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Ren S, Liu S, Sun W, Gao L, Ren L, Liu J, Zhang W, Xia D, Sun B, Li J, Wang X. Consistent Individual Differences Drive Collective Movements in a Tibetan Macaque Group. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1476. [PMID: 38791693 PMCID: PMC11117288 DOI: 10.3390/ani14101476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/05/2024] [Revised: 05/13/2024] [Accepted: 05/14/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024] Open
Abstract
Collective movement has emerged as a key area of interest in animal behavior. While individual differences are often viewed as a potential threat to group cohesion, growing evidence suggests that these differences can actually influence an animal's behavior as an initiator or follower during collective movements, thereby driving the group's movement and decision-making processes. To resolve the divergence, we asked how personality can affect the dynamics of collective movements in one group of free-ranging Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) in Huangshan, China. We assessed individual personality using principal component analysis and applied the generalized linear mixed model and linear mixed model to examine the influence of personality on decision making during collective movements. Our findings reveled three distinct personality types among Tibetan macaques: sociability, boldness, and anxiousness. Individuals with higher sociability scores and rank, or those with lower anxiousness scores, were more likely to initiate successful collective movements. Older individuals were less successful in initiating movements compared to young adults. Leaders with lower anxiousness scores or higher rank attracted more followers, with females attracting larger groups than males. As for followers, individuals with higher rank tended to join the collective movement earlier. Additionally, individuals with higher sociability or boldness scores had shorter joining latency in collective movement. Finally, there was a longer joining latency for middle-aged adults compared to young adults. These results suggest that individual differences are a potential driver of collective movements. We provide some insights into the relationships between personality and decision making in Tibetan macaques.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sen Ren
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Shenqi Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Wenkai Sun
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Lei Gao
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Lei Ren
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jiahui Liu
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Weiqi Zhang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Dongpo Xia
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Binghua Sun
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jinhua Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Xi Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavioral Ecology, Hefei 230601, China
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2
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Morrison RE, Ndayishimiye E, Stoinski TS, Eckardt W. Multiple mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance used simultaneously in a wild ape. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20231808. [PMID: 37848059 PMCID: PMC10581766 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2023.1808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2023] [Accepted: 09/21/2023] [Indexed: 10/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mating with close kin can have considerable negative fitness consequences, which are expected to result in selective pressure for inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, such as dispersal, mate choice and post-copulatory biases. Captive studies have suggested that inbreeding avoidance through mate choice is far less widespread than expected and may be absent where other mechanisms already limit inbreeding. However, few studies have examined multiple mechanisms of inbreeding avoidance simultaneously, particularly in the wild. We use 13 years of detailed dispersal, copulation and paternity data from mountain gorillas to examine inbreeding avoidance. We find that partial dispersal of both sexes results in high kinship in multimale groups, but that copulations between close kin occur 40% less than expected. We find strong kin discrimination in mate choice, with significant avoidance of maternal kin but more limited avoidance of paternal kin. We find no evidence for post-copulatory inbreeding avoidance. Our analyses support familiarity-based mechanisms of kin identification and age-based avoidance that limits mating between fathers and daughters in their natal group. Our findings demonstrate that multiple complementary mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance can evolve in a single species and suggest that inbreeding avoidance through mate choice may enable more flexible dispersal systems to evolve.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robin E. Morrison
- Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund, Musanze, Rwanda
- Human Evolutionary Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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3
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Maffezzini N, Turner SP, Bolhuis JE, Arnott G, Camerlink I. Third-party intervention and post-conflict behaviour in agonistic encounters of pigs (Sus scrofa). Front Zool 2023; 20:28. [PMID: 37592308 PMCID: PMC10433626 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-023-00508-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2023] [Accepted: 08/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/19/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Third-party interference in agonistic contests entails a deliberate intervention in an ongoing fight by a bystanding individual (third party) and may be followed by post-conflict social behaviour to provide support to a specific individual. The mechanisms behind third-party intervention are, however, still largely understudied. The aim of this study was to investigate third-party interference, with the predictions that (1) the interferer derives benefits from its action by winning a fight, (2) that patterns of intervention depend on familiarity, (3) that dyadic fights last longer than triadic fights, and (4) that interferers engage in non-agonistic social behaviours afterwards. Pre-pubertal pigs (Sus scrofa) (n = 384) were grouped with one familiar and four unfamiliar conspecifics (all non-kin) to elicit contests for dominance rank. Third-party interference was analysed for the first 30 min after grouping, along with the behaviour (nosing or aggression), contest duration, contest outcome, and interferer behaviour after the fight (post-conflict social behaviour). RESULTS Three types of interference were observed: non-agonistic involvement (nose contact) by the interferer in a dyadic fight; a triadic fight with each of three contestants fighting one opponent at a time; and triadic fights with two opponents jointly attacking the third one (two-against-one fights). The likelihood of a third-party intervention to occur did not depend on the presence of a familiar animal in the fight. However, once intervention was triggered, interferers attacked unfamiliar fight initiators more than familiar ones. Two-against-one fights lasted longer than other triadic fights and occurred more often when both initial contestants were females. Results of 110 triadic fights (out of 585 fights in total) revealed that interferers were more likely to win compared to the initial opponents at equal body weight. The most common post-conflict behaviour displayed by the interferer was agonistic behaviour towards another group member, independently of familiarity. CONCLUSIONS The general lack of discrimination for familiarity suggests interference is not driven by support to familiar individuals in pigs. The results show that intervening in an ongoing fight gives the interferer a high chance of contest success and may be a strategy that is beneficial to the interferer to increase its dominance status.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole Maffezzini
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), West Mains Rd., Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
| | - Simon P Turner
- Animal Behaviour and Welfare, Animal and Veterinary Sciences Department, Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), West Mains Rd., Edinburgh, EH9 3JG, UK
| | - J Elizabeth Bolhuis
- Adaptation Physiology Group, Department of Animal Sciences, Wageningen University and Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Gareth Arnott
- Institute for Global Food Security, School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University, Belfast, BT9 7BL, UK.
