1
|
Nautiyal H, Romano V, Tanaka H, Huffman MA. Female social dynamics as viewed from grooming networks in the Central Himalayan Langur (Semnopithecus schistaceus). Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23655. [PMID: 38922763 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23655] [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: 05/28/2023] [Revised: 05/30/2024] [Accepted: 06/06/2024] [Indexed: 06/28/2024]
Abstract
Enhanced survival and reproduction are associated with an individual's direct and indirect social connections with members of a group. Yet, the role of these connections is little known in a vast range of primate species. We studied female Central Himalayan Langur (CHL) to investigate the link between four specific attributes (dominance rank, age, genetic relatedness, and the presence of females carrying infants) and a female's direct and indirect social relationships. By analyzing grooming networks, we revealed different behavioral strategies: high-ranking females form relationships with many females (high degree), whereas females with dependent infants have strong relationships (high strength and eigenvector). Subadult females are important individuals that hold the social network together (high betweenness), while an immigrant female strategy is to integrate herself into the group by forming strong bonds with females who themselves have strong bonds (high eigenvector). Our study sheds light on how behavioral strategies shape female CHL grooming networks, which may help them to secure fitness and survival advantages.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Himani Nautiyal
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
- National Institute of Advanced Studies, Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, India
- College of Medicine, Howard University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Valéria Romano
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Université, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, Marseille, France
| | - Hiroyuki Tanaka
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
- Center for Ecological Research, Inuyama Campus, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| | - Michael A Huffman
- Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
- Wildlife Research Center, Inuyama Campus, Kyoto University, Inuyama, Aichi, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Webber QMR, Laforge MP, Bonar M, Vander Wal E. The adaptive value of density-dependent habitat specialization and social network centrality. Nat Commun 2024; 15:4423. [PMID: 38789438 PMCID: PMC11126670 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-48657-8] [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: 01/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/08/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Density dependence is a fundamental ecological process. In particular, animal habitat selection and social behavior often affect fitness in a density-dependent manner. The Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) and niche variation hypothesis (NVH) present distinct predictions associated with Optimal Foraging Theory about how the effect of habitat selection on fitness varies with population density. Using caribou (Rangifer tarandus) in Canada as a model system, we test competing hypotheses about how habitat specialization, social behavior, and annual reproductive success (co)vary across a population density gradient. Within a behavioral reaction norm framework, we estimate repeatability, behavioral plasticity, and covariance among social behavior and habitat selection to investigate the adaptive value of sociality and habitat selection. In support of NVH, but not the IFD, we find that at high density habitat specialists had higher annual reproductive success than generalists, but were also less social than generalists, suggesting the possibility that specialists were less social to avoid competition. Our study supports niche variation as a mechanism for density-dependent habitat specialization.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Quinn M R Webber
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada.
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada.
| | - Michel P Laforge
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Maegwin Bonar
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eric Vander Wal
- Cognitive and Behavioural Ecology Interdisciplinary Program, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
- Department of Biology, Memorial University of Newfoundland, St. John's, NF, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Jourdain E, Karoliussen R, Fordyce Martin SL, Langangen Ø, Robeck T, Borgå K, Ruus A, Foote AD. Social and genetic connectivity despite ecological variation in a killer whale network. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240524. [PMID: 38628123 PMCID: PMC11022014 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0524] [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: 03/03/2024] [Accepted: 03/18/2024] [Indexed: 04/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Philopatric kin-based societies encourage a narrow breadth of conservative behaviours owing to individuals primarily learning from close kin, promoting behavioural homogeneity. However, weaker social ties beyond kin, and across a behaviourally diverse social landscape, could be sufficient to induce variation and a greater ecological niche breadth. We investigated a network of 457 photo-identified killer whales from Norway (548 encounters in 2008-2021) with diet data available (46 mixed-diet individuals feeding on both fish and mammals, and 411 exclusive fish-eaters) to quantify patterns of association within and between diet groups, and to identify underlying correlates. We genotyped a subset of 106 whales to assess patterns of genetic differentiation. Our results suggested kinship as main driver of social bonds within and among cohesive social units, while diet was most likely a consequence reflective of cultural diffusion, rather than a driver. Flexible associations within and between ecologically diverse social units led to a highly connected network, reducing social and genetic differentiation between diet groups. Our study points to a role of social connectivity, in combination with individual behavioural variation, in influencing population ecology in killer whales.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Jourdain
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Orca Survey, 8480 Andenes, Norway
| | | | - Sarah L. Fordyce Martin
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technologies (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| | | | - Todd Robeck
- Zoological Operations, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment, Orlando, FL 32819, USA
| | - Katrine Borgå
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Anders Ruus
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Norwegian Institute of Water Research, 32821 Oslo, Norway
