overnight temperature. This brings forth new questions about the interplay between individual response to temperature and social factors in shaping how small animals cope with harsh winter conditions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia E Madsen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | | | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
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15
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Culina A, Firth JA, Hinde CA. Familiarity breeds success: pairs that meet earlier experience increased breeding performance in a wild bird population. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20201554. [PMID: 33352080 PMCID: PMC7779496 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.1554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In socially monogamous animals, including humans, pairs can meet and spend time together before they begin reproduction. However, the pre-breeding period has been challenging to study in natural populations, and thus remains largely unexplored. As such, our understanding of the benefits of mate familiarity is almost entirely limited to assessments of repeated breeding with a particular partner. Here, we used fine-scale tracking technology to gather 6 years of data on pre-breeding social associations of individually marked great tits in a wild population. We show that pairs which met earlier in the winter laid their eggs earlier in all years. Clutch size, number of hatched and fledged young, and hatching and fledging success were not influenced by parents' meeting time directly, but indirectly: earlier laying pairs had larger clutches (that also produce higher number of young), and higher hatching and fledging success. We did not detect a direct influence of the length of the initial pairing period on future mating decisions (stay with a partner or divorce). These findings suggest a selective advantage for a new pair to start associating earlier (or for individuals to mate with those they have known for longer). We call for more studies to explore the generality of fitness effects of pair familiarity prior to first breeding, and to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Antica Culina
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, The Netherlands.,Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Camilla A Hinde
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.,Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
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16
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Weiss MN, Franks DW, Brent LJN, Ellis S, Silk MJ, Croft DP. Common datastream permutations of animal social network data are not appropriate for hypothesis testing using regression models. Methods Ecol Evol 2020; 12:255-265. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael N. Weiss
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
- Center for Whale Research Friday Harbor WA USA
| | - Daniel W. Franks
- Department of Biology and Department of Computer Science The University of York York UK
| | - Lauren J. N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | - Samuel Ellis
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | - Matthew J. Silk
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter in Cornwall Penryn UK
| | - Darren P. Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour College of Life and Environmental Sciences University of Exeter Exeter UK
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17
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Albery GF, Kirkpatrick L, Firth JA, Bansal S. Unifying spatial and social network analysis in disease ecology. J Anim Ecol 2020; 90:45-61. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Josh A. Firth
- Department of Zoology Edward Grey Institute University of Oxford Oxford UK
- Merton College Oxford University Oxford UK
| | - Shweta Bansal
- Department of Biology Georgetown University Washington DC USA
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18
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Ferreira AC, Covas R, Silva LR, Esteves SC, Duarte IF, Fortuna R, Theron F, Doutrelant C, Farine DR. How to make methodological decisions when inferring social networks. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:9132-9143. [PMID: 32953051 PMCID: PMC7487238 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6568] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2020] [Accepted: 06/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Social network analyses allow studying the processes underlying the associations between individuals and the consequences of those associations. Constructing and analyzing social networks can be challenging, especially when designing new studies as researchers are confronted with decisions about how to collect data and construct networks, and the answers are not always straightforward. The current lack of guidance on building a social network for a new study system might lead researchers to try several different methods and risk generating false results arising from multiple hypotheses testing. Here, we suggest an approach for making decisions when starting social network research in a new study system that avoids the pitfall of multiple hypotheses testing. We argue that best edge definition for a network is a decision that can be made using a priori knowledge about the species and that is independent from the hypotheses that the network will ultimately be used to evaluate. We illustrate this approach with a study conducted on a colonial cooperatively breeding bird, the sociable weaver. We first identified two ways of collecting data using different numbers of feeders and three ways to define associations among birds. We then evaluated which combination of data collection and association definition maximized (a) the assortment of individuals into previously known "breeding groups" (birds that contribute toward the same nest and maintain cohesion when foraging) and (b) socially differentiated relationships (more strong and weak relationships than expected by chance). This evaluation of different methods based on a priori knowledge of the study species can be implemented in a diverse array of study systems and makes the case for using existing, biologically meaningful knowledge about a system to help navigate the myriad of methodological decisions about data collection and network inference.