| | - Irene Camerlink
- Institute of Genetics and Animal Biotechnology, Polish Academy of Sciences, Jastrzębiec, Poland
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4
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Smith JE, Natterson-Horowitz B, Mueller MM, Alfaro ME. Mechanisms of equality and inequality in mammalian societies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220307. [PMID: 37381860 PMCID: PMC10291435 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0307] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/20/2023] [Accepted: 05/09/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The extent of (in)equality is highly diverse across species of social mammals, but we have a poor understanding of the factors that produce or inhibit equitable social organizations. Here, we adopt a comparative evolutionary perspective to test whether the evolution of social dominance hierarchies, a measure of social inequality in animals, exhibits phylogenetic conservatism and whether interspecific variation in these traits can be explained by sex, age or captivity. We find that hierarchy steepness and directional consistency evolve rapidly without any apparent constraint from evolutionary history. Given this extraordinary variability, we next consider multiple factors that have evolved to mitigate social inequality. Social networks, coalitionary support and knowledge transfer advantage to privilege some individuals over others. Nutritional access and prenatal stressors can impact the development of offspring, generating health disparities with intergenerational consequences. Intergenerational transfer of material resources (e.g. stone tools, food stashes, territories) advantage those who receive. Nonetheless, many of the same social species that experience unequal access to food (survival) and mates (reproduction) engage in levelling mechanisms such as food sharing, adoption, revolutionary coalitions, forgiveness and inequity aversion. Taken together, mammals rely upon a suite of mechanisms of (in)equality to balance the costs and benefits of group living. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Smith
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
| | - Barbara Natterson-Horowitz
- School of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of California, 650 Charles Young Drive South, A2-237 CHS, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Maddison M. Mueller
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
| | - Michael E. Alfaro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, 2149 Terasaki Life Sciences Building, 612 Charles E. Young Drive South, Box 957246, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
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Strauss ED. Demographic turnover can be a leading driver of hierarchy dynamics, and social inheritance modifies its effects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220308. [PMID: 37381857 PMCID: PMC10291429 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals and societies are linked through a feedback loop of mutual influence. Demographic turnover shapes group composition and structure by adding and removing individuals, and social inheritance shapes social structure through the transmission of social traits from parents to offspring. Here I examine how these drivers of social structure feedback to influence individual outcomes. I explore these society-to-individual effects in systems with social inheritance of hierarchy position, as occur in many primates and spotted hyenas. Applying Markov chain models to empirical and simulated data reveals how demography and social inheritance interact to strongly shape individual hierarchy positions. In hyena societies, demographic processes-not status seeking-account for the majority of hierarchy dynamics and cause an on-average lifetime decline in social hierarchy position. Simulated societies clarify how social inheritance alters demographic effects-demographic processes cause hierarchy position to regress to the mean, but the addition of social inheritance modifies this pattern. Notably, the combination of social inheritance and rank-related reproductive success causes individuals to decline in rank over their lifespans, as seen in the hyena data. Further analyses explore how 'queens' escape this pattern of decline, and how variation in social inheritance generates variability in reproductive inequality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, 78464, Germany
- Ecology of Animal Societies Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Collective Behavior Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Integrative Biology Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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6
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Pereira AS, De Moor D, Casanova C, Brent LJN. Kinship composition in mammals. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230486. [PMID: 37476521 PMCID: PMC10354477 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230486] [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: 04/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Understanding the evolution of group-living and cooperation requires information on who animals live and cooperate with. Animals can live with kin, non-kin or both, and kinship structure can influence the benefits and costs of group-living and the evolution of within-group cooperation. One aspect of kinship structure is kinship composition, i.e. a group-level attribute of the presence of kin and/or non-kin dyads in groups. Despite its putative importance, the kinship composition of mammalian groups has yet to be characterized. Here, we use the published literature to build an initial kinship composition dataset in mammals, laying the groundwork for future work in the field. In roughly half of the 18 species in our sample, individuals lived solely with same-sex kin, and, in the other half, individuals lived with related and unrelated individuals of the same sex. These initial results suggest that it is not rare for social mammals to live with unrelated individuals of the same sex, highlighting the importance of considering indirect and direct fitness benefits as co-drivers of the evolution of sociality. We hope that our initial dataset and insights will spur the study of kinship structure and sociality towards new exciting avenues.
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Affiliation(s)
- André S. Pereira
- Centre for Research in Animal Behavior, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Delphine De Moor
- Centre for Research in Animal Behavior, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Catarina Casanova
- Research Centre for Anthropology and Health, Department of Life Sciences, University of Coimbra, 3000-456 Coimbra, Portugal
- CAPP, ISCSP, University of Lisbon, 1300-663 Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Lauren J. N. Brent
- Centre for Research in Animal Behavior, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
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7
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Altruistic behavior in mother-calf pairs of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) and the possible role of the social bond: a preliminary study. Acta Ethol 2023. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-023-00411-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
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8
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Smith JE, Jaeggi AV, Holmes RK, Silk JB. Sex differences in cooperative coalitions: a mammalian perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210426. [PMID: 36440559 PMCID: PMC9703251 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In group-living species, cooperative tactics can offset asymmetries in resource-holding potential between individuals and alter the outcome of intragroup conflicts. Differences in the kinds of competitive pressures that males and females face might influence the benefits they gain from forming intragroup coalitions. We predicted that there would be a female bias in intragroup coalitions because females (1) are more like to live with kin than males are, and (2) compete over resources that are more readily shared than resources males compete over. We tested this main prediction using information about coalition formation across mammalian species and phylogenetic comparative analyses. We found that for nearly all species in which intragroup coalitions occur, members of both sexes participate, making this the typical mammalian pattern. The presence and frequency of female or male coalitions were not strongly associated with key socio-ecological factors like resource defensibility, sexual dimorphism or philopatry. This suggests that once the ability to form intragroup coalitions emerges in one sex, it is likely to emerge in the other sex as well and that there is no strong phylogenetic legacy of sex differences in this form of cooperation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Smith
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Adrian V. Jaeggi
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Rose K. Holmes
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
| | - Joan B. Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA
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9
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Fox SA, Muller MN, González NT, Enigk DK, Machanda ZP, Otali E, Wrangham R, Thompson ME. Weak, but not strong, ties support coalition formation among wild female chimpanzees. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210427. [PMID: 36440557 PMCID: PMC9703227 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0427] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/02/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In social species, individuals may be able to overcome competitive constraints on cooperation by leveraging relationships with familiar, tolerant partners. While strong social ties have been linked to cooperation in several social mammals, it is unclear the extent to which weak social ties can support cooperation, particularly among non-kin. We tested the hypothesis that weakly affiliative social relationships support cooperative coalition formation using 10 years of behavioural data on wild female chimpanzees. Female chimpanzees typically disperse and reside with non-kin as adults. Their social relationships are differentiated but often relatively weak, with few dyads sharing strong bonds. Females occasionally form aggressive coalitions together. Three measures of relationship quality-party association, five-metre proximity and whether a dyad groomed-positively predicted coalitions, indicating that relationship quality influenced coalition partnerships. However, dyads that groomed frequently did not form more coalitions than dyads that groomed occasionally, and kin did not cooperate more than expected given their relationship quality. Thus, strong bonds and kinship did not bolster cooperation. We conclude that cooperative coalitions among female chimpanzees depend on social tolerance but do not require strong bonds. Our findings highlight social tolerance as a distinct pathway through which females can cultivate cooperative relationships. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Martin N. Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Nicole Thompson González
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, CA 93106-3210, USA