| | - Andrew D. Foote
- Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, 0316 Oslo, Norway
- Department of Natural History, NTNU University Museum, Norwegian University of Science and Technologies (NTNU), 7491 Trondheim, Norway
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Wild S, Alarcón-Nieto G, Aplin LM. The ontogeny of social networks in wild great tits ( Parus major). Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae011. [PMID: 38495730 PMCID: PMC10941318 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/18/2023] [Revised: 02/07/2024] [Accepted: 03/05/2024] [Indexed: 03/19/2024] Open
Abstract
Sociality impacts many biological processes and can be tightly linked to an individual's fitness. To maximize the advantages of group living, many social animals prefer to associate with individuals that provide the most benefits, such as kin, familiar individuals, or those of similar phenotypes. Such social strategies are not necessarily stable over time but can vary with changing selection pressures. In particular, young individuals transitioning to independence should continuously adjust their social behavior in light of developmental changes. However, social strategies exhibited during adolescence in animals are understudied, and the factors underlying social network formation during ontogeny remain elusive. Here, we tracked associations of wild great tits (Parus major) during the transition to independence and across their first year of life. Both spatial and social factors predicted dyadic associations. During the transition to independence in spring, fledglings initially preferred to associate with siblings and peers over non-parent adults. We found no evidence for preferred associations among juveniles of similar age or fledge weight during that time but weak evidence for some potential inheritance of the parental social network. By autumn, after juveniles had reached full independence, they exhibited social strategies similar to those of adults by establishing stable social ties based on familiarity that persisted through winter into the next spring. Overall, this research demonstrates dynamic changes in social networks during ontogeny in a species with a fast life history and limited parental care, which likely reflect changes in selective pressures. It further highlights the importance of long-term social bonds based on familiarity in this species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Wild
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California Davis, One Shields Ave, Davis, CA-95616, USA
| | - Gustavo Alarcón-Nieto
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Migration, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- International Max Planck Research School for Quantitative Behaviour, Ecology and Evolution, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Lucy M Aplin
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, 46 Sullivan’s Creek Road, Canberra, ACT 2600, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Debetencourt B, Barry MM, Arandjelovic M, Stephens C, Maldonado N, Boesch C. Camera traps unveil demography, social structure, and home range of six unhabituated Western chimpanzee groups in the Moyen Bafing National Park, Guinea. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23578. [PMID: 37985945 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23578] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 11/02/2023] [Accepted: 11/05/2023] [Indexed: 11/22/2023]
Abstract
Precise estimates of population dynamics and social grouping patterns are required for effective conservation of wild animal populations. It is difficult to obtain such information on non-human great apes as they have slow reproductive rates. To gain a better understanding of demography in these populations, previous research has typically involved habituation\, a process that requires years. Here, we collected data continuously over year-long periods to monitor an unhabituated population of critically endangered Western chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Moyen Bafing National Park, Guinea. We used two arrays of 100 camera traps that were placed opportunistically in two distinct 100 km2 sites, named Bakoun and Koukoutamba. We identified 227 individuals in Bakoun and 207 in Koukoutamba through their unique facial features. Our camera trap data make clear that these individuals belong to six and seven closed groups, respectively. Six of those groups were near-completely sampled with an average minimum size of 46.8 individuals (range: 37-58), and a mean adult sex ratio of 1.32 (range: 0.93-2.10). We described the demographic composition of these groups and use Bayesian social network analysis to understand population structure. The network analyses suggested that the social bonds within the two populations were structured by sex homophily, with male chimpanzees being more or equally likely to be observed together than other adult associations. Through estimation of minimum convex polygons, we described the minimum home range for those groups. Compared to other chimpanzee groups living in a similar environment (mosaic savanna-forest), the Moyen Bafing region seems to host a high-density of chimpanzees with small home ranges for their group size. Our research highlights the potential of camera traps for studying the demographic composition of chimpanzee populations with high resolution and obtaining crucial information on several groups in a time-efficient and cost-effective way.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Debetencourt
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mamadou Moussa Barry
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Mimi Arandjelovic
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Nuria Maldonado
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primate Behavior and Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA), Leipzig, Germany
- Wild Chimpanzee Foundation, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Downie AE, Oyesola O, Barre RS, Caudron Q, Chen YH, Dennis EJ, Garnier R, Kiwanuka K, Menezes A, Navarrete DJ, Mondragón-Palomino O, Saunders JB, Tokita CK, Zaldana K, Cadwell K, Loke P, Graham AL. Spatiotemporal-social association predicts immunological similarity in rewilded mice. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadh8310. [PMID: 38134275 PMCID: PMC10745690 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh8310] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 11/21/2023] [Indexed: 12/24/2023]
Abstract
