1
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Stanton LA, Cooley-Ackermann C, Davis EC, Fanelli RE, Benson-Amram S. Wild raccoons demonstrate flexibility and individuality in innovative problem-solving. Proc Biol Sci 2024; 291:20240911. [PMID: 39043237 PMCID: PMC11265930 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2024.0911] [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: 09/22/2023] [Revised: 06/11/2024] [Accepted: 06/12/2024] [Indexed: 07/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Cognitive skills, such as innovative problem-solving, are hypothesized to aid animals in urban environments. However, the significance of innovation in wild populations, and its expression across individuals and socio-ecological conditions, is poorly understood. To identify how and when innovation arises in urban-dwelling species, we used advanced technologies and new testing and analytical methods to evaluate innovative problem-solving abilities of wild raccoons (Procyon lotor). We deployed multi-compartment puzzle boxes with either one or multiple solution types and identified raccoons using radio frequency identification. Raccoons solved these novel extractive foraging tasks, and their success was influenced by age and exploratory diversity. Successful raccoons always discovered multiple different solution types, highlighting flexible problem-solving. Using a unique, comparative sequence analysis approach, we found that variation in raccoon solving techniques was greater between individuals than within individuals, and this self-similarity intensified during times of competition. Finally, the inclusion of an easier solution in the multi-solution trials enabled previously unsuccessful raccoons to bootstrap their learning and successfully open multiple difficult solutions. Our study suggests that innovative problem-solving is probably influenced by many factors and has provided novel field and analytical methods, as well as new insights on the socio-ecological dynamics of urban populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A. Stanton
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, 130 Mulford Hall, Berkeley, CA94720-3114, USA
| | | | - Emily C. Davis
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Rachel E. Fanelli
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY, USA
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, 3041-2424 Main Mall, Vancouver, British ColumbiaV6T 1Z4, Canada
- Department of Zoology and Biodiversity Research Center, University of British Columbia, 4200-6270 University Boulevard, Vancouver, BCV6T 1Z4, Canada
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2
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Kimball MG, Lattin CR. The "Seven Deadly Sins" of Neophobia Experimental Design. Integr Comp Biol 2024; 64:38-54. [PMID: 37996398 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neophobia, an aversive response to novelty, is a behavior with critical ecological and evolutionary relevance for wild populations because it directly influences animals' ability to adapt to new environments and exploit novel resources. Neophobia has been described in a wide variety of different animal species from arachnids to zebra finches. Because of this widespread prevalence and ecological importance, the number of neophobia studies has continued to increase over time. However, many neophobia studies (as well as many animal behavior studies more generally) suffer from one or more of what we have deemed the "seven deadly sins" of neophobia experimental design. These "sins" include: (1) animals that are not habituated to the testing environment, (2) problems with novel stimulus selection, (3) non-standardized motivation, (4) pseudoreplication, (5) lack of sufficient controls, (6) fixed treatment order, and (7) using arbitrary thresholds for data analysis. We discuss each of these potential issues in turn and make recommendations for how to avoid them in future behavior research. More consistency in how neophobia studies are designed would facilitate comparisons across different populations and species and allow researchers to better understand whether neophobia can help explain animals' responses to human-altered landscapes and the ability to survive in the Anthropocene.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melanie G Kimball
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Christine R Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
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3
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Wascher CAF, Hillemann F. Observation of female-male mounting in the carrion crow. Behav Processes 2024; 219:105055. [PMID: 38777168 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105055] [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: 01/09/2024] [Revised: 05/14/2024] [Accepted: 05/16/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024]
Abstract
In the biological sciences, sexual behaviours in non-human animals are traditionally investigated in the context of reproduction and direct fitness benefits. While the evolutionary functions of non-conceptive sexual behaviours ('socio-sexual behaviours') remain less well explored, these interactions and displays have been suggested to be important for shaping and maintaining social relationships. Here, we report an observation of a captive female carrion crow, Corvus corone corone, mounting her co-housed male partner. We highlight the importance of more systematic research, reporting, and discussions of rarely observed behaviours in social evolution research, including considerations for behaviours that transcend binary or heteronormative frameworks, for a more comprehensive understanding of non-conceptive socio-sexual behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claudia A F Wascher
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom.
| | - Friederike Hillemann
- Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts & Sciences, Droevendaalsesteeg 10, 6708 PB Wageningen, Netherlands
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4
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Eleuteri V, Bates L, Rendle-Worthington J, Hobaiter C, Stoeger A. Multimodal communication and audience directedness in the greeting behaviour of semi-captive African savannah elephants. Commun Biol 2024; 7:472. [PMID: 38724671 PMCID: PMC11082179 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-06133-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/30/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 05/12/2024] Open
Abstract
Many species communicate by combining signals into multimodal combinations. Elephants live in multi-level societies where individuals regularly separate and reunite. Upon reunion, elephants often engage in elaborate greeting rituals, where they use vocalisations and body acts produced with different body parts and of various sensory modalities (e.g., audible, tactile). However, whether these body acts represent communicative gestures and whether elephants combine vocalisations and gestures during greeting is still unknown. Here we use separation-reunion events to explore the greeting behaviour of semi-captive elephants (Loxodonta africana). We investigate whether elephants use silent-visual, audible, and tactile gestures directing them at their audience based on their state of visual attention and how they combine these gestures with vocalisations during greeting. We show that elephants select gesture modality appropriately according to their audience's visual attention, suggesting evidence of first-order intentional communicative use. We further show that elephants integrate vocalisations and gestures into different combinations and orders. The most frequent combination consists of rumble vocalisations with ear-flapping gestures, used most often between females. By showing that a species evolutionarily distant to our own primate lineage shows sensitivity to their audience's visual attention in their gesturing and combines gestures with vocalisations, our study advances our understanding of the emergence of first-order intentionality and multimodal communication across taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vesta Eleuteri
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Lucy Bates
- Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, Portsmouth, UK
| | | | - Catherine Hobaiter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Angela Stoeger
- Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
- Acoustic Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria.
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5
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Tchabovsky AV, Surkova EN, Savinetskaya LE. Multi-assay approach shows species-associated personality patterns in two socially distinct gerbil species. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0296214. [PMID: 38625985 PMCID: PMC11020386 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0296214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2023] [Accepted: 02/28/2024] [Indexed: 04/18/2024] Open
Abstract
We aimed to investigate whether two closely related but socially distinct species of gerbils differ in personality patterns. Using a suit of multivariate repeated assays (docility test, dark-light emergence test, startle test, novel object test, elevated platform test, and stranger test), we assessed contextual and temporal consistency of docility, boldness, exploration, anxiety, and sociability in the solitary midday gerbil, Meriones meridianus, and social Mongolian gerbil, M. unguiculatus. We revealed contextually consistent and highly repeatable sex-independent but species-specific personality traits. Species differed in temporal repeatability of different behaviours, and contextual consistency was more pronounced in solitary M. meridianus than in social M. unguiculatus. This finding contradicts the social niche specialization hypothesis, which suggests that personality traits should be more consistent in more social species. Instead, we hypothesize that social complexity should favour more flexible and less consistent behavioural traits. The habituation effect indicative of learning abilities was weak in both species yet stronger in social M. unguiculatus, supporting the relationship between the sociality level and cognitive skills. In both species, only a few different behavioural traits covaried, and the sets of correlated behaviours were species-specific such that the two species did not share any pair of correlated traits. Between-species differences in personality traits, habituation, and behavioural syndromes may be linked to differences in sociality. The lack of prominent behavioural syndromes is consistent with the idea that context-specific individual behavioural traits might be favoured to allow more flexible and adequate responses to changing environments than syndromes of correlated functionally different behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrey V. Tchabovsky
- Laboratory for Population Ecology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Elena N. Surkova
- Laboratory for Population Ecology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
| | - Ludmila E. Savinetskaya
- Laboratory for Population Ecology, Severtsov Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow, Russia
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6
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Breen AJ, Deffner D. Risk-sensitive learning is a winning strategy for leading an urban invasion. eLife 2024; 12:RP89315. [PMID: 38562050 PMCID: PMC10987091 DOI: 10.7554/elife.89315] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/04/2024] Open
Abstract
In the unpredictable Anthropocene, a particularly pressing open question is how certain species invade urban environments. Sex-biased dispersal and learning arguably influence movement ecology, but their joint influence remains unexplored empirically, and might vary by space and time. We assayed reinforcement learning in wild-caught, temporarily captive core-, middle-, or edge-range great-tailed grackles-a bird species undergoing urban-tracking rapid range expansion, led by dispersing males. We show, across populations, both sexes initially perform similarly when learning stimulus-reward pairings, but, when reward contingencies reverse, male-versus female-grackles finish 'relearning' faster, making fewer choice-option switches. How do male grackles do this? Bayesian cognitive modelling revealed male grackles' choice behaviour is governed more strongly by the 'weight' of relative differences in recent foraging payoffs-i.e., they show more pronounced risk-sensitive learning. Confirming this mechanism, agent-based forward simulations of reinforcement learning-where we simulate 'birds' based on empirical estimates of our grackles' reinforcement learning-replicate our sex-difference behavioural data. Finally, evolutionary modelling revealed natural selection should favour risk-sensitive learning in hypothesised urban-like environments: stable but stochastic settings. Together, these results imply risk-sensitive learning is a winning strategy for urban-invasion leaders, underscoring the potential for life history and cognition to shape invasion success in human-modified environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexis J Breen
- Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary AnthropologyLeipzigGermany
| | - Dominik Deffner
- Science of Intelligence Excellence Cluster, Technical University BerlinBerlinGermany
- Center for Adaptive Rationality, Max Planck Institute for Human DevelopmentBerlinGermany
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7
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Koops K, Akankwasa W, Camara HD, Fitzgerald M, Keir A, Mamy G, Matsuzawa T, Péter H, Vicent K, Zuberbühler K, Hobaiter C. Flexible grouping patterns in a western and eastern chimpanzee community. Am J Primatol 2024; 86:e23593. [PMID: 38247391 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23593] [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: 06/16/2023] [Revised: 12/19/2023] [Accepted: 12/27/2023] [Indexed: 01/23/2024]
Abstract
Primate social organizations, or grouping patterns, vary significantly across species. Behavioral strategies that allow for flexibility in grouping patterns offer a means to reduce the costs of group living. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) have a fission-fusion social system in which temporary subgroups ("parties") change in composition because of local socio-ecological conditions. Notably, western chimpanzees (P. t. verus) are described as showing a higher degree of bisexual bonding and association than eastern chimpanzees, and eastern female chimpanzees (P. t. schweinfurthii) are thought to be more solitary than western female chimpanzees. However, reported comparisons in sociality currently depend on a small number of study groups, particularly in western chimpanzees, and variation in methods. The inclusion of additional communities and direct comparison using the same methods are essential to assess whether reported subspecies differences in sociality hold in this behaviorally heterogeneous species. We explored whether sociality differs between two communities of chimpanzees using the same motion-triggered camera technology and definitions of social measures. We compare party size and composition (party type, sex ratio) between the western Gahtoy community in the Nimba Mountains (Guinea) and the eastern Waibira community in the Budongo Forest (Uganda). Once potential competition for resources such as food and mating opportunities were controlled for, subspecies did not substantially influence the number of individuals in a party. We found a higher sex-ratio, indicating more males in a party, in Waibira; this pattern was driven by a greater likelihood in Gahtoy to be in all-female parties. This finding is the opposite of what was expected for eastern chimpanzees, where female-only parties are predicted to be more common. Our results highlight the flexibility in chimpanzee sociality, and caution against subspecies level generalizations.