| | - Drew K. Enigk
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Zarin P. Machanda
- Department of Anthropology, Tufts University, Medford, MA 02155, USA
| | - Emily Otali
- Kibale Chimpanzee Project, Fort Portal, Uganda
| | - Richard Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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10
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Fox SA, Scelza B, Silk J, Kramer KL. New perspectives on the evolution of women's cooperation. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210424. [PMID: 36440567 PMCID: PMC9703265 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0424] [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: 09/28/2022] [Accepted: 09/28/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
A holistic, evolutionary framework about human cooperation must incorporate information about women's cooperative behaviour. Yet, most empirical research on human cooperation has centered on men's behaviour or been derived from experimental studies conducted in western, industrialized populations. These bodies of data are unlikely to accurately represent human behavioural diversity. To address this gap and provide a more balanced view of human cooperation, this issue presents substantial new data and multi-disciplinary perspectives to document the complexity of women's cooperative behaviour. Research in this issue 1) challenges narratives about universal gender differences in cooperation, 2) reconsiders patrilocality and access to kin as constraints on women's cooperation, 3) reviews evidence for a connection between social support and women's health and 4) examines the phylogenetic roots of female cooperation. Here, we discuss the steps taken in this issue toward a more complete and evidence-based understanding of the role that cooperation plays in women's and girls' lives and in building human sociality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie A. Fox
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Brooke Scelza
- Department of Anthropology, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA
| | - Joan Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85281, USA
| | - Karen L. Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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Kramer KL. Female cooperation: evolutionary, cross-cultural and ethnographic evidence. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210425. [PMID: 36440565 PMCID: PMC9703230 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0425] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Women and girls cooperate with each other across many domains and at many scales. However, much of this information is buried in the ethnographic record and has been overlooked in theoretic constructions of the evolution of human sociality and cooperation. The assumed primacy of male bonding, hunting, patrilocality and philopatry has dominated the discussion of cooperation without balanced consideration. A closer look at the ethnographic record reveals that in addition to cooperative childcare and food production, women and girls collectively form coalitions, have their own cooperative political, ceremonial, economic and social institutions, and develop female-based exchange and support networks. The numerous ethnographic examples of female cooperation urge reconsideration of gender stereotypes and the limits of female cooperation. This review brings together theoretic, cross-cultural and cross-lifespan research on female cooperation to present a more even and empirically supported view of female sociality. Following the lead from trends in evolutionary biology and sexual selection theory, the hope going forward is that the focus shifts from rote characterizations of sex differences to highlighting sources of variation and conditions that enhance or constrain female cooperative engagement. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen L. Kramer
- Department of Anthropology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT 84112, USA
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12
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Small effects of family size on sociality despite strong kin preferences in female bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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13
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Nordli K, Wabakken P, Eriksen A, Sand H, Wikenros C, Maartmann E, Zimmermann B. Spatial and temporal cohesion of parents and offspring in a social large carnivore. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.12.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
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14
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Marfurt SM, Allen SJ, Bizzozzero MR, Willems EP, King SL, Connor RC, Kopps AM, Wild S, Gerber L, Wittwer S, Krützen M. Association patterns and community structure among female bottlenose dolphins: environmental, genetic and cultural factors. Mamm Biol 2022; 102:1373-1387. [PMID: 36998433 PMCID: PMC10040398 DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00259-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSocial structuring from assortative associations may affect individual fitness, as well as population-level processes. Gaining a broader understanding of social structure can improve our knowledge of social evolution and inform wildlife conservation. We investigated association patterns and community structure of female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, assessing the role of kinship, shared culturally transmitted foraging techniques, and habitat similarity based on water depth. Our results indicated that associations are influenced by a combination of uni- and biparental relatedness, cultural behaviour and habitat similarity, as these were positively correlated with a measure of dyadic association. These findings were matched in a community level analysis. Members of the same communities overwhelmingly shared the same habitat and foraging techniques, demonstrating a strong homophilic tendency. Both uni- and biparental relatedness between dyads were higher within than between communities. Our results illustrate that intraspecific variation in sociality in bottlenose dolphins is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, cultural, and environmental aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja M. Marfurt
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J. Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Manuela R. Bizzozzero
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erik P. Willems
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie L. King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | | | - Anna M. Kopps
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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15
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Nishikawa M, Suzuki M, Sprague DS. Activity synchrony and travel direction synchrony in wild female Japanese macaques. Behav Processes 2021; 191:104473. [PMID: 34363911 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104473] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 08/02/2021] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
The degree of behavioural synchrony of animals within a group can be considered a reflection of how individuals adjust their behaviours to manage the costs/benefits accompanying group-living. In this study, we focused on activity synchrony and travel direction synchrony as behavioural synchrony. We aimed to quantify the degree of behavioural synchrony and identify which factors can affect the synchrony in wild females of Japanese macaques. Japanese macaques live in female philopatric multi-female and multi-male groups and have a linear dominance hierarchy. The groups are characterized by changing spatio-temporal cohesiveness among group members. Two observers conducted simultaneous focal animal sampling on adult females using global positioning system devices to record locations. The overall degree of activity synchrony was positive compared with random, and the degree was highest when macaques were located within visual range of each other. Both activity synchrony and travel direction synchrony were influenced by spatial cohesion, i.e. interindividual distance, which shows that the probabilities of synchrony were higher with individuals located closer. Activity synchrony was also influenced by activity type, showing that the probabilities of synchrony were higher when individuals engaged in foraging. These results suggest that synchronized foraging may be caused by enhanced feeding with other group members when they are closer to each other. Our approach to quantitatively measure spatial dispersal while observing group members simultaneously revealed the roles of spatial cohesion and activity types for determining the degree of behavioral synchrony.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mari Nishikawa
- Kyoto University, Kitashirakawaoiwake, Sakyo, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan; Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Kanrin 41-2, Inuyama, Aichi 484-8506, Japan.
| | - Mariko Suzuki
- Amami Wildlife Conservation Center, Koshinohata 551, Ongachi, Yamato, Oshima, Kagoshima 894-3104, Japan
| | - David S Sprague
- National Agriculture and Food Research Organization, Kannondai 3-1-3, Tsukuba, 305-8604, Japan
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16
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Smith JE, von Rueden CR, van Vugt M, Fichtel C, Kappeler PM. An Evolutionary Explanation for the Female Leadership Paradox. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.676805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Social influence is distributed unequally between males and females in many mammalian societies. In human societies, gender inequality is particularly evident in access to leadership positions. Understanding why women historically and cross-culturally have tended to be under-represented as leaders within human groups and organizations represents a paradox because we lack evidence that women leaders consistently perform worse than men. We also know that women exercise overt influence in collective group-decisions within small-scale human societies, and that female leadership is pervasive in particular contexts across non-human mammalian societies. Here, we offer a transdisciplinary perspective on this female leadership paradox. Synthesis of social science and biological literatures suggests that females and males, on average, differ in why and how they compete for access to political leadership in mixed-gender groups. These differences are influenced by sexual selection and are moderated by socioecological variation across development and, particularly in human societies, by culturally transmitted norms and institutions. The interplay of these forces contributes to the emergence of female leaders within and across species. Furthermore, females may regularly exercise influence on group decisions in less conspicuous ways and different domains than males, and these underappreciated forms of leadership require more study. We offer a comprehensive framework for studying inequality between females and males in access to leadership positions, and we discuss the implications of this approach for understanding the female leadership paradox and for redressing gender inequality in leadership in humans.
