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Mesquita RM, Willems PA, Dewolf AH, Catavitello G. Kinetics and mechanical work done to move the body centre of mass along a curve. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0298790. [PMID: 38346043 PMCID: PMC10861085 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0298790] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/15/2024] Open
Abstract
When running on a curve, the lower limbs interact with the ground to redirect the trajectory of the centre of mass of the body (CoM). The goal of this paper is to understand how the trajectory of the CoM and the work done to maintain its movements relative to the surroundings (Wcom) are modified as a function of running speed and radius of curvature. Eleven participants ran at different speeds on a straight line and on circular curves with a 6 m and 18 m curvature. The trajectory of the CoM and Wcom were calculated using force-platforms measuring the ground reaction forces and infrared cameras recording the movements of the pelvis. To follow a circular path, runners overcompensate the rotation of their trajectory during contact phases. The deviation from the circular path increases when the radius of curvature decreases and speed increases. Interestingly, an asymmetry between the inner and outer lower limbs emerges as speed increases. The method to evaluate Wcom on a straight-line was adapted using a referential that rotates at heel strike and remains fixed during the whole step cycle. In an 18 m radius curve and at low speeds on a 6 m radius, Wcom changes little compared to a straight-line run. Whereas at 6 m s-1 on a 6 m radius, Wcom increases by ~25%, due to an augmentation in the work to move the CoM laterally. Understanding these adaptations provides valuable insight for sports sciences, aiding in optimizing training and performance in sports with multidirectional movements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Raphael M. Mesquita
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Patrick A. Willems
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Arthur H. Dewolf
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
| | - Giovanna Catavitello
- Laboratory of Biomechanics and Physiology of Locomotion, Institute of NeuroScience, Université catholique de Louvain, Louvain-la-Neuve, Belgium
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Lempidakis E, Ross AN, Quetting M, Garde B, Wikelski M, Shepard ELC. Estimating fine-scale changes in turbulence using the movements of a flapping flier. J R Soc Interface 2022; 19:20220577. [PMID: 36349445 PMCID: PMC9653225 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2022.0577] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
All animals that operate within the atmospheric boundary layer need to respond to aerial turbulence. Yet little is known about how flying animals do this because evaluating turbulence at fine scales (tens to approx. 300 m) is exceedingly difficult. Recently, data from animal-borne sensors have been used to assess wind and updraft strength, providing a new possibility for sensing the physical environment. We tested whether highly resolved changes in altitude and body acceleration measured onboard solo-flying pigeons (as model flapping fliers) can be used as qualitative proxies for turbulence. A range of pressure and acceleration proxies performed well when tested against independent turbulence measurements from a tri-axial anemometer mounted onboard an ultralight flying the same route, with stronger turbulence causing increasing vertical displacement. The best proxy for turbulence also varied with estimates of both convective velocity and wind shear. The approximately linear relationship between most proxies and turbulence levels suggests this approach should be widely applicable, providing insight into how turbulence changes in space and time. Furthermore, pigeons were able to fly in levels of turbulence that were unsafe for the ultralight, paving the way for the study of how freestream turbulence affects the costs and kinematics of animal flight.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Andrew N. Ross
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | | | - Baptiste Garde
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Emily L. C. Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, UK
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Germany
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Assessing Asiatic cheetah’s individual diet using metabarcoding and its implication for conservation. Sci Rep 2022; 12:11403. [PMID: 35794196 PMCID: PMC9259742 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-15065-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractKnowledge on diet composition allows defining well-targeted conservation measures of large carnivores. Little is known about ecology of critically endangered Asiatic cheetah, especially the overall diet and its possible regional differences. We used cheetah scats, metabarcoding technique and microsatellite markers to assess the individual and overall diet composition of the species across its entire range in Asia. Cheetahs were primarily predating on mouflon; following by ibex, cape hare and goitered gazelle. Despite their high availability, small-sized livestock was never detected. Goitered gazelles were only detected in an area where the habitat is mainly flatlands. In hilly areas, mouflon was the most frequent prey item taken. Ibex was typically taken in rugged terrain, but mouflon was still the most frequently consumed item in these habitats. High consumption of mouflon in comparison to goitered gazelle suggests that human pressure on lowland habitats has possibly forced Asiatic cheetahs to occupy suboptimal habitats where gazelles are less abundant. The protection of flatlands and the removal of livestock from them are needed to ensure the long-term survival of Asiatic cheetah. The laboratory and bioinformatics pipelines used in this study are replicable and can be used to address similar questions in other threatened carnivores.