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Affiliation(s)
- André C. Ferreira
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et EvolutiveUniv MontpellierCNRSEPHE, IRDUniv Paul‐Valery Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
- CIBIO‐InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesVairãoPortugal
- Department of Collective BehaviorMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
| | - Rita Covas
- CIBIO‐InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesVairãoPortugal
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Liliana R. Silva
- CIBIO‐InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesVairãoPortugal
| | - Sandra C. Esteves
- CIBIO‐InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesVairãoPortugal
| | - Inês F. Duarte
- CIBIO‐InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesVairãoPortugal
| | - Rita Fortuna
- CIBIO‐InBioResearch Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic ResourcesVairãoPortugal
| | - Franck Theron
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et EvolutiveUniv MontpellierCNRSEPHE, IRDUniv Paul‐Valery Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
| | - Claire Doutrelant
- Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et EvolutiveUniv MontpellierCNRSEPHE, IRDUniv Paul‐Valery Montpellier 3MontpellierFrance
- FitzPatrick Institute of African OrnithologyDST‐NRF Centre of ExcellenceUniversity of Cape TownRondeboschSouth Africa
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective BehaviorMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorKonstanzGermany
- Department of BiologyUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective BehaviourUniversity of KonstanzKonstanzGermany
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19
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Franks VR, Ewen JG, McCready M, Rowcliffe JM, Smith D, Thorogood R. Analysing age structure, residency and relatedness uncovers social network structure in aggregations of young birds. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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20
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Information use in foraging flocks of songbirds: no evidence for social transmission of patch quality. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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21
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Gomes ACR, Boogert NJ, Cardoso GC. Network structure and the optimization of proximity‐based association criteria. Methods Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13387] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Ana Cristina R. Gomes
- CIBIO/InBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
| | - Neeltje J. Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation University of Exeter Penryn Cornwall UK
| | - Gonçalo C. Cardoso
- CIBIO/InBIO—Centro de Investigação em Biodiversidade e Recursos Genéticos Universidade do Porto Vairão Portugal
- Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Biology University of Copenhagen Copenhagen Denmark
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22
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Beck KB, Farine DR, Kempenaers B. Winter associations predict social and extra-pair mating patterns in a wild songbird. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192606. [PMID: 32070248 PMCID: PMC7062020 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 01/26/2020] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Despite decades of research, our understanding of the underlying causes of within-population variation in patterns of extra-pair paternity (EPP) remains limited. Previous studies have shown that extra-pair mating decisions are linked to both individual traits and ecological factors. Here, we examine whether social associations among individuals prior to breeding also shape mating patterns, specifically the occurrence of EPP, in a small songbird, the blue tit. We test whether associations during the non-breeding period predict (1) future social pairs, (2) breeding proximity (i.e. the distance between breeding individuals) and (3) the likelihood that individuals have extra-pair young together. Individuals that were more strongly associated (those that foraged more often together) during winter tended to nest closer together. This, by itself, predicts EPP patterns, because most extra-pair sires are close neighbours. However, even after controlling for spatial effects, female-male dyads with stronger social associations prior to breeding were more likely to have extra-pair young. Our findings reveal a carry-over from social associations into future mating decisions. Quantifying the long-term social environment of individuals and studying its dynamics is a promising approach to enhance our understanding of the process of (extra-)pair formation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina B. Beck
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
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23
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Brandl HB, Farine DR, Funghi C, Schuett W, Griffith SC. Early-life social environment predicts social network position in wild zebra finches. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 286:20182579. [PMID: 30963840 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.2579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023] Open
Abstract