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17
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Strickland K, Mitchell DJ, Delmé C, Frère CH. Repeatability and heritability of social reaction norms in a wild agamid lizard. Evolution 2021; 75:1953-1965. [PMID: 34184766 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2019] [Revised: 06/01/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
In the evolutionary transition from solitary to group living, it should be adaptive for animals to respond to the environment and choose when to socialize to reduce conflict and maximize access to resources. Due to the associated proximate mechanisms (e.g. neural network, endocrine system), it is likely that this behavior varies between individuals according to genetic and non-genetic factors. We used long-term behavioral and genetic data from a population of eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) to explore variation in plasticity of social behavior, in response to sex ratio and density. To do so, we modeled individual variation in social reaction norms, which describe individuals' mean behavior and behavioral responses to changes in their environment, and partitioned variance into genetic and non-genetic components. We found that reaction norms were repeatable over multiple years, suggesting that individuals consistently differed in their behavioral responses to changes in the social environment. Despite high repeatability of reaction norm components, trait heritability was below our limit of detection based on power analyses (h2 < 0.12), leading to very little power to detect heritability of plasticity. This was in contrast to a relatively greater amount of variance associated with environmental effects. This could suggest that mechanisms such as social learning and frequency-dependence may shape variance in reaction norms, which will be testable as the dataset grows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasha Strickland
- Global Ecology Change Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Maroochydore, Australia.,Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Hólar, Iceland
| | - David J Mitchell
- Department of Ethology/Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Coralie Delmé
- Global Ecology Change Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Maroochydore, Australia
| | - Céline H Frère
- Global Ecology Change Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Maroochydore, Australia
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18
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Gerber L, Wittwer S, Allen SJ, Holmes KG, King SL, Sherwin WB, Wild S, Willems EP, Connor RC, Krützen M. Cooperative partner choice in multi-level male dolphin alliances. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6901. [PMID: 33767258 PMCID: PMC7994371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85583-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigations into cooperative partner choice should consider both potential and realised partners, allowing for the comparison of traits across all those available. Male bottlenose dolphins form persisting multi-level alliances. Second-order alliances of 4–14 males are the core social unit, within which 2–3 males form first-order alliances to sequester females during consortships. We compared social bond strength, relatedness and age similarity of potential and realised partners of individual males in two age periods: (i) adolescence, when second-order alliances are formed from all available associates, and (ii) adulthood, when first-order allies are selected from within second-order alliances. Social bond strength during adolescence predicted second-order alliance membership in adulthood. Moreover, males preferred same-aged or older males as second-order allies. Within second-order alliances, non-mating season social bond strength predicted first-order partner preferences during mating season consortships. Relatedness did not influence partner choice on either alliance level. There is thus a striking resemblance between male dolphins, chimpanzees and humans, where closely bonded non-relatives engage in higher-level, polyadic cooperative acts. To that end, our study extends the scope of taxa in which social bonds rather than kinship explain cooperation, providing the first evidence that such traits might have evolved independently in marine and terrestrial realms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Kathryn G Holmes
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - William B Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Erik P Willems
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Richard C Connor
- Biology Department, UMASS Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747, USA
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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19
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Tang Z, Wang X, Wu M, Chen S, Li J. Tibetan Macaques with Higher Social Centrality and More Relatives Emit More Frequent Visual Communication in Collective Decision-Making. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030876. [PMID: 33808579 PMCID: PMC8003505 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030876] [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: 02/16/2021] [Revised: 03/09/2021] [Accepted: 03/14/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary It is well known that visual communication plays an important role in collective decision-making. However, there is not much research on the influencing factors of visual signals, especially kinship and social relations. In this study, we not only confirmed the function of visual communication in collective decision-making, but also found the effect of kinship and social relations on visual communication. Tibetan macaques with higher social centrality and more relatives emit more frequent visual communication, providing a reference for further research on decision-making. Understanding the link between communication and decision-making can elucidate the powers of group maintenance in animal societies. Abstract Animals on the move often communicate with each other through some specific postures. Previous studies have shown that social interaction plays a role in communication process. However, it is not clear whether the affinity of group members can affect visual communication. We studied a group of free-ranging Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) at Huangshan Mountain, China, and answered whether and how social centrality or relatives matter in visual signals during group movement using Tobit regression modeling. All individuals emitted the signals of back-glances and pauses in collective movement. The emission of two signals decreased with the number of participants increased. The back-glance and pause signals emitted by the participating individuals were stronger as the position moved backward in the group. Sex, age, and rank had no significant influence on back-glance and pause signals. Individuals with higher social centrality would emit more pause signals, but social centrality had no effect on the back-glance signal. Individuals with more relatives in the group had more back-glance signals, but this had no effect on the pause signal. This study verifies that social centrality and the number of relatives have effects on visual signals in Tibetan macaques. We provide insights into the relationship between communication behaviors and group cooperation in social animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zifei Tang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavior Ecology, Hefei 230601, China; (M.W.); (S.C.)
| | - Xi Wang
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavior Ecology, Hefei 230601, China; (M.W.); (S.C.)
- Correspondence: (X.W.); (J.L.)
| | - Mingyang Wu
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavior Ecology, Hefei 230601, China; (M.W.); (S.C.)
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Shiwang Chen
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavior Ecology, Hefei 230601, China; (M.W.); (S.C.)
- School of Life Sciences, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China
| | - Jinhua Li
- School of Resources and Environmental Engineering, Anhui University, Hefei 230601, China;
- International Collaborative Research Center for Huangshan Biodiversity and Tibetan Macaque Behavior Ecology, Hefei 230601, China; (M.W.); (S.C.)
- School of Life Sciences, Hefei Normal University, Hefei 230601, China
- Correspondence: (X.W.); (J.L.)