Environmental influences on immune phenotypes are well-documented, but our understanding of which elements of the environment affect immune systems, and how, remains vague. Behaviors, including socializing with others, are central to an individual's interaction with its environment. We therefore tracked behavior of rewilded laboratory mice of three inbred strains in outdoor enclosures and examined contributions of behavior, including associations measured from spatiotemporal co-occurrences, to immune phenotypes. We found extensive variation in individual and social behavior among and within mouse strains upon rewilding. In addition, we found that the more associated two individuals were, the more similar their immune phenotypes were. Spatiotemporal association was particularly predictive of similar memory T and B cell profiles and was more influential than sibling relationships or shared infection status. These results highlight the importance of shared spatiotemporal activity patterns and/or social networks for immune phenotype and suggest potential immunological correlates of social life.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alexander E. Downie
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Oyebola Oyesola
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Ramya S. Barre
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Microbiology, Immunology, and Molecular Genetics, University of Texas Health Sciences Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX 78229, USA
| | - Quentin Caudron
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Ying-Han Chen
- Kimmel Center for Biology and Medicine at the Skirball Institute, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Emily J. Dennis
- Janelia Research Campus, Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Ashburn, VA 20147, USA
| | - Romain Garnier
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kasalina Kiwanuka
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Arthur Menezes
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Daniel J. Navarrete
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Department of Microbiology and Immunology, School of Medicine, Stanford University, Stanford, CA 94305, USA
| | - Octavio Mondragón-Palomino
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Jesse B. Saunders
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Christopher K. Tokita
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
| | - Kimberly Zaldana
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
- Department of Microbiology, New York University Grossman School of Medicine, New York, NY 10016, USA
| | - Ken Cadwell
- Division of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
- Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA
| | - P’ng Loke
- Laboratory of Parasitic Diseases, National Institute for Allergy and Infectious Diseases, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892, USA
| | - Andrea L. Graham
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Kaburu SSK, Balasubramaniam KN, Marty PR, Beisner B, Fuji K, Bliss-Moreau E, McCowan B. Effect of behavioural sampling methods on local and global social network metrics: a case-study of three macaque species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:231001. [PMID: 38077223 PMCID: PMC10698479 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.231001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2023] [Accepted: 11/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/11/2024]
Abstract
Social network analysis (SNA) is a powerful, quantitative tool to measure animals' direct and indirect social connectedness in the context of social groups. However, the extent to which behavioural sampling methods influence SNA metrics remains unclear. To fill this gap, here we compare network indices of grooming, huddling, and aggression calculated from data collected from three macaque species through two sampling methods: focal animal sampling (FAS) and all-occurrences behaviour sampling (ABS). We found that measures of direct connectedness (degree centrality, and network density) were correlated between FAS and ABS for all social behaviours. Eigenvector and betweenness centralities were correlated for grooming and aggression networks across all species. By contrast, for huddling, we found a correlation only for betweenness centrality while eigenvector centralities were correlated only for the tolerant bonnet macaque but not so for the despotic rhesus macaque. Grooming and huddling network modularity and centralization were correlated between FAS and ABS for all but three of the eight groups. By contrast, for aggression network, we found a correlation for network centralization but not modularity between the sampling methodologies. We discuss how our findings provide researchers with new guidelines regarding choosing the appropriate sampling method to estimate social network metrics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stefano S. K. Kaburu
- School of Animal Rural & Environmental Sciences, Nottingham Trent University, Southwell NG25 0QF, UK
| | - Krishna N. Balasubramaniam
- School of Life Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
| | | | - Brianne Beisner
- Animal Resources Division, Emory National Primate Research Center, Emory University, 16 Atlanta, GA 30329, USA
| | - Kevin Fuji
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA
| | - Eliza Bliss-Moreau
- Department of Psychology, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA
| | - Brenda McCowan
- Department of Population Health & Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA
- California National Primate Research Center, University of California, Davis CA 95616, USA
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Cook PA, Costello RA, Formica VA, Brodie ED. Individual and Population Age Impact Social Behavior and Network Structure in a Long-Lived Insect. Am Nat 2023; 202:667-680. [PMID: 37963123 DOI: 10.1086/726063] [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] [Indexed: 11/16/2023]
Abstract
AbstractSocial behaviors vary among individuals, and social networks vary among groups. Understanding the causes of such variation is important for predicting or altering ecological processes such as infectious disease outbreaks. Here, we ask whether age contributes to variation in social behavior at multiple levels of organization: within individuals over time, among individuals of different ages, among local social environments, and among populations. We used experimental manipulations of captive populations and a longitudinal dataset to test whether social behavior is associated with age across these levels in a long-lived insect, the forked fungus beetle (Bolitotherus cornutus). In cross-sectional analyses, we found that older beetles were less connected in their social networks. Longitudinal data confirmed that this effect was due in part to changes in behavior over time; beetles became less social over 2 years, possibly because of increased social selectivity or reproductive investment. Beetles of different ages also occupied different local social neighborhoods. The effects of age on behavior scaled up: populations of older individuals had fewer interactions, fewer but more variable relationships, longer network path lengths, and lower clustering than populations of young individuals. Age therefore impacted not only individual sociality but also the network structures that mediate critical population processes.