Early-life experience can fundamentally shape individual life-history trajectories. Previous research has suggested that exposure to stress during development causes differences in social behaviour later in life. In captivity, juvenile zebra finches exposed to elevated corticosterone levels were less socially choosy and more central in their social networks when compared to untreated siblings. These differences extended to other aspects of social life, with 'stress-exposed' juveniles switching social learning strategies and juvenile males less faithfully learning their father's song. However, while this body of research suggests that the impacts of early-life stress could be profound, it remains unknown whether such effects are strong enough to be expressed under natural conditions. Here, we collected data on social associations of zebra finches in the Australian desert after experimentally manipulating brood sizes. Juveniles from enlarged broods experienced heightened sibling competition, and we predicted that they would express similar patterns of social associations to stress-treated birds in the captive study by having more, but less differentiated, relationships. We show striking support for the suggested consequences of developmental stress on social network positions, with our data from the wild replicating the same results in 9 out of 10 predictions previously tested in captivity. Chicks raised in enlarged broods foraged with greater numbers of conspecifics but were less 'choosy' and more central in the social network. Our results confirm that the natural range of variation in early-life experience can be sufficient to predict individuals' social trajectories and support theory highlighting the potential importance of developmental conditions on behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanja B Brandl
- 1 Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.,2 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia
| | - Damien R Farine
- 4 Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology , Konstanz , Germany.,5 Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.,6 Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz , Konstanz , Germany.,7 Department of Zoology, Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford , Oxford , UK
| | - Caterina Funghi
- 1 Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.,2 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- 1 Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia.,8 School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex , Brighton , UK
| | - Simon C Griffith
- 2 Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University , Sydney , Australia.,3 School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales , Sydney, New South Wales , Australia
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24
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Griffith SC. Cooperation and Coordination in Socially Monogamous Birds: Moving Away From a Focus on Sexual Conflict. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00455] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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25
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Brandl HB, Griffith SC, Farine DR, Schuett W. Wild zebra finches that nest synchronously have long-term stable social ties. J Anim Ecol 2019; 90:76-86. [PMID: 31407336 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Many animals live and breed in colonies, and yet, with just a few exceptions, the value of the social bonds between colony members has rarely been examined. Social ties are important for group coordination at collective tasks, and social coordination can facilitate synchronized reproduction among colony members. Synchronized reproduction in turn can amplify the benefits of coloniality, such as social foraging and predator avoidance. We conducted a field study to investigate whether synchronized reproduction among individuals in replicated colonies is linked to the strength of their social bond, and whether these strong bonds are maintained beyond the reproductive period. We PIT-tagged wild zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata), monitoring their reproduction and social foraging over two consecutive years. We then used social network analysis to characterize the strength of social bonds among birds in the population. We show that birds that are more synchronized in their reproductive timing (and breed in the same colony) had significantly stronger social ties both during and after reproduction than expected by chance. Our long-term sampling also revealed that the strong social ties between synchronized breeders were carried over across years. Our study reveals a strong correspondence between synchronized breeding and the social structure of the breeding colony. This suggests that the synchrony between pairs is not a simple process based on opportunity, but a mechanism underpinned by more complex sociality, which could be carried over to other behavioural contexts. The maintenance of cross-contextual social ties across years suggests that social structure could have extensive consequences on the overall life history of individuals in addition to playing a key role for the reproductive dynamics of colonial breeders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hanja B Brandl
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Simon C Griffith
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Wiebke Schuett
- Institute of Zoology, Universität Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
- School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, Brighton, UK
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26
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Franks VR, McCready M, Savage JL, Thorogood R. Time Spent With Parents Varies With Early-Life Condition, but Does Not Predict Survival or Sociality of Juvenile Hihi. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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27
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Evans JC, Morand-Ferron J. The importance of preferential associations and group cohesion: constraint or optimality. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2723-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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28
