1
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Chereskin E, Allen SJ, Connor RC, Krützen M, King SL. In pop pursuit: social bond strength predicts vocal synchrony during cooperative mate guarding in bottlenose dolphins. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230194. [PMID: 38768196 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0194] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2023] [Accepted: 02/27/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Vocal communication is an emblematic feature of group-living animals, used to share information and strengthen social bonds. Vocalizations are also used to coordinate group-level behaviours in many taxa, but little is known of the factors that may influence vocal behaviour during cooperative acts. Allied male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) use the 'pop' vocalization as a coercive signal when working together to herd single oestrous females. Using long-term association and acoustic data, we examined the influence of social and non-social factors on pop use by allied male dolphins in this context. Neither pop rate nor pop bout duration were influenced by any of the factors examined. However, allied males with stronger social bonds engaged in higher rates of vocal synchrony; whereby they actively matched the timing of their pop production. Hence, social bond strength influenced pop use in a cooperative context, suggesting dual functions of pop use: to induce the female to remain close, and to promote social bond maintenance and cooperation among males. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamics'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma Chereskin
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - Simon J Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich , Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia , Crawley WA 6009, Australia
| | - Richard C Connor
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth , North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University , North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich , Zurich CH-8057, Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia , Crawley WA 6009, Australia
| | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia , Crawley WA 6009, Australia
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2
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Friedman WR, Krützen M, King SL, Allen SJ, Gerber L, Wittwer S, Connor RC. Inter-group alliance dynamics in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1601-1612. [PMID: 37391478 PMCID: PMC10442264 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01804-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/18/2023] [Indexed: 07/02/2023]
Abstract
The social intelligence hypothesis holds that complex social relationships are the major selective force underlying the evolution of large brain size and intelligence. Complex social relationships are exemplified by coalitions and alliances that are mediated by affiliative behavior, resulting in differentiated but shifting relationships. Male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Australia, form three alliance levels or 'orders', primarily among non-relatives. Strategic alliance formation has been documented within both first- and second-order alliances and between second-order alliances ('third-order alliances'), revealing that the formation of strategic inter-group alliances is not limited to humans. Here we conducted a fine-scale study on 22 adult males over a 6-year period to determine if third-order alliance relationships are differentiated, and mediated by affiliative interactions. We found third-order alliance relationships were strongly differentiated, with key individuals playing a disproportionate role in maintaining alliances. Nonetheless, affiliative interactions occurred broadly between third-order allies, indicating males maintain bonds with third-order allies of varying strength. We also documented a shift in relationships and formation of a new third-order alliance. These findings further our understanding of dolphin alliance dynamics and provide evidence that strategic alliance formation is found in all three alliance levels, a phenomenon with no peer among non-human animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Whitney R Friedman
- Department of Environmental Studies, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, 95064, USA.
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, 92093, USA.
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Simon J Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Australian National Wildlife Collection, National Research Collections Australia, CSIRO, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Richard C Connor
- Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747, USA.
- Institute of Environment and Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, North Miami, FL, 33181, USA.
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3
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Smith JE, Jaeggi AV, Holmes RK, Silk JB. Sex differences in cooperative coalitions: a mammalian perspective. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20210426. [PMID: 36440559 PMCID: PMC9703251 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/18/2022] [Accepted: 08/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In group-living species, cooperative tactics can offset asymmetries in resource-holding potential between individuals and alter the outcome of intragroup conflicts. Differences in the kinds of competitive pressures that males and females face might influence the benefits they gain from forming intragroup coalitions. We predicted that there would be a female bias in intragroup coalitions because females (1) are more like to live with kin than males are, and (2) compete over resources that are more readily shared than resources males compete over. We tested this main prediction using information about coalition formation across mammalian species and phylogenetic comparative analyses. We found that for nearly all species in which intragroup coalitions occur, members of both sexes participate, making this the typical mammalian pattern. The presence and frequency of female or male coalitions were not strongly associated with key socio-ecological factors like resource defensibility, sexual dimorphism or philopatry. This suggests that once the ability to form intragroup coalitions emerges in one sex, it is likely to emerge in the other sex as well and that there is no strong phylogenetic legacy of sex differences in this form of cooperation. This article is part of the theme issue 'Cooperation among women: evolutionary and cross-cultural perspectives'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E. Smith
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Adrian V. Jaeggi
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland
| | - Rose K. Holmes
- Biology Department, University of Wisconsin Eau Claire, 105 Garfield Avenue, Eau Claire, WI 54702, USA
| | - Joan B. Silk
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change, Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287-2402, USA
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4
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Small effects of family size on sociality despite strong kin preferences in female bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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5
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Chabanne DBH, Krützen M, Finn H, Allen SJ. Evidence of male alliance formation in a small dolphin community. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00295-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe photo-identification of uniquely marked individuals has revealed much about mammalian behaviour and social structure in recent decades. In bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.), for example, the long-term tracking of individuals has unveiled considerable variation in social structure among populations and various spatio-temporal aspects of group formation. In this study, we investigated associations among individual males in a small community of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (T. aduncus) residing in an urbanized estuary in southwestern Australia. Given the relative proximity of our study area to other populations in which complex male alliances form for the purpose of mate acquisition, we used long-term photo-identification records and social analyses to assess whether such alliances also occur in smaller and more isolated settings. Our work revealed strong social bonds and long-term, non-random associations among individual males, suggesting the occurrence of male alliances. Behavioural observations of alliances interacting with potentially receptive adult females from the estuary community and from adjacent communities, and exhibiting sexual display behaviours near females, suggest that these alliances occur in a reproductive context. As the first formal analysis indicating the occurrence of male alliances outside Shark Bay along the vast western coastline of Australia, this study complements previous research and extends our understanding of the evolutionary and ecological processes that drive alliance formation.
