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Jansson I, Parsons AW, Singh NJ, Faust L, Kissui BM, Mjingo EE, Sandström C, Spong G. Coexistence from a lion's perspective: Movements and habitat selection by African lions (Panthera leo) across a multi-use landscape. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0311178. [PMID: 39361578 PMCID: PMC11449311 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0311178] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2024] [Accepted: 09/14/2024] [Indexed: 10/05/2024] Open
Abstract
Diminishing wild space and population fragmentation are key drivers of large carnivore declines worldwide. The persistence of large carnivores in fragmented landscapes often depends on the ability of individuals to move between separated subpopulations for genetic exchange and recovery from stochastic events. Where separated by anthropogenic landscapes, subpopulations' connectivity hinges on the area's socio-ecological conditions for coexistence and dispersing individuals' behavioral choices. Using GPS-collars and resource- and step-selection functions, we explored African lion (Panthera leo) habitat selection and movement patterns to better understand lions' behavioral adjustments in a landscape shared with pastoralists. We conducted our study in the Ngorongoro Conservation Area (NCA), Tanzania, a multiuse rangeland, that connects the small, high density lion subpopulation of the Ngorongoro Crater with the extensive Serengeti lion population. Landscape use by pastoralists and their livestock in the NCA varies seasonally, driven by the availability of pasture, water, and disease avoidance. The most important factor for lion habitat selection was the amount of vegetation cover, but its importance varied with the distance to human settlements, season and time of day. Although we noted high levels of individual variation in tolerance for humans, in general lions avoided humans on the landscape and used more cover when closer to humans. Females showed more consistent avoidance of humans and stronger use of cover when near humans than did males. Connectivity of lion subpopulations does not appear to be blocked by sparse pastoralist settlements, and nomadic males, key to subpopulation connectivity, significantly avoided humans during the day, suggesting a behavioral strategy for conflict mitigation. These results are consistent with lions balancing risk from humans with exploitation of livestock by altering their behaviors to reduce potential conflict. Our study lends some optimism for the adaptive capacity of lions to promote coexistence with humans in shared landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ingela Jansson
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
- KopeLion, Ngorongoro Conservation Area, Arusha, Tanzania
| | - Arielle W. Parsons
- Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | - Navinder J. Singh
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Lisa Faust
- Alexander Center for Applied Population Biology, Lincoln Park Zoo, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America
| | | | | | | | - Göran Spong
- Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Wildlife, Fish and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, Sweden
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2
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Conquet E, Paniw M, Borrego N, Nater CR, Packer C, Ozgul A. Multifaceted density dependence: Social structure and seasonality effects on Serengeti lion demography. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:1493-1509. [PMID: 39080877 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14158] [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: 10/30/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2024] [Indexed: 10/03/2024]
Abstract
Interactions between density and environmental conditions have important effects on vital rates and consequently on population dynamics and can take complex pathways in species whose demography is strongly influenced by social context, such as the African lion, Panthera leo. In populations of such species, the response of vital rates to density can vary depending on the social structure (e.g. effects of group size or composition). However, studies assessing density dependence in populations of lions and other social species have seldom considered the effects of multiple socially explicit measures of density, and-more particularly for lions-of nomadic males. Additionally, vital-rate responses to interactions between the environment and various measures of density remain largely uninvestigated. To fill these knowledge gaps, we aimed to understand how a socially and spatially explicit consideration of density (i.e. at the local scale) and its interaction with environmental seasonality affect vital rates of lions in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We used a Bayesian multistate capture-recapture model and Bayesian generalized linear mixed models to estimate lion stage-specific survival and between-stage transition rates, as well as reproduction probability and recruitment, while testing for season-specific effects of density measures at the group and home-range levels. We found evidence for several such effects. For example, resident-male survival increased more strongly with coalition size in the dry season compared with the wet season, and adult-female abundance affected subadult survival negatively in the wet season, but positively in the dry season. Additionally, while our models showed no effect of nomadic males on adult-female survival, they revealed strong effects of nomads on key processes such as reproduction and takeover dynamics. Therefore, our results highlight the importance of accounting for seasonality and social context when assessing the effects of density on vital rates of Serengeti lions and of social species more generally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Conquet
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Maria Paniw
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Conservation and Global Change, Doñana Biological Station (EBD-CSIC), Seville, Spain
| | - Natalia Borrego
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
- Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Chloé R Nater
- The Norwegian Institute for Nature Research (NINA), Trondheim, Norway
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Rudd LF, Packer C, Biro D, Firth JA, Albery GF. Sex-specific social aging in wild African lions. Curr Biol 2024; 34:4039-4046.e2. [PMID: 39111314 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2024.07.040] [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: 03/14/2024] [Revised: 06/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/09/2024] [Indexed: 09/12/2024]
Abstract
There is a growing interest in social behavior change with age,1,2,3,4,5 and the impacts of sociality on longevity,6,7,8 but current knowledge is broadly limited to primates, societies structured by dominance hierarchies, or single-sex studies. It is less clear how social aging patterns emerge in carnivores. The African lion (Panthera leo), a species that lives in egalitarian fission-fusion societies, presents an exceptional opportunity to examine social aging. Across felids, lions are unique in their dependence on conspecifics for many essential processes,9,10,11 and there is vast knowledge of lion behavioral ecology,10,11,12,13,14 including documented reproductive senescence in both sexes.14,15 Applying spatial-social network analyses across 30 years of data on the wild Serengeti lion population, we show that sex strongly modulates patterns of social aging and longevity. Group size increased with age for both sexes, but only males experienced significant changes in associate numbers (degree), specifically to females, which peaked in mid-life before declining. While aging females experienced declines in intra-sex connectivity (strength) and bond strength (mean strength), they peaked in both to males during mid-life. Male inter-sex strength also peaked in mid-life, while conversely their intra-sex strength and mean strength significantly dipped in mid-life. Although social associations were important for survival in both sexes, the investment diverged significantly: females' overall network connectivity was key for longevity, while the number of associates was important for males. These findings illustrate important potential effects of social aging in a wild carnivore and demonstrate how these diverge strongly between the sexes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren F Rudd
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK.
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA
| | - Josh A Firth
- Department of Biology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3SZ, UK; School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Gregory F Albery
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA; Trinity College Dublin, Dublin D02 PN40, Republic of Ireland
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Corley M, Garcia de la Chica A, van der Heide G, Rotundo M, Caccone A, Fernandez-Duque E. Inbreeding avoidance, competition and natal dispersal in a pair-living, genetically monogamous mammal, Azara's owl monkey ( Aotus azarae). ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2024; 11:240379. [PMID: 39113772 PMCID: PMC11305132 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.240379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 06/17/2024] [Accepted: 06/25/2024] [Indexed: 08/10/2024]
Abstract
Natal dispersal is an important life-history stage influencing individual fitness, social dynamics of groups and population structure. Understanding factors influencing dispersal is essential for evaluating explanations for the evolution and maintenance of social organization, including parental care and mating systems. The social and mating systems of Azara's owl monkeys (Aotus azarae) are infrequent among mammals; these primates are pair-living, serially and genetically monogamous and both sexes directly care for offspring. To evaluate the role that competition and inbreeding avoidance play in shaping dispersal patterns, we used 25 years of demographic and genetic data to examine how variation in timing of natal dispersal is related to social (adult replacements, step-parents, births and group size) and ecological factors (seasonal abundance of resources) in a wild population of A. azarae in Formosa, Argentina. We found that all males and females dispersed from their natal groups, but subadults delayed dispersal when a step-parent of the opposite sex joined the group, indicating that they may perceive these step-parents as potential mates. Dispersal was more probable when resource conditions were better, regardless of age. Overall, agonistic conflict over food and potential mates with adults in the natal group, as well as inbreeding avoidance, contribute to regulating dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret Corley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Alba Garcia de la Chica
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Departamento de Ecología, Genética y Evolución-Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Laboratorio de Ecología y Comportamiento Animal, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | | | | | - Adalgisa Caccone