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Bridge ES, Wilhelm J, Pandit MM, Moreno A, Curry CM, Pearson TD, Proppe DS, Holwerda C, Eadie JM, Stair TF, Olson AC, Lyon BE, Branch CL, Pitera AM, Kozlovsky D, Sonnenberg BR, Pravosudov VV, Ruyle JE. An Arduino-Based RFID Platform for Animal Research. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00257] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [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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Robitaille AL, Webber QMR, Vander Wal E. Conducting social network analysis with animal telemetry data: Applications and methods using spatsoc. Methods Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alec L. Robitaille
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Quinn M. R. Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Department of Biology Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program Memorial University of Newfoundland St. John’s Newfoundland and Labrador Canada
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30
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Jones TB, Evans JC, Morand‐Ferron J. Urbanization and the temporal patterns of social networks and group foraging behaviors. Ecol Evol 2019; 9:4589-4602. [PMID: 31031929 PMCID: PMC6476747 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5060] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2018] [Revised: 02/10/2019] [Accepted: 02/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Urbanization causes dramatic and rapid changes to natural environments, which can lead the animals inhabiting these habitats to adjust their behavioral responses. For social animals, urbanized environments may alter group social dynamics through modification of the external environment (e.g., resource distribution). This might lead to changes in how individuals associate or engage in group behaviors, which could alter the stability and characteristics of social groups. However, the potential impacts of urban habitat use, and of habitat characteristics in general, on the nature and stability of social associations remain poorly understood. Here, we quantify social networks and dynamics of group foraging behaviors of black-capped chickadees (N = 82, Poecile atricapillus), at four urban and four rural sites weekly throughout the nonbreeding season using feeders with radio frequency identification of individual birds. Because anthropogenic food sources in urban habitats (e.g., bird feeders) provide abundant and reliable resources, we predicted that social foraging associations may be of less value in urban groups, and thus would be less consistent than in rural groups. Additionally, decreased variability of food resources in urban habitats could lead to more predictable foraging patterns (group size, foraging duration, and the distribution of foraging events) in contrast to rural habitats. Networks were found to be highly consistent through time in both urban and rural habitats. No significant difference was found in the temporal clumping of foraging events between habitats. However, as predicted, the repeatability of the clumping of foraging events in time was significantly higher in urban than rural habitats. Our results suggest that individuals living in urban areas have more consistent foraging behaviors throughout the nonbreeding season, whereas rural individuals adjust their tactics due to less predictable foraging conditions. This first examination of habitat-related differences in the characteristics and consistency of social networks along an urbanization gradient suggests that anthropic habitat use results in subtle modifications in social foraging patterns. Future studies should examine potential implications of these differences for variation in predation risk, energy intake, and information flow.
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Affiliation(s)
- Teri B. Jones
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
- School of Environmental SciencesUniversity of LiverpoolLiverpoolUK
| | - Julian C. Evans
- Department of BiologyUniversity of OttawaOttawaOntarioCanada
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31
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Finding College Student Social Networks by Mining the Records of Student ID Transactions. Symmetry (Basel) 2019. [DOI: 10.3390/sym11030307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Information about college students’ social networks plays a pivotal role in college students’ mental health monitoring and student management. While there have been many studies to infer social networks by data mining, the mining of college students’ social networks lacks consideration of homophily. College students’ social behaviors show significant homophily in the aspect of major and grade. Consequently, the inferred inter-major and inter-grade social ties will be erroneously omitted without considering such an effect. In this work, we aimed to increase the fidelity of the extracted networks by alleviating the homophily effect. To achieve this goal, we propose a method that combines the sliding time-window method with the hierarchical encounter model based on association rules. Specifically, we first calculated the counts of spatial–temporal co-occurrences of each student pair. The co-occurrences were acquired by the sliding time-window method, which takes advantage of the symmetry of the social ties. We then applied the hierarchical encounter model based on association rules to extract social networks by layer. Furthermore, we propose an adaptive method to set co-occurrence thresholds. Results suggested that our model infers the social networks of students with better fidelity, with the proportion of extracted inter-major social ties in entire social ties increasing from 0.89% to 5.45% and the proportion of inter-grade social ties rising from 0.92% to 4.65%.