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Garde B, Wilson RP, Fell A, Cole N, Tatayah V, Holton MD, Rose KAR, Metcalfe RS, Robotka H, Wikelski M, Tremblay F, Whelan S, Elliott KH, Shepard ELC. Ecological inference using data from accelerometers needs careful protocols. Methods Ecol Evol 2022; 13:813-825. [PMID: 35910299 PMCID: PMC9303593 DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13804] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Accelerometers in animal-attached tags are powerful tools in behavioural ecology, they can be used to determine behaviour and provide proxies for movement-based energy expenditure. Researchers are collecting and archiving data across systems, seasons and device types. However, using data repositories to draw ecological inference requires a good understanding of the error introduced according to sensor type and position on the study animal and protocols for error assessment and minimisation.Using laboratory trials, we examine the absolute accuracy of tri-axial accelerometers and determine how inaccuracies impact measurements of dynamic body acceleration (DBA), a proxy for energy expenditure, in human participants. We then examine how tag type and placement affect the acceleration signal in birds, using pigeons Columba livia flying in a wind tunnel, with tags mounted simultaneously in two positions, and back- and tail-mounted tags deployed on wild kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla. Finally, we present a case study where two generations of tag were deployed using different attachment procedures on red-tailed tropicbirds Phaethon rubricauda foraging in different seasons.Bench tests showed that individual acceleration axes required a two-level correction to eliminate measurement error. This resulted in DBA differences of up to 5% between calibrated and uncalibrated tags for humans walking at a range of speeds. Device position was associated with greater variation in DBA, with upper and lower back-mounted tags varying by 9% in pigeons, and tail- and back-mounted tags varying by 13% in kittiwakes. The tropicbird study highlighted the difficulties of attributing changes in signal amplitude to a single factor when confounding influences tend to covary, as DBA varied by 25% between seasons.Accelerometer accuracy, tag placement and attachment critically affect the signal amplitude and thereby the ability of the system to detect biologically meaningful phenomena. We propose a simple method to calibrate accelerometers that can be executed under field conditions. This should be used prior to deployments and archived with resulting data. We also suggest a way that researchers can assess accuracy in previously collected data, and caution that variable tag placement and attachment can increase sensor noise and even generate trends that have no biological meaning.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Adam Fell
- Department of BiosciencesSwansea UniversitySwanseaUK
- Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of StirlingStirlingUK
| | - Nik Cole
- Durrell Wildlife Conservation TrustLa Profonde RueJerseyJersey
| | | | | | | | - Richard S. Metcalfe
- Applied Sports Science, Technology, Exercise and Medicine Research Centre (A‐STEM)Swansea UniversitySwanseaUK
| | | | - Martin Wikelski
- Department of MigrationMax Planck Institute of Animal BehaviorRadolfzellGermany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective BehaviourUniversity of KonstanzConstanceGermany
| | - Fred Tremblay
- Department of Natural Resources SciencesMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
| | - Shannon Whelan
- Department of Natural Resources SciencesMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
| | - Kyle H. Elliott
- Department of Natural Resources SciencesMcGill UniversitySainte‐Anne‐de‐BellevueQCCanada
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McGowan NE, Marks NJ, Maule AG, Schmidt-Küntzel A, Marker LL, Scantlebury DM. Categorising cheetah behaviour using tri-axial accelerometer data loggers: a comparison of model resolution and data logger performance. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2022; 10:7. [PMID: 35123592 PMCID: PMC8818224 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-022-00305-w] [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: 08/27/2021] [Accepted: 01/26/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Extinction is one of the greatest threats to the living world, endangering organisms globally, advancing conservation to the forefront of species research. To maximise the efficacy of conservation efforts, understanding the ecological, physiological, and behavioural requirements of vulnerable species is vital. Technological advances, particularly in remote sensing, enable researchers to continuously monitor movement and behaviours of multiple individuals simultaneously with minimal human intervention. Cheetahs, Acinonyx jubatus, constitute a "vulnerable" species for which only coarse behaviours have been elucidated. The aims of this study were to use animal-attached accelerometers to (1) determine fine-scale behaviours in cheetahs, (2) compare the performances of different devices in behaviour categorisation, and (3) provide a behavioural categorisation framework. METHODS Two different accelerometer devices (CEFAS, frequency: 30 Hz, maximum capacity: ~ 2 g; GCDC, frequency: 50 Hz, maximum capacity: ~ 8 g) were mounted onto collars, fitted to five individual captive cheetahs. The cheetahs chased a lure around a track, during which time their behaviours were videoed. Accelerometer data were temporally aligned with corresponding video footage and labelled with one of 17 behaviours. Six separate random forest models were run (three per device type) to determine the categorisation accuracy for behaviours at a fine, medium, and coarse resolution. RESULTS Fine- and medium-scale models had an overall categorisation accuracy of 83-86% and 84-88% respectively. Non-locomotory behaviours were best categorised on both loggers with GCDC outperforming CEFAS devices overall. On a coarse scale, both devices performed well when categorising activity (86.9% (CEFAS) vs. 89.3% (GCDC) accuracy) and inactivity (95.5% (CEFAS) vs. 95.0% (GCDC) accuracy). This study defined cheetah behaviour beyond three categories and accurately determined stalking behaviours by remote sensing. We also show that device specification and configuration may affect categorisation accuracy, so we recommend deploying several different loggers simultaneously on the same individual. CONCLUSION The results of this study will be useful in determining wild cheetah behaviour. The methods used here allowed broad-scale (active/inactive) as well as fine-scale (e.g. stalking) behaviours to be categorised remotely. These findings and methodological approaches will be useful in monitoring the behaviour of wild cheetahs and other species of conservation interest.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natasha E McGowan
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Nikki J Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | - Aaron G Maule
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK
| | | | - Laurie L Marker
- Cheetah Conservation Fund, PO Box 1755, Otjiwarongo, Namibia
| | - David M Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, UK.
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Using Machine Learning for Remote Behaviour Classification-Verifying Acceleration Data to Infer Feeding Events in Free-Ranging Cheetahs. SENSORS 2021; 21:s21165426. [PMID: 34450868 PMCID: PMC8398415 DOI: 10.3390/s21165426] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/16/2021] [Revised: 08/01/2021] [Accepted: 08/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Behavioural studies of elusive wildlife species are challenging but important when they are threatened and involved in human-wildlife conflicts. Accelerometers (ACCs) and supervised machine learning algorithms (MLAs) are valuable tools to remotely determine behaviours. Here we used five captive cheetahs in Namibia to test the applicability of ACC data in identifying six behaviours by using six MLAs on data we ground-truthed by direct observations. We included two ensemble learning approaches and a probability threshold to improve prediction accuracy. We used the model to then identify the behaviours in four free-ranging cheetah males. Feeding behaviours identified by the model and matched with corresponding GPS clusters were verified with previously identified kill sites in the field. The MLAs and the two ensemble learning approaches in the captive cheetahs achieved precision (recall) ranging from 80.1% to 100.0% (87.3% to 99.2%) for resting, walking and trotting/running behaviour, from 74.4% to 81.6% (54.8% and 82.4%) for feeding behaviour and from 0.0% to 97.1% (0.0% and 56.2%) for drinking and grooming behaviour. The model application to the ACC data of the free-ranging cheetahs successfully identified all nine kill sites and 17 of the 18 feeding events of the two brother groups. We demonstrated that our behavioural model reliably detects feeding events of free-ranging cheetahs. This has useful applications for the determination of cheetah kill sites and helping to mitigate human-cheetah conflicts.