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Owl Monkey Project, Fundación ECO, Formosa, Argentina
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
- Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
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Nelson J, Woeste EM, Oba K, Bitterman K, Billings BK, Sacco J, Jacobs B, Sherwood CC, Manger PR, Spocter MA. Neuropil Variation in the Prefrontal, Motor, and Visual Cortex of Six Felids. BRAIN, BEHAVIOR AND EVOLUTION 2024; 99:25-44. [PMID: 38354714 DOI: 10.1159/000537843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2024] [Indexed: 02/16/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Felids have evolved a specialized suite of morphological adaptations for obligate carnivory. Although the musculoskeletal anatomy of the Felidae has been studied extensively, the comparative neuroanatomy of felids is relatively unexplored. Little is known about how variation in the cerebral anatomy of felids relates to species-specific differences in sociality, hunting strategy, or activity patterns. METHODS We quantitatively analyzed neuropil variation in the prefrontal, primary motor, and primary visual cortices of six species of Felidae (Panthera leo, Panthera uncia, Panthera tigris, Panthera leopardus, Acinonyx jubatus, Felis sylvestris domesticus) to investigate relationships with brain size, neuronal cell parameters, and select behavioral and ecological factors. Neuropil is the dense, intricate network of axons, dendrites, and synapses in the brain, playing a critical role in information processing and communication between neurons. RESULTS There were significant species and regional differences in neuropil proportions, with African lion, cheetah, and tiger having more neuropil in all three cortical regions in comparison to the other species. Based on regression analyses, we find that the increased neuropil fraction in the prefrontal cortex supports social and behavioral flexibility, while in the primary motor cortex, this facilitates the neural activity needed for hunting movements. Greater neuropil fraction in the primary visual cortex may contribute to visual requirements associated with diel activity patterns. CONCLUSION These results provide a cross-species comparison of neuropil fraction variation in the Felidae, particularly the understudied Panthera, and provide evidence for convergence of the neuroanatomy of Panthera and cheetahs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob Nelson
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Erin M Woeste
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Ken Oba
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Kathleen Bitterman
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Brendon K Billings
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - James Sacco
- Ellis Pharmacogenomics Laboratory, College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences, Drake University, Des Moines, Iowa, USA
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Department of Psychology, Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Colorado College, Colorado Springs, Colorado, USA
| | - Chet C Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human Paleobiology, The George Washington University, Washington, District of Columbia, USA
| | - Paul R Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
| | - Muhammad A Spocter
- Department of Anatomy, Des Moines University, West Des Moines, Iowa, USA
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Iowa State University, Ames, Iowa, USA
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6
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Chege M, Bertola LD, De Snoo GR, Ngene S, Otieno T, Amoke I, van 't Zelfde M, Dolrenry S, Broekhuis F, Tamis W, De Iongh HH, Elliot NB. Effect of ecological and anthropogenic factors on grouping patterns in African lions across Kenya. Ecol Evol 2024; 14:e10982. [PMID: 38362173 PMCID: PMC10867360 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10982] [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: 05/20/2023] [Revised: 01/18/2024] [Accepted: 01/23/2024] [Indexed: 02/17/2024] Open
Abstract
Social carnivores frequently live in fission-fusion societies, where individuals that share a common territory or home range may be found alone, in subgroups, or altogether. Absolute group size and subgroup size is expected to vary according to resource distribution, but for species that are susceptible to anthropogenic pressures, other factors may be important drivers. African lions (Panthera leo) are the only truly social felid and lion prides are characterized by fission-fusion dynamics with social groups frequently splitting and reforming, and subgroup membership can change continuously and frequently. The number of individuals in a group can be reflective of social, ecological, and anthropogenic conditions. This dynamic behavior makes understanding lion grouping patterns crucial for tailoring conservation measures. The evolution of group living in lions has been the topic of numerous studies, and we drew on these to formulate hypotheses relating to group size and subgroup size variation. Based on data collected from 199 lion groups across eight sites in Kenya, we found that group sizes were smaller when lions were closer to human settlements, suggesting that edge effects are impacting lions at a national scale. Smaller groups were also more likely when they were far from water, and were associated with very low and very high levels of non-tree vegetation. We found significant differences between the study sites, with the Maasai Mara having the largest groups (mean ± SD = 7.7 ± 4.7, range = 1-19), and Amboseli conservation area the smallest (4.3 ± 3.5, range = 1-14). While long-term studies within a single site are well suited to thoroughly differentiate between absolute group size and subgroup size, our study provides unique insight into the correlates of grouping patterns in a vulnerable species at a national scale.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mumbi Chege
- Wildlife Research and Training InstituteNaivashaKenya
- Institute of Environmental Sciences CMLLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
| | | | - Geert R. De Snoo
- Institute of Environmental Sciences CMLLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO‐KNAW)WageningenThe Netherlands
| | | | | | | | | | | | - Femke Broekhuis
- Wildlife Ecology and Conservation GroupWageningen University and ResearchWageningenThe Netherlands
| | - Will Tamis
- Institute of Environmental Sciences CMLLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
| | - Hans H. De Iongh
- Institute of Environmental Sciences CMLLeiden UniversityLeidenThe Netherlands
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Department BiologyUniversity of AntwerpAntwerpenBelgium
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7
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McFarlane S, Manseau M, Jones TB, Pouliot D, Mastromonaco G, Pittoello G, Wilson PJ. Identification of familial networks reveals sex-specific density dependence in the dispersal and reproductive success of an endangered ungulate. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.956834] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Density is an important demographic parameter that is commonly overlooked in studies of wild populations. Here, we examined the effects of variable spatially explicit density on a range of demographic parameters in a wild population of a cryptic ungulate, boreal woodland caribou (Rangifer tarandus caribou). Using non-invasive genetic sampling, we applied spatial capture–recapture methods with landscape covariates to estimate the density of boreal woodland caribou across a 108,806 km2 study area. We then created a familial network from the reconstructed parent–offspring relationships to determine whether spatial density influenced sex-specific individual reproductive success, female pregnancy status, and dispersal distance. We found that animal density varied greatly in response to land cover types and disturbance; animal density was most influenced by landscape composition and distance to roads varying from 0 in areas with >20% deciduous cover to 270 caribou per 1,000 km2 in areas presenting contiguous older coniferous cover. We found that both male and female reproductive success varied with density, with males showing a higher probability of having offspring in higher-density areas, and the opposite for females. No differences were found in female pregnancy rates occurring in high- and low-density areas. Dispersal distances varied with density, with offspring moving shorter distances when parents were found in higher-density areas. Familial networks showed lower-closeness centrality and lower-degree centrality for females in higher-density areas, indicating that females found in higher-density areas tend to be less broadly associated with animals across the range. Although high-density areas do reflect good-quality caribou habitat, the observed decreased closeness and degree centrality measures, dispersal rates, and lower female recruitment rates suggest that remnant habitat patches across the landscape may create population sinks.
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8
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Riehl C, Smart ZF. Climate fluctuations influence variation in group size in a cooperative bird. Curr Biol 2022; 32:4264-4269.e3. [PMID: 35998636 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.057] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/25/2022] [Revised: 05/25/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Variation in group size is ubiquitous in social animals, but explaining the range of group sizes seen in nature remains challenging.1-3 Group-living species occur most frequently in climatically unpredictable environments, such that the costs and benefits of sociality may change from year to year.4-6 It is, therefore, possible that variation in climate may help to maintain a range of group sizes, but this hypothesis is rarely tested empirically.7,8 Here, we examine selection on breeding group size in the greater ani (Crotophaga major), a tropical bird that nests in cooperative groups containing multiple co-breeders and non-breeding helpers.9 We found that larger groups experience lower nest predation (due to cooperative nest defense) but suffer higher nestling starvation (due to intra-clutch competition). Long-term data revealed that the relative magnitude of these costs and benefits depends on climate, with frequent changes across years in the strength and direction of selection on group size. In wet years, individual reproductive success was higher in large groups than in small groups, whereas the opposite was true in dry years. This was partly a consequence of competition among nestlings in large clutches, which suffered significantly higher mortality in dry years than in wet years. Averaged over the 13-year study period, annual reproductive success was approximately equal for females in small and large groups. These results suggest that temporal changes in the direction of selection may help explain the persistence of a range of group sizes and that a full understanding of the selective pressures shaping sociality requires long-term fitness data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Riehl
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA.