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6
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Strategic intergroup alliances increase access to a contested resource in male bottlenose dolphins. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2121723119. [PMID: 36037370 PMCID: PMC9457541 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2121723119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Cooperation between allied individuals is ubiquitous in human societies. Our capacity to build strategic cooperative relationships across multiple social levels, such as trade or military alliances both nationally and internationally, is thought to be unique to our species. Here, however, we show that male bottlenose dolphins form the largest known multilevel alliance network outside humans, where the cooperative relationships between groups, rather than alliance size, increases male access to a contested resource. These results reveal that both dolphins and humans form strategic intergroup alliances between unrelated individuals, likely selecting for enhanced social cognition. This surprising case of convergence suggests that dolphin societies, as well as those of nonhuman primates, are valuable model systems for understanding human social and cognitive evolution. Efforts to understand human social evolution rely largely on comparisons with nonhuman primates. However, a population of bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia, combines a chimpanzee-like fission-fusion grouping pattern, mating system, and life history with the only nonhuman example of strategic multilevel male alliances. Unrelated male dolphins form three alliance levels, or “orders”, in competition over females: both within-group alliances (i.e., first- and second-order) and between-group alliances (third-order), based on cooperation between two or more second-order alliances against other groups. Both sexes navigate an open society with a continuous mosaic of overlapping home ranges. Here, we use comprehensive association and consortship data to examine fine-scale alliance relationships among 121 adult males. This analysis reveals the largest nonhuman alliance network known, with highly differentiated relationships among individuals. Each male is connected, directly or indirectly, to every other male, including direct connections with adult males outside of their three-level alliance network. We further show that the duration with which males consort females is dependent upon being well connected with third-order allies, independently of the effect of their second-order alliance connections, i.e., alliances between groups increase access to a contested resource, thereby increasing reproductive success. Models of human social evolution traditionally link intergroup alliances to other divergent human traits, such as pair bonds, but our study reveals that intergroup male alliances can arise directly from a chimpanzee-like, promiscuous mating system without one-male units, pair bonds, or male parental care.
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7
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Greenfield MR, Durden WN, Jablonski TA, Moreland LD, Fabry AC, Gemma LY, Clifford HH. Associates from infancy influence postweaning juvenile associations for common bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) in Florida. J Mammal 2022. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyac063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
In many long-lived mammalian species, association patterns between individuals have been found to influence sociality, behavioral traits, survival, and longevity. In common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), the early stages of development are of particular importance as associations experienced as dependent calves may influence future association patterns. While behavioral characteristics associated with the transition from a dependent calf state to an independent juvenile state have been documented, there are limited studies that examine associations between these time periods. This study aims to document association longevity for bottlenose dolphins as they transition from calves to juveniles and determine the extent to which kinship plays a role in the development of these associations. Using social network analysis, a generalized linear mixed model (GLMM), and a tiered association scale, we found 53.7% of associations were retained from the calf to the juvenile phase. GLMM results indicated that preferred associates (half-weight index [HWI] > 0.178) from the calf state were 3.6 times more likely to associate in the juvenile state (0.178 > HWI > 0) and 5.67 times more likely to be preferred associates in the juvenile state compared to nonpreferred calf associates. The majority of juveniles, 76.92%, maintained a low–moderate to moderate level association (0.089–0.54) with their mother, and a few retained their mother as their top associate. Kin were preferred associates in 46.15% of cases and found to be the top juvenile associate in 26.92% of cases. Identifying continuity in associations, particularly from the calving state to the juvenile state, is imperative as mammalian association patterns may influence community structure, disease transmission, reproductive success, and predict survival.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michelle R Greenfield
- College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University , Ithaca, New York , USA
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute , Melbourne Beach, Florida , USA
| | - Wendy N Durden
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute , Melbourne Beach, Florida , USA
| | | | - Lydia D Moreland
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute , Melbourne Beach, Florida , USA
- Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute , Fort Pierce, Florida , USA
| | - Agatha C Fabry
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute , Melbourne Beach, Florida , USA
| | - Lisa Y Gemma
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute , Melbourne Beach, Florida , USA
| | - Heidy H Clifford
- Hubbs-SeaWorld Research Institute , Melbourne Beach, Florida , USA
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8
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King SL, Jensen FH. Rise of the machines: Integrating technology with playback experiments to study cetacean social cognition in the wild. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13935] [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)
- Stephanie L. King
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol BS8 1TQ Bristol United Kingdom
| | - Frants H. Jensen
- Biology department, Syracuse University 107 College Place 13244 Syracuse NY USA
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9
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Smith JE, Fichtel C, Holmes RK, Kappeler PM, van Vugt M, Jaeggi AV. Sex bias in intergroup conflict and collective movements among social mammals: male warriors and female guides. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20210142. [PMID: 35369756 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2021.0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergroup conflict is a major evolutionary force shaping animal and human societies. Males and females should, on average, experience different costs and benefits for participating in collective action. Specifically, among mammals, male fitness is generally limited by access to mates whereas females are limited by access to food and safety. Here we analyse sex biases among 72 species of group-living mammals in two contexts: intergroup conflict and collective movements. Our comparative phylogenetic analyses show that the modal mammalian pattern is male-biased participation in intergroup conflict and female-biased leadership in collective movements. However, the probability of male-biased participation in intergroup conflicts decreased and female-biased participation increased with female-biased leadership in movements. Thus, female-biased participation in intergroup conflict only emerged in species with female-biased leadership in collective movements, such as in spotted hyenas and some lemurs. Sex differences are probably attributable to costs and benefits of participating in collective movements (e.g. towards food, water, safety) and intergroup conflict (e.g. access to mates or resources, risk of injury). Our comparative review offers new insights into the factors shaping sex bias in leadership across social mammals and is consistent with the 'male warrior hypothesis' which posits evolved sex differences in human intergroup psychology. This article is part of the theme issue 'Intergroup conflict across taxa'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Smith
