1
|
Goodale E, Magrath RD. Species diversity and interspecific information flow. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:999-1014. [PMID: 38279871 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13055] [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: 08/02/2023] [Revised: 01/14/2024] [Accepted: 01/15/2024] [Indexed: 01/29/2024]
Abstract
Interspecific information flow is known to affect individual fitness, population dynamics and community assembly, but there has been less study of how species diversity affects information flow and thereby ecosystem functioning and services. We address this question by first examining differences among species in the sensitivity, accuracy, transmissibility, detectability and value of the cues and signals they produce, and in how they receive, store and use information derived from heterospecifics. We then review how interspecific information flow occurs in communities, involving a diversity of species and sensory modes, and how this flow can affect ecosystem-level functions, such as decomposition, seed dispersal or algae removal on coral reefs. We highlight evidence that some keystone species are particularly critical as a source of information used by eavesdroppers, and so have a disproportionate effect on information flow. Such keystone species include community informants producing signals, particularly about predation risk, that influence other species' landscapes of fear, and aggregation initiators creating cues or signals about resources. We suggest that the presence of keystone species means that there will likely be a positive relationship in many communities between species diversity and information through a 'sampling effect', in which larger pools of species are more likely to include the keystone species by chance. We then consider whether the number and relative abundance of species, irrespective of the presence of keystone species, matter to interspecific information flow; on this issue, the theory is less developed, and the evidence scant and indirect. Higher diversity could increase the quantity or quality of information that is used by eavesdroppers because redundancy increases the reliability of information or because the species provide complementary information. Alternatively, there could be a lack of a relationship between species diversity and information if there is widespread information parasitism where users are not sources, or if information sourced from heterospecifics is of lower value than that gained personally or sourced from conspecifics. Recent research suggests that species diversity does have information-modulated community and ecosystem consequences, especially in birds, such as the diversity of species at feeders increasing resource exploitation, or the number of imitated species increasing responses to vocal mimics. A first step for future research includes comprehensive observations of information flow among different taxa and habitats. Then studies should investigate whether species diversity influences the cumulative quality or quantity of information at the community level, and consequently ecosystem-level processes. An applied objective is to conserve species in part for their value as sources of information for other species, including for humans.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Eben Goodale
- Department of Health and Environmental Science, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, 215123, China
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Krama T, Krams R, Elferts D, Sieving KE, Krams IA. Selective selfishness in alarm calling behaviour by some members of wintering mixed-species groups of crested tits and willow tits. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220102. [PMID: 37066646 PMCID: PMC10107243 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0102] [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: 07/14/2022] [Accepted: 01/23/2023] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Animals adjust their use of alarm calls depending on social environments. We tested whether dominant (adult) and subordinate (juvenile non-kin) male crested tits (Lophophanes cristatus) warn each other and heterospecific willow tits (Poecile montanus) across the wintering season. Birds rarely alarm called when feeding alone. Both adult and juvenile crested tits warned each other in early winter, and adults did so in the middle of wintering season. However, juvenile males rarely warned conspecific adult males in the middle of the winter. Both adult and juvenile males stopped giving alarm calls when feeding together at the end of wintering season. The results suggest that the mid-winter reduction of juvenile alarms could increase the likelihood of successful predator attacks on adults, increasing the chances for juveniles to replace adults and acquire their territories. By contrast, both adult and juvenile males produced alarm calls throughout the season when foraging together with willow tits. Whether juvenile male crested tits could be selectively altering alarm call propensity to endanger adult males, thereby selfishly enhancing their own succession to territory ownership, is discussed. The results add to the understanding of the origin of mixed-species groups and explain the dynamics of social communication. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tatjana Krama
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5404 Latvia
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu 51006, Estonia
| | - Ronalds Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5404 Latvia
- Chair of Plant Health, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu 51006, Estonia
| | - Didzis Elferts
- Department of Botany and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga 1004, Latvia
| | - Kathryn E. Sieving
- Department of Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Indrikis A. Krams
- Department of Biotechnology, Daugavpils University, Daugavpils, 5404 Latvia
- Department of Zoology and Animal Ecology, Faculty of Biology, University of Latvia, Riga 1004, Latvia
- Institute of Ecology and Earth Sciences, University of Tartu, Tartu 50409, Estonia
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Hämäläinen R, Kajanus MH, Forsman JT, Kivelä SM, Seppänen JT, Loukola OJ. Ecological and evolutionary consequences of selective interspecific information use. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:490-503. [PMID: 36849224 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Revised: 02/02/2023] [Accepted: 02/04/2023] [Indexed: 03/01/2023]
Abstract