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Grants
- Newnham College, University of Cambridge
- Royal Zoological Society of Scotland
- Homerton College, University of Cambridge
- Gates Cambridge Trust
- #12002009 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #16002001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #20002001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #24000001 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- #16H06 Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology
- Stichting Lucie Burgers
- PCEFP3_186967 Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung
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Affiliation(s)
- Kathelijne Koops
- Ape Behaviour & Ecology Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | | | | | | | - Alex Keir
- Department of Archaeology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Gnan Mamy
- Institute de Recherche Environnementale de Bossou, Bossou, Guinea
| | - Tetsuro Matsuzawa
- Division of Humanities and Social Sciences, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, California, USA
- Department of Pedagogy, Chubu Gakuin University, Gifu, Japan
- College of Life Sciences, Northwest University, Xi'an, China
| | - Hella Péter
- School of Anthropology and Conservation, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK
| | - Kizza Vicent
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Institute of Biology, University of Neuchâtel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Wild Minds Lab, School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
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8
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Schneider WT, Rutz C, Bailey NW. Behavioural plasticity compensates for adaptive loss of cricket song. Ecol Lett 2024; 27:e14404. [PMID: 38519842 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14404] [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: 07/25/2023] [Accepted: 02/08/2024] [Indexed: 03/25/2024]
Abstract
Behavioural flexibility might help animals cope with costs of genetic variants under selection, promoting genetic adaptation. However, it has proven challenging to experimentally link behavioural flexibility to the predicted compensation of population-level fitness. We tested this prediction using the field cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus. In Hawaiian populations, a mutation silences males and protects against eavesdropping parasitoids. To examine how the loss of this critical acoustic communication signal impacts offspring production and mate location, we developed a high-resolution, individual-based tracking system for low-light, naturalistic conditions. Offspring production did not differ significantly in replicate silent versus singing populations, and fitness compensation in silent conditions was associated with significantly increased locomotion in both sexes. Our results provide evidence that flexible behaviour can promote genetic adaptation via compensation in reproductive output and suggest that rapid evolution of animal communication systems may be less constrained than previously appreciated.
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Affiliation(s)
- Will T Schneider
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
| | - Nathan W Bailey
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, UK
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9
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Marques CS, Marques DA, Blackwell SB, Heide-Jørgensen MP, Malinka CE, Marques TA. Narwhal (Monodon monoceros) echolocation click rates to support cue counting passive acoustic density estimation. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2024; 155:891-900. [PMID: 38310606 DOI: 10.1121/10.0024723] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 01/17/2024] [Indexed: 02/06/2024]
Abstract
Estimating animal abundance is fundamental for effective management and conservation. It is increasingly done by combining passive acoustics with knowledge about rates at which animals produce cues (cue rates). Narwhals (Monodon monoceros) are elusive marine mammals for which passive acoustic density estimation might be plausible, but for which cue rates are lacking. Clicking rates in narwhals were investigated using a dataset from sound and movement tag records collected in August 2013-2016 and 2019 in East Greenland. Clicking rates were quantified for ∼1200 one-second-long systematic random samples from 8 different whales. Generalized additive models were used to model (1) the probability of being in a clicking state versus depth and (2) the clicking rate while in a clicking state, versus time and depth. The probability of being in a clicking state increased with depth, reaching ∼1.0 at ∼500 m, while the number of clicks per second (while in a clicking state) increased with depth. The mean cue production rate, weighted by tag duration, was 1.28 clicks per second (se = 0.13, CV = 0.10). This first cue rate for narwhals may be used for cue counting density estimation, but care should be taken if applying it to other geographical areas or seasons, given sample size, geographical, and temporal limitations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina S Marques
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Diana A Marques
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Susanna B Blackwell
- Greeneridge Sciences, Incorporated, 5142 Hollister Avenue, 283, Santa Barbara, California 93111, USA
| | | | - Chloe E Malinka
- Sea Mammal Research Unit Consulting, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Tiago A Marques
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Departamento de Biologia Animal, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Lisbon, Portugal
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10
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Iotchev IB, Bognár Z, Rhali SB, Kubinyi E. Cognitive and sensory capacity each contribute to the canine spatial bias. Ethology 2024; 130:e13423. [PMID: 38434251 PMCID: PMC7615695 DOI: 10.1111/eth.13423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/21/2023] [Accepted: 11/01/2023] [Indexed: 03/05/2024]
Abstract
Dogs interpret cues as being about location, which human infants would relate to objects. This spatial bias could shed light on the evolution of object-centered thought, however, research needs to rule out that this is not a by-product of dogs' weaker (compared to humans) visual capacities. In this study, we used a data set in which dogs were tested in two types of learning tasks (discrimination and reversal learning) with two types of rewarded cues (location and object features). In both tasks, dogs displayed spatial bias, that is, faster learning when the rewarded cue was a location. We investigated how sensory and cognitive capacity each contributes to this spatial bias. To this end, an estimate for general cognitive ability (g) was obtained from a battery of tests for some of the dogs. Cephalic index, a feature targeted in breeding and linked to differences in visual capacity, correlated negatively with the expression of spatial bias only in the easier discrimination learning task, while a negative correlation between g factor and spatial bias scores emerged in the more difficult reversal learning task. We conclude that dogs' spatial bias cannot be reduced to a sensory limitation and is easier to overcome with greater cognitive capacity.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Zsófia Bognár
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Lendület “Momentum” Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Soufiane Bel Rhali
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Lendület “Momentum” Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, 1117, Hungary
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11
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Grund C, Badihi G, Graham KE, Safryghin A, Hobaiter C. GesturalOrigins: A bottom-up framework for establishing systematic gesture data across ape species. Behav Res Methods 2024; 56:986-1001. [PMID: 36922450 PMCID: PMC10830607 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-023-02082-9] [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] [Accepted: 02/03/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023]
Abstract
Current methodologies present significant hurdles to understanding patterns in the gestural communication of individuals, populations, and species. To address this issue, we present a bottom-up data collection framework for the study of gesture: GesturalOrigins. By "bottom-up", we mean that we minimise a priori structural choices, allowing researchers to define larger concepts (such as 'gesture types', 'response latencies', or 'gesture sequences') flexibly once coding is complete. Data can easily be re-organised to provide replication of, and comparison with, a wide range of datasets in published and planned analyses. We present packages, templates, and instructions for the complete data collection and coding process. We illustrate the flexibility that our methodological tool offers with worked examples of (great ape) gestural communication, demonstrating differences in the duration of action phases across distinct gesture action types and showing how species variation in the latency to respond to gestural requests may be revealed or masked by methodological choices. While GesturalOrigins is built from an ape-centred perspective, the basic framework can be adapted across a range of species and potentially to other communication systems. By making our gesture coding methods transparent and open access, we hope to enable a more direct comparison of findings across research groups, improve collaborations, and advance the field to tackle some of the long-standing questions in comparative gesture research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Charlotte Grund
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9JP, UK.