| | - Zachariah Fox Smart
- Princeton University, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton, NJ 08544, USA
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9
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Sells SN, Mitchell MS, Podruzny KM, Ausband DE, Emlen DJ, Gude JA, Smucker TD, Boyd DK, Loonam KE. Competition, prey, and mortalities influence gray wolf group size. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22193] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sarah N. Sells
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, 205 Natural Sciences Building University of Montana, Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | - Michael S. Mitchell
- U.S. Geological Survey, Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, 205 Natural Sciences Building University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812 USA
| | | | - David E. Ausband
- U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, 875 Perimeter Drive MS 1141 University of Idaho Moscow Idaho 83844 USA
| | - Douglas J. Emlen
- Division of Biological Sciences University of Montana Missoula Montana 59812
| | - Justin A. Gude
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 1420 E. 6th St. Helena MT 59620
| | - Ty D. Smucker
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 4600 Giant Springs Road Great Falls MT 59405
| | - Diane K. Boyd
- Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks 490 North Meridian Road Kalispell MT 59901
| | - Kenneth E. Loonam
- Montana Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit, Wildlife Biology Program, 205 Natural Sciences Building University of Montana, Missoula Montana 59812 USA
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Van Belle S, Di Fiore A. Dispersal patterns in black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra): Integrating multiyear demographic and molecular data. Mol Ecol 2021; 31:391-406. [PMID: 34661321 DOI: 10.1111/mec.16227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/27/2021] [Revised: 10/03/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is a fundamental process in the functioning of animal societies as it regulates the degree to which closely related individuals are spatially concentrated. A species' dispersal pattern can be complex as it emerges from individuals' decisions shaped by the cost-benefit tradeoffs associated with either remaining in the natal group or dispersing. Given the potential complexity, combining long-term demographic information with molecular data can provide important insights into dispersal patterns of a species. Based on a 15-year study that integrates multiyear demographic data on six groups with longitudinal and cross-sectional genetic sampling of 20 groups (N = 169 individuals, N = 21 polymorphic microsatellite loci), we describe the various dispersal strategies of male and female black howler monkeys (Alouatta pigra) inhabiting Palenque National Park, Mexico. Genetically confirmed dispersal events (N = 21 of 59 males; N = 6 of 65 females) together with spatial autocorrelation analyses revealed that the dispersal pattern of black howlers is bisexual with strong sex-biases in both dispersal rate (males disperse more often than females) and dispersal distance (females disperse farther than males). Observational and genetic data confirm that both males and females can successfully immigrate into established groups, as well as form new groups with other dispersing individuals. Additionally, both males and females may disperse singly, as well as in pairs, and both may also disperse secondarily. Overall, our findings suggest multiple dispersal trajectories for black howler males and females, and longer multiyear studies are needed to unravel which demographic, ecological and social factors underlie individuals' decisions about whether to disperse and which dispersal options to take.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,Tiputini Biodiversity Station, College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Cumbayá, Ecuador
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11
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Yip EC, Smith DR, Lubin Y. Long-Term Colony Dynamics and Fitness in a Colonial Tent-Web Spider Cyrtophora citricola. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.725647] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social animals are expected to experience a positive effect of conspecific number or density on fitness (an Allee effect) because of the benefits of group living. However, social animals also often disperse to live either solitarily or in small groups, so to understand why social animals leave their groups it is necessary to understand how group size affects both average fitness and the expected fitness outcomes of individuals. We examined the relationships between group size and fitness in the colonial spider Cyrtophora citricola using long-term observations of colony demographics. We censused colonies, recording the number of juveniles, large females, and egg sacs, approximately every 2 months for 2 years. We also recorded the substrates supporting colony webs, including plant species and size, and the azimuth the colony occupied on the plant. Colonies in all regions showed cyclical patterns of growth and decline; however, regions were not synchronized, and seasonal effects differed between years. Colonies with fewer individuals at the initial observation were less likely to survive over the course of observations, and extinction rates were also influenced by an interaction between region and plant substrate. Small colonies were more likely to be extinct by the next census, but if they survived, they were more likely to have high growth rates compared to larger colonies. Despite the potential for high growth rates, high extinction rates depressed the average fitness of small colonies so that population growth rates peaked at intermediate colony sizes. Variance in egg sac production also peaked at intermediate colony sizes, suggesting that competitive interactions may increase the uneven distribution of resources in larger groups. Even if average fitness is high, if spiders can anticipate poor outcomes in large colonies, they may disperse to live solitarily or in smaller, less competitive groups.
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12
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A metapopulation model of social group dynamics and disease applied to Yellowstone wolves. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:2020023118. [PMID: 33649227 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2020023118] [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: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The population structure of social species has important consequences for both their demography and transmission of their pathogens. We develop a metapopulation model that tracks two key components of a species' social system: average group size and number of groups within a population. While the model is general, we parameterize it to mimic the dynamics of the Yellowstone wolf population and two associated pathogens: sarcoptic mange and canine distemper. In the initial absence of disease, we show that group size is mainly determined by the birth and death rates and the rates at which groups fission to form new groups. The total number of groups is determined by rates of fission and fusion, as well as environmental resources and rates of intergroup aggression. Incorporating pathogens into the models reduces the size of the host population, predominantly by reducing the number of social groups. Average group size responds in more subtle ways: infected groups decrease in size, but uninfected groups may increase when disease reduces the number of groups and thereby reduces intraspecific aggression. Our modeling approach allows for easy calculation of prevalence at multiple scales (within group, across groups, and population level), illustrating that aggregate population-level prevalence can be misleading for group-living species. The model structure is general, can be applied to other social species, and allows for a dynamic assessment of how pathogens can affect social structure and vice versa.
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13
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Muller Z, Harris S. A review of the social behaviour of the giraffe
Giraffa camelopardalis
: a misunderstood but socially complex species. Mamm Rev 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/mam.12268] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Zoe Muller
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue Bristol BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Stephen Harris
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol Life Sciences Building, 24 Tyndall Avenue Bristol BS8 1TQ UK
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14
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McEvoy OK, Ferreira SM, Parker DM. The Influence of Population Demographics on Lion (Panthera leo) Growth Rates in Small, Fenced Wildlife Reserves. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.3957/056.051.0075] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Orla K. McEvoy
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Sam M. Ferreira
- South African National Parks, Scientific Services, Skukuza, South Africa
| | - Dan M. Parker
- Wildlife and Reserve Management Research Group, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
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15
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Vinks MA, Creel S, Schuette P, Becker MS, Rosenblatt E, Sanguinetti C, Banda K, Goodheart B, Young-Overton K, Stevens X, Chifunte C, Midlane N, Simukonda C. Response of lion demography and dynamics to the loss of preferred larger prey. ECOLOGICAL APPLICATIONS : A PUBLICATION OF THE ECOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2021; 31:e02298. [PMID: 33434324 DOI: 10.1002/eap.2298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2020] [Revised: 10/07/2020] [Accepted: 10/27/2020] [Indexed: 06/12/2023]
Abstract
Large carnivores are experiencing range contraction and population declines globally. Prey depletion due to illegal offtake is considered a major contributor, but the effects of prey depletion on large carnivore demography are rarely tested. We measured African lion density and tested the factors that affect survival using mark-recapture models fit to six years of data from known individuals in Kafue National Park (KNP), Zambia. KNP is affected by prey depletion, particularly for large herbivores that were preferred prey for KNP lions a half-century ago. This provides a unique opportunity to test whether variables that explain local prey density also affect lion survival. Average lion density within our study area was 3.43 individuals/100 km2 (95% CI, 2.79-4.23), which was much lower than lion density reported for another miombo ecosystem with similar vegetation structure and rainfall that was less affected by prey depletion. Despite this, comparison to other lion populations showed that age- and sex-specific survival rates for KNP lions were generally good, and factors known to correlate with local prey density had small effects on lion survival. In contrast, recruitment of cubs was poor and average pride size was small. In particular, the proportion of the population comprised of second-year cubs was low, indicating that few cubs are recruited into the subadult age class. Our findings suggest that low recruitment might be a better signal of low prey density than survival. Thus, describing a lion population's age structure in addition to average pride size may be a simple and effective method of initially evaluating whether a lion population is affected by prey depletion. These dynamics should be evaluated for other lion populations and other large carnivore species. Increased resource protection and reducing the underlying drivers of prey depletion are urgent conservation needs for lions and other large carnivores as their conservation is increasingly threatened by range contraction and population declines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Milan A Vinks
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Scott Creel
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
- Institut för Vilt, Fisk Och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Umeå, Sweden
| | - Paul Schuette
- Marine Mammals Management, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, 1011 East Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska, 99503, USA
| | - Matthew S Becker
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Elias Rosenblatt
- Rubenstein School of Environment and Natural Resources, Aiken Center, University of Vermont, Burlington, Vermont, 05405, USA
| | | | | | - Ben Goodheart
- Department of Ecology, Montana State University, Bozeman, Montana, 59717, USA
- Zambian Carnivore Programme, Mfuwe, Zambia
| | - Kim Young-Overton
- Panthera, 8 West 40 Street, Floor 18, New York, New York, 10018, USA
| | - Xia Stevens
- Panthera, 8 West 40 Street, Floor 18, New York, New York, 10018, USA
| | - Clive Chifunte
- Institut för Vilt, Fisk Och Miljö, Sveriges Lantbruksuniversitet, Umeå, Sweden
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
| | - Neil Midlane
- Wilderness Safaris, Block H, The Terraces, Steenberg Office Park, 1 Silverwood Close, Tokai, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Chuma Simukonda
- Zambia Department of National Parks and Wildlife, Chilanga, Zambia
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16
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Abstract
Humpback dolphins (Sousa spp.) are obligate shallow-water and resident species, and they typically live in fission-fusion societies composed of small-sized groups with changeable membership. However, we have scant knowledge of their behavioral ecology, starting with potential factors influencing inter-population variability of their group sizes. Here, we compiled a new global dataset of humpback dolphin group sizes based on 150 published records. Our data indicated an inter-specific consistency of group-living strategy among the 4 species in the Sousa genus, as these species preferred living in small-sized groups with a mean size of mostly no more than 10, a minimum size of single individual or small pairs, and a maximum size of several tens or ≈100. In addition, we clearly showed the geographic variations in group sizes of humpback dolphins at a global scale. We found that the geographic variations in humpback dolphin group sizes were primarily associated with the latitude, sea surface temperature, and abundance. To conclude, our findings provide insights into social dynamics and socioecological trade-offs of humpback dolphins, and help better understand how these resident animals adapted to their shallow-water habitats from the perspectives of biogeography and socioecology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mingming Liu
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
| | - Mingli Lin
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China
| | - David Lusseau
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK.,National Institute of Aquatic Resources, Technical University of Denmark, Lyngby, Denmark
| | - Songhai Li
- Marine Mammal and Marine Bioacoustics Laboratory, Institute of Deep-sea Science and Engineering, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Sanya, China.,Tropical Marine Science Institute, National University of Singapore, Singapore
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17
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Stredulinsky EH, Darimont CT, Barrett-Lennard L, Ellis GM, Ford JKB. Family feud: permanent group splitting in a highly philopatric mammal, the killer whale (Orcinus orca). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-02992-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
For animals that tend to remain with their natal group rather than individually disperse, group sizes may become too large to benefit individual fitness. In such cases, group splitting (or fission) allows philopatric animals to form more optimal group sizes without sacrificing all familiar social relationships. Although permanent group splitting is observed in many mammals, it occurs relatively infrequently. Here, we use combined generalized modeling and machine learning approaches to provide a comprehensive examination of group splitting in a population of killer whales (Orcinus orca) that occurred over three decades. Fission occurred both along and across maternal lines, where animals dispersed in parallel with their closest maternal kin. Group splitting was more common: (1) in larger natal groups, (2) when the common maternal ancestor was no longer alive, and (3) among groups with greater substructuring. The death of a matriarch did not appear to immediately trigger splitting. Our data suggest intragroup competition for food, leadership experience and kinship are important factors that influence group splitting in this population. Our approach provides a foundation for future studies to examine the dynamics and consequences of matrilineal fission in killer whales and other taxa.