Recent work has shown that animals frequently use social information from individuals of their own species as well as from other species; however, the ecological and evolutionary consequences of this social information use remain poorly understood. Additionally, information users may be selective in their social information use, deciding from whom and how to use information, but this has been overlooked in an interspecific context. In particular, the intentional decision to reject a behaviour observed via social information has received less attention, although recent work has indicated its presence in various taxa. Based on existing literature, we explore in which circumstances selective interspecific information use may lead to different ecological and coevolutionary outcomes between two species, such as explaining observed co-occurrences of putative competitors. The initial ecological differences and the balance between the costs of competition and the benefits of social information use potentially determine whether selection may lead to trait divergence, convergence or coevolutionary arms race between two species. We propose that selective social information use, including adoption and rejection of behaviours, may have far-reaching fitness consequences, potentially leading to community-level eco-evolutionary outcomes. We argue that these consequences of selective interspecific information use may be much more widespread than has thus far been considered.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Mira H Kajanus
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | | | - Sami M Kivelä
- Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
4
|
Hämäläinen R, Välimäki P, Forsman JT. Size of an interspecific competitor may be a source of information in reproductive decisions. Behav Ecol 2023; 34:33-41. [PMID: 36789394 PMCID: PMC9918860 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arac094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2022] [Revised: 08/17/2022] [Accepted: 09/16/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Animals use inter-specific cues as a source of information in decisions-making, but the full costs and benefits of inter-specific information use are unknown. We tested whether pied flycatchers use the body size and clutch size of great tits as cues in their reproductive decisions and what are the possible fitness consequences as a function of great tit size. The size of great tit females associated positively with flycatcher's probability to settle near a tit nest over a territory further away. Flycatcher egg mass was positively correlated with great tit female size regardless of flycatcher territory choice. However, in flycatchers that had chosen to nest near great tits, the size of nestlings decreased in relation to increasing great tit female size. Our results demonstrate the use of size of inter-specifics as a cue in reproductive decisions and the trade-off between the value of information and costs of competition information users face when using inter-specific information in decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Panu Välimäki
- University of Oulu, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| | - Jukka T Forsman
- University of Oulu, Pentti Kaiteran katu 1, 90570 Oulu, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90570 Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Forsman JT, Kivelä SM, Tolvanen J, Loukola OJ. Conceptual preferences can be transmitted via selective social information use between competing wild bird species. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2022; 9:220292. [PMID: 35719877 PMCID: PMC9198510 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.220292] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 05/03/2023]
Abstract
Concept learning is considered a high-level adaptive ability. Thus far, it has been studied in laboratory via asocial trial and error learning. Yet, social information use is common among animals but it remains unknown whether concept learning by observing others occurs. We tested whether pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) form conceptual relationships from the apparent choices of nest-site characteristics (geometric symbol attached to the nest-box) of great tits (Parus major). Each wild flycatcher female (n = 124) observed one tit pair that exhibited an apparent preference for either a large or a small symbol and was then allowed to choose between two nest-boxes with a large and a small symbol, but the symbol shape was different to that on the tit nest. Older flycatcher females were more likely to copy the symbol size preference of tits than yearling flycatcher females when there was a high number of visible eggs or a few partially visible eggs in the tit nest. However, this depended on the phenotype, copying switched to rejection as a function of increasing body size. Possibly the quality of and overlap in resource use with the tits affected flycatchers' decisions. Hence, our results suggest that conceptual preferences can be horizontally transmitted across coexisting animals, which may increase the performance of individuals that use concept learning abilities in their decision-making.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka T. Forsman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Finland
| | - Sami M. Kivelä
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Finland
| | - Jere Tolvanen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Finland
| | - Olli J. Loukola
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, PO Box 3000, 90014, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
High Blood Parasite Infection Rate and Low Fitness Suggest That Forest Water Bodies Comprise Ecological Traps for Pied Flycatchers. BIRDS 2022. [DOI: 10.3390/birds3020014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Blood parasites are considered to have strong negative effects on host fitness. Negative fitness consequences may be associated with proximity to areas where blood parasite vectors reproduce. This study tested for relationships between haemosporidian infection prevalence, parasitemia, and fitness parameters of breeding Pied Flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) at different distances from forest water bodies. Prevalence and parasitemias (the intensity of infection) of haemosporidians and vector abundance generally decreased with increasing distance from forest lakes, streams, and bogs. Fledgling numbers were lower, and their condition was worse in the vicinity of water bodies, compared with those located one kilometer away from lakes and streams. At the beginning of the breeding season, adult body mass was not related to distance to the nearest water body, whereas at the end of the breeding season body mass was significantly lower closer to water bodies. Forest areas around water bodies may represent ecological traps for Pied Flycatchers. Installing nest boxes in the vicinity of forest water bodies creates unintended ecological traps that may have conservation implications.