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32
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Taff CC, Zimmer C, Vitousek MN. Achromatic plumage brightness predicts stress resilience and social interactions in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Theory suggests that signal honesty may be maintained by differential costs for high and low quality individuals. For signals that mediate social interactions, costs can arise from the way that a signal changes the subsequent social environment via receiver responses. These receiver-dependent costs may be linked with individual quality through variation in resilience to environmental and social stress. Here, we imposed stressful conditions on female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) by attaching groups of feathers during incubation to decrease flight efficiency and maneuverability. We simultaneously monitored social interactions using an RFID network that allowed us to track the identity of every individual that visited each nest for the entire season. Before treatments, plumage coloration was correlated with baseline and stress-induced corticosterone. Relative to controls, experimentally challenged females were more likely to abandon their nest during incubation. Overall, females with brighter white breasts were less likely to abandon, but this pattern was only significant under stressful conditions. In addition to being more resilient, brighter females received more unique visitors at their nest-box and tended to make more visits to other active nests. In contrast, dorsal coloration did not reliably predict abandonment or social interactions. Taken together, our results suggest that females differ in their resilience to stress and that these differences are signaled by plumage brightness, which is in turn correlated with the frequency of social interactions. While we do not document direct costs of social interaction, our results are consistent with models of signal honesty based on receiver-dependent costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Conor C Taff
- Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | | | - Maren N Vitousek
- Corson Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY
- Lab of Ornithology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
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33
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34
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Firth JA, Cole EF, Ioannou CC, Quinn JL, Aplin LM, Culina A, McMahon K, Sheldon BC. Personality shapes pair bonding in a wild bird social system. Nat Ecol Evol 2018; 2:1696-1699. [PMID: 30275466 PMCID: PMC6217997 DOI: 10.1038/s41559-018-0670-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2018] [Accepted: 08/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
Mated pair bonds are integral to many animal societies, yet how individual variation in behaviour influences their formation remains largely unknown. In a population of wild great tits (Parus major), we show that personality shapes pair bonding: proactive males formed stronger pre-breeding pair bonds by meeting their future partners sooner and increasing their relationship strength at a faster rate. As a result, proactive males sampled fewer potential mates. Thus, personality may have important implications for social relationship dynamics and emergent social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
- Merton College, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
| | - Ella F Cole
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | | | - John L Quinn
- School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland
| | - Lucy M Aplin
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Antica Culina
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Keith McMahon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
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35
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Zhang P, Shen Q. Fuzzy c-means based coincidental link filtering in support of inferring social networks from spatiotemporal data streams. Soft comput 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00500-018-3363-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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36
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Boogert NJ, Lachlan RF, Spencer KA, Templeton CN, Farine DR. Stress hormones, social associations and song learning in zebra finches. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170290. [PMID: 30104435 PMCID: PMC6107560 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0290] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/18/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of information provided by others is a common short-cut adopted to inform decision-making. However, instead of indiscriminately copying others, animals are often selective in what, when and whom they copy. How do they decide which 'social learning strategy' to use? Previous research indicates that stress hormone exposure in early life may be important: while juvenile zebra finches copied their parents' behaviour when solving novel foraging tasks, those exposed to elevated levels of corticosterone (CORT) during development copied only unrelated adults. Here, we tested whether this switch in social learning strategy generalizes to vocal learning. In zebra finches, juvenile males often copy their father's song; would CORT-treated juveniles in free-flying aviaries switch to copying songs of other males? We found that CORT-treated juveniles copied their father's song less accurately as compared to control juveniles. We hypothesized that this could be due to having weaker social foraging associations with their fathers, and found that sons that spent less time foraging with their fathers produced less similar songs. Our findings are in line with a novel hypothesis linking early-life stress and social learning: early-life CORT exposure may affect social learning indirectly as a result of the way it shapes social affiliations.This article is part of the theme issue 'Causes and consequences of individual differences in cognitive abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Neeltje J Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Robert F Lachlan
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK
| | - Karen A Spencer
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St Andrews KY16 9JP, UK
| | | | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell 78315, Germany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz 78464, Germany
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37
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Moyers SC, Adelman JS, Farine DR, Moore IT, Hawley DM. Exploratory behavior is linked to stress physiology and social network centrality in free-living house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). Horm Behav 2018; 102:105-113. [PMID: 29758182 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2018.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2017] [Revised: 05/01/2018] [Accepted: 05/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Animal personality has been linked to individual variation in both stress physiology and social behaviors, but few studies have simultaneously examined covariation between personality traits, stress hormone levels, and behaviors in free-living animals. We investigated relationships between exploratory behavior (one aspect of animal personality), stress physiology, and social and foraging behaviors in wild house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus). We conducted novel environment assays after collecting samples of baseline and stress-induced plasma corticosterone concentrations from a subset of house finches. We then fitted individuals with Passive Integrated Transponder tags and monitored feeder use and social interactions at radio-frequency identification equipped bird feeders. First, we found that individuals with higher baseline corticosterone concentrations exhibit more exploratory behaviors in a novel environment. Second, more exploratory individuals interacted with more unique conspecifics in the wild, though this result was stronger for female than for male house finches. Third, individuals that were quick to begin exploring interacted more frequently with conspecifics than slow-exploring individuals. Finally, exploratory behaviors were unrelated to foraging behaviors, including the amount of time spent on bird feeders, a behavior previously shown to be predictive of acquiring a bacterial disease that causes annual epidemics in house finches. Overall, our results indicate that individual differences in exploratory behavior are linked to variation in both stress physiology and social network traits in free-living house finches. Such covariation has important implications for house finch ecology, as both traits can contribute to fitness in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sahnzi C Moyers
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, United States.