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Claudia Fichtel
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Rose K Holmes
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Boulevard, Oakland, CA 94631, USA
| | - Peter M Kappeler
- Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, Göttingen, Germany.,Department Anthropology/Sociobiology, University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Mark van Vugt
- Department of Experimental and Applied Psychology, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Adrian V Jaeggi
- Institute of Evolutionary Medicine, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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10
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Allied male dolphins use vocal exchanges to "bond at a distance". Curr Biol 2022; 32:1657-1663.e4. [PMID: 35334229 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2021] [Revised: 01/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Vocal interactions are intrinsic features of social groups and can play a pivotal role in social bonding.1,2 Dunbar's social bonding hypothesis posits that vocal exchanges evolved to "groom at a distance" when social groups became too large or complex for individuals to devote time to physical bonding activities.1,3 Tests of this hypothesis in non-human primates, however, suggest that vocal exchanges occur between more strongly bonded individuals that engage in higher grooming rates4-7 and thus do not provide evidence for replacement of physical bonding. Here, we combine data on social bond strength, whistle exchange frequency, and affiliative contact behavior rates to test this hypothesis in wild male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins, who form multi-level alliances that cooperate over access to females.8-10 We show that, although whistle exchanges are more likely to occur within the core alliance, they occur more frequently between those males that share weaker social bonds, i.e., between core allies that spend less time together, while the opposite occurs for affiliative physical contact behavior. This suggests that vocal exchanges function as a low-cost mechanism for male dolphins that spend less time in close proximity and engage in fewer affiliative contact behaviors to reinforce and maintain their valuable alliance relationships. Our findings provide new evidence outside of the primate lineage that vocal exchanges serve a bonding function and reveal that, as the social bonding hypothesis originally suggested, vocal exchanges can function as a replacement of physical bonding activities for individuals to maintain their important social relationships.
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11
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Meyer J, Magnasco MO, Reiss D. The Relevance of Human Whistled Languages for the Analysis and Decoding of Dolphin Communication. Front Psychol 2021; 12:689501. [PMID: 34621209 PMCID: PMC8490682 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2021.689501] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2021] [Accepted: 07/30/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans use whistled communications, the most elaborate of which are commonly called "whistled languages" or "whistled speech" because they consist of a natural type of speech. The principle of whistled speech is straightforward: people articulate words while whistling and thereby transform spoken utterances by simplifying them, syllable by syllable, into whistled melodies. One of the most striking aspects of this whistled transformation of words is that it remains intelligible to trained speakers, despite a reduced acoustic channel to convey meaning. It constitutes a natural traditional means of telecommunication that permits spoken communication at long distances in a large diversity of languages of the world. Historically, birdsong has been used as a model for vocal learning and language. But conversely, human whistled languages can serve as a model for elucidating how information may be encoded in dolphin whistle communication. In this paper, we elucidate the reasons why human whistled speech and dolphin whistles are interesting to compare. Both are characterized by similar acoustic parameters and serve a common purpose of long distance communication in natural surroundings in two large brained social species. Moreover, their differences - e.g., how they are produced, the dynamics of the whistles, and the types of information they convey - are not barriers to such a comparison. On the contrary, by exploring the structure and attributes found across human whistle languages, we highlight that they can provide an important model as to how complex information is and can be encoded in what appears at first sight to be simple whistled modulated signals. Observing details, such as processes of segmentation and coarticulation, in whistled speech can serve to advance and inform the development of new approaches for the analysis of whistle repertoires of dolphins, and eventually other species. Human whistled languages and dolphin whistles could serve as complementary test benches for the development of new methodologies and algorithms for decoding whistled communication signals by providing new perspectives on how information may be encoded structurally and organizationally.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Meyer
- CNRS, GIPSA-Lab, Université Grenoble Alpes, Grenoble, France
| | - Marcelo O. Magnasco
- Laboratory of Integrative Neuroscience, Rockefeller University, New York, NY, United States
| | - Diana Reiss
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, New York, NY, United States
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12
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Cooperation-based concept formation in male bottlenose dolphins. Nat Commun 2021; 12:2373. [PMID: 33888703 PMCID: PMC8062458 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-22668-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Accepted: 03/18/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
In Shark Bay, Western Australia, male bottlenose dolphins form a complex nested alliance hierarchy. At the first level, pairs or trios of unrelated males cooperate to herd individual females. Multiple first-order alliances cooperate in teams (second-order alliances) in the pursuit and defence of females, and multiple teams also work together (third-order alliances). Yet it remains unknown how dolphins classify these nested alliance relationships. We use 30 years of behavioural data combined with 40 contemporary sound playback experiments to 14 allied males, recording responses with drone-mounted video and a hydrophone array. We show that males form a first-person social concept of cooperative team membership at the second-order alliance level, independently of first-order alliance history and current relationship strength across all three alliance levels. Such associative concepts develop through experience and likely played an important role in the cooperative behaviour of early humans. These results provide evidence that cooperation-based concepts are not unique to humans, occurring in other animal societies with extensive cooperation between non-kin.