Significance statement
Group living among mammals often involves long-term social affiliation, strengthened by kinship and cooperative behaviours. As such, changes in group membership may have significant consequences for individuals’ fitness and a population’s genetic structure. Permanent group splitting is a complex and relatively rare phenomenon that has yet to be examined in detail in killer whales. In the context of a growing population, in which offspring of both sexes remain with their mothers for life, we provide the first in-depth examination of group splitting in killer whales, where splitting occurs both along and across maternal lines. We also undertake the first comprehensive assessment of how killer whale intragroup cohesion is influenced by both external and internal factors, including group structure, population and group demography, and resource abundance.
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18
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McCarthy MS, Stephens C, Dieguez P, Samuni L, Després‐Einspenner M, Harder B, Landsmann A, Lynn LK, Maldonado N, Ročkaiová Z, Widness J, Wittig RM, Boesch C, Kühl HS, Arandjelovic M. Chimpanzee identification and social network construction through an online citizen science platform. Ecol Evol 2021; 11:1598-1608. [PMID: 33613992 PMCID: PMC7882979 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.7128] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2020] [Revised: 11/08/2020] [Accepted: 11/13/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Citizen science has grown rapidly in popularity in recent years due to its potential to educate and engage the public while providing a means to address a myriad of scientific questions. However, the rise in popularity of citizen science has also been accompanied by concerns about the quality of data emerging from citizen science research projects. We assessed data quality in the online citizen scientist platform Chimp&See, which hosts camera trap videos of chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and other species across Equatorial Africa. In particular, we compared detection and identification of individual chimpanzees by citizen scientists with that of experts with years of experience studying those chimpanzees. We found that citizen scientists typically detected the same number of individual chimpanzees as experts, but assigned far fewer identifications (IDs) to those individuals. Those IDs assigned, however, were nearly always in agreement with the IDs provided by experts. We applied the data sets of citizen scientists and experts by constructing social networks from each. We found that both social networks were relatively robust and shared a similar structure, as well as having positively correlated individual network positions. Our findings demonstrate that, although citizen scientists produced a smaller data set based on fewer confirmed IDs, the data strongly reflect expert classifications and can be used for meaningful assessments of group structure and dynamics. This approach expands opportunities for social research and conservation monitoring in great apes and many other individually identifiable species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Paula Dieguez
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Liran Samuni
- Department of Human Evolutionary BiologyHarvard UniversityCambridgeMassachusettsUSA
- Taï Chimpanzee ProjectCentre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanIvory Coast
| | | | - Briana Harder
- Zooniverse Citizen Scientistc/o Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Anja Landsmann
- Zooniverse Citizen Scientistc/o Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Faculty of MedicineInstitute for Drug DiscoveryLeipzig UniversityLeipzigGermany
| | - Laura K. Lynn
- Zooniverse Citizen Scientistc/o Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Nuria Maldonado
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- iScapesValenciaSpain
| | - Zuzana Ročkaiová
- Zooniverse Citizen Scientistc/o Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Jane Widness
- Zooniverse Citizen Scientistc/o Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Department of AnthropologyYale UniversityNew HavenConnecticutUSA
| | - Roman M. Wittig
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- Taï Chimpanzee ProjectCentre Suisse de Recherches ScientifiquesAbidjanIvory Coast
| | | | - Hjalmar S. Kühl
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
- German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv)Halle‐Leipzig‐JenaGermany
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19
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Sandel AA, Watts DP. Lethal Coalitionary Aggression Associated with a Community Fission in Chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes) at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. INT J PRIMATOL 2021; 42:26-48. [PMID: 34267410 DOI: 10.1007/s10764-020-00185-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Many animals engage in aggression, but chimpanzees stand out in terms of fatal attacks against adults of their own species. Most lethal aggression occurs between groups, where coalitions of male chimpanzees occasionally kill members of neighboring communities that are strangers. However, the first observed cases of lethal violence in chimpanzees, which occurred at Gombe, Tanzania in the 1970s, involved chimpanzees that once knew each other. They followed the only observed case of a permanent community fission in chimpanzees. A second permanent fission recently transpired at Ngogo, Kibale National Park, Uganda. Members of a large western subgroup gradually ceased associating peacefully with the rest of the community and started behaving antagonistically toward them. Affiliation effectively ended by 2017. Here, we describe two subsequent lethal coalitionary attacks by chimpanzees of the new western community on males of the now separate central community, one in 2018 and the second in 2019. The first victim was a young adult male that never had strong social ties with his attackers. The second was a high-ranking male that had often associated with the western subgroup before 2017; he groomed regularly with males there and formed coalitions with several. Other central males present at the start of the second attack fled, and others nearby did not come to the scene. Several western females joined in the second attack; we suggest that female-female competition contributed to the fission. This event highlighted the limits on protection afforded by long-term familiarity and the constraints on costly cooperation among male chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron A Sandel
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - David P Watts
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
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20
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Brandell EE, Fountain-Jones NM, Gilbertson ML, Cross PC, Hudson PJ, Smith DW, Stahler DR, Packer C, Craft ME. Group density, disease, and season shape territory size and overlap of social carnivores. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:87-101. [PMID: 32654133 PMCID: PMC9844152 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13294] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2019] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
The spatial organization of a population can influence the spread of information, behaviour and pathogens. Group territory size and territory overlap and components of spatial organization, provide key information as these metrics may be indicators of habitat quality, resource dispersion, contact rates and environmental risk (e.g. indirectly transmitted pathogens). Furthermore, sociality and behaviour can also shape space use, and subsequently, how space use and habitat quality together impact demography. Our study aims to identify factors shaping the spatial organization of wildlife populations and assess the impact of epizootics on space use. We further aim to explore the mechanisms by which disease perturbations could cause changes in spatial organization. Here we assessed the seasonal spatial organization of Serengeti lions and Yellowstone wolves at the group level. We use network analysis to describe spatial organization and connectivity of social groups. We then examine the factors predicting mean territory size and mean territory overlap for each population using generalized additive models. We demonstrate that lions and wolves were similar in that group-level factors, such as number of groups and shaped spatial organization more than population-level factors, such as population density. Factors shaping territory size were slightly different than factors shaping territory overlap; for example, wolf pack size was an important predictor of territory overlap, but not territory size. Lion spatial networks were more highly connected, while wolf spatial networks varied seasonally. We found that resource dispersion may be more important for driving territory size and overlap for wolves than for lions. Additionally, canine distemper epizootics may have altered lion spatial organization, highlighting the importance of including infectious disease epizootics in studies of behavioural and movement ecology. We provide insight about when we might expect to observe the impacts of resource dispersion, disease perturbations, and other ecological factors on spatial organization. Our work highlights the importance of monitoring and managing social carnivore populations at the group level. Future research should elucidate the complex relationships between demographics, social and spatial structure, abiotic and biotic conditions and pathogen infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ellen E. Brandell
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | | | - Marie L.J. Gilbertson
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Paul C. Cross
- U.S. Geological Survey, Northern Rocky Mountain Science Center, Bozeman, Montana, USA 59715
| | - Peter J. Hudson
- Center for Infectious Disease Dynamics & Department of Biology, Huck Institute for Life Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, University Park, Pennsylvania, USA 16802
| | - Douglas W. Smith
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Daniel R. Stahler
- Yellowstone Center for Resources, Wolf Project, P.O. Box 168, Yellowstone National Park, WY 82190, USA
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
| | - Meggan E. Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, Minnesota 55108
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21
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Kotze R, Marshal JP, Winterbach CW, Winterbach HE, Keith M. Demographic consequences of habitat loss and crowding in large carnivores: A natural experiment. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12786] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robynne Kotze
- Centre for African Ecology School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Jason P. Marshal
- Centre for African Ecology School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences University of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Christiaan W. Winterbach
- Eugène Marais Research Chair for Wildlife Management Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
- Tau Consultants (Pty) Ltd Maun Botswana
| | - Hanlie E.K. Winterbach
- Eugène Marais Research Chair for Wildlife Management Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
- Tau Consultants (Pty) Ltd Maun Botswana
| | - Mark Keith
- Eugène Marais Research Chair for Wildlife Management Mammal Research Institute University of Pretoria Pretoria South Africa
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22
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Nguyen VT, Uchida R, Warling A, Sloan LJ, Saviano MS, Wicinski B, Hård T, Bertelsen MF, Stimpson CD, Bitterman K, Schall M, Hof PR, Sherwood CC, Manger PR, Spocter MA, Jacobs B. Comparative neocortical neuromorphology in felids: African lion, African leopard, and cheetah. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1392-1422. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vivian T. Nguyen
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Riri Uchida
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Allysa Warling
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Lucy J. Sloan
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Mark S. Saviano
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York
| | | | - Mads F. Bertelsen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal HealthCopenhagen Zoo Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Cheryl D. Stimpson
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | - Kathleen Bitterman
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Matthew Schall
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | - Paul R. Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Muhammad A. Spocter
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of AnatomyDes Moines University Des Moines Iowa
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
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23
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Smith JE, Ortiz CA, Buhbe MT, van Vugt M. Obstacles and opportunities for female leadership in mammalian societies: A comparative perspective. LEADERSHIP QUARTERLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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24
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Corridors of tolerance through human-dominated landscapes facilitate dispersal and connectivity between populations of African lions Panthera leo. ORYX 2020. [DOI: 10.1017/s0030605319000656] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractGlobally, little is known about the dispersal abilities of carnivores, their survival in non-protected areas, and the connectivity between protected and non-protected populations. More than a decade of sighting data for 496 known African lions Panthera leo, with 189 individuals engaging in dispersing activities plus an exchange of cross-site information, has provided unique insight into connectivity and survival in unprotected and protected areas in Kenya. In particular, three individuals, across two generations residing solely in unprotected landscapes, demonstrated connectivity between three protected areas that, to our knowledge, have not previously been recognized as harbouring connected populations. These observations suggest that unprotected areas and the human communities that reside in them may successfully create corridors of tolerance that facilitate connectivity and the long-term persistence of lion populations, both within and outside protected areas.