Collapse
|
7
|
Surmacki A, Podkowa P. The use of trail cameras to monitor species inhabiting artificial nest boxes. Ecol Evol 2022; 12:e8550. [PMID: 35154649 PMCID: PMC8820111 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.8550] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2021] [Revised: 12/13/2021] [Accepted: 12/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Artificial boxes are commonly used in studies of cavity-dwelling animals of various taxa. One advantage of nest boxes is that cameras can be used to monitor animals inside the cavity, however, most cameras used today have to be built de novo or modified or are expensive.Here, we describe a method for monitoring nest boxes using off-the-shelf models of trail cameras that can record photographs and videos in daylight and darkness (TCM; Trail Camera Method). The cameras can record sequentially within a given time lapse or an infra-red motion sensor can be triggered by activity in the nest box.Using TCM in a Great Tit (Parus major) nest box population, we studied the hourly pattern of the first egg laying and the first egg hatching. We found that Great Tits laid eggs within 2 h of the sunrise while the timing of hatching spanned the 24-h day. Moreover, we found that the hour of hatching affects the nestlings' mass on the 2nd day of life, but not on the 12th day of life.Comparing to traditional nest box checks, TMC requires about 75% less time to obtain data on the timing of egg laying and hatching. Moreover, the hour estimation error was several orders of magnitude greater with the traditional method.Our data demonstrate that commercially available trail cameras are an affordable and convenient method of monitoring artificial cavities. Trail cameras are small, standalone, weather-proof devices with integrated powering, memory storage, lighting, and recording systems. They could be easily swapped between boxes or removed. After small modifications of the box, they could be used to monitor a wide variety of behaviors of many animal taxa.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adrian Surmacki
- Department of Avian Biology and EcologyFaculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityPoznańPoland
| | - Paweł Podkowa
- Department of Avian Biology and EcologyFaculty of BiologyAdam Mickiewicz UniversityPoznańPoland
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Slagsvold T, Wiebe KL. Egg covering in cavity nesting birds may prevent nest usurpation by other species. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:116. [PMID: 34759442 PMCID: PMC8570351 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03045-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/14/2020] [Revised: 06/09/2021] [Accepted: 06/14/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Some birds cover their eggs with nest material when they leave to forage. It has been suggested that such egg-covering aids thermoregulation or prevents predation but here we present a new hypothesis, that secondary cavity-nesting species cover their eggs to prevent nest usurpation by other birds. When the bottom of the cavity is dark, as when eggs are covered by nest material, it may be difficult for a prospecting competitor to see whether a defending nest owner or a predator is hiding inside the cavity. Competitors may therefore hesitate to enter dark cavities. We filmed 21 great tit (Parus major) nests during the egg-laying period and found that the female spent bouts of highly variable length outside the nest box (range 0.3–250 min, n = 51), so prospecting small passerines would have difficulty predicting whether an aggressive tit owner was in the box or would soon return. We presented prospecting male pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) with a dyad of boxes (n = 93), each containing a great tit nest but only one with visible eggs. Flycatchers hesitated more to enter a nest box with no visible tit eggs than a box with exposed eggs. This was most evident for nest boxes with dark versus light interior paint, supporting the idea that better interior illumination makes prospecting birds more confident about entering an unfamiliar cavity. The usurpation and predation hypotheses are not mutually exclusive because both competitors and small predators may hesitate to enter dark, enclosed spaces if visibility is low. Significance statement Some birds deposit a layer of material on top of the eggs when they leave the nest. Several hypotheses have been proposed for such egg covering, for example that it may insulate the eggs and reduce the risk of nest predation. We propose a new hypothesis, namely that secondary hole-nesting birds cover their eggs when they leave the nest to prevent usurpation of the cavity by other birds. Great tits that we filmed at the nest during the egg-laying period could be absent for long periods. To test the hypothesis, we presented male pied flycatchers, potential nest competitors, with a dyad of nest boxes, each containing a great tit nest but only one with visible tit eggs. In support of the prediction, prospecting flycatchers hesitated to enter dark cavities with dark floors relative to boxes with exposed, reflective eggs.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tore Slagsvold
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, N-0316 Oslo, Norway
| | - Karen L. Wiebe
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Szymkowiak
- Population Ecology Research Unit, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz Univ. Poznań Poland
| | | |
Collapse
|
10
|
Slagsvold T, Wiebe KL. No evidence that nest site choice in Pied Flycatchers is mediated by assessing the clutch size of a heterospecific, the Great Tit. JOURNAL OF ORNITHOLOGY 2021; 162:997-1007. [PMID: 34722110 PMCID: PMC8550018 DOI: 10.1007/s10336-021-01900-1] [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: 01/04/2021] [Revised: 05/05/2021] [Accepted: 05/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Among species that use similar resources, an individual may benefit by observing and copying the behavioural decision of a heterospecific. We tested the hypothesis of heterospecific social learning in passerine birds, namely that a migrant species, the Pied Flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, uses external markings on the nest cavities of a resident species, the Great Tit Parus major, as cues when choosing a nest site. Others have suggested that prospecting flycatchers assess the clutch size of tit "demonstrators" by entering their nest boxes and, assuming that a large clutch indicates a high-quality individual, will copy the nest appearance of tits with large, but not small clutches. During a 4-year period in Norway, we designed a similar study but did not find that flycatchers based their nest choice on the clutch size of tits. Neither were there any relationships between clutch size of the tit and its laying date, incubation behaviour, or the number of eggs visible through nest material during egg-laying so Pied Flycatchers did not use these indirect cues to assess quality of the tutor. Filming of tit nests showed that prospecting flycatchers did not enter tit nest boxes to assess the content. Indeed, incubating female tits only left their nest boxes for short bouts of unpredictable duration so there was little opportunity for flycatchers to inspect the nest contents unnoticed. Our study calls into question the mechanism of using the content of tit nests as public information for choosing traits of nest sites based on external characteristics. We suggest that similar studies of nest site choice in relation to possible social information transfer be replicated more widely.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tore Slagsvold
- Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES), Department of Biosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
| | - Karen L. Wiebe
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Forsman JT, Kivelä SM. Evolution of searching effort for resources: a missing piece of the puzzle in the ideal free distribution paradigm. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08202] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka T. Forsman
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics, Univ. of Oulu Finland
- Natural Resources Inst. Finland (Luke) Oulu Finland
| | | |
Collapse
|
12
|
Bisazza A, Gatto E. Continuous versus discrete quantity discrimination in dune snail (Mollusca: Gastropoda) seeking thermal refuges. Sci Rep 2021; 11:3757. [PMID: 33580099 PMCID: PMC7881015 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-82249-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/25/2020] [Accepted: 01/18/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
The ability of invertebrates to discriminate quantities is poorly studied, and it is unknown whether other phyla possess the same richness and sophistication of quantification mechanisms observed in vertebrates. The dune snail, Theba pisana, occupies a harsh habitat characterised by sparse vegetation and diurnal soil temperatures well above the thermal tolerance of this species. To survive, a snail must locate and climb one of the rare tall herbs each dawn and spend the daytime hours in an elevated refuge position. Based on their ecology, we predicted that dune snails would prefer larger to smaller groups of refuges. We simulated shelter choice under controlled laboratory conditions. Snails’ acuity in discriminating quantity of shelters was comparable to that of mammals and birds, reaching the 4 versus 5 item discrimination, suggesting that natural selection could drive the evolution of advanced cognitive abilities even in small-brained animals if these functions have a high survival value. In a subsequent series of experiments, we investigated whether snails used numerical information or based their decisions upon continuous quantities, such as cumulative surface, density or convex hull, which co-varies with number. Though our results tend to underplay the role of these continuous cues, behavioural data alone are insufficient to determine if dune snails were using numerical information, leaving open the question of whether gastropod molluscans possess elementary abilities for numerical processing.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Angelo Bisazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.,Padova Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, Padua, Italy
| | - Elia Gatto
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padua, Italy.