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13
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Gerber L, Wittwer S, Allen SJ, Holmes KG, King SL, Sherwin WB, Wild S, Willems EP, Connor RC, Krützen M. Cooperative partner choice in multi-level male dolphin alliances. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6901. [PMID: 33767258 PMCID: PMC7994371 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85583-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2020] [Accepted: 02/22/2021] [Indexed: 12/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigations into cooperative partner choice should consider both potential and realised partners, allowing for the comparison of traits across all those available. Male bottlenose dolphins form persisting multi-level alliances. Second-order alliances of 4–14 males are the core social unit, within which 2–3 males form first-order alliances to sequester females during consortships. We compared social bond strength, relatedness and age similarity of potential and realised partners of individual males in two age periods: (i) adolescence, when second-order alliances are formed from all available associates, and (ii) adulthood, when first-order allies are selected from within second-order alliances. Social bond strength during adolescence predicted second-order alliance membership in adulthood. Moreover, males preferred same-aged or older males as second-order allies. Within second-order alliances, non-mating season social bond strength predicted first-order partner preferences during mating season consortships. Relatedness did not influence partner choice on either alliance level. There is thus a striking resemblance between male dolphins, chimpanzees and humans, where closely bonded non-relatives engage in higher-level, polyadic cooperative acts. To that end, our study extends the scope of taxa in which social bonds rather than kinship explain cooperation, providing the first evidence that such traits might have evolved independently in marine and terrestrial realms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Kathryn G Holmes
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, UK.,School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, 6009, Australia
| | - William B Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464, Konstanz, Germany.,Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78315, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Erik P Willems
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Richard C Connor
- Biology Department, UMASS Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA, 02747, USA
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland
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14
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Frau S, Ronchetti F, Perretti F, Addis A, Ceccherelli G, La Manna G. The influence of fish farm activity on the social structure of the common bottlenose dolphin in Sardinia (Italy). PeerJ 2021; 9:e10960. [PMID: 33717695 PMCID: PMC7937346 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10960] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/04/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
In a wide variety of habitats, including some heavily urbanised areas, the adaptability of populations of common bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) may depend on the social structure dynamics. Nonetheless, the way in which these adaptations take place is still poorly understood. In the present study we applied photo-identification techniques to investigate the social structure of the common bottlenose dolphin population inhabiting the Gulf of Alghero (Sardinia, Italy), analysing data recorded from 2008 to 2019. The social structure analysis showed a division of the entire population into five different communities and the presence of non-random associations, while there was no evidence of segregation between sexes. Furthermore, results highlighted an important change in social structure through time, likely due to a reduction in fish farm activity since 2015. The division of the population into different communities, the presence of segregation based on the foraging strategy (inside or outside the fish farm area) and the social network measures were evaluated by analysing independently the two datasets: the intense and low farm activity periods: 2008–2014 and 2015–2020, respectively. Segregation among individuals belonging to the same foraging strategy class was found only in the earlier period, and the composition of the four communities was consistent with this result. Our study improves the knowledge about bottlenose dolphin adaptation, as a lower complexity in social structure was linked to a reduction in anthropogenic food availability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Serena Frau
- Environmental Research and Conservation, MareTerra Onlus, Alghero, Italy, Italy
| | - Fabio Ronchetti
- Environmental Research and Conservation, MareTerra Onlus, Alghero, Italy, Italy
| | - Francesco Perretti
- Environmental Research and Conservation, MareTerra Onlus, Alghero, Italy, Italy
| | - Alberto Addis
- Environmental Research and Conservation, MareTerra Onlus, Alghero, Italy, Italy
| | - Giulia Ceccherelli
- Dipartimento di Chimica e Farmacia, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy, Italy
| | - Gabriella La Manna
- Environmental Research and Conservation, MareTerra Onlus, Alghero, Italy, Italy.,Area Marina Protetta Capo Caccia Isola Piana, Alghero, Italy, Italy
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15
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A new approach to the study of relationship quality in dolphins: Framework and preliminary results. Behav Processes 2020; 181:104260. [PMID: 33017667 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2020] [Revised: 09/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Proximity and synchronous behaviours from surface observations have been used to measure association patterns within and between dolphin dyads. To facilitate an investigation of relationship quality in dolphins, we applied a method used for primates and ravens that examined three main components to describe relationships: value, security, and compatibility. Using pilot data from long-term research of two study populations for this preliminary assessment, these three components were extracted from PCA of eight behavioural variables with more than 80 % variance accounted for in both study groups. Only pair swim position differed between groups. Although value, security, and compatibility are abstract terms, each is based on behaviours identified as important in dolphin social life, at least for these two populations. Examining relationship quality in dolphins with a method used to illustrate dyadic differences for primates and ravens allows for a quantitative, comparative assessment of sociality across disparate taxa. Although these species are diverse in their anatomies and in their social habitats (e.g., aquatic, terrestrial, aerial), they may well share the basic societal building blocks in the factors affecting how relationships are formed. We discuss how an examination of these behavioural variables facilitates understanding relationship quality in dolphins, as well as how dolphin relationships fit into the context of social animals' society.