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25
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Kranstauber B, Gall GEC, Vink T, Clutton-Brock T, Manser MB. Long-term movements and home-range changes: Rapid territory shifts in meerkats. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:772-783. [PMID: 31691963 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13129] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2018] [Accepted: 08/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Territoriality and stable home ranges are a common space-use pattern among animals. These ranges provide its inhabitants with important resources and thus favourable territories are associated with an increased fitness. While the role of territory quality and changes of territory ownership have often been investigated, the changes of territorial boundaries have been less studied. Here, we investigated space-use changes in a social mammal species, applying a novel analytical approach, calculating long-term dissimilarity in space use using distancematrices based on periodic utilization distributions. This approach makes it possible to identify different space-use patterns, which cannot be distinguished by only considering changes between consecutive time periods. We analysed meerkat (Suricata suricatta) movements of a total of 24 different groups over a 16-year period, resulting in 134 group years. We then correlated the identified home-range changes to life-history events and possible environmental drivers. Groups had stable territories for several years before they abandoned their home range mostly to move quickly to new areas where they again remained for several years. Of 26 identified sudden shifts, 22 occurred in the summer months and often involved distances larger than the original home-range size. Home-range movements that were close together in time were often also spatially clustered and moved in a similar direction. These shifts were often preceded by more frequent interactions between groups, but did not seem to be a product of direct displacements by other groups. The normalized difference vegetation index as a measure of food production and social factors such as dominance changes did not correlate to changes. Against our expectation space-use changes were not accumulations of small changes, but more often involved long-distance moves into unknown ranges. This means that the groups enter areas where they cannot profit from local knowledge. The methods used identify episodes of long stability alternated by sudden changes in meerkats and in general provides insight into long-term space use. Our methods can be used to analyse long-term space use, either within or across species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bart Kranstauber
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Gabriella E C Gall
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim Vink
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa
| | - Tim Clutton-Brock
- Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Marta B Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,Kalahari Meerkat Project, Kuruman River Reserve, Northern Cape, South Africa.,Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
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26
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Ducros D, Morellet N, Patin R, Atmeh K, Debeffe L, Cargnelutti B, Chaval Y, Lourtet B, Coulon A, Hewison AJM. Beyond dispersal versus philopatry? Alternative behavioural tactics of juvenile roe deer in a heterogeneous landscape. OIKOS 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.06793] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Delphine Ducros
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Univ CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier FR‐75005 Paris France
- CEFS, Univ. de Toulouse, INRA Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | | | - Rémi Patin
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
| | - Kamal Atmeh
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive (LBBE), Univ. Lyon, CNRS Villeurbanne France
| | - Lucie Debeffe
- CEFS, Univ. de Toulouse, INRA Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | | | | | - Bruno Lourtet
- CEFS, Univ. de Toulouse, INRA Castanet‐Tolosan France
| | - Aurélie Coulon
- Centre d'Ecologie et des Sciences de la Conservation (CESCO), Muséum national d'Histoire naturelle, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Sorbonne Univ CP 135, 57 rue Cuvier FR‐75005 Paris France
- CEFE, CNRS, Univ. Montpellier, EPHE, IRD Montpellier France
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27
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Mbizah MM, Valeix M, Macdonald DW, Loveridge AJ. Applying the resource dispersion hypothesis to a fission-fusion society: A case study of the African lion ( Panthera leo). Ecol Evol 2019; 9:9111-9119. [PMID: 31463008 PMCID: PMC6706213 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.5456] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2018] [Revised: 06/24/2019] [Accepted: 06/27/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The relationship between the spatiotemporal distribution of resources and patterns of sociality is widely discussed. While the resource dispersion hypothesis (RDH) was formulated to explain why animals sometimes live in groups from which they derive no obvious benefits, it has also been successfully applied to species that benefit from group living. Some empirical tests have supported the RDH, but others have not, so conclusions remain equivocal and further research is required to determine the extent to which RDH predictions hold in natural systems. Here, we test four predictions of the RDH in an African lion population in the context of their fission-fusion society. We analyzed data on group composition of GPS-collared lions and patterns of prey availability. Our results supported the first and second predictions of the RDH: Home range size (a) was independent of group size and (b) increased with distance between encounters with prey herds. Nonetheless, the third and fourth RDH predictions were not supported: (c) The measure of resource heterogeneity and (d) resource patch richness measured through prey herd size and body size had no significant effect on lion group size. However, regarding the fourth prediction, we added an adaptation to account for dynamics of fission-fusion society and found that the frequency of pride fission increased as group size increased. Our data set restricted us from going on to explore the effect of fission-fusion dynamics on the relationship between group size and patch richness. However, this should be investigated in future studies as including fission-fusion dynamics provides a more nuanced, realistic appreciation of lion society. Our study emphasizes the importance of understanding the complexity of a species' behavioral ecology within the framework of resource dispersion. Whatever larger theoretical framework may emerge to explain lion society, incorporating fission-fusion dynamics should allow the RDH to be refined and improved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Moreangels M. Mbizah
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati‐Kaplan CentreUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Marion Valeix
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati‐Kaplan CentreUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
- CNRS, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS UMR 5558Université Claude Bernard Lyon 1VilleurbanneFrance
- CNRS HERD (Hwange Environmental Research Development) ProgramLTSER France, Zone Atelier “Hwange”DeteZimbabwe
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati‐Kaplan CentreUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
| | - Andrew J. Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit (WildCRU), Department of Zoology, Recanati‐Kaplan CentreUniversity of OxfordOxfordUK
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28
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Ng'weno CC, Ford AT, Kibungei AK, Goheen JR. Interspecific prey neighborhoods shape risk of predation in a savanna ecosystem. Ecology 2019; 100:e02698. [DOI: 10.1002/ecy.2698] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2018] [Revised: 01/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/20/2019] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caroline C. Ng'weno
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming 82071 USA
- Conservation Department Ol Pejeta Conservancy Private Bag‐10400 Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Adam T. Ford
- Department of Biology University of British Columbia Kelowna British Columbia V6T 1Z4 Canada
| | - Alfred K. Kibungei
- Conservation Department Ol Pejeta Conservancy Private Bag‐10400 Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Jacob R. Goheen
- Department of Zoology and Physiology University of Wyoming Laramie Wyoming 82071 USA
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29
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30
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McCarthy MS, Després-Einspenner ML, Samuni L, Mundry R, Lemoine S, Preis A, Wittig RM, Boesch C, Kühl HS. An assessment of the efficacy of camera traps for studying demographic composition and variation in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22904. [PMID: 30088683 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22904] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2018] [Revised: 07/12/2018] [Accepted: 07/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
Demographic factors can strongly influence patterns of behavioral variation in animal societies. Traditionally, these factors are measured using longitudinal observation of habituated social groups, particularly in social animals like primates. Alternatively, noninvasive biomonitoring methods such as camera trapping can allow researchers to assess species occupancy, estimate population abundance, and study rare behaviors. However, measures of fine-scale demographic variation, such as those related to age and sex structure or subgrouping patterns, pose a greater challenge. Here, we compare demographic data collected from a community of habituated chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes verus) in the Taï Forest using two methods: camera trap videos and observational data from long-term records. By matching data on party size, seasonal variation in party size, measures of demographic composition, and changes over the study period from both sources, we compared the accuracy of camera trap records and long-term data to assess whether camera trap data could be used to assess such variables in populations of unhabituated chimpanzees. When compared to observational data, camera trap data tended to underestimate measures of party size, but revealed similar patterns of seasonal variation as well as similar community demographic composition (age/sex proportions) and dynamics (particularly emigration and deaths) during the study period. Our findings highlight the potential and limitations of camera trap surveys for estimating fine-scale demographic composition and variation in primates. Continuing development of field and statistical methods will further improve the usability of camera traps for demographic studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen S McCarthy
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | | | - Liran Samuni
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Taï Chimpanzee Project, CSRS, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Roger Mundry
- Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sylvain Lemoine
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Anna Preis
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Roman M Wittig
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,Taï Chimpanzee Project, CSRS, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Hjalmar S Kühl
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.,German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research (iDiv), Halle-Leipzig-Jena, Leipzig, Germany
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31