| |
Collapse
|
13
|
Slagsvold T, Wiebe KL. Interspecific aggression and defence of extra nest sites in two species of songbirds. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tore Slagsvold
- Department of Biosciences Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Synthesis (CEES) University of Oslo Oslo Norway
| | - Karen L. Wiebe
- Department of Biology University of Saskatchewan Saskatoon Saskatchewan Canada
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Morinay J, Cauchard L, Bize P, Doligez B. The Role of Cognition in Social Information Use for Breeding Site Selection: Experimental Evidence in a Wild Passerine Population. Front Ecol Evol 2020. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.559690] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In spatio-temporally variable environments, individuals are known to use information for making optimal decisions regarding where and when to breed. Optimal decision making can be complex when relying on multiple information sources with varying levels of reliability and accessibility. To deal with such complexity, different cognitive abilities such as learning and memory might enable individuals to optimally process and use these information sources. Yet, the link between information use and cognitive ability remains unexplored in natural populations. We investigated whether learning performance on a problem-solving task was related to the use of an experimentally manipulated source of social information for nest site selection in wild collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis). Collared flycatchers are known to use heterospecific information from their main competitors, the great tits (Parus major). Here, we created a local apparent preference by tits for an artificial nest site feature (a geometric symbol attached to nest boxes occupied by tits) and recorded whether flycatcher pairs chose to settle in nest boxes displaying the same feature as tits (i.e., copied tit apparent preference). Using a problem-solving task requiring opening a door temporarily blocking the nest box entrance, we then measured flycatchers' learning performance during nestling rearing as the number of entrances required to solve the task and enter the nest box twice in a row below a given efficiency threshold. We found that the probability to copy tit preference decreased with decreasing learning performance in females, particularly yearling ones: fast learning females copied tit preference, while slow learning ones rejected it. Male learning performance did not affect copying behavior. Our results showed that learning performance might play an important role in the ability to optimally use information for nest site selection in females: both fast and slow learning females could process this heterospecific information source but used it differently. This could partly explain the link between cognitive abilities and reproductive success reported in previous studies. Whether cognitive abilities may modulate condition-dependent costs of using different information remains to be explored.
Collapse
|
15
|
Romero-González JE, Royka AL, MaBouDi H, Solvi C, Seppänen JT, Loukola OJ. Foraging Bumblebees Selectively Attend to Other Types of Bees Based on Their Reward-Predictive Value. INSECTS 2020; 11:insects11110800. [PMID: 33202846 PMCID: PMC7697648 DOI: 10.3390/insects11110800] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/23/2020] [Revised: 11/10/2020] [Accepted: 11/11/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Using social information can be an efficient strategy for learning in a new environment while reducing the risks associated with trial-and-error learning. Whereas social information from conspecifics has long been assumed to be preferentially attended by animals, heterospecifics can also provide relevant information. Because different species may vary in their informative value, using heterospecific social information indiscriminately can be ineffective and even detrimental. Here, we evaluated how selective use of social information might arise at a proximate level in bumblebees (Bombus terrestris) as a result of experience with demonstrators differing in their visual appearance and in their informative value as reward predictors. Bumblebees were first trained to discriminate rewarding from unrewarding flowers based on which type of "heterospecific" (one of two differently painted model bees) was next to each flower. Subsequently, these bumblebees were exposed to a novel foraging context with two live painted bees. In this novel context, observer bumblebees showed significantly more social information-seeking behavior towards the type of bees that had predicted reward during training. Bumblebees were not attracted by paint-marked small wooden balls (moved via magnets) or paint-marked non-pollinating heterospecifics (woodlice; Porcellio laevis) in the novel context, indicating that bees did not simply respond to conditioned color cues nor to irrelevant social cues, but rather had a "search image" of what previously constituted a valuable, versus invaluable, information provider. The behavior of our bumblebees suggests that their use of social information is governed by learning, is selective, and extends beyond conspecifics.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jose E. Romero-González
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (J.E.R.-G.); (A.L.R.); (H.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Amanda L. Royka
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (J.E.R.-G.); (A.L.R.); (H.M.); (C.S.)
| | - HaDi MaBouDi
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (J.E.R.-G.); (A.L.R.); (H.M.); (C.S.)
- Department of Computer Science, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S1 4DP, UK
| | - Cwyn Solvi
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (J.E.R.-G.); (A.L.R.); (H.M.); (C.S.)
| | - Janne-Tuomas Seppänen
- Open Science Centre, University of Jyväskylä, P.O. Box 35, 40014 Jyväskylä, Finland;
| | - Olli J. Loukola
- Department of Biological and Experimental Psychology, School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK; (J.E.R.-G.); (A.L.R.); (H.M.); (C.S.)