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16
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O'Brien O, Allen S, Krützen M, Connor R. Alliance-specific habitat selection by male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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17
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McCue LM, Cioffi WR, Heithaus MR, Barrè L, Connor RC. Synchrony, leadership, and association in male Indo‐pacific bottlenose dolphins (
Tursiops aduncus
). Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura M. McCue
- University of Massachusetts‐Dartmouth North Dartmouth MA USA
| | - William R. Cioffi
- University Program in Ecology Duke University Marine Lab Beaufort NC USA
| | - Michael R. Heithaus
- School of Environment, Arts and Society Florida International University North Miami FL USA
| | - Lynne Barrè
- West Coast Region Protected Resources Division NOAA Fisheries Service Seattle WA USA
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18
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Gerber L, Connor RC, King SL, Allen SJ, Wittwer S, Bizzozzero MR, Friedman WR, Kalberer S, Sherwin WB, Wild S, Willems EP, Krützen M. Affiliation history and age similarity predict alliance formation in adult male bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2020; 31:361-370. [PMID: 32210525 PMCID: PMC7083095 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz195] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2019] [Revised: 10/10/2019] [Accepted: 11/15/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Male alliances are an intriguing phenomenon in the context of reproduction since, in most taxa, males compete over an indivisible resource, female fertilization. Adult male bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, form long-term, multilevel alliances to sequester estrus females. These alliances are therefore critical to male reproductive success. Yet, the long-term processes leading to the formation of such complex social bonds are still poorly understood. To identify the criteria by which male dolphins form social bonds with other males, we adopted a long-term approach by investigating the ontogeny of alliance formation. We followed the individual careers of 59 males for 14 years while they transitioned from adolescence (8-14 years of age) to adulthood (15-21 years old). Analyzing their genetic relationships and social associations in both age groups, we found that the vast majority of social bonds present in adolescence persisted through time. Male associations in early life predict alliance partners as adults. Kinship patterns explained associations during adolescence but not during adulthood. Instead, adult males associated with males of similar age. Our findings suggest that social bonds among peers, rather than kinship, play a central role in the development of adult male polyadic cooperation in dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- Livia Gerber
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | | | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Simon J Allen
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Manuela R Bizzozzero
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Whitney R Friedman
- National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California, Santa Barbara, CA, USA
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, San Diego, CA, USA
| | | | - William B Sherwin
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, UNSW Sydney, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Center for the Advanced Study of Collective Behavior, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Lab, Max Planck Institute for Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Erik P Willems
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Krützen
- Department of Anthropology, Evolutionary Genetics Group, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
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19
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Hamilton RA, Borcuch T, Allen SJ, Cioffi WR, Bucci V, Krützen M, Connor RC. Male aggression varies with consortship rate and habitat in a dolphin social network. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2753-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
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20
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Bouveroux T, Kirkman SP, Conry D, Vargas-Fonseca OA, Pistorius PA. The first assessment of social organisation of the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) along the south coast of South Africa. CAN J ZOOL 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2018-0244] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea (G. Cuvier, 1829)) is the most endangered marine mammal species in South Africa, and the overall decline of its abundance and group size may affect the social organisation of the species, potentially accentuating its vulnerability. Understanding the social organisation is therefore particularly relevant to conservation efforts. From photo-identification surveys along the south coast of South Africa from March 2014 to June 2015, we quantified association patterns and investigated the social organisation of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins using the half-weight index, social cluster, and network analyses. During the 101 surveys conducted and 553 h of survey effort, 98 sightings of dolphins were recorded and 65 individuals identified. Using individuals seen at least three times, this study reveals that the social network is well differentiated, as strong social divisions exist between individuals that seem to be split into four distinctive social clusters. Network strength was low; approximately half of the associations were low to moderate, whereas some individuals were strongly associated, especially between four pairs of individuals. Although this study is based on a limited number of individuals, our study nevertheless suggests that the atypical strong social bonds recorded here could result from behavioural responses following the decline in group size and abundance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thibaut Bouveroux
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Coastal and Marine Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Stephen P. Kirkman
- Department of Environmental Affairs, Branch Oceans and Coasts, 8001, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Danielle Conry
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Coastal and Marine Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - O. Alejandra Vargas-Fonseca
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Coastal and Marine Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
| | - Pierre A. Pistorius
- Department of Zoology, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
- Marine Apex Predator Research Unit, Coastal and Marine Research Institute, Nelson Mandela University, P.O. Box 77000, 6031, Port Elizabeth, South Africa
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21
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Gravena W, Hrbek T, da Silva VMF, Farias IP. Boto ( Inia geoffrensis-Cetacea: Iniidae) aggregations in two provisioning sites in the lower Negro River-Amazonas, Brazil: are they related? PeerJ 2019; 7:e6692. [PMID: 31024759 PMCID: PMC6475133 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6692] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/28/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
The Negro River currently has seven floating houses where tourists can feed and interact with botos, each with its own history of how these aggregations were formed. Some keepers say these groups are familial, even reporting individuals being born into the group. However, behavioral studies have shown that botos are solitary, only forming groups at feeding areas and during the mating season. In the present study we used 12 microsatellite and molecular sex markers to characterize relationships within and between two boto aggregations (ten and seven botos each) in the lower Negro River. Molecular sexing revealed that all botos sampled from both aggregations were males. This may be explained by habitat preference, as male botos are primarily found in the main channels of large rivers, whereas females prefer more protected areas, such as flooded forests and its channels and lakes. Most of the animals were unrelated within each aggregation, demonstrating that these aggregations are not normally formed due to kinship bonds, but are exclusively for feeding, as botos learn that these places provide easy access to food. This study provides important information that helps us understand how human interaction is affecting the social structure and behavior of these animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Waleska Gravena
- Instituto de Saúde e Biotecnologia (ISB), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Coari, Amazonas, Brazil
- Laboratório de Evolução e Genética Animal (LEGAL), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos (LMA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Tomas Hrbek