Collapse
|
9
|
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.
Collapse
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
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fennell SC, Gleeson JP, Quayle M, Durrheim K, Burke K. Agent-based null models for examining experimental social interaction networks. Sci Rep 2023; 13:5249. [PMID: 37002286 PMCID: PMC10066360 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-32295-z] [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: 10/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/25/2023] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We consider the analysis of temporal data arising from online interactive social experiments, which is complicated by the fact that classical independence assumptions about the observations are not satisfied. Therefore, we propose an approach that compares the output of a fitted (linear) model from the observed interaction data to that generated by an assumed agent-based null model. This allows us to discover, for example, the extent to which the structure of social interactions differs from that of random interactions. Moreover, we provide network visualisations that identify the extent of ingroup favouritism and reciprocity as well as particular individuals whose behaviour differs markedly from the norm. We specifically consider experimental data collected via the novel Virtual Interaction APPLication (VIAPPL). We find that ingroup favouritism and reciprocity are present in social interactions observed on this platform, and that these behaviours strengthen over time. Note that, while our proposed methodology was developed with VIAPPL in mind, its potential usage extends to any type of social interaction data.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Susan C Fennell
- MACSI, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - James P Gleeson
- MACSI, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
| | - Michael Quayle
- Department of Psychology, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland
- Department of Psychology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
| | - Kevin Durrheim
- Department of Psychology, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
- Department of Psychology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Kevin Burke
- MACSI, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, University of Limerick, Limerick, Ireland.
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Costa RFP, Romano V, Pereira AS, Hart JDA, MacIntosh A, Hayashi M. Mountain gorillas benefit from social distancing too: Close proximity from tourists affects gorillas' sociality. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Raquel F. P. Costa
- Research Department Japan Monkey Center Inuyama Aichi Japan
- Primate Cognition Research Group, Centre for Philosophy of Science of the University of Lisbon Lisbon Portugal
| | - Valéria Romano
- Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178 Strasbourg France
- IMBE, Aix Marseille Univ., Avignon Univ., CNRS, IRD Marseille France
| | - André S. Pereira
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter Exeter UK
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences University of Coimbra Coimbra Portugal
| | - Jordan D. A. Hart
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | - Andrew MacIntosh
- Inuyama Campus, Kyoto University Wildlife Research Center Inuyama Japan
- Institute for Liberal Arts and Sciences, Kyoto University Kyoto Japan
| | - Misato Hayashi
- Research Department Japan Monkey Center Inuyama Aichi Japan
- Chubu Gakuin University Kakamigahara Japan
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Easter C, Leadbeater E, Hasenjager MJ. Behavioural variation among workers promotes feed-forward loops in a simulated insect colony. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220120. [PMID: 35316950 PMCID: PMC8889185 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2022] [Accepted: 02/04/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Coordinated responses in eusocial insect colonies arise from worker interaction networks that enable collective processing of ecologically relevant information. Previous studies have detected a structural motif in these networks known as the feed-forward loop, which functions to process information in other biological regulatory networks (e.g. transcriptional networks). However, the processes that generate feed-forward loops among workers and the consequences for information flow within the colony remain largely unexplored. We constructed an agent-based model to investigate how individual variation in activity and movement shaped the production of feed-forward loops in a simulated insect colony. We hypothesized that individual variation along these axes would generate feed-forward loops by driving variation in interaction frequency among workers. We found that among-individual variation in activity drove over-representation of feed-forward loops in the interaction networks by determining the directionality of interactions. However, despite previous work linking feed-forward loops with efficient information transfer, activity variation did not promote faster or more efficient information flow, thus providing no support for the hypothesis that feed-forward loops reflect selection for enhanced collective functioning. Conversely, individual variation in movement trajectory, despite playing no role in generating feed-forward loops, promoted fast and efficient information flow by linking together otherwise unconnected regions of the nest.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Carrie Easter
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Ellouise Leadbeater
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| | - Matthew J. Hasenjager
- Department of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, Egham TW20 0EX, UK
| |
Collapse
|