| | - Gal Badihi
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Kirsty E Graham
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Alexandra Safryghin
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9JP, UK
| | - Catherine Hobaiter
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland, KY16 9JP, UK
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12
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Dongre P, Lanté G, Cantat M, Canteloup C, van de Waal E. Role of immigrant males and muzzle contacts in the uptake of a novel food by wild vervet monkeys. eLife 2024; 13:e76486. [PMID: 38192204 PMCID: PMC10776085 DOI: 10.7554/elife.76486] [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: 12/20/2021] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
The entry into and uptake of information in social groups is critical for behavioral adaptation by long-lived species in rapidly changing environments. We exposed five groups of wild vervet monkeys to a novel food to investigate the innovation of processing and consuming it. We report that immigrant males innovated in two groups, and an infant innovated in one group. In two other groups, immigrant males imported the innovation from their previous groups. We compared uptake between groups with respect to the initial innovator to examine the extent to which dispersing males could introduce an innovation into groups. Uptake of the novel food was faster in groups where immigrant males ate first rather than the infants. Younger individuals were more likely overall, and faster, to subsequently acquire the novel food. We also investigated the role of muzzle contact behavior in information seeking around the novel food. Muzzle contacts decreased in frequency over repeated exposures to the novel food. Muzzle contacts were initiated the most by naïve individuals, high rankers, and juveniles; and were targeted most towards knowledgeable individuals and high rankers, and the least towards infants. We highlight the potential importance of dispersers in rapidly exploiting novel resources among populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pooja Dongre
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game ReserveKwaZulu NatalSouth Africa
| | - Gaëlle Lanté
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- University of PoitiersPoitiersFrance
| | - Mathieu Cantat
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game ReserveKwaZulu NatalSouth Africa
| | - Charlotte Canteloup
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game ReserveKwaZulu NatalSouth Africa
- Laboratory of Cognitive & Adaptive Neurosciences, CNRS - UMR 7364, University of StrasbourgStrasbourgFrance
| | - Erica van de Waal
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of LausanneLausanneSwitzerland
- Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game ReserveKwaZulu NatalSouth Africa
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13
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Harrington KJ, Folkertsma R, Auersperg AMI, Biondi L, Lambert ML. Innovative problem solving by wild falcons. Curr Biol 2024; 34:190-195.e3. [PMID: 37989310 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.10.061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2023] [Revised: 10/06/2023] [Accepted: 10/26/2023] [Indexed: 11/23/2023]
Abstract
Innovation (i.e., a new solution to a familiar problem, or applying an existing behavior to a novel problem1,2) plays a fundamental role in species' ecology and evolution. It can be a useful measure for cross-group comparisons of behavioral and cognitive flexibility and a proxy for general intelligence.3,4,5 Among birds, experimental studies of innovation (and cognition more generally) are largely from captive corvids and parrots,6,7,8,9,10,11,12 though we lack serious models for avian technical intelligence outside these taxa. Striated caracaras (Phalcoboenus australis) are Falconiformes, sister clade to parrots and passerines,13,14,15 and those endemic to the Falkland Islands (Malvinas) show curiosity and neophilia similar to notoriously neophilic kea parrots16,17 and face similar socio-ecological pressures to corvids and parrots.18,19 We tested wild striated caracaras as a new avian model for technical cognition and innovation using a field-applicable 8-task comparative paradigm (adapted from Rössler et al.20 and Auersperg et al.21). The setup allowed us to assess behavior, rate, and flexibility of problem solving over repeated exposure in a natural setting. Like other generalist species with low neophobia,21,22 we predicted caracaras to demonstrate a haptic approach to solving tasks, flexibly switching to new, unsolved problems and improving their performance over time. Striated caracaras performed comparably to tool-using parrots,20 nearly reaching ceiling levels of innovation in few trials, repeatedly and flexibly solving tasks, and rapidly learning. We attribute our findings to the birds' ecology, including geographic restriction, resource unpredictability, and opportunistic generalism,23,24,25 and encourage future work investigating their cognitive abilities in the wild. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katie J Harrington
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Remco Folkertsma
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Alice M I Auersperg
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Laura Biondi
- Instituto de Investigaciones Marinas y Costeras (IIMyC), UNMdP - CONICET, Juan B. Justo 2550, Mar del Plata B7602GSD, Argentina
| | - Megan L Lambert
- Comparative Cognition Unit, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Veterinärplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
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Jones NAR, Cortese D, Munson A, Spence‐Jones HC, Storm Z, Killen SS, Bethel R, Deacon AE, Webster MM, Závorka L. Maze design: size and number of choices impact fish performance in cognitive assays. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2023; 103:974-984. [PMID: 37386747 PMCID: PMC10952265 DOI: 10.1111/jfb.15493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/27/2023] [Accepted: 06/28/2023] [Indexed: 07/01/2023]
Abstract
Although studies on fish cognition are increasing, consideration of how methodological details influence the ability to detect and measure performance is lagging. Here, in two separate experiments the authors compared latency to leave the start position, latency to make a decision, levels of participation and success rates (whether fish entered the rewarded chamber as first choice) across different physical designs. Experiments compared fish performance across (a) two sizes of T-mazes, large and standard, and a plus-maze, and (b) open choice arenas with either two or four doors. Fish in T-mazes with longer arms took longer to leave the start chamber and were less likely to participate in a trial than fish in T-mazes with shorter arms. The number of options, or complexity, in a maze significantly impacted success but did not necessarily impact behavioural measures, and did not impact the number of fish that reached a chamber. Fish in the plus-maze had similar latencies to leave the start box and time to reach any chamber as fish in the same-sized T-maze but exhibited lower overall success. Similarly, in an open choice arena, increasing the number of options - doors to potential reward chambers - resulted in lower probability of success. There was an influence of reward position in the choice arena, with rewarded chambers closest to the sides of the arena resulting in lower latencies to enter and higher probability of decision success. Together the results allow the authors to offer practical suggestions towards optimal maze design for studies of fish cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nick A. R. Jones
- Department of Animal PhysiologyUniversity of BayreuthBayreuthGermany
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Daphne Cortese
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Amelia Munson
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Helen C. Spence‐Jones
- Alfred‐Wegener‐Institut Helmholtz‐Zentrum für Polar‐ und Meeresforschung, Wadden Sea Station SyltListGermany
| | - Zoe Storm
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Shaun S. Killen
- School of Biodiversity, One Health and Veterinary Medicine, University of GlasgowGlasgowUK
| | - Ruth Bethel
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of the West IndiesSt AugustineTrinidad and Tobago
| | - Amy E. Deacon
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of the West IndiesSt AugustineTrinidad and Tobago
| | - Mike M. Webster
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Libor Závorka
- WasserCluster Lunz – Biologische Station, Inter‐university Centre for Aquatic Ecosystem ResearchLunz am SeeAustria
- Danube University KremsKremsAustria
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Salamon A, Uccheddu S, Csepregi M, Miklósi Á, Gácsi M. Dogs outperform cats both in their testability and relying on human pointing gestures: a comparative study. Sci Rep 2023; 13:17837. [PMID: 37857683 PMCID: PMC10587310 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-45008-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2023] [Accepted: 10/14/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023] Open
Abstract
The dog is a so far unique species to study interspecific communication and a promising evolutionary model for preverbal human communication. Recently cats were reported to show some similar skills to dogs. Here we directly compared both the testability and the success of companion dogs and cats in relying on human distal pointing gestures. Due to differences in their domestication, social and ecological background, and developmental processes, we expected better performance from dogs compared to cats. Using an object-choice task, cats made considerably fewer choices than dogs in the laboratory environment, and their tendency to make a choice declined during trials. They were slightly more testable at home, where their willingness to choose did not decrease over time. Dogs made more successful choices than cats, both at the group and individual level, irrespective of the type of the pointing gesture. Older cats were more successful. Despite the two species' rather similar role nowadays as human companions, our results support previous findings suggesting that, compared to the dog, the cat is a less ideal model to study some human communicative abilities in a laboratory environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Salamon
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
| | | | - Melitta Csepregi
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
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16
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Sarid S, Naor H, Asfur M, Khokhlova IS, Krasnov BR, Kotler BP, Degen AA, Kam M, Koren L. Free-living gerbils with higher testosterone take fewer risks. Physiol Behav 2023; 269:114277. [PMID: 37352905 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2023.114277] [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: 05/03/2023] [Revised: 06/18/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 06/25/2023]
Abstract
Among the physiological differences between the sexes are circulating androgen levels. Testosterone (T) is an androgen that has been linked to aggression and risk-taking in male vertebrates, so that males with higher T are generally more aggressive and take more risks. In females, T is not often measured, and its relationship with behaviour has been less studied. The costs of elevated T are assumed to be higher for reproductive females, while the benefits higher for males. Here, we tested the association between endogenous T and risk-taking behaviours in both males and females under well-studied experimental settings in free-living Baluchistan gerbils (Gerbillus nanus; Gn). In addition, we experimentally elevated Gn T levels using implants and measured risk-taking behaviour. Surprisingly, we found that there were no differences in the association between T and risk-taking behaviours between males and females, and that in both sexes, Gn with higher T levels took fewer risks. We also found that Gn spent equal time foraging between risky (open habitat) and safe (under a bush) experimental food patches. We expected Gn, which are nocturnal, to take fewer risks during full moon nights, but found that Gn were more active during moon lit nights than during dark (new moon) nights. This study demonstrates that T has many functions, and that its effects are complex and often unpredictable. It also shows that hypotheses regarding the propensity to take risks under specific coverage and light regimes are not universal, and likely include variables such as species, environment, context, and predator-specific behavioural strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shani Sarid
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Hen Naor
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Mustafa Asfur
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Irina S Khokhlova
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Boris R Krasnov
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Burt P Kotler
- Mitrani Department of Desert Ecology, The Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - A Allan Degen
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Michael Kam
- Desert Animal Adaptations and Husbandry, Wyler Department of Dryland Agriculture, French Associates Institute for Agriculture and Biotechnology of Drylands, Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Midreshet Ben-Gurion, Israel
| | - Lee Koren
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Cuaya LV, Hernández-Pérez R, Andics A, Báji R, Gácsi M, Guilloux M, Roche A, Callejon L, Miklósi Á, Ujfalussy DJ. Representation of rewards differing in their hedonic valence in the caudate nucleus correlates with the performance in a problem-solving task in dogs (Canis familiaris). Sci Rep 2023; 13:14353. [PMID: 37658109 PMCID: PMC10474021 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-40539-1] [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: 04/23/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2023] [Indexed: 09/03/2023] Open
Abstract
We have investigated dogs' (Canis familiaris) abilities in associating different sounds with appetitive stimuli of different incentive values. The association's establishment was first tested on family dogs (n = 20) in a problem-solving behavioural paradigm (experiment 1), then in a problem-solving behavioural paradigm as well as an fMRI study on specially trained family dogs (n = 20) (experiment 2). The aim was to show behavioural and parallel neural effects of the association formed between the two sounds and two different associated appetitive stimuli. The latency of solving the problem was considered an indicator of the motivational state. In our first experiment, where only behaviour was studied, we found that dogs were quicker in solving a problem upon hearing the sound associated with food higher in reward value, suggesting that they have successfully associated the sounds with the corresponding food value. In our second experiment, this behaviour difference was not significant. In the fMRI study, the cerebral response to the two sounds was compared both before and after the associative training. Two bilateral regions of interest were explored: the caudate nucleus and the amygdala. After the associative training, the response in the caudate nucleus was higher to the sound related to a higher reward value food than to the sound related to a lower reward value food, which difference was not present before the associative training. We found an increase in the amygdala response to both sounds after the training. In a whole-brain representational similarity analysis, we found that cerebral patterns in the caudate nucleus to the two sounds were different only after the training. Moreover, we found a positive correlation between the dissimilarity index in the caudate nucleus for activation responses to the two sounds and the difference in latencies (i.e. high reward value associated sound condition latency-low reward value associated sound condition latency) to solve the behavioural task: the bigger the difference between the conditions in latency to solve the task, the greater the difference in the neural representation of the two sounds was. In summary, family dogs' brain activation patterns reflected their expectations based on what they learned about the relationship between two sounds and their associated appetitive stimuli.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura V Cuaya
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Raúl Hernández-Pérez
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Rita Báji
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE 'Lendület' Neuroethology of Communication Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences - Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- ELKH-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | | | - Alice Roche
- Symrise Pet Food - Spécialités Pet Food SAS, Elven, France
| | | | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Dorottya Júlia Ujfalussy
- Department of Ethology, Institute of Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Psychobiology Research Group - NAP, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience and Psychology, Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Budapest, Hungary.