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, P.O. Box 3000, 90014 Oulu, Finland
- Correspondence:
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Mariette MM. On nest-site copying, owner aggression, and mimicry: the adaptive significance of interspecific information use in a landscape of fear. Acta Ethol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00357-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
|
17
|
Morinay J, Forsman JT, Germain M, Doligez B. Behavioural traits modulate the use of heterospecific social information for nest site selection: experimental evidence from a wild bird population. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20200265. [PMID: 32315589 PMCID: PMC7211437 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2020.0265] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/25/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The use of social information for making decisions is common but can be constrained by behavioural traits via, for example, the ability to gather information. Such constrained information use has been described in foraging habitat selection; yet it remains unexplored in the breeding habitat selection context, despite potentially strong fitness consequences. We experimentally tested whether three behavioural traits (aggressiveness, boldness and neophobia) affected the use of heterospecific social information for nest site selection in wild collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis. Flycatchers have previously been found to copy or reject an artificial apparent preference of tits (their main competitors) for a nest site feature: they preferred nest-boxes with the same or a different feature, depending on tit early reproductive investment. Here, we confirmed this result and showed that shy individuals and less aggressive old males (i.e. 2 years old or older) copied tit apparent preference, while more aggressive old males rejected the tit preference. Aggressiveness and boldness may allow males to access more information sources or affect males' interactions with dominant tits when selecting a nest site. Our study highlights the links between variation in behaviours and social information use for breeding habitat selection and calls for further work to explore underlying mechanisms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer Morinay
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - Jukka T. Forsman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, Oulu, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke, Oulu),Oulu, Finland
| | - Marion Germain
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
- Department of Ecology and Evolution, Animal Ecology, Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
| | - Blandine Doligez
- Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive UMR 5558, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon 1, CNRS, Villeurbanne, France
| |
Collapse
|
18
|
Tolvanen J, Morosinotto C, Forsman JT, Thomson RL. Information collected during the post-breeding season guides future breeding decisions in a migratory bird. Oecologia 2020; 192:965-977. [PMID: 32162073 PMCID: PMC7165145 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-020-04629-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2018] [Accepted: 03/03/2020] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Breeding habitat choice and investment decisions are key contributors to fitness in animals. Density of individuals is a well-known cue of habitat quality used for future breeding decisions, but accuracy of density cues decreases as individuals disperse from breeding sites. Used nests remain an available information source also after breeding season, but whether such information is used for breeding decisions is less well known. We experimentally investigated whether migratory, cavity-nesting pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) prospect potential breeding sites after breeding season and use old nests as a cue for future breeding decisions. In late summer 2013, forest sites were assigned to four treatments: (1) sites including nest boxes with old nests of heterospecifics (tits), (2) sites including suitable but empty nest boxes, (3) sites with unsuitable nest boxes, or (4) sites without any nest boxes. In the following year, we investigated pied flycatcher habitat choice and reproductive investment according to these "past" cues while also controlling for additional information sources present during settlement. Flycatchers preferred sites where tits had been perceived to breed in the previous year, but only if great tits were also currently breeding in the site and had a relatively high number of eggs. Old flycatchers avoided sites previously treated with suitable but empty cavities, whereas young flycatchers preferred sites where tits had apparently bred in the previous year. Also egg mass, but not clutch size or clutch mass, was affected by the combination of past treatment information and current tit abundance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jere Tolvanen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland. .,National Resources Institute Finland, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Chiara Morosinotto
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Bioeconomy Research Team, Novia University of Applied Sciences, Raseborgsvägen 9, 10600, Ekenäs, Finland
| | - Jukka T Forsman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland.,National Resources Institute Finland, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| | - Robert L Thomson
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa
| |
Collapse
|
19
|
Egalitarian mixed-species bird groups enhance winter survival of subordinate group members but only in high-quality forests. Sci Rep 2020; 10:4005. [PMID: 32132547 PMCID: PMC7055219 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-60144-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Only dominant individuals have unrestricted access to contested resources in group-living animals. In birds, subordinates with restricted access to resources may respond to intragroup contests by acquiring extra body reserves to avoid periods of food shortage. In turn, higher body mass reduces agility and increases predation and mortality risk to subordinates. Birds often live in hierarchically organized mixed-species groups, in which heterospecific individuals are considered to substitute for conspecifics as protection against predators at a significantly reduced competition cost. Crested tits (Lophophanes cristatus) and willow tits (Poecile montanus) form mixed-species groups during the non-reproductive season that typically exhibit a nearly linear dominance hierarchy (‘despotic’ social structure) in which the highest ranking male willow tit is fourth in the overall hierarchy after the dominant male, female and subordinate juvenile crested tit, respectively. Much less frequently, ‘egalitarian’ dominance structures occur in which the adult willow tits rank second and the hierarchy is less steep, or linear. We present a rare long-term data set in which egalitarian flocks are common enough to assess the consequences of this simple change in hierarchy structure as well as a potential driver of the pattern. A comparison of individuals in the despotic mixed-species groups revealed a strong negative correlation between subcutaneous fat stores and dominance rank in the interspecific dominance hierarchy, whereas in egalitarian groups, subordinate willow tits had significantly lower fat reserves and they foraged in safer parts of the canopy than willow tits in despotic groups. Moreover, egalitarian groups exhibited markedly less within-group aggression, higher group cohesion and improved winter survival in both tit species. However, winter survival of birds in egalitarian groups was impaired relative to despotic groups in forests recently affected by industrial forestry. This suggests that the more egalitarian bird societies may best be adapted to less-disturbed environments.