| | - James S Adelman
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, United States
| | - Damien R Farine
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Ignacio T Moore
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, United States
| | - Dana M Hawley
- Department of Biological Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24061-0406, United States
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38
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Hughey LF, Hein AM, Strandburg-Peshkin A, Jensen FH. Challenges and solutions for studying collective animal behaviour in the wild. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:20170005. [PMID: 29581390 PMCID: PMC5882975 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 76] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/15/2017] [Indexed: 01/24/2023] Open
Abstract
Mobile animal groups provide some of the most compelling examples of self-organization in the natural world. While field observations of songbird flocks wheeling in the sky or anchovy schools fleeing from predators have inspired considerable interest in the mechanics of collective motion, the challenge of simultaneously monitoring multiple animals in the field has historically limited our capacity to study collective behaviour of wild animal groups with precision. However, recent technological advancements now present exciting opportunities to overcome many of these limitations. Here we review existing methods used to collect data on the movements and interactions of multiple animals in a natural setting. We then survey emerging technologies that are poised to revolutionize the study of collective animal behaviour by extending the spatial and temporal scales of inquiry, increasing data volume and quality, and expediting the post-processing of raw data.This article is part of the theme issue 'Collective movement ecology'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lacey F Hughey
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Marine Biology, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106, USA
| | - Andrew M Hein
- Southwest Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
- Institute of Marine Sciences, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Ariana Strandburg-Peshkin
- Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Frants H Jensen
- Aarhus Institute of Advanced Studies, Aarhus University, Høegh-Guldbergs Gade 6B, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA 02543, USA
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39
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Alarcón‐Nieto G, Graving JM, Klarevas‐Irby JA, Maldonado‐Chaparro AA, Mueller I, Farine DR. An automated barcode tracking system for behavioural studies in birds. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gustavo Alarcón‐Nieto
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective BehaviourDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Jacob M. Graving
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective BehaviourDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute for Ornithology Konstanz Germany
| | - James A. Klarevas‐Irby
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective BehaviourDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
| | - Adriana A. Maldonado‐Chaparro
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective BehaviourDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute for Ornithology Konstanz Germany
| | - Inge Mueller
- Department of Migration and Immuno‐EcologyMax‐Planck Institute of Ornithology Radolfzell Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective BehaviourDepartment of BiologyUniversity of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Collective BehaviourMax Planck Institute for Ornithology Konstanz Germany
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40
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Maldonado-Chaparro AA, Montiglio PO, Forstmeier W, Kempenaers B, Farine DR. Linking the fine-scale social environment to mating decisions: a future direction for the study of extra-pair paternity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Adriana A. Maldonado-Chaparro
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Universitätsstrasse 10; 78457 Konstanz Germany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz Germany
| | - Pierre-Olivier Montiglio
- Department of Biology & Redpath Museum; McGill University; 1205 Dr Penfield Avenue, Montreal, Quebec H3A 1B1 Canada
| | - Wolfgang Forstmeier
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| | - Bart Kempenaers
- Department of Behavioural Ecology and Evolutionary Genetics; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; 82319 Seewiesen Germany
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Universitätsstrasse 10; 78457 Konstanz Germany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Universitätsstrasse 10, 78457 Konstanz Germany
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS U.K
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41
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Hoppitt WJ, Farine DR. Association indices for quantifying social relationships: how to deal with missing observations of individuals or groups. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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42
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Evans JC, Jones TB, Morand-Ferron J. Dominance and the initiation of group feeding events: the modifying effect of sociality. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
| | - Teri B Jones
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, Jane Herdman Building, UK
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43