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20
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van Boekholt B, van de Waal E, Sterck EH. Organized to learn: the influence of social structure on social learning opportunities in a group. iScience 2021; 24:102117. [PMID: 33659880 PMCID: PMC7890404 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2021.102117] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Social learning, which is a mechanism that allows an individual to acquire skills from other individuals, occurs in a social context. Therefore, factors that influence social context, like social structure, will impact social learning opportunities. This review explores how features of social structure affect social learning opportunities in primates, either through their relationship with social tolerance or through the number of social learning models. Features that are investigated in this review and that we hypothesize affect social learning opportunities are parental investment, dominance hierarchy, nepotism, social bonds, dispersal, group size, fission-fusion dynamics, and sex ratio. For most of these features we find evidence, but support varies. Of all primate species, only humans show all the requirements of an optimal social structure to promote social learning. Future research into social learning and culture should not overlook the social context in which it takes place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Bas van Boekholt
- Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584CH The Netherlands
- Department of Comparative Biocognition, Institute of Cognitive Science, University of Osnabrück, Osnabrück, 49074, Germany
| | - Erica van de Waal
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, 1015, Switzerland
| | - Elisabeth H.M. Sterck
- Animal Ecology, Department of Biology, Utrecht University, Utrecht, 3584CH The Netherlands
- Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, Rijswijk, 2288GJ, the Netherlands
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21
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Razik I, Brown BKG, Page RA, Carter GG. Non-kin adoption in the common vampire bat. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2021; 8:201927. [PMID: 33972872 PMCID: PMC8074576 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.201927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/27/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
Individual animals across many different species occasionally 'adopt' unrelated, orphaned offspring. Although adoption may be best explained as a by-product of adaptive traits that enhance parental care or promote the development of parental skills, one factor that is possibly important for the likelihood of adoption is the history of cooperative interactions between the mother, adopted offspring and adopter. Using 652 h of behavioural samples collected over four months, we describe patterns of allogrooming and food sharing before and after an instance of non-kin adoption between two adult female common vampire bats (Desmodus rotundus) that were captured from distant sites (340 km apart) and introduced to one another in captivity. The first female died from an illness 19 days after giving birth. The second female groomed and regurgitated food to the mother more often than any other group member, then groomed, nursed and regurgitated food to the orphaned, female pup. The substantial increase in alloparental care by this female after the mother's death was not observed among the 20 other adult females that were present in the colony. Our findings corroborate previous reports of non-kin adoption in common vampire bats and are consistent with the hypothesis that non-kin adoption can be motivated, in part, by a history of cooperative interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Imran Razik
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
| | - Bridget K. G. Brown
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
| | - Rachel A. Page
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
| | - Gerald G. Carter
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W. 12th Ave, Columbus, OH, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Ancón, Republic of Panamá
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22
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Gutiérrez EG, Vivas-Toro I, Carmona-Ruíz D, Villalobos-Chaves D, Rodríguez-Herrera B, Real-Monroy MD, León-Avila G, Ortega J. Socio-spatial organization reveals paternity and low kinship in the Honduran white bat (Ectophylla alba) in Costa Rica. Integr Zool 2021; 16:646-658. [PMID: 33411951 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12514] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Ectophylla alba is a tent-making bat that roosts in mixed-sex clusters comprising adults and offspring. Our goal was to determine the genetic identity of individuals belonging to different roosting groups. We tested the hypothesis of kin selection as a major force structuring group composition. We used 9 microsatellites designed for E. alba to determine the genetic identity and probability of parentage of individuals. We analyzed parentage and kinship using the software ML-Relate, GenAIEx, and Cervus. The obtained relationship probabilities (0.5) revealed a clear maternal relationship between female adults and offspring with allele compatibility, and at least 5 relationships between male adults and pups. We found a low degree of relatedness within roosting groups. Between roosting groups at different sites, the mean probability of a half-sibling relationship ranged from 0.214 to 0.244 and, for full-sibling relationship, from 0.383 to 0.553. Genetically, adult individuals were poorly related within clusters, and kinship as an evolutionary force could not explain group membership.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edgar G Gutiérrez
- Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Posgrado en Ciencias Quimicobiológicas, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Isabela Vivas-Toro
- Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Posgrado en Ciencias Quimicobiológicas, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Daniela Carmona-Ruíz
- Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Posgrado en Ciencias Quimicobiológicas, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | | | | | - Melina Del Real-Monroy
- Laboratorio de Genómica Evolutiva, Doctorado en Ciencias Básicas, Universidad Autónoma de Zacatecas, Zacatecas, Zac., México
| | - Gloria León-Avila
- Laboratorio de Genética, Posgrado en Ciencias Quimicobiológicas, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
| | - Jorge Ortega
- Laboratorio de Bioconservación y Manejo, Posgrado en Ciencias Quimicobiológicas, Departamento de Zoología, Escuela Nacional de Ciencias Biológicas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, México
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23
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Physiological Stress Integrates Resistance to Rattlesnake Venom and the Onset of Risky Foraging in California Ground Squirrels. Toxins (Basel) 2020; 12:toxins12100617. [PMID: 32992585 PMCID: PMC7601495 DOI: 10.3390/toxins12100617] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 09/23/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Using venom for predation often leads to the evolution of resistance in prey. Understanding individual variation in venom resistance is key to unlocking basic mechanisms by which antagonistic coevolution can sustain variation in traits under selection. For prey, the opposing challenges of predator avoidance and resource acquisition often lead to correlated levels of risk and reward, which in turn can favor suites of integrated morphological, physiological and behavioral traits. We investigate the relationship between risk-sensitive behaviors, physiological resistance to rattlesnake venom, and stress in a population of California ground squirrels. For the same individuals, we quantified foraging decisions in the presence of snake predators, fecal corticosterone metabolites (a measure of “stress”), and blood serum inhibition of venom enzymatic activity (a measure of venom resistance). Individual responses to snakes were repeatable for three measures of risk-sensitive behavior, indicating that some individuals were consistently risk-averse whereas others were risk tolerant. Venom resistance was lower in squirrels with higher glucocorticoid levels and poorer body condition. Whereas resistance failed to predict proximity to and interactions with snake predators, individuals with higher glucocorticoid levels and in lower body condition waited the longest to feed when near a snake. We compared alternative structural equation models to evaluate alternative hypotheses for the relationships among stress, venom resistance, and behavior. We found support for stress as a shared physiological correlate that independently lowers venom resistance and leads to squirrels that wait longer to feed in the presence of a snake, whereas we did not find evidence that resistance directly facilitates latency to forage. Our findings suggest that stress may help less-resistant squirrels avoid a deadly snakebite, but also reduces feeding opportunities. The combined lethal and non-lethal effects of stressors in predator–prey interactions simultaneously impact multiple key traits in this system, making environmental stress a potential contributor to geographic variation in trait expression of toxic predators and resistant prey.