- Laboratório de Evolução e Genética Animal (LEGAL), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Vera Maria Ferreira da Silva
- Laboratório de Mamíferos Aquáticos (LMA), Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazônia (INPA), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
| | - Izeni Pires Farias
- Laboratório de Evolução e Genética Animal (LEGAL), Universidade Federal do Amazonas (UFAM), Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil
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22
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Vail CS, Reiss D, Brakes P, Butterworth A. Potential Welfare Impacts of Chase and Capture of Small Cetaceans during Drive Hunts in Japan. J APPL ANIM WELF SCI 2019; 23:193-208. [PMID: 30806084 DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2019.1574576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
Drive hunts are a method to herd, capture and kill small cetaceans (whales and dolphins) in coastal waters of some countries including Japan and the Faroe Islands. In Japan, these methods are often associated with the acquisition of live dolphins for international marine parks and aquaria. During the hunts, dolphins are herded by a flotilla of fishing vessels and loud underwater noise created by fishermen banging hammers on metal poles. The prolonged and strenuous chase and use of sound barriers to herd, capture, and restrain the dolphins can result in acute stress and injury. The authors review physiological and behavioral data pertaining to chase, encirclement, and live capture of dolphins and draw comparisons between chase and capture data for marine and terrestrial species. This analysis raises substantial welfare concerns associated with the hunts and acquisition of dolphins from such capture operations. The authors assert that this data detailing the negative impacts of chase, herding and handling (capture) of small cetaceans renders these hunts inherently inhumane and should inform policy relating to the collection and management of dolphins in the wild.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Diana Reiss
- Department of Psychology, Hunter College, City University of New York, New York, NY, USA
| | - Philippa Brakes
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Tremough, Cornwall, UK.,Whale and Dolphin Conservation (WDC), Wiltshire, UK
| | - Andrew Butterworth
- Clinical Veterinary School, University of Bristol Veterinary School, Langford, UK
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23
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Genov T, Centrih T, Kotnjek P, Hace A. Behavioural and temporal partitioning of dolphin social groups in the northern Adriatic Sea. MARINE BIOLOGY 2019; 166:11. [PMID: 30613111 PMCID: PMC6299055 DOI: 10.1007/s00227-018-3450-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2018] [Accepted: 11/22/2018] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
Complex social structure is a prominent feature in several mammal species. Such structure may lead to behavioural diversity not only among populations, but also within a single population, where different subsets of a population may exhibit different types of behaviour. As a consequence, understanding social structure is not only interesting biologically, but may also help conservation and management efforts, because not all segments of a population necessarily respond to or interact with human activities in the same way, or at the same time. In this study, we examined the social structure of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in the Gulf of Trieste and adjacent waters (northern Adriatic Sea), based on a 9-year dataset, using social network metrics and association indices. We assessed whether different segments of the population show differences in behaviour and interactions with fisheries. Dolphin social network was structured into distinct social clusters of mixed sexes. We found no evidence of male alliances. The two largest social clusters overlapped spatially, but not temporally, as they used the same area at different times of day. Such diel temporal partitioning does not appear to have been documented in cetaceans previously. The two clusters also differed in ways they interact with fisheries, as one regularly interacted with trawlers, while the other did not. This study demonstrates how different segments of animal populations can interact differently with human activities and in turn respond differently to anthropogenic impacts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tilen Genov
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
- Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, UK
| | - Tina Centrih
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
| | - Polona Kotnjek
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
| | - Ana Hace
- Morigenos—Slovenian Marine Mammal Society, Piran, Slovenia
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24
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Diaz-Aguirre F, Parra GJ, Passadore C, Möller L. Kinship influences social bonds among male southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. australis). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2621-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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25
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Scalise Sugiyama M, Mendoza M, White F, Sugiyama L. Coalitional Play Fighting and the Evolution of Coalitional Intergroup Aggression. HUMAN NATURE-AN INTERDISCIPLINARY BIOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE 2018; 29:219-244. [PMID: 29959606 DOI: 10.1007/s12110-018-9319-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Dyadic play fighting occurs in many species, but only humans are known to engage in coalitional play fighting. Dyadic play fighting is hypothesized to build motor skills involved in actual dyadic fighting; thus, coalitional play fighting may build skills involved in actual coalitional fighting, operationalized as forager lethal raiding. If human psychology includes a motivational component that encourages engagement in this type of play, evidence of this play in forager societies is necessary to determine that it is not an artifact of agricultural or industrial conditions. We examine whether coalitional play fighting appears in the hunter-gatherer record and includes motor skills used in lethal raiding. Using the ethnographic record, we generated a list of motor patterns regularly used in forager warfare. Then, using Murdock's Ethnographic Atlas, we identified 100 culture clusters containing forager societies and searched the ethnographic records of these societies for descriptions of coalitional play fighting, operationalized as contact games played in teams. Resulting games were coded for the presence of eight motor patterns regularly used in forager lethal raiding. Although play does not tend to be systematically documented in the hunter-gatherer literature, sufficiently detailed descriptions of coalitional play were found for 46 of the 100 culture clusters: all 46 exhibited coalitional play using at least one of the predicted motor patterns; 39 exhibited coalitional play using four or more of the eight predicted motor patterns. These results provide evidence that coalitional play fighting (a) occurs across a diverse range of hunter-gatherer cultures and habitats, (b) regularly recruits motor patterns used in lethal raiding, and (c) is not an artifact of agricultural or industrial life. This is a first step in a new line of research on whether human male psychology includes motivations to engage in play that develops the deployment of coordinated coalitional action involving key motor patterns used in lethal raiding.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcela Mendoza
- Anthropology Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
| | - Frances White
- Anthropology Department, University of Oregon, Eugene, OR, USA
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26
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Abstract
Neuropolitics is the intersection of neuroscience and political science, and it has the interdisciplinary goal of transforming both disciplines. This article reviews the past 20 years of work in the field, identifying its roots, some overarching themes-reactions to political attitudinal questions and candidates faces, identification of political ideology based on brain structure or reactivity to nonpolitical stimuli, and racial attitudes-and obstacles to its progress. I then explore the methodological and analytical advances that point the way forward for the future of neuropolitics. Although the field has been slow to develop compared with neurolaw and neuroeconomics, innovations look ripe for dramatically improving our ability to model political behaviors and attitudes in individuals and predict political choices in mass publics. The coming advancements, however, pose risks to our current norms of democratic deliberation, and academics need to anticipate and mitigate these risks.