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Kotze R, Keith M, Winterbach CW, Winterbach HEK, Marshal JP. The influence of social and environmental factors on organization of African lion (Panthera leo) prides in the Okavango Delta. J Mammal 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyy076] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Robynne Kotze
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
| | - Mark Keith
- Eugène Marais Research Chair for Wildlife Management, Mammal Research Institute, University of Pretoria, South Africa
| | | | | | - Jason P Marshal
- Centre for African Ecology, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, South Africa
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32
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Kirk J, Wascher CAF. Temporal modification of social interactions in response to changing group demographics and offspring maturation in African lions (Panthera leo). Behav Processes 2018; 157:519-527. [PMID: 29920302 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.06.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2017] [Revised: 06/06/2018] [Accepted: 06/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
In group living animals, affiliative social interactions maintain cohesion between individuals. Involvement in these interactions is likely to differ between individuals, depending on their sex, age and life history stages. Here we investigated different social network measures to describe greeting interactions within two prides of captive-origin African lions (Panthera leo). We aimed to determine if the introduction of cubs to these prides altered the strength of greeting networks among female lions. We also tested if the strength of greeting interactions changed between the age classes as younger lions matured. We found that interactions amongst female lions decreased from the period before cubs were born (least square means [95% CIs] 15.3 [7.67-22.93]) compared to after their integration into a pride (5.63 [-1.99-13.26] χ21 = 210.03, p < 0.001). In contrast, greeting network strength increased as offspring matured, with adults directing more interactions towards younger lions from 30 months of age (12.89 [1.96-23.82]) compared to when offspring were cubs (-0.69 [-11.63--10.24] χ210 = 156.03, p < 0.001). We suggest that social interactions between age classes may mediate recruitment and dispersal in lion prides.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacqui Kirk
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom.
| | - Claudia A F Wascher
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom
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van Hooft P, Keet DF, Brebner DK, Bastos ADS. Genetic insights into dispersal distance and disperser fitness of African lions (Panthera leo) from the latitudinal extremes of the Kruger National Park, South Africa. BMC Genet 2018; 19:21. [PMID: 29614950 PMCID: PMC5883395 DOI: 10.1186/s12863-018-0607-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 03/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Female lions generally do not disperse far beyond their natal range, while males can disperse distances of over 200 km. However, in bush-like ecosystems dispersal distances less than 25 km are reported. Here, we investigate dispersal in lions sampled from the northern and southern extremes of Kruger National Park, a bush-like ecosystem in South Africa where bovine tuberculosis prevalence ranges from low to high across a north-south gradient. Results A total of 109 individuals sampled from 1998 to 2004 were typed using 11 microsatellite markers, and mitochondrial RS-3 gene sequences were generated for 28 of these individuals. Considerable north-south genetic differentiation was observed in both datasets. Dispersal was male-biased and generally further than 25 km, with long-distance male gene flow (75–200 km, detected for two individuals) confirming that male lions can travel large distances, even in bush-like ecosystems. In contrast, females generally did not disperse further than 20 km, with two distinctive RS-3 gene clusters for northern and southern females indicating no or rare long-distance female dispersal. However, dispersal rate for the predominantly non-territorial females from southern Kruger (fraction dispersers ≥0.68) was higher than previously reported. Of relevance was the below-average body condition of dispersers and their low presence in prides, suggesting low fitness. Conclusions Large genetic differences between the two sampling localities, and low relatedness among males and high dispersal rates among females in the south, suggestive of unstable territory structure and high pride turnover, have potential implications for spread of diseases and the management of the Kruger lion population. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12863-018-0607-x) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pim van Hooft
- Resource Ecology Group, Wageningen University, Wageningen, Netherlands. .,Department of Zoology & Entomology, Mammal Research Institute,, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa.
| | - Dewald F Keet
- Veterinary Services, Kruger National Park, Skukuza, South Africa.,Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa.,, Phalaborwa, Limpopo Province, South Africa
| | - Diana K Brebner
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, Mammal Research Institute,, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
| | - Armanda D S Bastos
- Department of Zoology & Entomology, Mammal Research Institute,, University of Pretoria, Hatfield, South Africa
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Feldblum JT, Manfredi S, Gilby IC, Pusey AE. The timing and causes of a unique chimpanzee community fission preceding Gombe's "Four-Year War". AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 166:730-744. [PMID: 29566432 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23462] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/02/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/04/2018] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES While permanent group fissions are documented in humans and other primate species, they are relatively rare in male philopatric primates. One of the few apparent cases occurred in 1973 in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, when a community of chimpanzees split into two separate groups, preceding the famous "Four-Year War." We tested the hypothesis that the original group was a single cohesive community that experienced permanent fission, and investigated several potential catalysts. MATERIALS AND METHODS We calculated association, grooming, and ranging metrics from historical data and used community detection algorithms and matrix permutation tests to determine the timing, dynamics, and causes of changes in social network subgrouping structure. RESULTS We found that the two communities indeed split from one cohesive community, albeit one with incipient subgrouping. The degree of subgrouping in grooming and association networks increased sharply in 1971 and 1972, a period characterized by a dominance struggle between three high-ranking males and unusually high male:female sex ratios. Finally, we found a relationship between post-split community membership and previous association, grooming and ranging patterns in most periods of analysis, one that became more pronounced as the fission approached. DISCUSSION Our analysis suggests that the community began to split during a time of an unusually male-biased sex ratio and a protracted dominance struggle, and that adult males remained with those with whom they had preferentially associated prior to the split. We discuss the costs and benefits of group membership in chimpanzees and contrast these results with group fissions in humans and other taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph T Feldblum
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Sofia Manfredi
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
| | - Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, 85287
| | - Anne E Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, 27708
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35
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Borrego N, Ozgul A, Slotow R, Packer C. Lion population dynamics: do nomadic males matter? Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Borrego
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University Rd, Westville, South Africa
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Falcon Heights, St. Paul, MN, USA
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurestrasse, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Rob Slotow
- School of Life Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, University Rd, Westville, South Africa
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Falcon Heights, St. Paul, MN, USA
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36
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Thompson NA, Cords M. Stronger social bonds do not always predict greater longevity in a gregarious primate. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:1604-1614. [PMID: 29435236 PMCID: PMC5792528 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.3781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2017] [Revised: 12/02/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
In group-living species, individuals often have preferred affiliative social partners, with whom ties or bonds can confer advantages that correspond with greater fitness. For example, in adult female baboons and juvenile horses, individuals with stronger or more social ties experience greater survival. We used detailed behavioral and life history records to explore the relationship between tie quality and survival in a gregarious monkey (Cercopithecus mitis stuhlmanni), while controlling for dominance rank, group size, and life history strategy. We used Cox proportional hazards regressions to model the cumulative (multi-year) and current (single-year) relationships of social ties and the hazard of mortality in 83 wild adult females of known age, observed 2-8 years each (437 subject-years) in eight social groups. The strength of bonds with close partners was associated with increased mortality risk under certain conditions: Females that had strong bonds with close partners that were inconsistent over multiple years had a higher risk of mortality than females adopting any other social strategy. Within a given year, females had a higher risk of death if they were strongly bonded with partners that changed from the previous year versus with partners that remained consistent. Dominance rank, number of adult female groupmates, and age at first reproduction did not predict the risk of death. This study demonstrates that costs and benefits of strong social bonds can be context-dependent, relating to the consistency of social partners over time.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole A. Thompson
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary PrimatologyNew YorkNYUSA
| | - Marina Cords
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Environmental BiologyColumbia UniversityNew YorkNYUSA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary PrimatologyNew YorkNYUSA
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37