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24
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Social relationships among adult male chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii): variation in the strength and quality of social bonds. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02892-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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25
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De Moor D, Roos C, Ostner J, Schülke O. Bonds of bros and brothers: Kinship and social bonding in postdispersal male macaques. Mol Ecol 2020; 29:3346-3360. [PMID: 32688434 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/25/2020] [Revised: 07/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Group-living animals often maintain a few very close affiliative relationships-social bonds-that can buffer them against many of the inevitable costs of gregariousness. Kinship plays a central role in the development of such social bonds. The bulk of research on kin biases in sociality has focused on philopatric females, who typically live in deeply kin-structured systems, with matrilineal dominance rank inheritance and life-long familiarity between kin. Closely related males, in contrast, are usually not close in rank or familiar, which offers the opportunity to test the importance of kinship per se in the formation of social bonds. So far, however, kin biases in male social bonding have only been tested in philopatric males, where familiarity remains a confounding factor. Here, we studied bonds between male Assamese macaques, a species in which males disperse from their natal groups and in which male bonds are known to affect fitness. Combining extensive behavioural data on 43 adult males over a 10-year period with DNA microsatellite relatedness analyses, we find that postdispersal males form stronger relationships with the few close kin available in the group than with the average nonkin. However, males form the majority of their bonds with nonkin and may choose nonkin over available close kin to bond with. Our results show that kinship facilitates bond formation, but is not a prerequisite for it, which suggests that strong bonds are not restricted to kin in male mammals and that animals cooperate for both direct and indirect fitness benefits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine De Moor
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- Primate Genetics Laboratory, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
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26
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Aronsson M, Åkesson M, Low M, Persson J, Andrén H. Resource dispersion and relatedness interact to explain space use in a solitary predator. OIKOS 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.07258] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Malin Aronsson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Mikael Åkesson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Matthew Low
- Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Sweden
| | - Jens Persson
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
| | - Henrik Andrén
- Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Dept of Ecology, Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences SE‐73091 Riddarhyttan Sweden
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27
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Genetic relatedness cannot explain social preferences in black-and-white ruffed lemurs, Varecia variegata. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.04.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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28
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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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29
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Gerber L, Connor RC, King SL, Allen SJ, Wittwer S, Bizzozzero MR, Friedman WR, Kalberer S, Sherwin WB, Wild S, Willems EP, Krützen M. Affiliation history and age similarity predict alliance formation in adult male bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2020; 31:361-370. [PMID: 32210525 PMCID: PMC7083095 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Male alliances are an intriguing phenomenon in the context of reproduction since, in most taxa, males compete over an indivisible resource, female fertilization. Adult male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, form long-term, multilevel alliances to sequester estrus females. These alliances are therefore critical to male reproductive success. Yet, the long-term processes leading to the formation of such complex social bonds are still poorly understood. To identify the criteria by which male dolphins form social bonds with other males, we adopted a long-term approach by investigating the ontogeny of alliance formation. We followed the individual careers of 59 males for 14 years while they transitioned from adolescence (8-14 years of age) to adulthood (15-21 years old). Analyzing their genetic relationships and social associations in both age groups, we found that the vast majority of social bonds present in adolescence persisted through time. Male associations in early life predict alliance partners as adults. Kinship patterns explained associations during adolescence but not during adulthood. Instead, adult males associated with males of similar age. Our findings suggest that social bonds among peers, rather than kinship, play a central role in the development of adult male polyadic cooperation in dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Gerber
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Simon J Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuela R Bizzozzero
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Whitney R Friedman
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - William B Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Lab, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Erik P Willems
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Krützen
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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30
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Tichon J, Gilchrist JS, Rotem G, Ward P, Spiegel O. Social interactions in striped hyena inferred from camera trap data: is it more social than previously thought? Curr Zool 2020; 66:345-353. [PMID: 32617083 PMCID: PMC7319470 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the drivers promoting sociality over solitariness in animal species is imperative for predicting future population trends and informing conservation and management. In this study we investigate the social structure of a desert dwelling population of striped hyena Hyaena hyaena. This species is historically regarded as strictly solitary albeit being the least studied of the extant Hyaenids. Accumulating evidence regarding the frequency of social interactions suggests a revision of striped hyena social structure is required. We hypothesized that striped hyena has a social structure that is more complex than expected for a strictly solitary species. For that end, we deployed an array of camera-traps in a remote desert region in Israel, and compared observed frequencies of striped hyena co-occurrence against null models to test whether hyena co-occurred more than expected by chance. Seven adults were (re)captured by our camera-traps in 49 different instances over 83 tracking days. Of these, 6 exhibited shared space-use around a scarce, isolated perennial water source. Five of them, co-occurred with other hyena (in 3 instances) significantly more frequent than expected by chance (and that timing suggests reproduction is unlikely to be the driving factor). Our findings substantiate evidence of complex social structure in striped hyena, highlight the importance of a scarce resource in space-use and sociality, and provide a baseline for future research of striped hyena social structure. We suggest that similar methods be employed to evaluate social structure in other “solitary species” to better understand their social dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan Tichon
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion 84990, Israel.,School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 1 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Jason S Gilchrist
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 1 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Guy Rotem
- Spatial Ecology Laboratory, Department of Life Sciences, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Beer Sheba, Israel
| | - Paul Ward
- School of Applied Sciences, Edinburgh Napier University, 1 Sighthill Court, Edinburgh EH11 4BN, UK
| | - Orr Spiegel
- Faculty of Life Sciences, School of Zoology, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 69978, Israel
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31
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Kinship and reproductive condition correlate with affiliation patterns in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins. Sci Rep 2020; 10:1891. [PMID: 32024905 PMCID: PMC7002487 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-58800-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Social relationships in female mammals are usually determined by an interplay among genetic, endogenous, social and ecological factors that ultimately affect their lifetime reproductive success. However, few studies have attempted to control for, and integrate these factors, hampering our understanding of drivers underlying female sociality. Here, we used generalized affiliation indices, combined with social networks, reproductive condition, and genetic data to investigate drivers of associations in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins. Our analysis is based on photo-identification and genetic data collected through systematic boat surveys over a two-year study period. Female dolphins formed preferred associations and social clusters which ranged from overlapping to discrete home ranges. Furthermore, matrilineal kinship and biparental relatedness, as well as reproductive condition, correlated with the strength of female affiliations. In addition, relatedness for both genetic markers was also higher within than between social clusters. The predictability of resources in their embayment environment, and the availability of same-sex relatives in the population, may have favoured the formation of social bonds between genetically related females and those in similar reproductive condition. This study highlights the importance of genetic, endogenous, social and ecological factors in determining female sociality in coastal dolphins.