- MTA-ELTE Lendület "Momentum" Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C, Budapest, 1117, Hungary.
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18
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Andrade RS, Cerveira AM, Mathias MDL, Varela SAM. Interaction time with conspecifics induces food preference or aversion in the wild Algerian mouse. Behav Processes 2023; 211:104927. [PMID: 37541397 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104927] [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: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 07/05/2023] [Accepted: 07/31/2023] [Indexed: 08/06/2023]
Abstract
The social transmission of a novel food preference can avoid unnecessary costs arising from tasting nonedible foods. This type of social learning has been demonstrated in laboratory rats and mice. However, among wild animals, there may be several constraints that make it less effective. Using wild Algerian mice (Mus spretus) tested in the laboratory, we demonstrate that a preference for a novel food can be transmitted between Observer and Demonstrator individuals and that it is maintained for at least 30 days. However, only half of the Observers acquired a preference for the same food as the Demonstrators, and only when the duration of oronasal investigation was above a certain threshold (≥122 s); below this threshold (<122 s), Observers acquired a preference for the alternative food offered, which was maintained for a shorter time. Sex, size, and identity of individuals did not influence the transmission of social information. The results show that different interaction times will result in animals copying or avoiding the food choices of others. This suggests that the transmission of social information among wild animals is complex and probably influenced by many factors (e.g., dominance, familiarity, and health condition), ultimately conditioning the type of interaction between individuals and its outcome. Testing wild animals and the ecological and social constraints they face is, therefore, an important step in our understanding of how effectively social information is transmitted in nature.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rita S Andrade
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Ana M Cerveira
- CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; Departamento de Biologia, Universidade de Aveiro, Campus Universitário de Santiago, 3810-193 Aveiro, Portugal
| | - Maria da Luz Mathias
- Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal; CESAM - Centre for Environmental and Marine Studies, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Susana A M Varela
- IGC - Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, 2780-156 Oeiras, Portugal; WJCR - William James Center for Research, ISPA - Instituto Universitário, 1149-041 Lisboa, Portugal; cE3c - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, Faculdade de Ciências, Universidade de Lisboa, 1749-016 Lisboa, Portugal.
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19
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Marques TA, Marques CS, Gkikopoulou KC. A sperm whale cautionary tale about estimating acoustic cue rates for deep divers. THE JOURNAL OF THE ACOUSTICAL SOCIETY OF AMERICA 2023; 154:1577-1584. [PMID: 37698440 DOI: 10.1121/10.0020910] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/22/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023]
Abstract
Passive acoustic density estimation has been gaining traction in recent years. Cue counting uses detected acoustic cues to estimate animal abundance. A cue rate, the number of acoustic cues produced per animal per unit time, is required to convert cue density into animal density. Cue rate information can be obtained from animal borne acoustic tags. For deep divers, like beaked whales, data have been analyzed considering deep dive cycles as a natural sampling unit, based on either weighted averages or generalized estimating equations. Using a sperm whale DTAG (sound-and-orientation recording tag) example we compare different approaches of estimating cue rate from acoustic tags illustrating that both approaches used before might introduce biases and suggest that the natural unit of analysis should be the whole duration of the tag itself.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tiago A Marques
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9LZ, Scotland
| | - Carolina S Marques
- Centro de Estatística e Aplicações, Faculdade de Ciências da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
| | - Kalliopi C Gkikopoulou
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental Modelling, The Observatory, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9LZ, Scotland
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Rogers CM, Salzman MM, Li Z, Merten N, Russell LJ, Lillesand HK, Mowat FM. Subjective vision assessment in companion dogs using dogVLQ demonstrates age-associated visual dysfunction. Front Vet Sci 2023; 10:1244518. [PMID: 37662991 PMCID: PMC10469761 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2023.1244518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2023] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Dim light vision as assessed by proxy and clinical tools is commonly impaired in older humans and impacts quality of life. Although proxy visual assessment tools have been developed for dogs, it is unclear if they are sensitive enough to detect subtle visual dysfunction in older dogs. We sought to determine if a newly designed proxy visual function questionnaire could detect age-associated differences in visual behaviors in varying lighting conditions in dogs. Methods A 27-item questionnaire (the dog variable lighting questionnaire, dogVLQ) was designed to assess visual behavior in dogs in different lighting settings. We conducted the dogVLQ, a previously validated visual function questionnaire the dog vision impairment score and performed light- and dark-adapted electroretinography (ERG) on a subset of dogs. Questionnaire scores were analyzed for dog age associations using correlation analysis. Results Questionnaire responses from 235 dog owners were obtained (122 female, 112 male dogs), 79 of which underwent ERG (43 female, 36 male dogs). Bright light visual behavior was significantly associated with light-adapted bright flash ERG amplitudes, visual behavior in near darkness was associated with dark-adapted ERG amplitudes. The dogVLQ identified worse vision in older dogs in bright light, dim light, and darkness; predicted onset was younger for vision in near darkness. Older dogs had more difficulty navigating transitions between lighting conditions. Discussion Subjective dog owner assessment of visual function associates with objective measurement of retinal function in dogs and supports reduced vision-mediated behaviors in older dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Callie M. Rogers
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Michele M. Salzman
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Zhanhai Li
- Department of Biostatistics and Medical Informatics, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Natascha Merten
- Department of Population Health Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Medicine (Geriatrics and Gerontology), School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Leah J. Russell
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Hannah K. Lillesand
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
| | - Freya M. Mowat
- Department of Surgical Sciences, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
- Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences, School of Medicine and Public Health, University of Wisconsin–Madison, Madison, WI, United States
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Johnston M, Brecht KF, Nieder A. Crows flexibly apply statistical inferences based on previous experience. Curr Biol 2023; 33:3238-3243.e3. [PMID: 37369211 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2023.06.023] [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: 05/24/2023] [Revised: 06/05/2023] [Accepted: 06/08/2023] [Indexed: 06/29/2023]
Abstract
Statistical inference, the ability to use limited information to draw conclusions about the likelihood of an event, is critical for decision-making during uncertainty. The ability to make statistical inferences was thought to be a uniquely human skill requiring verbal instruction and mathematical reasoning.1 However, basic inferences have been demonstrated in both preliterate and pre-numerate individuals,2,3,4,5,6,7 as well as non-human primates.8 More recently, the ability to make statistical inferences has been extended to members outside of the primate lineage in birds.9,10 True statistical inference requires subjects use relative rather than absolute frequency of previously experienced events. Here, we show that crows can relate memorized reward probabilities to infer reward-maximizing decisions. Two crows were trained to associate multiple reward probabilities ranging from 10% to 90% to arbitrary stimuli. When later faced with the choice between various stimulus combinations, crows retrieved the reward probabilities associated with individual stimuli from memory and used them to gain maximum reward. The crows showed behavioral distance and size effects when judging reward values, indicating that the crows represented probabilities as abstract magnitudes. When controlling for absolute reward frequency, crows still made reward-maximizing choices, which is the signature of true statistical inference. Our study provides compelling evidence of decision-making by relative reward frequency in a statistical inference task.
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Affiliation(s)
- Melissa Johnston
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Katharina F Brecht
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Animal Physiology Unit, Institute of Neurobiology, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany.