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Vicente-Page J, Pérez-Escudero A, de Polavieja GG. Dynamic choices are most accurate in small groups. THEOR ECOL-NETH 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s12080-017-0349-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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VanderWaal K, Enns EA, Picasso C, Packer C, Craft ME. Evaluating empirical contact networks as potential transmission pathways for infectious diseases. J R Soc Interface 2017; 13:rsif.2016.0166. [PMID: 27488249 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2016.0166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/26/2016] [Accepted: 07/07/2016] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Networks are often used to incorporate heterogeneity in contact patterns in mathematical models of pathogen spread. However, few tools exist to evaluate whether potential transmission pathways in a population are adequately represented by an observed contact network. Here, we describe a novel permutation-based approach, the network k-test, to determine whether the pattern of cases within the observed contact network are likely to have resulted from transmission processes in the network, indicating that the network represents potential transmission pathways between nodes. Using simulated data of pathogen spread, we compare the power of this approach to other commonly used analytical methods. We test the robustness of this technique across common sampling constraints, including undetected cases, unobserved individuals and missing interaction data. We also demonstrate the application of this technique in two case studies of livestock and wildlife networks. We show that the power of the k-test to correctly identify the epidemiologic relevance of contact networks is substantially greater than other methods, even when 50% of contact or case data are missing. We further demonstrate that the impact of missing data on network analysis depends on the structure of the network and the type of missing data.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kimberly VanderWaal
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Eva A Enns
- Division of Health Policy and Management, School of Public Health, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Catalina Picasso
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Meggan E Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
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Fountain-Jones NM, Packer C, Troyer JL, VanderWaal K, Robinson S, Jacquot M, Craft ME. Linking social and spatial networks to viral community phylogenetics reveals subtype-specific transmission dynamics in African lions. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:1469-1482. [PMID: 28884827 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12751] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2017] [Accepted: 08/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Heterogeneity within pathogen species can have important consequences for how pathogens transmit across landscapes; however, discerning different transmission routes is challenging. Here, we apply both phylodynamic and phylogenetic community ecology techniques to examine the consequences of pathogen heterogeneity on transmission by assessing subtype-specific transmission pathways in a social carnivore. We use comprehensive social and spatial network data to examine transmission pathways for three subtypes of feline immunodeficiency virus (FIVPle ) in African lions (Panthera leo) at multiple scales in the Serengeti National Park, Tanzania. We used FIVPle molecular data to examine the role of social organization and lion density in shaping transmission pathways and tested to what extent vertical (i.e., father- and/or mother-offspring relationships) or horizontal (between unrelated individuals) transmission underpinned these patterns for each subtype. Using the same data, we constructed subtype-specific FIVPle co-occurrence networks and assessed what combination of social networks, spatial networks or co-infection best structured the FIVPle network. While social organization (i.e., pride) was an important component of FIVPle transmission pathways at all scales, we find that FIVPle subtypes exhibited different transmission pathways at within- and between-pride scales. A combination of social and spatial networks, coupled with consideration of subtype co-infection, was likely to be important for FIVPle transmission for the two major subtypes, but the relative contribution of each factor was strongly subtype-specific. Our study provides evidence that pathogen heterogeneity is important in understanding pathogen transmission, which could have consequences for how endemic pathogens are managed. Furthermore, we demonstrate that community phylogenetic ecology coupled with phylodynamic techniques can reveal insights into the differential evolutionary pressures acting on virus subtypes, which can manifest into landscape-level effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | | | - Kimberly VanderWaal
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
| | - Stacie Robinson
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Honolulu, HI, USA
| | - Maude Jacquot
- Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
| | - Meggan E Craft
- Department of Veterinary Population Medicine, University of Minnesota, St Paul, MN, USA
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40
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Smith JE, Lehmann KDS, Montgomery TM, Strauss ED, Holekamp KE. Insights from long‐term field studies of mammalian carnivores. J Mammal 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
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41
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Borrego N. Big cats as a model system for the study of the evolution of intelligence. Behav Processes 2017; 141:261-266. [PMID: 28336301 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.03.010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2016] [Revised: 02/11/2017] [Accepted: 03/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Currently, carnivores, and felids in particular, are vastly underrepresented in cognitive literature, despite being an ideal model system for tests of social and ecological intelligence hypotheses. Within Felidae, big cats (Panthera) are uniquely suited to studies investigating the evolutionary links between social, ecological, and cognitive complexity. Intelligence likely did not evolve in a unitary way but instead evolved as the result of mutually reinforcing feedback loops within the physical and social environments. The domain-specific social intelligence hypothesis proposes that social complexity drives only the evolution of cognitive abilities adapted only to social domains. The domain-general hypothesis proposes that the unique demands of social life serve as a bootstrap for the evolution of superior general cognition. Big cats are one of the few systems in which we can directly address conflicting predictions of the domain-general and domain-specific hypothesis by comparing cognition among closely related species that face roughly equivalent ecological complexity but vary considerably in social complexity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalia Borrego
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Kwazulu-Natal, South Africa; Lion Research Center, Department of Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, University of Minnesota, South Africa.
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42
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Majumder A, Qureshi Q, Sankar K, Kumar A. Long-term monitoring of a Bengal tiger (Panthera tigris tigris) population in a human-dominated landscape of Central India. EUR J WILDLIFE RES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10344-016-1070-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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43
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Sakai ST, Arsznov BM, Hristova AE, Yoon EJ, Lundrigan BL. Big Cat Coalitions: A Comparative Analysis of Regional Brain Volumes in Felidae. Front Neuroanat 2016; 10:99. [PMID: 27812324 PMCID: PMC5071314 DOI: 10.3389/fnana.2016.00099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/28/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Broad-based species comparisons across mammalian orders suggest a number of factors that might influence the evolution of large brains. However, the relationship between these factors and total and regional brain size remains unclear. This study investigated the relationship between relative brain size and regional brain volumes and sociality in 13 felid species in hopes of revealing relationships that are not detected in more inclusive comparative studies. In addition, a more detailed analysis was conducted of four focal species: lions (Panthera leo), leopards (Panthera pardus), cougars (Puma concolor), and cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus). These species differ markedly in sociality and behavioral flexibility, factors hypothesized to contribute to increased relative brain size and/or frontal cortex size. Lions are the only truly social species, living in prides. Although cheetahs are largely solitary, males often form small groups. Both leopards and cougars are solitary. Of the four species, leopards exhibit the most behavioral flexibility, readily adapting to changing circumstances. Regional brain volumes were analyzed using computed tomography. Skulls (n = 75) were scanned to create three-dimensional virtual endocasts, and regional brain volumes were measured using either sulcal or bony landmarks obtained from the endocasts or skulls. Phylogenetic least squares regression analyses found that sociality does not correspond with larger relative brain size in these species. However, the sociality/solitary variable significantly predicted anterior cerebrum (AC) volume, a region that includes frontal cortex. This latter finding is despite the fact that the two social species in our sample, lions and cheetahs, possess the largest and smallest relative AC volumes, respectively. Additionally, an ANOVA comparing regional brain volumes in four focal species revealed that lions and leopards, while not significantly different from one another, have relatively larger AC volumes than are found in cheetahs or cougars. Further, female lions possess a significantly larger AC volume than conspecific males; female lion values were also larger than those of the other three species (regardless of sex). These results may reflect greater complexity in a female lion’s social world, but additional studies are necessary. These data suggest that within family comparisons may reveal variations not easily detected by broad comparative analyses.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sharleen T Sakai
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East LansingMI, USA; Neuroscience Program, Michigan State University, East LansingMI, USA
| | - Bradley M Arsznov
- Department of Psychology, Minnesota State University, Mankato, Mankato MN, USA
| | - Ani E Hristova
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, USA
| | - Elise J Yoon
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, USA
| | - Barbara L Lundrigan
- Department of Integrative Biology and Michigan State University Museum, Michigan State University, East Lansing MI, USA
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Weiß BM, Kulik L, Ruiz-Lambides AV, Widdig A. Individual dispersal decisions affect fitness via maternal rank effects in male rhesus macaques. Sci Rep 2016; 6:32212. [PMID: 27576465 PMCID: PMC5006056 DOI: 10.1038/srep32212] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2016] [Accepted: 08/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Natal dispersal may have considerable social, ecological and evolutionary consequences. While species-specific dispersal strategies have received much attention, individual variation in dispersal decisions and its fitness consequences remain poorly understood. We investigated causes and consequences of natal dispersal age in rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta), a species with male dispersal. Using long-term demographic and genetic data from a semi-free ranging population on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico, we analysed how the social environment such as maternal family, group and population characteristics affected the age at which males leave their natal group. While natal dispersal age was unrelated to most measures of group or population structure, our study confirmed earlier findings that sons of high-ranking mothers dispersed later than sons of low-ranking ones. Natal dispersal age did not affect males’ subsequent survival, but males dispersing later were more likely to reproduce. Late dispersers were likely to start reproducing while still residing in their natal group, frequently produced extra-group offspring before natal dispersal and subsequently dispersed to the group in which they had fathered offspring more likely than expected. Hence, the timing of natal dispersal was affected by maternal rank and influenced male reproduction, which, in turn affected which group males dispersed to.