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32
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De Moor D, Roos C, Ostner J, Schülke O. Female Assamese macaques bias their affiliation to paternal and maternal kin. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz213] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Forming strong social bonds can lead to higher reproductive success, increased longevity, and/or increased infant survival in several mammal species. Given these adaptive benefits, understanding what determines partner preferences in social bonding is important. Maternal relatedness strongly predicts partner preference across many mammalian taxa. The role of paternal relatedness, however, has received relatively little attention, even though paternal and maternal kin share the same number of genes, and theoretically similar preferences would therefore be expected for paternal kin. Here, we investigate the role of maternal and paternal relatedness in female affiliation in Assamese macaques (Macaca assamensis), a species characterized by a relatively low male reproductive skew. We studied a wild population under natural conditions using extensive behavioral data and relatedness analyses based on pedigree reconstruction. We found stronger affiliative relationships and more time spent grooming between maternal kin and paternal half-sisters compared with nonkin, with no preference of maternal over paternal kin. Paternally related and nonrelated dyads did not form stronger relationships when they had less close maternal kin available, but we would need a bigger sample size to confirm this. As expected given the low reproductive skew, affiliative relationships between paternal half-sisters closer in age were not stronger than between paternal half-sisters with larger age differences, suggesting that the kin bias toward paternal kin was not mediated by age similarity. An alternative way through which paternal kin could get familiarized is mother- and/or father-mediated familiarity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Delphine De Moor
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Primate Genetics, German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, Kellnerweg, German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Christian Roos
- Primate Genetics, German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Julia Ostner
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, Kellnerweg, German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
| | - Oliver Schülke
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Goettingen, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Leibniz-ScienceCampus Primate Cognition, Kellnerweg, Goettingen, Germany
- Research Group Primate Social Evolution, Kellnerweg, German Primate Center Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Goettingen, Germany
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33
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Khodaei L, Long TAF. Kin recognition and co-operative foraging in Drosophila melanogaster larvae. J Evol Biol 2019; 32:1352-1361. [PMID: 31454451 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13531] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2019] [Revised: 08/05/2019] [Accepted: 08/22/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
A long-standing goal for biologists and social scientists is to understand the factors that lead to the evolution and maintenance of co-operative behaviour between conspecifics. To that end, the fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is becoming an increasingly popular model species to study sociality; however, most of the research to date has focused on adult behaviours. In this study, we set out to examine group-feeding behaviour by larvae and to determine whether the degree of relatedness between individuals mediates the expression co-operation. In a series of assays, we manipulated the average degree of relatedness in groups of third-instar larvae that were faced with resource scarcity, and measured the size, frequency and composition of feeding clusters, as well as the fitness benefits associated with co-operation. Our results suggest that larval D. melanogaster are capable of kin recognition (something that has not been previously described in this species), as clusters were more numerous, larger and involved more larvae, when more closely related kin were present in the social environment. These findings are discussed in the context of the correlated fitness-associated benefits of co-operation, the potential mechanisms by which individuals may recognize kin, and how that kinship may play an important role in facilitating the manifestation of this co-operative behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lucas Khodaei
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
| | - Tristan A F Long
- Department of Biology, Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, ON, Canada
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34
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Lynch EC, Lummaa V, Htut W, Lahdenperä M. Evolutionary significance of maternal kinship in a long-lived mammal. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180067. [PMID: 31303162 PMCID: PMC6664136 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0067] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 11/06/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Preferential treatment of kin is widespread across social species and is considered a central prerequisite to the evolution of cooperation through kin selection. Though it is well known that, among most social mammals, females will remain within their natal group and often bias social behaviour towards female maternal kin, less is known about the fitness consequences of these relationships. We test the fitness benefits of living with maternal sisters, measured by age-specific female reproduction, using an unusually large database of a semi-captive Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus) population. This study system is particularly valuable to an exploration of reproductive trends in a long-lived mammal, because it includes life-history data that span multiple generations, enabling a study of the effects of kinship across a female's lifespan. We find that living near a sister significantly increased the likelihood of annual reproduction among young female elephants, and this effect was strongest when living near a sister 0-5 years younger. Our results show that fitness benefits gained from relationships with kin are age-specific, establish the basis necessary for the formation and maintenance of close social relationships with female kin, and highlight the adaptive importance of matriliny in a long-lived mammal. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emily C. Lynch
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Virpi Lummaa
- Department of Biology, University of Turku, Turku 20014, Finland
| | - Win Htut
- Myanma Timber Enterprise, Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment Conservation, Yangon, Myanmar
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35
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Wolves in space: locations of individuals and their effect on pup survival in groups of a cooperatively breeding canid. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.05.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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36
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Power EA, Ready E. Cooperation beyond consanguinity: post-marital residence, delineations of kin and social support among South Indian Tamils. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180070. [PMID: 31303166 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Evolutionary ecologists have shown that relatives are important providers of support across many species. Among humans, cultural reckonings of kinship are more than just relatedness, as they interact with systems of descent, inheritance, marriage and residence. These cultural aspects of kinship may be particularly important when a person is determining which kin, if any, to call upon for help. Here, we explore the relationship between kinship and cooperation by drawing upon social support network data from two villages in South India. While these Tamil villages have a nominally male-biased kinship system (being patrilocal and patrilineal), matrilateral kin play essential social roles and many women reside in their natal villages, letting us tease apart the relative importance of genetic relatedness, kinship and residence in accessing social support. We find that people often name both their consanguineal and affinal kin as providing them with support, and we see some weakening of support with lesser relatedness. Matrilateral and patrilateral relatives are roughly equally likely to be named, and the greatest distinction instead is in their availability, which is highly contingent on post-marital residence patterns. People residing in their natal village have many more consanguineal relatives present than those who have relocated. Still, relocation has only a small effect on an individual's network size, as non-natal residents are more reliant on the few kin that they have present, most of whom are affines. In sum, marriage patterns have an important impact on kin availability, but the flexibility offered by the broadening of the concept of kin helps people develop the cooperative relationships that they rely upon, even in the absence of genetic relatives. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eleanor A Power
- 1 Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science , Houghton Street, London WC2A 2AE , UK
| | - Elspeth Ready
- 2 Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6 , Leipzig 04103 , Germany
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37
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Smith JE, Gamboa DA, Spencer JM, Travenick SJ, Ortiz CA, Hunter RD, Sih A. Split between two worlds: automated sensing reveals links between above- and belowground social networks in a free-living mammal. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0249. [PMID: 29967307 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals socialize in two or more major ecological contexts. In nature, these contexts often involve one situation in which space is more constrained (e.g. shared refuges, sleeping cliffs, nests, dens or burrows) and another situation in which animal movements are relatively free (e.g. in open spaces lacking architectural constraints). Although it is widely recognized that an individual's characteristics may shape its social life, the extent to which architecture constrains social decisions within and between habitats remains poorly understood. Here we developed a novel, automated-monitoring system to study the effects of personality, life-history stage and sex on the social network structure of a facultatively social mammal, the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) in two distinct contexts: aboveground where space is relatively open and belowground where it is relatively constrained by burrow architecture. Aboveground networks reflected affiliative social interactions whereas belowground networks reflected burrow associations. Network structure in one context (belowground), along with preferential juvenile-adult associations, predicted structure in a second context (aboveground). Network positions of individuals were generally consistent across years (within contexts) and between ecological contexts (within years), suggesting that individual personalities and behavioural syndromes, respectively, contribute to the social network structure of these free-living mammals. Direct ties (strength) tended to be stronger in belowground networks whereas more indirect paths (betweenness centrality) flowed through individuals in aboveground networks. Belowground, females fostered significantly more indirect paths than did males. Our findings have important potential implications for disease and information transmission, offering new insights into the multiple factors contributing to social structures across ecological contexts.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Smith
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Denisse A Gamboa