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22
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Hammer TL, Bize P, Gineste B, Robin JP, Groscolas R, Viblanc VA. Disentangling the "many-eyes", "dilution effect", "selfish herd", and "distracted prey" hypotheses in shaping alert and flight initiation distance in a colonial seabird. Behav Processes 2023:104919. [PMID: 37481004 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2023.104919] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2023] [Revised: 06/07/2023] [Accepted: 07/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/24/2023]
Abstract
Group living is thought to have important antipredator benefits for animals, owing to the mechanisms of shared vigilance ("many-eyes" hypothesis), risk dilution ("dilution effect" hypothesis), and relative safety in the center of the group ("selfish herd" hypothesis). However, it can also incur costs since social stimuli, such as conspecific aggression, may distract individuals from anti-predator behavior ("distracted prey" hypothesis). We simultaneously evaluated how these four different hypotheses shape anti-predator behaviors of breeding king penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus), which aggregate into large colonies, experience frequent aggressive social interactions, and are regularly exposed to predation by giant petrels (Macronectes sp.) and brown skuas (Catharacta loonbergi) when breeding on land. We approached 200 incubating penguins at four different periods of the breeding season across a range of overall increasing colony densities. We measured the distance at which focal birds detected the approaching threat (alert distance: AD), whether birds decided to flee or not, and the distance of flight initiation (flight initiation distance: FID, viz. the bird attempting to walk away with its egg on its feet). We quantified relative local neighbor density, centrality within the colony (rank), and the number of aggressions the focal bird emitted towards neighbors during the approach. We found that birds engaged in aggressive conflicts with neighbors were less likely to flee, and that increasing relative local neighbor density at low and medium overall colony density resulted in a decrease in bird AD, both supporting the "distracted prey" hypothesis. However, at maximal overall colony density, increasing relative local neighbor density resulted in longer AD, supporting the "many-eyes" hypothesis. We found no support for the "dilution effect" and "selfish herd" hypotheses, and no effects of any hypothesis on FID.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tracey L Hammer
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Pierre Bize
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Sempach, Switzerland
| | - Benoit Gineste
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France; IPEV - Institut Polaire Français Paul Émile Victor, 29280 Plouzané, France
| | - Jean-Patrice Robin
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - René Groscolas
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
| | - Vincent A Viblanc
- University of Strasbourg, CNRS, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, UMR 7178, 67000 Strasbourg, France
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23
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Suwandschieff E, Wein A, Folkertsma R, Bugnyar T, Huber L, Schwing R. Correction: Two-action task, testing imitative social learning in kea (Nestor notabilis). Anim Cogn 2023:10.1007/s10071-023-01803-z. [PMID: 37340229 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01803-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/22/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Elisabeth Suwandschieff
- Research Station Haidlhof, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Amelia Wein
- Research Station Haidlhof, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Remco Folkertsma
- Research Station Haidlhof, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Platform Bioinformatics and Biostatistics, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Ludwig Huber
- Research Station Haidlhof, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Raoul Schwing
- Research Station Haidlhof, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
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24
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Rogers Flattery CN, Abdulla M, Barton SA, Michlich JM, Trut LN, Kukekova AV, Hecht EE. The brain of the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes): a neuroanatomical reference of cell-stained histological and MRI images. Brain Struct Funct 2023; 228:1177-1189. [PMID: 37160458 PMCID: PMC11192273 DOI: 10.1007/s00429-023-02648-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2022] [Accepted: 04/21/2023] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Although the silver fox (Vulpes vulpes) has been largely overlooked by neuroscientists, it has the potential to serve as a powerful model for the investigation of brain-behavior relationships. The silver fox is a melanistic variant of the red fox. Within this species, the long-running Russian farm-fox experiment has resulted in different strains bred to show divergent behavior. Strains bred for tameness, aggression, or without selection on behavior present an excellent opportunity to investigate neuroanatomical changes underlying behavioral characteristics. Here, we present a histological and MRI neuroanatomical reference of a fox from the conventional strain, which is bred without behavioral selection. This can provide an anatomical basis for future studies of the brains of foxes from this particular experiment, as well as contribute to an understanding of fox brains in general. In addition, this can serve as a resource for comparative neuroscience and investigations into neuroanatomical variation among the family Canidae, the order Carnivora, and mammals more broadly.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Munawwar Abdulla
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Sophie A Barton
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Jenny M Michlich
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA
| | - Lyudmila N Trut
- Institute of Cytology and Genetics, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Novosibirsk, Russia
| | - Anna V Kukekova
- Department of Animal Sciences, College of ACES, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, USA
| | - Erin E Hecht
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, 11 Divinity Ave, Cambridge, MA, 02138, USA.
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25
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Templeton CN, O’Connor A, Strack S, Meraz F, Herranen K. Traffic noise inhibits inhibitory control in wild-caught songbirds. iScience 2023; 26:106650. [PMID: 37168571 PMCID: PMC10165181 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2023.106650] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2022] [Revised: 01/08/2023] [Accepted: 04/06/2023] [Indexed: 05/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Anthropogenic noise is ubiquitous across environments and can have negative effects on animals, ranging from physiology to community structure. Recent work with captive-bred zebra finches demonstrated that traffic noise also affects cognitive performance. We examined whether these results extend to animals that have experienced noise in the wild. We collected black-capped chickadees from areas frequently exposed to road traffic noise and tested them on a detour reaching task, a commonly used measure of inhibitory control. Those chickadees exposed to traffic noise playback had much lower performance on the task than control birds, indicating that noise negatively impacts inhibitory control. These data corroborate previous findings in lab-reared zebra finches. Furthermore, these results suggest that prior experience with traffic noise is not sufficient for animals to habituate to noise and overcome its negative effects on cognitive performance. Instead, noise-induced cognitive effects might have broad impacts on animal species living in noise-polluted habitats.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Amber O’Connor
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Sarah Strack
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Franco Meraz
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
| | - Katri Herranen
- Department of Biology, Pacific University, Forest Grove, OR 97116, USA
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26
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Dunn JC, Miller R, Balasubramaniam K, Akçay Ç, Wascher CAF. Conceptualization, context, and comparison are key to understanding the evolution of fear. Behav Brain Sci 2023; 46:e61. [PMID: 37154351 DOI: 10.1017/s0140525x22001789] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
The fearful ape hypothesis proposes that heightened fearfulness in humans is adaptive. However, despite its attractive anthropocentric narrative, the evidence presented for greater fearfulness in humans versus other apes is not sufficient to support this claim. Conceptualization, context, and comparison are strongly lacking in Grossmann's proposal, but are key to understanding variation in the fear response among individuals and species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob C Dunn
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK ; ; ; ; ://www.thepeergroup.org.uk; https://aru.ac.uk/people/caglar-akcay; https://aru.ac.uk/people/krishna-n-balasubramaniam; https://aru.ac.uk/people/rachael-miller-harrison; https://aru.ac.uk/people/claudia-wascher
- Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Vienna, Austria
- Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 1QH, UK
| | - Rachael Miller
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK ; ; ; ; ://www.thepeergroup.org.uk; https://aru.ac.uk/people/caglar-akcay; https://aru.ac.uk/people/krishna-n-balasubramaniam; https://aru.ac.uk/people/rachael-miller-harrison; https://aru.ac.uk/people/claudia-wascher
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Krishna Balasubramaniam
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK ; ; ; ; ://www.thepeergroup.org.uk; https://aru.ac.uk/people/caglar-akcay; https://aru.ac.uk/people/krishna-n-balasubramaniam; https://aru.ac.uk/people/rachael-miller-harrison; https://aru.ac.uk/people/claudia-wascher
| | - Çağlar Akçay
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK ; ; ; ; ://www.thepeergroup.org.uk; https://aru.ac.uk/people/caglar-akcay; https://aru.ac.uk/people/krishna-n-balasubramaniam; https://aru.ac.uk/people/rachael-miller-harrison; https://aru.ac.uk/people/claudia-wascher
| | - Claudia A F Wascher
- Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK ; ; ; ; ://www.thepeergroup.org.uk; https://aru.ac.uk/people/caglar-akcay; https://aru.ac.uk/people/krishna-n-balasubramaniam; https://aru.ac.uk/people/rachael-miller-harrison; https://aru.ac.uk/people/claudia-wascher
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27
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Eckhartt GM, Ruxton GD. Insects within bushes assemble and forage closer to artificial light at night. Ethology 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13373] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/05/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Graeme D. Ruxton
- School of Biology University of St Andrews St Andrews KY16 9TH UK
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28
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Volsche S, Root-Gutteridge H, Korzeniowska AT, Horowitz A. Centring individual animals to improve research and citation practices. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:421-433. [PMID: 36283828 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12912] [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: 05/25/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/06/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Modern behavioural scientists have come to acknowledge that individual animals may respond differently to the same stimuli and that the quality of welfare and lived experience can affect behavioural responses. However, much of the foundational research in behavioural science lacked awareness of the effect of both welfare and individuality on data, bringing their results into question. This oversight is rarely addressed when citing seminal works as their findings are considered crucial to our understanding of animal behaviour. Furthermore, more recent research may reflect this lack of awareness by replication of earlier methods - exacerbating the problem. The purpose of this review is threefold. First, we critique seminal papers in animal behaviour as a model for re-examining past experiments, attending to gaps in knowledge or concern about how welfare may have affected results. Second, we propose a means to cite past and future research in a way that is transparent and conscious of the abovementioned problems. Third, we propose a method of transparent reporting for future behaviour research that (i) improves replicability, (ii) accounts for individuality of non-human participants, and (iii) considers the impact of the animals' welfare on the validity of the science. With this combined approach, we aim both to advance the conversation surrounding behaviour scholarship while also serving to drive open engagement in future science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shelly Volsche
- Department of Anthropology, Boise State University, Hemingway Building, 1910 University Drive, Boise, ID, 83725, USA
| | - Holly Root-Gutteridge
- University of Lincoln, Joseph Banks Laboratories, School of Life Sciences, Brayford Pool Campus, Lincoln, LN6 7TS, UK
| | - Anna T Korzeniowska
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer, Brighton, BN1 9QH, UK
- School of Psychology, University of Surrey, Guildford, GU2 7XH, UK
| | - Alexandra Horowitz
- Psychology Department, Barnard College, 3009 Broadway, New York, NY, 10027, USA
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29
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Sollis JG, Ashton BJ, Speechley EM, Ridley AR. Repeated testing does not confound cognitive performance in the Western Australian magpie (Cracticus tibicen dorsalis). Anim Cogn 2023; 26:579-588. [PMID: 36222936 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01699-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2021] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 09/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
A robust understanding of cognitive variation at the individual level is essential to understand selection for and against cognitive traits. Studies of animal cognition often assume that within-individual performance is highly consistent. When repeated tests of individuals have been conducted, the effects of test order (the overall sequence in which different tests are conducted) and test number (the ordinal number indicating when a specific test falls within a sequence)-in particular the potential for individual performance to improve with repeated testing-have received limited attention. In our study, we investigated test order and test number effects on individual performance in three inhibitory control tests in Western Australian magpies (Cracticus tibicen dorsalis). We presented adult magpies with three novel inhibitory control tasks (detour-reaching apparatuses) in random order to test whether experience of cognitive testing and the order in which the apparatuses were presented were predictors of cognitive performance. We found that neither test number nor test order had an effect on cognitive performance of individual magpies when presenting different variants of inhibitory control tasks. This suggests that repeated testing of the same cognitive trait, using causally identical but visually distinct cognitive tasks, does not confound cognitive performance. We recommend that repeated testing effects of cognitive performance in other species be studied to broadly determine the validity of repeated testing in animal cognition studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph G Sollis
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.