Collapse
|
20
|
Heterospecific song quality as social information for settlement decisions: an experimental approach in a wild bird. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
|
21
|
Szymkowiak J. On resolving the selective interspecific information use vs. owner aggression hypothesis dilemma—a commentary. Acta Ethol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-019-00317-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
22
|
Tolvanen J, Seppänen JT, Mönkkönen M, Thomson RL, Ylönen H, Forsman JT. Interspecific information on predation risk affects nest site choice in a passerine bird. BMC Evol Biol 2018; 18:181. [PMID: 30514204 PMCID: PMC6280475 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-018-1301-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2018] [Accepted: 11/20/2018] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Breeding site choice constitutes an important part of the species niche. Nest predation affects breeding site choice, and has been suggested to drive niche segregation and local coexistence of species. Interspecific social information use may, in turn, result in copying or rejection of heterospecific niche characteristics and thus affect realized niche overlap between species. We tested experimentally whether a migratory bird, the pied flycatcher Ficedula hypoleuca, collects information about nest predation risk from indirect cues of predators visiting nests of heterospecific birds. Furthermore, we investigated whether the migratory birds can associate such information with a specific nest site characteristic and generalize the information to their own nest site choice. Results Our results demonstrate that flycatchers can use the fate of heterospecific nesting attempts in their own nest site choice, but do so selectively. Young flycatcher females, when making the decision quickly, associated the fate of an artificial nest with nest-site characteristics and avoided the characteristic associated with higher nest predation risk. Conclusions Copying nest site choices of successful heterospecifics, and avoiding choices which led to failed attempts, may amplify or counter effects of nest predation on niche overlap, with important consequences for between-species niche divergence-convergence dynamics, species coexistence and predator-prey interactions. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12862-018-1301-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jere Tolvanen
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland. .,Current Address: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), University of Oulu, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90014, Oulu, Finland.
| | - Janne-Tuomas Seppänen
- Nature and Game Management Trust, Degerby, Finland.,Open Science Centre, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, 40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Mikko Mönkkönen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Jyvaskyla, PO Box 35, 40014 University of Jyvaskyla, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Robert L Thomson
- Section of Ecology, Department of Biology, University of Turku, 20014, Turku, Finland.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, 7701, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Hannu Ylönen
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyvaskyla, Konnevesi Research Station, 44300, Konnevesi, Finland
| | - Jukka T Forsman
- Department of Ecology and Genetics, University of Oulu, 90014, Oulu, Finland.,Current Address: Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), University of Oulu, Paavo Havaksen tie 3, 90014, Oulu, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
23
|
Cayuela H, Grolet O, Joly P. Context-dependent dispersal, public information, and heterospecific attraction in newts. Oecologia 2018; 188:1069-1080. [PMID: 30315372 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-018-4267-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/28/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Dispersal is one of the main processes that determine community structure. Individuals make dispersal decisions according to environmental and/or social cues that reflect the fitness prospects in a given patch. The presence and abundance of heterospecifics within the same ecological guild, and/or their breeding success, may act as public information that influences movement decisions. To date, most studies investigating the role of heterospecific attraction have focused on habitat choice, using both experimental and correlational approaches. The present study is the first to examine how long-term variation in heterospecific density in breeding patches may affect dispersal patterns in spatially structured populations. We investigate how the dispersal decisions of the great crested newt (Triturus cristatus) are related to the variable density of two other newt species, the alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and the palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus). To examine this issue, we used capture-recapture data collected in an experimental pond network over a 20-year period. The results revealed that the great crested newt's dispersal is context dependent and is affected by variation in heterospecific density: individuals were less likely to emigrate from ponds with high heterospecific density and were more likely to immigrate to ponds with high heterospecific density. These findings suggest that individuals adjust their dispersal decisions at least partly based on public information provided by heterospecifics. This mechanism may play a critical role in the dynamics of spatially structured populations and community functioning.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hugo Cayuela
- IBIS, Department of Biology, University Laval, Pavillon Charles-Eugène-Marchand, Avenue de la Médecine, Quebec City, Canada
| | - Odile Grolet
- UMR 5023, LEHNA, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1-CNRS-ENTPE, Campus de la Doua, 69622, Villeurbanne, France
| | - Pierre Joly
- UMR 5023, LEHNA, Université de Lyon, Université Lyon1-CNRS-ENTPE, Campus de la Doua, 69622, Villeurbanne, France.