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Julia M Spencer
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Sarah J Travenick
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Chelsea A Ortiz
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Riana D Hunter
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Andy Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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38
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Piza-Roca C, Strickland K, Kent N, Frere CH. Presence of kin-biased social associations in a lizard with no parental care: the eastern water dragon (Intellagama lesueurii). Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz093] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Numerous studies have observed kin-biased social associations in a variety of species. Many of these studies have focused on species exhibiting parental care, which may facilitate the transmission of the social environment from parents to offspring. This becomes problematic when disentangling whether kin-biased associations are driven by kin recognition, or are a product of transmission of the social environment during ontogeny, or a combination of both. Studying kin-biased associations in systems that lack parental care may aid in addressing this issue. Furthermore, when studying kin-biased social associations, it is important to differentiate whether these originate from preferential choice or occur randomly as a result of habitat use or limited dispersal. Here, we combined high-resolution single-nucleotide polymorphism data with a long-term behavioral data set of a reptile with no parental care to demonstrate that eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii) bias their nonrandom social associations toward their kin. In particular, we found that although the overall social network was not linked to genetic relatedness, individuals associated with kin more than expected given availability in space and also biased social preferences toward kin. This result opens important opportunities for the study of kinship-driven associations without the confounding effect of vertical transmission of social environments. Furthermore, we present a robust multiple-step approach for determining whether kin-biased social associations are a result of active social decisions or random encounters resulting from habitat use and dispersal patterns.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carme Piza-Roca
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Kasha Strickland
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Nicola Kent
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
| | - Celine H Frere
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD, Australia
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Diaz-Aguirre F, Parra GJ, Passadore C, Möller L. Genetic relatedness delineates the social structure of southern Australian bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
AbstractSocial relationships represent an adaptive behavioral strategy that can provide fitness benefits to individuals. Within mammalian societies, delphinids are known to form diverse grouping patterns and show a variety of social systems. However, how ecological and intrinsic factors have shaped the evolution of such diverse societies is still not well understood. In this study, we used photo-identification data and biopsy samples collected between March 2013 and October 2015 in Coffin Bay, a heterogeneous environment in South Australia, to investigate the social structure of southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. australis). Based on the data from 657 groups of dolphins, we used generalized affiliation indices, and applied social network and modularity methods to study affiliation patterns among individuals and investigate the potential presence of social communities within the population. In addition, we investigated genetic relatedness and kinship relationships within and between the communities identified. Modularity analysis revealed that the Coffin Bay population is structured into 2 similar sized, mixed-sex communities which differed in ranging patterns, affiliation levels and network metrics. Lagged association rates also indicated that nonrandom affiliations persisted over the study period. The genetic analyses suggested that there was higher relatedness, and a higher proportion of inferred full-sibs and half-sibs, within than between communities. We propose that differences in environmental conditions between the bays and kinship relationships are important factors contributing to the delineation and maintenance of this social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Diaz-Aguirre
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Molecular Ecology Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Guido J Parra
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Cecilia Passadore
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - Luciana Möller
- Cetacean Ecology, Behaviour and Evolution Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
- Molecular Ecology Lab, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
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40
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Conspecific presence and microhabitat features influence foraging decisions across ontogeny in a facultatively social mammal. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2651-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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41
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42
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Waterman JM, Archibald AJ. Both familiarity and kinship influence odour discrimination by females in a highly social African ground squirrel. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.12.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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43
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Diaz-Aguirre F, Parra GJ, Passadore C, Möller L. Kinship influences social bonds among male southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. australis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2621-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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44
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Physiological mechanisms mediating patterns of reproductive suppression and alloparental care in cooperatively breeding carnivores. Physiol Behav 2018; 193:167-178. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2017.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/04/2017] [Revised: 10/14/2017] [Accepted: 11/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
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45
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Ford MJ, Parsons KM, Ward EJ, Hempelmann JA, Emmons CK, Bradley Hanson M, Balcomb KC, Park LK. Inbreeding in an endangered killer whale population. Anim Conserv 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/acv.12413] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- M. J. Ford
- Conservation Biology Division; Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
| | - K. M. Parsons
- North Gulf Oceanic Society, under contract to Marine Mammal Laboratory; Alaska Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
| | - E. J. Ward
- Conservation Biology Division; Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
| | - J. A. Hempelmann
- Conservation Biology Division; Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
| | - C. K. Emmons
- Conservation Biology Division; Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
| | - M. Bradley Hanson
- Conservation Biology Division; Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
| | | | - L. K. Park
- Conservation Biology Division; Northwest Fisheries Science Center; National Marine Fisheries Service; NOAA; Seattle WA USA
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46
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Smith JE, Petelle MB, Jerome EL, Cristofari H, Blumstein DT. Oxytocin Experiments Shed Light on Mechanisms Shaping Prosocial and Antisocial Behaviors in Non-human Mammals. Integr Comp Biol 2017; 57:619-630. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icx091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/11/2023] Open
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47
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Krzyszczyk E, Patterson EM, Stanton MA, Mann J. The transition to independence: sex differences in social and behavioural development of wild bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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48
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Mejía-Salazar MF, Goldizen AW, Menz CS, Dwyer RG, Blomberg SP, Waldner CL, Cullingham CI, Bollinger TK. Mule deer spatial association patterns and potential implications for transmission of an epizootic disease. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175385. [PMID: 28388681 PMCID: PMC5384682 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [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: 08/17/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2017] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal social behaviour can have important effects on the long-term dynamics of diseases. In particular, preferential spatial relationships between individuals can lead to differences in the rates of disease spread within a population. We examined the concurrent influence of genetic relatedness, sex, age, home range overlap, time of year, and prion disease status on proximal associations of adult Rocky Mountain mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) in a chronic wasting disease endemic area. We also quantified the temporal stability of these associations across different sex, age, and disease status classes. We used three years of high frequency telemetry data from 74 individuals to record encounters within 25 m of each other, and to calculate seasonal home range overlap measured by volume of intersection (VI). The strength of pairwise spatial association between adult mule deer was independent of genetic relatedness, age and disease status. Seasonal variation in association strength was not consistent across years, perhaps due to annual changes in weather conditions. The influence of home range overlap on association strength varied seasonally, whereby associations were stronger in pre-rut and fawning than in the rest of the seasons. The sexes of individuals also interacted with both VI and season. At increasing levels of VI, associations were stronger between females than between males and between females and males. The strongest associations in pre-rut were between males, while the strongest in rut were between females and males. The temporal stability of associations was markedly dependant on the sex and the diagnosis of the associating pair. Our findings highlight the importance of considering concurrent effects of biological and environmental factors when seeking to understand the role of social preference in behavioural ecology and disease spread. Applying this knowledge in epidemiological modelling will shed light on the dynamics of disease transmission among mule deer.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Anne W. Goldizen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Clementine S. Menz
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Ross G. Dwyer
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Simon P. Blomberg
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
| | - Cheryl L. Waldner
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
| | | | - Trent K. Bollinger
- Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
- Canadian Wildlife Health Cooperative (CWHC), Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada
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McNamara RA, Henrich J. Kin and kinship psychology both influence cooperative coordination in Yasawa, Fiji. EVOL HUM BEHAV 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.evolhumbehav.2016.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
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