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27
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Male alliance behaviour and mating access varies with habitat in a dolphin social network. Sci Rep 2017; 7:46354. [PMID: 28406176 PMCID: PMC5390316 DOI: 10.1038/srep46354] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Within-species variation in social structure has attracted interest recently because of the potential to explore phenotypic plasticity and, specifically, how demographic and ecological variation influence social structure. Populations of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.) vary in male alliance formation, from no alliances to simple pairs to, in Shark Bay, Western Australia, the most complex nested alliances known outside of humans. Examination of ecological contributions to this variation is complicated by differences among populations in other potentially explanatory traits, such as phylogenetic distance, as well as female reproductive schedules, sexual size dimorphism, and body size. Here, we report our discovery of systematic spatial variation in alliance structure, seasonal movements and access to mates within a single continuous social network in the Shark Bay population. Participation in male trios (versus pairs), the sizes of seasonal range shifts and consortship rates all decrease from north to south along the 50 km length of the study area. The southern habitat, characterised by shallow banks and channels, may be marginal relative to the open northern habitat. The discovery of variation in alliance behaviour along a spatial axis within a single population is unprecedented and demonstrates that alliance complexity has an ecological component.
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28
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Moreno K, Acevedo-Gutiérrez A. The social structure of Golfo Dulce bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) and the influence of behavioural state. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160010. [PMID: 27853584 PMCID: PMC5108934 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ecological factors such as habitat and food availability affect the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Here, we describe the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (T. truncatus) in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, a semi-enclosed, fjord-like tropical embayment resembling a pelagic system. We also examine behaviour-linked social strategies by comparing social structure relative to behavioural state: feeding versus non-feeding. We analysed 333 sightings over 210 days from boat-based surveys. Despite the uniqueness of the area, the 47 analysed adults had a social structure similar to other populations: a well-differentiated fission-fusion society with sex-specific patterns of associations and aggression. These results indicate that differences in social structure relative to other populations were a matter of degree. Association strength of dyads was highly correlated across behavioural states, indicating constraints on social fluidity. Males displayed a marked difference in lagged association rate and females displayed a small difference in association homogeneity between states. We suggest this difference in population-wide social connections between behavioural states, particularly for males, was due to mating strategies, a pressure which is strongest during non-feeding behaviour and relaxed during feeding. This finding highlights the importance of considering behavioural state when examining individual bonds and the behavioural plasticity for which the bottlenose dolphin is well known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Moreno
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9160, USA
| | - Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9160, USA
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77551, USA
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29
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30
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Is blood thicker than water? The role of kin and non-kin in non-mother-calf associations of captive bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus). Behav Processes 2016; 124:52-9. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2015.12.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2015] [Revised: 11/24/2015] [Accepted: 12/16/2015] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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31
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Louis M, Gally F, Barbraud C, Béesau J, Tixier P, Simon-Bouhet B, Le Rest K, Guinet C. Social structure and abundance of coastal bottlenose dolphins,Tursiops truncatus, in the Normano-Breton Gulf, English Channel. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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32
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33
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Vollmer N, Hayek LA, Heithaus M, Connor R. Further evidence of a context-specific agonistic signal in bottlenose dolphins: the influence of consortships and group size on the pop vocalization. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003311] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Pops are a low-frequency, pulsed vocalization produced by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiopscf.aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia and are often heard when male alliances are consorting or ‘herding’ a female. Previous research indicated that pops produced in this context are an agonistic ‘come-hither’ demand produced by males and directed at female consorts. Here we examine pop occurrence during focal follows on bottlenose dolphin alliances with and without female consorts present. Regression analysis was conducted to determine if pop numbers were higher in the presence of female consorts, and if variables including group size alone and the interaction between presence/absence of a consortship and group size, influenced pop production. While the presence or absence of a consortship significantly affected the number of pops, average group size had no significant effect on pop production. Our research provides further evidence that the pop vocalization plays an important role in consortships.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nicole L. Vollmer
- National Systematics Laboratory, National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA, Smithsonian Institution, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Lee-Ann C. Hayek
- Smithsonian Institution, Mathematics and Statistics, MRC-121, PO Box 37012, Washington, DC 20013, USA
| | - Michael R. Heithaus
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 NE 151 St., North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Richard C. Connor
- Department of Biology, UMASS-Dartmouth, 285 Old Westport Road, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
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34
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Cusick JA, Herzing DL. The Dynamic of Aggression: How Individual and Group Factors Affect the Long-Term Interspecific Aggression Between Two Sympatric Species of Dolphin. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Jessica A. Cusick
- Department of Biological Sciences; Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton FL USA
- The Wild Dolphin Project; Jupiter FL USA
| | - Denise L. Herzing
- Department of Biological Sciences; Florida Atlantic University; Boca Raton FL USA
- The Wild Dolphin Project; Jupiter FL USA
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35
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Spatial and social sexual segregation patterns in indo-pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). PLoS One 2013; 8:e52987. [PMID: 23326370 PMCID: PMC3541364 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052987] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/19/2012] [Accepted: 11/27/2012] [Indexed: 11/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual segregation seems to be common in bottlenose dolphins, whereby males and females live in different pods that mix mainly for mating. Male dolphins often use aggressive behaviour to mate with females, while females with calves may have different activity and dietary requirements to males and different susceptibility to predation. We investigated the degree of spatial and social sexual segregation in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in a subtropical estuary in Australia. Based on surveys completed over three years, dolphin groups were mostly mixed-sex or female. Mixed-sex groups were found in larger groups in mostly deeper water, whereas, female groups were foraging across all water depths in smaller groups. Aggressive coercive behaviour by males towards females was high, occurring mainly in deeper water, at higher tides, and outside the breeding season. Habitat use by female dolphin groups suggests that shallow tributaries may provide a sanctuary from aggressive males, access to suitable prey items and density for mothers and their calves, or a combination of these factors.