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Affiliation(s)
- Brigitte M Weiß
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
| | - Lars Kulik
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
| | - Angelina V Ruiz-Lambides
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany.,Caribbean Primate Research Center Cayo Santiago, University of Puerto Rico, Punta Santiago, USA
| | - Anja Widdig
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Institute of Biology, University of Leipzig, Germany.,Junior Research Group of Primate Kin Selection, Department of Primatology, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
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Arriaza MC, Domínguez-Rodrigo M, Yravedra J, Baquedano E. Lions as Bone Accumulators? Paleontological and Ecological Implications of a Modern Bone Assemblage from Olduvai Gorge. PLoS One 2016; 11:e0153797. [PMID: 27144649 PMCID: PMC4856334 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153797] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2016] [Accepted: 04/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Analytic models have been developed to reconstruct early hominin behaviour, especially their subsistence patterns, revealed mainly through taphonomic analyses of archaeofaunal assemblages. Taphonomic research is used to discern which agents (carnivores, humans or both) generate the bone assemblages recovered at archaeological sites. Taphonomic frameworks developed during the last decades show that the only large-sized carnivores in African biomes able to create bone assemblages are leopards and hyenas. A carnivore-made bone assemblage located in the short-grassland ecological unit of the Serengeti (within Olduvai Gorge) was studied. Taphonomic analyses of this assemblage including skeletal part representation, bone density, breakage patterns and anatomical distribution of tooth marks, along with an ecological approach to the prey selection made by large carnivores of the Serengeti, were carried out. The results show that this bone assemblage may be the first lion-accumulated assemblage documented, although other carnivores (namely spotted hyenas) may have also intervened through postdepositional ravaging. This first faunal assemblage potentially created by lions constitutes a new framework for neotaphonomic studies. Since lions may accumulate carcasses under exceptional circumstances, such as those documented at the site reported here, this finding may have important consequences for interpretations of early archaeological and paleontological sites, which provide key information about human evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Carmen Arriaza
- Departamento de Geología, Geografía y Medio Ambiente, Universidad de Alcalá, Edificio de Ciencias. Campus Externo. Ctra. A-II-km 33,600 C. P. 28871 Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
- Instituto de Evolución en África (IDEA), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain
- * E-mail:
| | - Manuel Domínguez-Rodrigo
- Instituto de Evolución en África (IDEA), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Prehistoria, Universidad Complutense, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - José Yravedra
- Instituto de Evolución en África (IDEA), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain
- Departamento de Prehistoria, Universidad Complutense, Prof. Aranguren s/n, 28040 Madrid, Spain
| | - Enrique Baquedano
- Instituto de Evolución en África (IDEA), Museo de los Orígenes, Plaza de San Andrés 2, 28005, Madrid, Spain
- Museo Arqueológico Regional de la Comunidad de Madrid, Plaza de las Bernardas s/n, 28801, Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
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46
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Dupuis-Désormeaux M, Davidson Z, Mwololo M, Kisio E, MacDonald SE. Usage of Specialized Fence-Gaps in a Black Rhinoceros Conservancy in Kenya. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2016. [DOI: 10.3957/056.046.0022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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47
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Blackburn S, Hopcraft JGC, Ogutu JO, Matthiopoulos J, Frank L. Human–wildlife conflict, benefit sharing and the survival of lions in pastoralist community‐based conservancies. J Appl Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2664.12632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Sara Blackburn
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QQ United Kingdom
- Living With Lions PO Box 555 Nanyuki Kenya
| | - J. Grant C. Hopcraft
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QQ United Kingdom
| | - Joseph O. Ogutu
- Institute of Crop Science Biostatistics Unit University of Hohenheim Fruwirthstrasse 23 70599 Stuttgart Germany
| | - Jason Matthiopoulos
- Institute of Biodiversity Animal Health and Comparative Medicine University of Glasgow University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QQ United Kingdom
| | - Laurence Frank
- Living With Lions PO Box 555 Nanyuki Kenya
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology University of California Berkeley CA 94720 USA
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48
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Kittle AM, Anderson M, Avgar T, Baker JA, Brown GS, Hagens J, Iwachewski E, Moffatt S, Mosser A, Patterson BR, Reid DEB, Rodgers AR, Shuter J, Street GM, Thompson ID, Vander Vennen LM, Fryxell JM. Wolves adapt territory size, not pack size to local habitat quality. J Anim Ecol 2015; 84:1177-86. [PMID: 25757794 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/03/2014] [Accepted: 02/25/2015] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
1. Although local variation in territorial predator density is often correlated with habitat quality, the causal mechanism underlying this frequently observed association is poorly understood and could stem from facultative adjustment in either group size or territory size. 2. To test between these alternative hypotheses, we used a novel statistical framework to construct a winter population-level utilization distribution for wolves (Canis lupus) in northern Ontario, which we then linked to a suite of environmental variables to determine factors influencing wolf space use. Next, we compared habitat quality metrics emerging from this analysis as well as an independent measure of prey abundance, with pack size and territory size to investigate which hypothesis was most supported by the data. 3. We show that wolf space use patterns were concentrated near deciduous, mixed deciduous/coniferous and disturbed forest stands favoured by moose (Alces alces), the predominant prey species in the diet of wolves in northern Ontario, and in proximity to linear corridors, including shorelines and road networks remaining from commercial forestry activities. 4. We then demonstrate that landscape metrics of wolf habitat quality - projected wolf use, probability of moose occupancy and proportion of preferred land cover classes - were inversely related to territory size but unrelated to pack size. 5. These results suggest that wolves in boreal ecosystems alter territory size, but not pack size, in response to local variation in habitat quality. This could be an adaptive strategy to balance trade-offs between territorial defence costs and energetic gains due to resource acquisition. That pack size was not responsive to habitat quality suggests that variation in group size is influenced by other factors such as intraspecific competition between wolf packs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew M Kittle
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Morgan Anderson
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Tal Avgar
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - James A Baker
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Glen S Brown
- Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, 1235 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Jevon Hagens
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Ed Iwachewski
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Scott Moffatt
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Anna Mosser
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Brent R Patterson
- Wildlife Research and Development Section, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Trent University, DNA Building, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, Ontario, K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - Douglas E B Reid
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Arthur R Rodgers
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Jen Shuter
- Centre for Northern Forest Ecosystem Research, Ontario Ministry of Natural Resources, Thunder Bay, Ontario, P7B 5E1, Canada
| | - Garrett M Street
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Ian D Thompson
- Canadian Forest Service, 1219 Queen Street East, Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, P6A 2E5, Canada
| | - Lucas M Vander Vennen
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - John M Fryxell
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Guelph, 50 Stone Road E., Guelph, Ontario, N1G 2W1, Canada
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49
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Elliot NB, Valeix M, Macdonald DW, Loveridge AJ. Social relationships affect dispersal timing revealing a delayed infanticide in African lions. OIKOS 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.01266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nicholas B. Elliot
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology; Univ. of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House; Abingdon Road Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Marion Valeix
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology; Univ. of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House; Abingdon Road Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
- Lab. de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Unité Mixte de Recherche (UMR) 5558, Univ. Claude Bernard-Lyon 1, Bâtiment Gregor Mendel; 43 boulevard du 11 novembre 1918 FR-69622 Villeurbanne Cedex France
| | - David W. Macdonald
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology; Univ. of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House; Abingdon Road Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
| | - Andrew J. Loveridge
- Wildlife Conservation Research Unit, Dept of Zoology; Univ. of Oxford, Recanati-Kaplan Centre, Tubney House; Abingdon Road Tubney, Oxfordshire OX13 5QL UK
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50
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Szostek KL, Schaub M, Becker PH. Immigrants are attracted by local pre-breeders and recruits in a seabird colony. J Anim Ecol 2014; 83:1015-24. [PMID: 24460741 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2013] [Accepted: 01/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
Immigration is a major demographic factor shaping population dynamics. However, due to methodological difficulties, the extent of immigration and factors affecting immigration are insufficiently studied. This is also true for seabird colonies. We estimated annual immigration based on a long-term study of a colony of common terns Sterna hirundo marked with transponders, using a Bayesian integrated population model that links colony size and productivity with individual life histories. Strong annual fluctuations in the number of immigrants were found. To identify whether colony-specific covariates influenced immigration, we related the number of immigrants to various proxy variables for breeding site quality, specifically colony size, productivity, number of local subadults and local recruits. Numbers of local recruits and local subadults showed strong positive correlations with number of immigrants. We found that variation in immigration rate had strongly contributed to variation in colony growth rate, more so than variation in local recruitment or adult survival. Collectively, results suggest that immigration strongly affects colony growth rate, that the driving force behind immigration is natal dispersal and that immigrants were attracted by local recruits.
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Affiliation(s)
- K Lesley Szostek
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, D-26386, Germany
| | - Michael Schaub
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, CH-6204, Switzerland
| | - Peter H Becker
- Institute of Avian Research "Vogelwarte Helgoland", An der Vogelwarte 21, Wilhelmshaven, D-26386, Germany
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