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Firth JA, Sheldon BC, Farine DR. Pathways of information transmission among wild songbirds follow experimentally imposed changes in social foraging structure. Biol Lett 2017; 12:rsbl.2016.0144. [PMID: 27247439 PMCID: PMC4938043 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2016] [Accepted: 04/29/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals regularly use information from others to shape their decisions. Yet, determining how changes in social structure affect information flow and social learning strategies has remained challenging. We manipulated the social structure of a large community of wild songbirds by controlling which individuals could feed together at automated feeding stations (selective feeders). We then provided novel ephemeral food patches freely accessible to all birds and recorded the spread of this new information. We demonstrate that the discovery of new food patches followed the experimentally imposed social structure and that birds disproportionately learnt from those whom they could forage with at the selective feeders. The selective feeders reduced the number of conspecific information sources available and birds subsequently increased their use of information provided by heterospecifics. Our study demonstrates that changes to social systems carry over into pathways of information transfer and that individuals learn from tutors that provide relevant information in other contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Damien R Farine
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, 78457 Konstanz, Germany Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, 78457 Konstanz, Germany
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44
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Farine DR. When to choose dynamic vs. static social network analysis. J Anim Ecol 2017; 87:128-138. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12764] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/06/2017] [Accepted: 10/01/2017] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Konstanz Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Konstanz Germany
- Department of Zoology Edward Grey Institute University of Oxford Oxford UK
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45
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Stowell D, Gill L, Clayton D. Detailed temporal structure of communication networks in groups of songbirds. J R Soc Interface 2017; 13:rsif.2016.0296. [PMID: 27335223 PMCID: PMC4938092 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0296] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2016] [Accepted: 06/02/2016] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals in groups often exchange calls, in patterns whose temporal structure may be influenced by contextual factors such as physical location and the social network structure of the group. We introduce a model-based analysis for temporal patterns of animal call timing, originally developed for networks of firing neurons. This has advantages over cross-correlation analysis in that it can correctly handle common-cause confounds and provides a generative model of call patterns with explicit parameters for the influences between individuals. It also has advantages over standard Markovian analysis in that it incorporates detailed temporal interactions which affect timing as well as sequencing of calls. Further, a fitted model can be used to generate novel synthetic call sequences. We apply the method to calls recorded from groups of domesticated zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) individuals. We find that the communication network in these groups has stable structure that persists from one day to the next, and that ‘kernels’ reflecting the temporal range of influence have a characteristic structure for a calling individual's effect on itself, its partner and on others in the group. We further find characteristic patterns of influences by call type as well as by individual.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dan Stowell
- Machine Listening Lab, Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Lisa Gill
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - David Clayton
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
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46
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Radersma R, Garroway CJ, Santure AW, de Cauwer I, Farine DR, Slate J, Sheldon BC. Social and spatial effects on genetic variation between foraging flocks in a wild bird population. Mol Ecol 2017; 26:5807-5819. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.14291] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2015] [Revised: 06/29/2017] [Accepted: 07/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Reinder Radersma
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
- Department of Biology; Lund University; Lund Sweden
| | - Colin J. Garroway
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Manitoba; Winnipeg MB Canada
| | - Anna W. Santure
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
- School of Biological Sciences; The University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Isabelle de Cauwer
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
- Univ. Lille; CNRS; UMR 8198 - Evo-Eco-Paleo; Lille France
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
- Department of Collective Behaviour; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology; Konstanz Germany
- Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour; Department of Biology; University of Konstanz; Konstanz Germany
| | - Jon Slate
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences; University of Sheffield; Sheffield UK
| | - Ben C. Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute; Department of Zoology; University of Oxford; Oxford UK
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47