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36
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Mann J, Stanton MA, Patterson EM, Bienenstock EJ, Singh LO. Social networks reveal cultural behaviour in tool-using [corrected] dolphins. Nat Commun 2012; 3:980. [PMID: 22864573 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal tool use is of inherent interest given its relationship to intelligence, innovation and cultural behaviour. Here we investigate whether Shark Bay bottlenose dolphins that use marine sponges as hunting tools (spongers) are culturally distinct from other dolphins in the population based on the criteria that sponging is both socially learned and distinguishes between groups. We use social network analysis to determine social preferences among 36 spongers and 69 non-spongers sampled over a 22-year period while controlling for location, sex and matrilineal relatedness. Homophily (the tendency to associate with similar others) based on tool-using status was evident in every analysis, although maternal kinship, sex and location also contributed to social preference. Female spongers were more cliquish and preferentially associated with other spongers over non-spongers. Like humans who preferentially associate with others who share their subculture, tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, strongly suggesting that sponge tool-use is a cultural behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia 20057, USA.
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Stanton MA, Mann J. Early social networks predict survival in wild bottlenose dolphins. PLoS One 2012; 7:e47508. [PMID: 23077627 PMCID: PMC3471847 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 136] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2012] [Accepted: 09/17/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
A fundamental question concerning group-living species is what factors influence the evolution of sociality. Although several studies link adult social bonds to fitness, social patterns and relationships are often formed early in life and are also likely to have fitness consequences, particularly in species with lengthy developmental periods, extensive social learning, and early social bond-formation. In a longitudinal study of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), calf social network structure, specifically the metric eigenvector centrality, predicted juvenile survival in males. Additionally, male calves that died post-weaning had stronger ties to juvenile males than surviving male calves, suggesting that juvenile males impose fitness costs on their younger counterparts. Our study indicates that selection is acting on social traits early in life and highlights the need to examine the costs and benefits of social bonds during formative life history stages.
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Affiliation(s)
- Margaret A Stanton
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America.
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Randić S, Connor RC, Sherwin WB, Krützen M. A novel mammalian social structure in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.): complex male alliances in an open social network. Proc Biol Sci 2012; 279:3083-90. [PMID: 22456886 PMCID: PMC3385473 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2012.0264] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2012] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Terrestrial mammals with differentiated social relationships live in 'semi-closed groups' that occasionally accept new members emigrating from other groups. Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, exhibit a fission-fusion grouping pattern with strongly differentiated relationships, including nested male alliances. Previous studies failed to detect a group membership 'boundary', suggesting that the dolphins live in an open social network. However, two alternative hypotheses have not been excluded. The community defence model posits that the dolphins live in a large semi-closed 'chimpanzee-like' community defended by males and predicts that a dominant alliance(s) will range over the entire community range. The mating season defence model predicts that alliances will defend mating-season territories or sets of females. Here, both models are tested and rejected: no alliances ranged over the entire community range and alliances showed extensive overlap in mating season ranges and consorted females. The Shark Bay dolphins, therefore, present a combination of traits that is unique among mammals: complex male alliances in an open social network. The open social network of dolphins is linked to their relatively low costs of locomotion. This reveals a surprising and previously unrecognized convergence between adaptations reducing travel costs and complex intergroup-alliance relationships in dolphins, elephants and humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Srđan Randić
- Biology Department, UMass Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
| | - Richard C. Connor
- Biology Department, UMass Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA 02747, USA
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - William B. Sherwin
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Michael Krützen
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological Earth and Ecological Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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Whitehead H, Antunes R, Gero S, Wong SNP, Engelhaupt D, Rendell L. Multilevel Societies of Female Sperm Whales (Physeter macrocephalus) in the Atlantic and Pacific: Why Are They So Different? INT J PRIMATOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-012-9598-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 80] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Wiszniewski J, Brown C, Möller LM. Complex patterns of male alliance formation in a dolphin social network. J Mammal 2012. [DOI: 10.1644/10-mamm-a-366.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
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Byrne RW, Bates LA. Cognition in the wild: exploring animal minds with observational evidence. Biol Lett 2011; 7:619-22. [PMID: 21508016 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2011.0352] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R W Byrne
- School of Psychology, University of Saint Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, UK.
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