| | - Benjamin J Ashton
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Elizabeth M Speechley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA, Australia
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30
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Ibáñez de Aldecoa P, Auersperg AMI, Griffin AS, Tebbich S. Ratcheting up tool innovation in Goffin's cockatoos ( Cacatua goffiniana): The effect of contextually diverse prior experience. Ethology 2023; 129:133-145. [PMID: 37082334 PMCID: PMC10108129 DOI: 10.1111/eth.13351] [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: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 11/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/01/2022] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
The ability to gain information from one situation, acquire new skills and/or perfect existing ones, and subsequently apply them to a new situation is a key element in behavioural flexibility and a hallmark of innovation. A flexible agent is expected to store these skills and apply them to contexts different from that in which learning occurred. Goffin's cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) are highly innovative parrots renowned for their problem-solving and tool-using skills and are thus excellent candidates to study this phenomenon. We hypothesized that birds allowed to use a tool in a larger variety of contingencies would acquire a broader expertise in handling it, facilitating its transfer to new tasks. In our study, we compared the performance of two groups of captive Goffin's cockatoos (N = 13): A test group received more diverse learning and motor experiences on multiple applications of a hook-type tool, while a control group received intensive, total trial-matched, experience with a single application of the same tool. Then, both groups were tested on two novel tasks to determine whether experience with the tool in multiple contexts would facilitate performance during transfer. While both groups transferred to both novel tasks, group differences in performance were apparent, particularly in the second transfer task, where test birds achieved a higher success rate and reached criteria within fewer trials than control birds. These results provide support for the prediction that experiencing a diverse range of contingencies with a tool appears to allow birds to acquire generalizable knowledge and transferrable skills to tackle an untrained problem more efficiently. In contrast, intensive experience with the tool in a single context might have made control birds less flexible and more fixated on previously learned tool-dependent instances.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Alice M. I. Auersperg
- Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, University of Vienna, Medical University of ViennaViennaAustria
| | - Andrea S. Griffin
- School of Psychology, University of NewcastleCallaghanNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Sabine Tebbich
- Department of Behavioural and Cognitive BiologyUniversity of ViennaViennaAustria
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31
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Berthet M, Coye C, Dezecache G, Kuhn J. Animal linguistics: a primer. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:81-98. [PMID: 36189714 PMCID: PMC10091714 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12897] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2022] [Revised: 08/10/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
The evolution of language has been investigated by several research communities, including biologists and linguists, striving to highlight similar linguistic capacities across species. To date, however, no consensus exists on the linguistic capacities of non-human species. Major controversies remain on the use of linguistic terminology, analysis methods and behavioural data collection. The field of 'animal linguistics' has emerged to overcome these difficulties and attempt to reach uniform methods and terminology. This primer is a tutorial review of 'animal linguistics'. It describes the linguistic concepts of semantics, pragmatics and syntax, and proposes minimal criteria to be fulfilled to claim that a given species displays a particular linguistic capacity. Second, it reviews relevant methods successfully applied to the study of communication in animals and proposes a list of useful references to detect and overcome major pitfalls commonly observed in the collection of animal behaviour data. This primer represents a step towards mutual understanding and fruitful collaborations between linguists and biologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Berthet
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, 75005, Paris, France.,Center for the Interdisciplinary Study of Language Evolution, University of Zürich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland.,Department of Comparative Language Science, University of Zürich, Affolternstrasse 56, 8050, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Camille Coye
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, 75005, Paris, France.,Center for Ecology and Conservation, Bioscience Department, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | | | - Jeremy Kuhn
- Institut Jean Nicod, Département d'études cognitives, ENS, EHESS, CNRS, PSL University, 75005, Paris, France
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32
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Rubene D, Low M, Brodin A. Birds differentially prioritize visual and olfactory foraging cues depending on habitat of origin and sex. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:221336. [PMID: 36778952 PMCID: PMC9905992 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.221336] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/12/2022] [Accepted: 01/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Animals interpret their environment by combining information from multiple senses. The relative usefulness of different senses may vary between species, habitats and sexes; yet, how multimodal stimuli are integrated and prioritized is unknown for most taxa. We experimentally assessed foraging preferences of great tits (Parus major) to test whether urban and forest individuals prioritize visual and olfactory cues differently during foraging. We trained 13 wild-caught birds to associate multimodal (colour + odour) cues with a food reward and assessed their foraging preferences in a cue-separation test. In this, the birds could choose between the multimodal training cue and its olfactory or visual components. Our results suggest that the birds did not perceive multimodal cues in an integrated way, as their response was not stronger than for unimodal cue components. Urban birds preferred olfactory cues, while forest birds preferred visual cues. Nevertheless, female birds preferred the multimodal cue, while males foraged more randomly with respect to which cue was present. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relative roles of vision and olfaction in bird foraging behaviour. Future work should focus on how habitat- and sex-specific sensory prioritization modifies bird foraging behaviour and foraging success in the context of urban adaptations across populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Rubene
- Department of Crop Production Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Matthew Low
- Department of Ecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Anders Brodin
- Department of Biology, Lund University, Lund, Sweden
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33
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Lalot M, Bovet D. Prosociality and reciprocity according to parental status, communication, and personality in domestic canaries (Serinus canaria). Behav Processes 2023; 205:104818. [PMID: 36584962 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2022] [Revised: 12/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Prosociality (behaviours that benefit to a recipient without necessarily involving a cost to the actor) has recently been shown to exist in various taxa, including birds. Studies on prosociality in primates found that prosocial tendencies of the subject could be related to sex and parental care, communication from the recipient, cognitive abilities and personality. To investigate the existence of such associations on birds, we conducted a Prosocial Choice Task with domestic canaries (Serinus canaria). In our experiment, the subject could choose between three options: a prosocial, a selfish, and a null option (with no cost for the subject). We also conducted a food sharing experiment and measured several personality traits. Our results highlighted high levels of prosociality and a tendency to reciprocity among reproductive mates. We found a higher propensity to be prosocial in nulliparous individuals than in individuals that have previously been parents, but better sharing abilities in parents than in nulliparous individuals. When they were recipient, parents also used communication more efficiently than nulliparous subjects. Data suggest that parental expertise could enhance subjects' skills in eliciting prosociality. We also highlighted some interaction between prosociality, learning abilities, and some personality traits, proactive individuals being fast learners and more prosocial, while reactive individuals being slow learners and more reciprocal. Our results suggest that prosociality and reciprocity could be linked to personality and cognitive abilities, and that it might be interesting to consider them as parts of individual's cognitive style.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mathilde Lalot
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, UPL, Université Paris Nanterre, F92000 Nanterre, France.
| | - Dalila Bovet
- Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, UPL, Université Paris Nanterre, F92000 Nanterre, France
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34
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Dialects in leaf-clipping and other leaf-modifying gestures between neighbouring communities of East African chimpanzees. Sci Rep 2023; 13:147. [PMID: 36604445 PMCID: PMC9814361 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-25814-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/23/2022] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Dialects are a cultural property of animal communication previously described in the signals of several animal species. While dialects have predominantly been described in vocal signals, chimpanzee leaf-clipping and other 'leaf-modifying' gestures, used across chimpanzee and bonobo communities, have been suggested as a candidate for cultural variation in gestural communication. Here we combine direct observation with archaeological techniques to compare the form and use of leaf-modifying gestures in two neighbouring communities of East African chimpanzees. We found that while both communities used multiple forms, primarily within sexual solicitation, they showed a strong preference for a single, different gesture form. The observed variation in form preference between these neighbouring communities within the same context suggests that these differences are, at least in part, socially derived. Our results highlight an unexplored source of variation and flexibility in gestural communication, opening the door for future research to explore socially derived dialects in non-vocal communication.