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Jeantet L, Vigon V, Geiger S, Chevallier D. Fully Convolutional Neural Network: A solution to infer animal behaviours from multi-sensor data. Ecol Modell 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.ecolmodel.2021.109555] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [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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Shield S, Jericevich R, Patel A, Jusufi A. Tails, Flails, and Sails: How Appendages Improve Terrestrial Maneuverability by Improving Stability. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 61:506-520. [PMID: 34050735 PMCID: PMC8633431 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icab108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2021] [Revised: 04/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Trade-offs in maneuverability and stability are essential in ecologically relevant situations with respect to robustness of locomotion, with multiple strategies apparent in animal model systems depending on their habitat and ecology. Free appendages such as tails and ungrounded limbs may assist in navigating this trade-off by assisting with balance, thereby increasing the acceleration that can be achieved without destabilizing the body. This comparative analysis explores the inertial mechanisms and, in some cases, fluid dynamic mechanisms by which appendages contribute to the stabilization of gait and perturbation response behaviors in a wide variety of animals. Following a broad review of examples from nature and bio-inspired robotics that illustrate the importance of appendages to the control of body orientation, two specific cases are examined through preliminary experiments: the role of arm motion in bipedal gait termination is explored using trajectory optimization, and the role of the cheetah’s tail during a deceleration maneuver is analyzed based on motion capture data. In both these examples, forward rotation of the appendage in question is found to counteract the unwanted forward pitch caused by the braking forces. It is theorized that this stabilizing action may facilitate more rapid deceleration by allowing larger or longer-acting braking forces to be applied safely.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stacey Shield
- African Robotics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | | | - Amir Patel
- African Robotics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Ardian Jusufi
- African Robotics Unit, University of Cape Town, South Africa.,Locomotion in Biorobotic and Somatic Systems, Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, Heisenbergstrasse 3, 70569, Germany
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9
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Gunner RM, Wilson RP, Holton MD, Scott R, Arkwright A, Fahlman A, Ulrich M, Hopkins P, Duarte C, Eizaguirre C. Activity of loggerhead turtles during the U-shaped dive: insights using angular velocity metrics. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2021. [DOI: 10.3354/esr01125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Understanding the behavioural ecology of endangered taxa can inform conservation strategies. The activity budgets of the loggerhead turtle Caretta caretta are still poorly understood because many tracking methods show only horizontal displacement and ignore dives and associated behaviours. However, time-depth recorders have enabled researchers to identify flat, U-shaped dives (or type 1a dives) and these are conventionally labelled as resting dives on the seabed because they involve no vertical displacement of the animal. Video- and acceleration-based studies have demonstrated this is not always true. Focusing on sea turtles nesting on the Cabo Verde archipelago, we describe a new metric derived from magnetometer data, absolute angular velocity, that integrates indices of angular rotation in the horizontal plane to infer activity. Using this metric, we evaluated the variation in putative resting behaviours during the bottom phase of type 1a dives for 5 individuals over 13 to 17 d at sea during a single inter-nesting interval (over 75 turtle d in total). We defined absolute resting within the bottom phase of type 1a dives as periods with no discernible acceleration or angular movement. Whilst absolute resting constituted a significant proportion of each turtle’s time budget for this 1a dive type, turtles allocated 16-38% of their bottom time to activity, with many dives being episodic, comprised of intermittent bouts of rest and rotational activity. This implies that previously considered resting behaviours are complex and need to be accounted for in energy budgets, particularly since energy budgets may impact conservation strategies.