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Firth JA, Voelkl B, Crates RA, Aplin LM, Biro D, Croft DP, Sheldon BC. Wild birds respond to flockmate loss by increasing their social network associations to others. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20170299. [PMID: 28515203 PMCID: PMC5443949 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2017] [Accepted: 04/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the consequences of losing individuals from wild populations is a current and pressing issue, yet how such loss influences the social behaviour of the remaining animals is largely unexplored. Through combining the automated tracking of winter flocks of over 500 wild great tits (Parus major) with removal experiments, we assessed how individuals' social network positions responded to the loss of their social associates. We found that the extent of flockmate loss that individuals experienced correlated positively with subsequent increases in the number of their social associations, the average strength of their bonds and their overall connectedness within the social network (defined as summed edge weights). Increased social connectivity was not driven by general disturbance or changes in foraging behaviour, but by modifications to fine-scale social network connections in response to losing their associates. Therefore, the reduction in social connectedness expected by individual loss may be mitigated by increases in social associations between remaining individuals. Given that these findings demonstrate rapid adjustment of social network associations in response to the loss of previous social ties, future research should examine the generality of the compensatory adjustment of social relations in ways that maintain the structure of social organization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University Bern, Laenggassstrasse 120, 3012 Bern, CH, Switzerland
| | - Ross A Crates
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
- Fenner School, Australian National University, Canberra 2601, Australia
| | - Lucy M Aplin
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - Darren P Croft
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
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48
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Aplin LM, Morand-Ferron J. Stable producer-scrounger dynamics in wild birds: sociability and learning speed covary with scrounging behaviour. Proc Biol Sci 2017; 284:20162872. [PMID: 28404775 PMCID: PMC5394662 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2016.2872] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/31/2016] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
There has been extensive game-theoretic modelling of conditions leading to equilibria of producer-scrounger dichotomies in groups. However there is a surprising paucity of experimental evidence in wild populations. Here, we examine producer-scrounger games in five subpopulations of birds feeding at a socially learnt foraging task. Over four weeks, a bimodal distribution of producers and scroungers emerged in all areas, with pronounced and consistent individual tactic specialization persisting over 3 years. Tactics were unrelated to exploratory personality, but correlated with latency to contact and learn the foraging task, with the late arrivers and slower learners more likely to adopt the scrounging role. Additionally, the social environment was also important: at the broad scale, larger subpopulations with a higher social density contained proportionally more scroungers, while within subpopulations scroungers tended to be central in the social network and be observed in larger foraging flocks. This study thus provides a rare example of a stable, dimorphic distribution of producer-scrounger tactics in a wild population. It further gives support across multiple scales for a major prediction of social foraging theory; that the frequency of scroungers increases with group size.
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Affiliation(s)
- L M Aplin
- Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK
| | - J Morand-Ferron
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada K1N 6N5
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49
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Valletta JJ, Torney C, Kings M, Thornton A, Madden J. Applications of machine learning in animal behaviour studies. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 230] [Impact Index Per Article: 32.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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50
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Jacoby DMP, Papastamatiou YP, Freeman R. Inferring animal social networks and leadership: applications for passive monitoring arrays. J R Soc Interface 2016; 13:20160676. [PMID: 27881803 PMCID: PMC5134018 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0676] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/23/2016] [Accepted: 11/01/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Analyses of animal social networks have frequently benefited from techniques derived from other disciplines. Recently, machine learning algorithms have been adopted to infer social associations from time-series data gathered using remote, telemetry systems situated at provisioning sites. We adapt and modify existing inference methods to reveal the underlying social structure of wide-ranging marine predators moving through spatial arrays of passive acoustic receivers. From six months of tracking data for grey reef sharks (Carcharhinus amblyrhynchos) at Palmyra atoll in the Pacific Ocean, we demonstrate that some individuals emerge as leaders within the population and that this behavioural coordination is predicted by both sex and the duration of co-occurrences between conspecifics. In doing so, we provide the first evidence of long-term, spatially extensive social processes in wild sharks. To achieve these results, we interrogate simulated and real tracking data with the explicit purpose of drawing attention to the key considerations in the use and interpretation of inference methods and their impact on resultant social structure. We provide a modified translation of the GMMEvents method for R, including new analyses quantifying the directionality and duration of social events with the aim of encouraging the careful use of these methods more widely in less tractable social animal systems but where passive telemetry is already widespread.
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Affiliation(s)
- David M P Jacoby
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
| | - Yannis P Papastamatiou
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 N.E. 151st Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Robin Freeman
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK
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