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35
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Clark FE, Chivers L, Pearson O. Material and food exploration by zoo-housed animals can inform cognition and enrichment apparatus design. Zoo Biol 2023; 42:26-37. [PMID: 35614574 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Revised: 03/21/2022] [Accepted: 04/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
To robustly study zoo animal cognition and provide effective enrichment, we must provide animals with carefully designed apparatus made from appropriate (safe, attractive, practical) materials. However, all too often, this design phase is overlooked or omitted from the literature. We evaluated how a troop of 12 ring-tailed lemurs (Lemur catta) explored a range of novel materials and whole foods during outdoor social testing. These items were not intended to test cognition or be enriching; rather we viewed them as the potential "building blocks" from which to build our future apparatus. Lemurs preferred to explore wooden surfaces, but had no preference for manipulanda made from different materials. Large amounts of metal and untreated wood should be avoided in the future; metal produced too much heat and glare, and wood was damaged by biting/chewing. Lemurs used one or two hands to explore manipulanda, and simple touching was more common than twisting or pulling. However, lemurs were most likely to explore by smell than touch or by mouth. Social testing preserved "normal" conditions for the lemurs, including natural food stealing and scrounging in high- and low-ranking individuals, respectively. Our findings culminated in the development of a static, low-level cognitive task apparatus, constructed from modular plastic units. We encourage other researchers to report how they develop cognitive and enrichment apparatuses and consider a similar preference-testing approach.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay E Clark
- Field Conservation & Science Department, Bristol Zoological Society, Bristol, UK.,School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol School of Psychological Science, Bristol, UK.,School of Life Sciences, Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, UK
| | - Lucy Chivers
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
| | - Olivia Pearson
- Bristol Veterinary School, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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36
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Ruperto EF, Menéndez J, Taraborelli PA, Scattolón FO, Sassi PL. Behavioral responses of two small‐sized rodents,
Phyllotis vaccarum
and
Abrothrix andina
, to energy challenges of high‐altitude habitats in the Andes Mountains. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13350] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel Fabián Ruperto
- Ecología Integrativa de Fauna Silvestre, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CCT‐Mendoza CONICET Mendoza Argentina
| | - Josefina Menéndez
- Ecología Integrativa de Fauna Silvestre, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CCT‐Mendoza CONICET Mendoza Argentina
| | - Paula Andrea Taraborelli
- EEA BARROW, Centro Regional Buenos Aires Sur, Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria CONICET Buenos Aires Argentina
| | | | - Paola Lorena Sassi
- Ecología Integrativa de Fauna Silvestre, Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de Zonas Áridas, CCT‐Mendoza CONICET Mendoza Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales Universidad Nacional de Cuyo Mendoza Argentina
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37
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Testing Hypotheses for the Emergence of Gestural Communication in Great and Small Apes (Pan troglodytes, Pongo abelii, Symphalangus syndactylus). INT J PRIMATOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-022-00342-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractGestural communication is crucial for primates. However, little is known about how gestural repertoires emerge through development. We conducted behavioural observations on captive apes, including 18 siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus), 16 Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii), and 19 chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), to test different hypotheses for the emergence of gestures (i.e., Phylogenetic Ritualization, Ontogenetic Ritualization, Social Negotiation, and Social Transmission hypotheses). Our results showed little variation in individual gestural repertories, and only one idiosyncratic gesture. Moreover, across subjects (N = 53), repertoire size did not increase with age and social centrality. When comparing repertoires across all possible combinations of conspecifics, including apes in different groups (N=273) for the four groups of siamangs and the two of orangutans, repertoire similarity was higher in dyads of the same group than of different groups, but it also increased with more observational effort and lower age difference between group members. Finally, when comparing repertoires across all dyads of conspecifics in the same group (N = 260), we found no differences in repertoire similarity depending on dyadic relationship quality. Overall, these results provide support for the Phylogenetic Ritualization hypothesis, according to which individuals are endowed with complete gestural repertories from birth. These repertoires are largely similar across individuals and groups, although they may be partially refined through social experiences.
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Green MR, Swaney WT. Interacting effects of environmental enrichment across multiple generations on early life phenotypes in zebrafish. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART B: MOLECULAR AND DEVELOPMENTAL EVOLUTION 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jez.b.23184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Revised: 11/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/18/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael R. Green
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
- Chester Medical School University of Chester Chester UK
| | - William T. Swaney
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences Liverpool John Moores University Liverpool UK
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Hills A, Webster MM. Sampling biases and reproducibility: experimental design decisions affect behavioural responses in hermit crabs. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.09.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Desai NP, Fedurek P, Slocombe KE, Wilson ML. Chimpanzee pant-hoots encode individual information more reliably than group differences. Am J Primatol 2022; 84:e23430. [PMID: 36093564 PMCID: PMC9786991 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2022] [Revised: 08/03/2022] [Accepted: 08/08/2022] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Vocal learning, the ability to modify the acoustic structure of vocalizations based on social experience, is a fundamental feature of speech in humans (Homo sapiens). While vocal learning is common in taxa such as songbirds and whales, the vocal learning capacities of nonhuman primates appear more limited. Intriguingly, evidence for vocal learning has been reported in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), for example, in the form of regional variation ("dialects") in the "pant-hoot" calls. This suggests that some capacity for vocal learning may be an ancient feature of the Pan-Homo clade. Nonetheless, reported differences have been subtle, with intercommunity variation representing only a small portion of the total acoustic variation. To gain further insights into the extent of regional variation in chimpanzee vocalizations, we performed an analysis of pant-hoots from chimpanzees in the neighboring Kasekela and Mitumba communities at Gombe National Park, Tanzania, and the geographically distant Kanyawara community at Kibale National Park, Uganda. We did not find any statistically significant differences between the neighboring communities at Gombe or among geographically distant communities. Furthermore, we found differences among individuals in all communities. Hence, the variation in chimpanzee pant-hoots reflected individual differences, rather than group differences. Thus, we did not find evidence of dialects in this population, suggesting that extensive vocal learning emerged only after the lineages of Homo and Pan diverged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nisarg P. Desai
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA
| | - Pawel Fedurek
- Division of Psychology, Faculty of Natural SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingUK
| | | | - Michael L. Wilson
- Department of AnthropologyUniversity of MinnesotaMinneapolisMinnesotaUSA,Department of Ecology, Evolution, and BehaviorUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA,Institute on the EnvironmentUniversity of MinnesotaSt. PaulMinnesotaUSA
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Henke‐von der Malsburg J, Fichtel C, Kappeler PM. Retaining memory after hibernation: Performance varies independently of activity levels in wild grey mouse lemurs. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13337] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Johanna Henke‐von der Malsburg
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primatology Göttingen Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus ‘Primate Cognition’ Göttingen Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Göttingen Germany
- Technological Primates Research Group Max‐Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig Germany
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primatology Göttingen Germany
- Leibniz ScienceCampus ‘Primate Cognition’ Göttingen Germany
| | - Peter M. Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primatology Göttingen Germany
- Department of Sociobiology/Anthropology Johann‐Friedrich‐Blumenbach Institute of Zoology and Anthropology, Kellnerweg 6, 37077 Göttingen, Georg‐August‐University Göttingen Göttingen Germany
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The form and function of chimpanzee buttress drumming. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.07.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Booth CG, Brannan N, Dunlop R, Friedlander A, Isojunno S, Miller P, Quick N, Southall B, Pirotta E. A sampling, exposure and receptor framework for identifying factors that modulate behavioural responses to disturbance in cetaceans. J Anim Ecol 2022; 91:1948-1960. [PMID: 35895847 PMCID: PMC9804311 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13787] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 06/26/2022] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
The assessment of behavioural disturbance in cetacean species (e.g. resulting from exposure to anthropogenic sources such as military sonar, seismic surveys, or pile driving) is important for effective conservation and management. Disturbance effects can be informed by Behavioural Response Studies (BRSs), involving either controlled exposure experiments (CEEs) where noise exposure conditions are presented deliberately to meet experimental objectives or in opportunistic contexts where ongoing activities are monitored in a strategic manner. In either context, animal-borne sensors or in situ observations can provide information on individual exposure and disturbance responses. The past 15 years of research have greatly expanded our understanding of behavioural responses to noise, including hundreds of experiments in nearly a dozen cetacean species. Many papers note limited sample sizes, required knowledge of baseline behaviour prior to exposure and the importance of contextual factors modulating behavioural responses, all of which in combination can lead to sampling biases, even for well-designed research programs. It is critical to understand these biases to robustly identify responses. This ensures outcomes of BRSs help inform predictions of how anthropogenic disturbance impacts individuals and populations. Our approach leverages concepts from the animal behaviour literature focused on helping to avoid sampling bias by considering what shapes an animal's response. These factors include social, experience, genetic and natural changes in responsiveness. We developed and applied a modified version of this framework to synthesise current knowledge on cetacean response in the context of effects observed across marine and terrestrial taxa. This new 'Sampling, Exposure, Receptor' framework (SERF) identifies 43 modulating factors, highlights potential biases, and assesses how these vary across selected focal species. In contrast to studies that identified variation in 'Exposure' factors as a key concern, our analysis indicated that factors relating to 'Sampling' (e.g. deploying tags on less evasive individuals, which biases selection of subjects), and 'Receptor' (e.g. health status or coping style) have the greatest potential for weakening the desired broad representativeness of BRSs. Our assessment also highlights how potential biases could be addressed with existing datasets or future developments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Cormac G. Booth
- SMRU Consulting, Scottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Naomi Brannan
- Southeast Asia Marine Mammal ResearchHong KongHong Kong
| | - Rebecca Dunlop
- Cetacean Ecology and Acoustics LaboratoryMoreton Bay Research Station and School of Biological SciencesUniversity of QueenslandBrisbaneAustralia
| | - Ari Friedlander
- Southall Environmental Associates, Inc.AptosCaliforniaUSA,University of California, Institute of Marine ScienceSanta CruzCaliforniaUSA
| | - Saana Isojunno
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Patrick Miller
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans InstituteUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
| | - Nicola Quick
- School of Biological and Marine SciencesUniversity of PlymouthPlymouthUK,Nicholas School of the EnvironmentDuke UniversityBeaufortNorth CarolinaUSA
| | - Brandon Southall
- Southall Environmental Associates, Inc.AptosCaliforniaUSA,University of California, Institute of Marine ScienceSanta CruzCaliforniaUSA
| | - Enrico Pirotta
- Centre for Research into Ecological and Environmental ModellingUniversity of St AndrewsSt AndrewsUK