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Affiliation(s)
- RM Gunner
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - RP Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - MD Holton
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - R Scott
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, Düsternbrooker Weg 20, 24105 Kiel, Germany
- Natural Environmental Research Council, Polaris House, North Star Avenue, Swindon SN2 1FL, UK
| | - A Arkwright
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
- L’Oceanogràfic, Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciències, Carrer d’Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 1B, 46013 Valencia, Spain
| | - A Fahlman
- L’Oceanogràfic, Ciutat de les Arts i de les Ciències, Carrer d’Eduardo Primo Yúfera, 1B, 46013 Valencia, Spain
| | - M Ulrich
- Institutionen för fysik kemi och biologi (IFM), Linköping Universitet, Olaus Magnus väg, 583 30 Linköping, Sweden
| | - P Hopkins
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea SA2 8PP, UK
| | - C Duarte
- Red Sea Research Centre, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955, Saudi Arabia
| | - C Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London E35SA, UK
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Wilson RS, Pavlic TP, Wheatley R, Niehaus AC, Levy O. Modeling escape success in terrestrial predator–prey interactions. Integr Comp Biol 2020; 60:497-508. [DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Synopsis
Prey species often modify their foraging and reproductive behaviors to avoid encounters with predators; yet once they are detected, survival depends on out-running, out-maneuvering, or fighting off the predator. Though predation attempts involve at least two individuals—namely, a predator and its prey—studies of escape performance typically measure a single trait (e.g., sprint speed) in the prey species only. Here, we develop a theoretical model in which the likelihood of escape is determined by the prey animal’s tactics (i.e., path trajectory) and its acceleration, top speed, agility, and deceleration relative to the performance capabilities of a predator. The model shows that acceleration, top speed, and agility are all important determinants of escape performance, and because speed and agility are biomechanically related to size, smaller prey with higher agility should force larger predators to run along curved paths that do not allow them to use their superior speeds. Our simulations provide clear predictions for the path and speed a prey animal should choose when escaping from predators of different sizes (thus, biomechanical constraints) and could be used to explore the dynamics between predators and prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robbie S Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Theodore P Pavlic
- School of Computing, Informatics, and Decision Systems Engineering, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
- School of Sustainability, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA
| | - Rebecca Wheatley
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
- School of Natural Sciences, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Tasmania 7001, Australia
| | - Amanda C Niehaus
- School of Biological Sciences, The University of Queensland, St Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Ofir Levy
- School of Zoology, Faculty of Life Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel
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Nguyen VT, Uchida R, Warling A, Sloan LJ, Saviano MS, Wicinski B, Hård T, Bertelsen MF, Stimpson CD, Bitterman K, Schall M, Hof PR, Sherwood CC, Manger PR, Spocter MA, Jacobs B. Comparative neocortical neuromorphology in felids: African lion, African leopard, and cheetah. J Comp Neurol 2020; 528:1392-1422. [DOI: 10.1002/cne.24823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/08/2019] [Revised: 11/18/2019] [Accepted: 11/18/2019] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Vivian T. Nguyen
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Riri Uchida
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Allysa Warling
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Lucy J. Sloan
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Mark S. Saviano
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Bridget Wicinski
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York
| | | | - Mads F. Bertelsen
- Center for Zoo and Wild Animal HealthCopenhagen Zoo Frederiksberg Denmark
| | - Cheryl D. Stimpson
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | - Kathleen Bitterman
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Matthew Schall
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
| | - Patrick R. Hof
- Nash Family Department of Neuroscience and Friedman Brain InstituteIcahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai New York New York
| | - Chet C. Sherwood
- Department of Anthropology and Center for the Advanced Study of Human PaleobiologyThe George Washington University Washington District of Columbia
| | - Paul R. Manger
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
| | - Muhammad A. Spocter
- School of Anatomical Sciences, Faculty of Health SciencesUniversity of the Witwatersrand Johannesburg South Africa
- Department of AnatomyDes Moines University Des Moines Iowa
| | - Bob Jacobs
- Laboratory of Quantitative Neuromorphology, Neuroscience Program, Department of PsychologyColorado College Colorado Springs Colorado