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Morinay J, Forsman JT, Kivelä SM, Gustafsson L, Doligez B. Heterospecific Nest Site Copying Behavior in a Wild Bird: Assessing the Influence of Genetics and Past Experience on a Joint Breeding Phenotype. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
25
|
Samplonius JM, Kromhout Van Der Meer IM, Both C. Nest site preference depends on the relative density of conspecifics and heterospecifics in wild birds. Front Zool 2017; 14:56. [PMID: 29270207 PMCID: PMC5738223 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-017-0246-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2017] [Accepted: 12/07/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Social learning allows animals to eavesdrop on ecologically relevant knowledge of competitors in their environment. This is especially important when selecting a habitat if individuals have relatively little personal information on habitat quality. It is known that birds can use both conspecific and heterospecific information for social learning, but little is known about the relative importance of each information type. If provided with the choice between them, we expected that animals should copy the behaviour of conspecifics, as these confer the best information for that species. We tested this hypothesis in the field for Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca arriving at their breeding grounds to select a nest box for breeding. We assigned arbitrary symbols to nest boxes of breeding pied flycatchers (conspecifics) and blue and great tits, Cyanistes caeruleus and Parus major (heterospecifics), in 2014 and 2016 in two areas with different densities of tits and flycatchers. After ca 50% of flycatchers had returned and a flycatcher symbol was assigned to their nest box, we gave the later arriving flycatchers the choice between empty nest boxes with either a conspecific (flycatcher) or a heterospecific (tit) symbol. Results As expected, Pied Flycatchers copied the perceived nest box choice of conspecifics, but only in areas that were dominated by flycatchers. Against our initial expectation, flycatchers copied the perceived choice of heterospecifics in the area heavily dominated by tits, even though conspecific minority information was present. Conclusions Our results confirm that the relative density of conspecifics and heterospecifics modulates the propensity to copy or reject novel behavioural traits. By contrasting conspecific and heterospecific ecology in the same study design we were able to draw more general conclusions about the role of fluctuating densities on social information use.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer M Samplonius
- Conservation Ecology Group (CONSECO), Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700CC Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Iris M Kromhout Van Der Meer
- Conservation Ecology Group (CONSECO), Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700CC Groningen, the Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group (CONSECO), Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, PO Box 11103, 9700CC Groningen, the Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
Mainwaring MC. Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
27
|
Griesser M, Mourocq E, Barnaby J, Bowgen KM, Eggers S, Fletcher K, Kozma R, Kurz F, Laurila A, Nystrand M, Sorato E, Ekman J. Experience buffers extrinsic mortality in a group-living bird species. OIKOS 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.04098] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael Griesser
- Dept of Anthropology; Univ. of Zurich; CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
| | - Emeline Mourocq
- Dept of Anthropology; Univ. of Zurich; CH-8057 Zurich Switzerland
- Inst. of Ecology and Evolution, Univ. of Bern; Bern Switzerland
| | - Jonathan Barnaby
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Katharine M. Bowgen
- Dept of Life and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth Univ., Dorset, UK. - F. Kurz; Freiburg Germany
| | - Sönke Eggers
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
- Dept of Ecology; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala Sweden
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash Univ.; VIC Australia
| | - Kevin Fletcher
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Radoslav Kozma
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Franziska Kurz
- Dept of Life and Environmental Sciences; Faculty of Science and Technology, Bournemouth Univ., Dorset, UK. - F. Kurz; Freiburg Germany
| | - Anssi Laurila
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
| | - Magdalena Nystrand
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
- Dept of Ecology; Swedish Univ. of Agricultural Sciences; Uppsala Sweden
| | | | - Jan Ekman
- Dept of Ecology and Genetics; Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala Univ.; Uppsala Sweden
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Szymkowiak J, Thomson RL, Kuczyński L. Interspecific social information use in habitat selection decisions among migrant songbirds. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
|
29
|
Samplonius JM, Both C. Competitor phenology as a social cue in breeding site selection. J Anim Ecol 2017; 86:615-623. [PMID: 28118482 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12640] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2016] [Accepted: 01/12/2017] [Indexed: 01/26/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Jelmer M. Samplonius
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700CC Groningen The Netherlands
| | - Christiaan Both
- Conservation Ecology Group Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences University of Groningen P.O. Box 11103 9700CC Groningen The Netherlands
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Agrillo C, Bisazza A. Understanding the origin of number sense: a review of fish studies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2017; 373:20160511. [PMID: 29292358 PMCID: PMC5784038 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0511] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The ability to use quantitative information is thought to be adaptive in a wide range of ecological contexts. For nearly a century, the numerical abilities of mammals and birds have been extensively studied using a variety of approaches. However, in the last two decades, there has been increasing interest in investigating the numerical abilities of teleosts (i.e. a large group of ray-finned fish), mainly due to the practical advantages of using fish species as models in laboratory research. Here, we review the current state of the art in this field. In the first part, we highlight some potential ecological functions of numerical abilities in fish and summarize the existing literature that demonstrates numerical abilities in different fish species. In many cases, surprising similarities have been reported among the numerical performance of mammals, birds and fish, raising the question as to whether vertebrates' numerical systems have been inherited from a common ancestor. In the second part, we will focus on what we still need to investigate, specifically the research fields in which the use of fish would be particularly beneficial, such as the genetic bases of numerical abilities, the development of these abilities and the evolutionary foundation of vertebrate number sense.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christian Agrillo
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, Padova 35131, Italy
| | - Angelo Bisazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Via Venezia 8, Padova 35131, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Guillette LM, Scott ACY, Healy SD. Social learning in nest-building birds: a role for familiarity. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 283:20152685. [PMID: 27009230 PMCID: PMC4822453 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.2685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2015] [Accepted: 02/23/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