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Gruber T. An ethical assessment of the use of old and new methods to study sociality in wild animals. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Thibaud Gruber
- Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences & Swiss Center for Affective Sciences University of Geneva Geneva Switzerland
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Amici F, Liebal K. The social dynamics of complex gestural communication in great and lesser apes ( Pan troglodytes, Pongo abelii, Symphalangus syndactylus). Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210299. [PMID: 35934967 PMCID: PMC9358312 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0299] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Gestures play an essential role in primate communication. However, little is known about how complexity of gestural use (in terms of repertoire size, intentional use, flexibility and use of gestural sequences) relates to individual and dyadic measures of sociality and whether more complex gestural use is more effective in eliciting a response. We observed 19 captive chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes), 16 Sumatran orangutans (Pongo abelii) and 18 siamangs (Symphalangus syndactylus) to assess the complexity and effectiveness of their gestural use. We found that, beyond interspecies variation, the number of gesture types used in a dyad was higher when individuals had stronger social bonds; the probability of accounting for others' attention increased with age, especially for visual gestures; and sequences were more likely used by younger or socially less integrated individuals. In terms of effectiveness, older individuals and those using fewer sequences were more likely to be responded to, while across dyads, the probability of obtaining a response was higher when both individuals accounted for the other's attention and when they used fewer sequences. Overall, this confirms the link between sociality and complex gestural use and suggests that more complex forms of communication, at least in terms of intentional use, may be more effective at achieving communicative goals. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cognition, communication and social bonds in primates'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Federica Amici
- Leipzig University, Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany,Department of Human Behavior, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katja Liebal
- Leipzig University, Life Sciences, Institute of Biology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
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Stanton LA, Bridge ES, Huizinga J, Benson-Amram S. Environmental, individual and social traits of free-ranging raccoons influence performance in cognitive testing. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:276535. [PMID: 36137301 PMCID: PMC9637273 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243726] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2021] [Accepted: 07/08/2022] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Cognitive abilities, such as learning and flexibility, are hypothesized to aid behavioral adaptation to urbanization. Although growing evidence suggests that cognition may indeed facilitate persistence in urban environments, we currently lack knowledge of the cognitive abilities of many urban taxa. Recent methodological advances, including radio frequency identification (RFID), have extended automated cognitive testing into the field but have yet to be applied to a diversity of taxa. Here, we used an RFID-enabled operant conditioning device to assess the habituation, learning and cognitive flexibility of a wild population of raccoons (Procyon lotor). We examined how several biological and behavioral traits influenced participation and performance in testing. We then compared the cognitive performance of wild raccoons tested in natural conditions with that of wild-caught raccoons tested in captivity from a previous study. In natural conditions, juvenile raccoons were more likely to habituate to the testing device, but performed worse in serial reversal learning, compared with adults. We also found that docile raccoons were more likely to learn how to operate the device in natural conditions, which suggests a relationship between emotional reactivity and cognitive ability in raccoons. Although raccoons in both captive and natural conditions demonstrated rapid associative learning and flexibility, raccoons in captive conditions generally performed better, likely owing to the heightened vigilance and social interference experienced by raccoons in natural conditions. Our results have important implications for future research on urban carnivores and cognition in field settings, as well as our understanding of behavioral adaptation to urbanization and coexistence with urban wildlife.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lauren A Stanton
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.,Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Eli S Bridge
- Oklahoma Biological Survey, University of Oklahoma, Norman, OK 73019, USA
| | | | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.,Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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Dutour M, Fernández GJ, Randler C. How great tits respond to urgency‐based information in allopatric Southern house wren mobbing calls. Ethology 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13329] [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]
Affiliation(s)
- Mylène Dutour
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences University of Western Australia Crawley Western Australia Australia
| | - Gustavo J. Fernández
- Grupo de Investigación en Ecofisiología de Fauna Silvestre, INIBIOMA‐CONICET, Asentamiento Universitario San Martín de los Andes (AUSMA) Universidad Nacional del Comahue Neuquén Argentina
| | - Christoph Randler
- Department of Biology Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen Tübingen Germany
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Ashton BJ, Thornton A, Speechley EM, Ridley AR. Does trappability and self-selection influence cognitive performance? ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220473. [PMID: 36117861 PMCID: PMC9470268 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220473] [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: 04/12/2022] [Accepted: 08/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Recent research has highlighted how trappability and self-selection-the processes by which individuals with particular traits may be more likely to be caught or to participate in experiments-may be sources of bias in studies of animal behaviour and cognition. It is crucial to determine whether such biases exist, and if they do, what effect they have on results. In this study, we investigated if trappability (quantified through 'ringing status'-whether or not a bird had been trapped for ringing) and self-selection are sources of bias in a series of associative learning experiments spanning 5 years in the Western Australian magpie (Gymnorhina tibicen dorsalis). We found no evidence of self-selection, with no biases in task participation associated with sex, age, group size or ringing status. In addition, we found that there was no effect of trappability on cognitive performance. These findings give us confidence in the results generated in the animal cognition literature and add to a growing body of literature seeking to determine potential sources of bias in studies of animal behaviour, and how they influence the generalizability and reproducibility of findings.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin J. Ashton
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Alex Thornton
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Elizabeth M. Speechley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
| | - Amanda R. Ridley
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, Western Australia 6009, Australia
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The Ontogeny of Vocal Sequences: Insights from a Newborn Wild Chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii). INT J PRIMATOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-022-00321-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
AbstractObservations of early vocal behaviours in non-human primates (hereafter primates) are important for direct comparisons between human and primate vocal development. However, direct observations of births and perinatal behaviour in wild primates are rare, and the initial stages of behavioural ontogeny usually remain undocumented. Here, we report direct observations of the birth of a wild chimpanzee (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in Budongo Forest, Uganda, including the behaviour of the mother and other group members. We monitored the newborn’s vocal behaviour for approximately 2 hours and recorded 70 calls. We categorised the vocalisations both qualitatively, using conventional call descriptions, and quantitatively, using cluster and discriminant acoustic analyses. We found evidence for acoustically distinct vocal units, produced both in isolation and in combination, including sequences akin to adult pant hoots, a vocal utterance regarded as the most complex vocal signal produced by this species. We concluded that chimpanzees possess the capacity to produce vocal sequences composed of different call types from birth, albeit in rudimentary forms. Our observations are in line with the idea that primate vocal repertoires are largely present from birth, with fine acoustic structures undergoing ontogenetic processes. Our study provides rare and valuable empirical data on perinatal behaviours in wild primates.
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Stiegler J, Lins A, Dammhahn M, Kramer-Schadt S, Ortmann S, Blaum N. Personality drives activity and space use in a mammalian herbivore. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:33. [PMID: 35964147 PMCID: PMC9375925 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00333-6] [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: 06/09/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal personality has emerged as a key concept in behavioral ecology. While many studies have demonstrated the influence of personality traits on behavioral patterns, its quantification, especially in wild animal populations, remains a challenge. Only a few studies have established a link between personality and recurring movements within home ranges, although these small-scale movements are of key importance for identifying ecological interactions and forming individual niches. In this regard, differences in space use among individuals might reflect different exploration styles between behavioral types along the shy-bold continuum. METHODS We assessed among-individual differences in behavior in the European hare (Lepus europaeus), a characteristic mammalian herbivore in agricultural landscapes using a standardized box emergence test for captive and wild hares. We determined an individuals' degree of boldness by measuring the latencies of behavioral responses in repeated emergence tests in captivity. During capture events of wild hares, we conducted a single emergence test and recorded behavioral responses proven to be stable over time in captive hares. Applying repeated novel environment tests in a near-natural enclosure, we further quantified aspects of exploration and activity in captive hares. Finally, we investigated whether and how this among-individual behavioral variation is related to general activity and space use in a wild hare population. Wild and captive hares were treated similarly and GPS-collared with internal accelerometers prior to release to the wild or the outdoor enclosure, respectively. General activity was quantified as overall dynamic body acceleration (ODBA) obtained from accelerometers. Finally, we tested whether boldness explained variation in (i) ODBA in both settings and (ii) variation in home ranges and core areas across different time scales of GPS-collared hares in a wild population. RESULTS We found three behavioral responses to be consistent over time in captive hares. ODBA was positively related to boldness (i.e., short latencies to make first contact with the new environment) in both captive and wild hares. Space use in wild hares also varied with boldness, with shy individuals having smaller core areas and larger home ranges than bold conspecifics (yet in some of the parameter space, this association was just marginally significant). CONCLUSIONS Against our prediction, shy individuals occupied relatively large home ranges but with small core areas. We suggest that this space use pattern is due to them avoiding risky, and energy-demanding competition for valuable resources. Carefully validated, activity measurements (ODBA) from accelerometers provide a valuable tool to quantify aspects of animal personality along the shy-bold continuum remotely. Without directly observing-and possibly disturbing-focal individuals, this approach allows measuring variability in animal personality, especially in species that are difficult to assess with experiments. Considering that accelerometers are often already built into GPS units, we recommend activating them at least during the initial days of tracking to estimate individual variation in general activity and, if possible, match them with a simple novelty experiment. Furthermore, information on individual behavioral types will help to facilitate mechanistic understanding of processes that drive spatial and ecological dynamics in heterogeneous landscapes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonas Stiegler
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany.
| | - Alisa Lins
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
| | - Melanie Dammhahn
- Department for Behavioral Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Stephanie Kramer-Schadt
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
- Institute of Ecology, Technische Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Sylvia Ortmann
- Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
| | - Niels Blaum
- Institute of Biochemistry and Biology, Plant Ecology and Nature Conservation, University of Potsdam, Potsdam, Germany
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