It is becoming apparent that birds learn from their own experiences of nest building. What is not clear is whether birds can learn from watching conspecifics build. As social learning allows an animal to gain information without engaging in costly trial-and-error learning, first-time builders should exploit the successful habits of experienced builders. We presented first-time nest-building male zebra finches with either a familiar or an unfamiliar conspecific male building with material of a colour the observer did not like. When given the opportunity to build, males that had watched a familiar male build switched their material preference to that used by the familiar male. Males that observed unfamiliar birds did not. Thus, first-time nest builders use social information and copy the nest material choices when demonstrators are familiar but not when they are strangers. The relationships between individuals therefore influence how nest-building expertise is socially transmitted in zebra finches.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren M Guillette
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Alice C Y Scott
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Susan D Healy
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews, Fife KY16 9TH, UK
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Parejo D, Avilés JM. Social information use by competitors: Resolving the enigma of species coexistence in animals? Ecosphere 2016. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.1295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Deseada Parejo
- University of Extremadura Avda. de Elvas s/n Badajoz E‐06071 Spain
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas CSIC Ctra. de Sacramento S/N La Cañada de San Urbano Almería E‐04120 Spain
| | - Jesús M. Avilés
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas CSIC Ctra. de Sacramento S/N La Cañada de San Urbano Almería E‐04120 Spain
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Parejo D. Informational Mismatches: A Neglected Threat of Climate Change to Interspecific Interactions. Front Ecol Evol 2016. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2016.00031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
|
34
|
Szymkowiak J, Thomson RL, Kuczyński L. Wood warblers copy settlement decisions of poor quality conspecifics: support for the tradeoff between the benefit of social information use and competition avoidance. OIKOS 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.03052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jakub Szymkowiak
- Dept of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University; Umultowska 89 PL-61-614 Poznań Poland
| | - Robert L. Thomson
- Dept of Biology; Univ. of Turku; FI-200014 Turku Finland
- P. FitzPatrick Inst. of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, Univ. of Cape Town; Rondebosch 7701 South Africa
| | - Lechosław Kuczyński
- Dept of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology; Adam Mickiewicz University; Umultowska 89 PL-61-614 Poznań Poland
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
|
36
|
Camacho-Cervantes M, Ojanguren AF, Magurran AE. Exploratory behaviour and transmission of information between the invasive guppy and native Mexican topminnows. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.05.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
37
|
Kivelä SM, Seppänen JT, Ovaskainen O, Doligez B, Gustafsson L, Mönkkönen M, Forsman JT. The past and the present in decision-making: the use of conspecific and heterospecific cues in nest site selection. Ecology 2014. [DOI: 10.1890/13-2103.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
|
38
|
The use and relative importance of intraspecific and interspecific social information in a bird community. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
|
39
|
Forsman JT, Kivelä SM, Jaakkonen T, Seppänen JT, Gustafsson L, Doligez B. Avoiding perceived past resource use of potential competitors affects niche dynamics in a bird community. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:175. [PMID: 25123229 PMCID: PMC4236583 DOI: 10.1186/s12862-014-0175-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social information use is usually considered to lead to ecological convergence among involved con- or heterospecific individuals. However, recent results demonstrate that observers can also actively avoid behaving as those individuals being observed, leading to ecological divergence. This phenomenon has been little explored so far, yet it can have significant impact on resource use, realized niches and species co-existence. In particular, the time-scale and the ecological context over which such shifts can occur are unknown. We examined with a long-term (four years) field experiment whether experimentally manipulated, species-specific, nest-site feature preferences (symbols on nest boxes) are transmitted across breeding seasons and affect future nest-site preferences in a guild of three cavity-nesting birds. RESULTS Of the examined species, resident great tits (Parus major) preferred the symbol that had been associated with unoccupied nest boxes in the previous year, i.e., their preference shifted towards niche space previously unused by putative competitors and conspecifics. CONCLUSIONS Our results show that animals can remember the earlier resource use of conspecifics and other guild members and adjust own decisions accordingly one year after. Our experiment cannot reveal the ultimate mechanism(s) behind the observed behaviour but avoiding costs of intra- or interspecific competition or ectoparasite load in old nests are plausible reasons. Our findings imply that interspecific social information use can affect resource sharing and realized niches in ecological time-scale through active avoidance of observed decisions and behavior of potentially competing species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jukka T Forsman
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, Oulu, FI-90014, Finland.
| | | | | | | | | | | |
Collapse
|
40
|
Loukola OJ, Laaksonen T, Seppänen JT, Forsman JT. Active hiding of social information from information-parasites. BMC Evol Biol 2014; 14:32. [PMID: 24580842 PMCID: PMC3939400 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-14-32] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/21/2014] [Accepted: 02/07/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Coevolution between pairs of different kind of entities, such as providers and users of information, involves reciprocal selection pressures between them as a consequence of their ecological interaction. Pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) have been shown to derive fitness benefits (larger clutches) when nesting in proximity to great tits (Parus major), presumably because they this way discover and obtain information about nesting sites. Tits suffer from the resulting association (smaller clutches). An arms race between the tits (information host) and the flycatchers (information parasite) could thus result. Great tits often cover eggs with nesting material before, but not during incubation. We hypothesized that one function of egg-covering could be a counter-adaptation to reduce information parasitism by pied flycatchers. We predicted that tits should bring more new hair to cover their exposed eggs when a pied flycatcher is present near to tit nest than when a neutral (non-competing) species is present. We conducted decoy and playback experiment in Oulu and Turku, Finland. First, we removed and collected all the hair covering the tit eggs. Then, we measured how the perceived presence of flycatcher or waxwing (Bombycilla garrulus) affects tits' egg-covering by collecting and weighing the hair brought on the eggs and photographing the nest 24 h after the playback. Results Tits brought more hair into the nest and covered the eggs more carefully after flycatcher treatment, compared to waxwing treatment. We also found that the tits in Oulu (over 600 km to north from Turku) had more hair on the top of their eggs in general. Conclusions Together, these results suggest that the counter-adaptation function of egg-covering against information parasites may be an extension of original function to protect eggs from low temperatures.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Olli J Loukola
- Department of Biology, University of Oulu, POB 3000, Oulu FI-90014, Finland.
| | | | | | | |
Collapse
|