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Chakravarty P, Maalberg M, Cozzi G, Ozgul A, Aminian K. Behavioural compass: animal behaviour recognition using magnetometers. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2019; 7:28. [PMID: 31485331 PMCID: PMC6712732 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-019-0172-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2019] [Accepted: 07/25/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Animal-borne data loggers today often house several sensors recording simultaneously at high frequency. This offers opportunities to gain fine-scale insights into behaviour from individual-sensor as well as integrated multi-sensor data. In the context of behaviour recognition, even though accelerometers have been used extensively, magnetometers have recently been shown to detect specific behaviours that accelerometers miss. The prevalent constraint of limited training data necessitates the importance of identifying behaviours with high robustness to data from new individuals, and may require fusing data from both these sensors. However, no study yet has developed an end-to-end approach to recognise common animal behaviours such as foraging, locomotion, and resting from magnetometer data in a common classification framework capable of accommodating and comparing data from both sensors. METHODS We address this by first leveraging magnetometers' similarity to accelerometers to develop biomechanical descriptors of movement: we use the static component given by sensor tilt with respect to Earth's local magnetic field to estimate posture, and the dynamic component given by change in sensor tilt with time to characterise movement intensity and periodicity. We use these descriptors within an existing hybrid scheme that combines biomechanics and machine learning to recognise behaviour. We showcase the utility of our method on triaxial magnetometer data collected on ten wild Kalahari meerkats (Suricata suricatta), with annotated video recordings of each individual serving as groundtruth. Finally, we compare our results with accelerometer-based behaviour recognition. RESULTS The overall recognition accuracy of > 94% obtained with magnetometer data was found to be comparable to that achieved using accelerometer data. Interestingly, higher robustness to inter-individual variability in dynamic behaviour was achieved with the magnetometer, while the accelerometer was better at estimating posture. CONCLUSIONS Magnetometers were found to accurately identify common behaviours, and were particularly robust to dynamic behaviour recognition. The use of biomechanical considerations to summarise magnetometer data makes the hybrid scheme capable of accommodating data from either or both sensors within the same framework according to each sensor's strengths. This provides future studies with a method to assess the added benefit of using magnetometers for behaviour recognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pritish Chakravarty
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
| | - Maiki Maalberg
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
- School of Information Technologies, Tallinn University of Technology, Tallinn, Estonia
| | - Gabriele Cozzi
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, 8467 South Africa
| | - Arpat Ozgul
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
- Kalahari Research Centre, Kuruman River Reserve, Van Zylsrus, 8467 South Africa
| | - Kamiar Aminian
- School of Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
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13
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Zamparo P, Pavei G, Monte A, Nardello F, Otsu T, Numazu N, Fujii N, Minetti AE. Mechanical work in shuttle running as a function of speed and distance: Implications for power and efficiency. Hum Mov Sci 2019; 66:487-496. [PMID: 31203018 DOI: 10.1016/j.humov.2019.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2019] [Revised: 06/07/2019] [Accepted: 06/08/2019] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
Biomechanics (and energetics) of human locomotion are generally studied at constant, linear, speed whereas less is known about running mechanics when velocity changes (because of accelerations, decelerations or changes of direction). The aim of this study was to calculate mechanical work and power and to estimate mechanical efficiency in shuttle runs (as an example of non-steady locomotion) executed at different speeds and over different distances. A motion capture system was utilised to record the movements of the body segments while 20 athletes performed shuttle runs (with a 180° change of direction) at three paces (slow, moderate and maximal) and over four distances (5, 10, 15 and 20 m). Based on these data the internal, external and total work of shuttle running were calculated as well as mechanical power; mechanical efficiency was then estimated based on values of energy cost reported in the literature. Total mechanical work was larger the faster the velocity and the shorter the distance covered (range: 2.3-3.7 J m-1 kg-1) whereas mechanical efficiency showed an opposite trend (range: 0.20-0.50). At maximal speed, over all distances, braking/negative power (about 21 W kg-1) was twice the positive power. Present results highlight that running humans can exert a larger negative than positive power, in agreement with the fundamental proprieties of skeletal muscles in vivo. A greater relative importance of the constant speed phase, associated to a better exploitation of the elastic energy saving mechanism, is likely responsible of the higher efficiency at the longer shuttle distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paola Zamparo
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy.
| | - Gaspare Pavei
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - Andrea Monte
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Francesca Nardello
- Department of Neurosciences, Biomedicine and Movement Sciences, University of Verona, Verona, Italy
| | - Takuya Otsu
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Naoki Numazu
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Norihisa Fujii
- Faculty of Health and Sport Sciences, University of Tsukuba, Tsukuba, Japan
| | - Alberto E Minetti
- Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation, University of Milano, Milano, Italy
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14
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Wilson RP, Börger L, Holton MD, Scantlebury DM, Gómez-Laich A, Quintana F, Rosell F, Graf PM, Williams H, Gunner R, Hopkins L, Marks N, Geraldi NR, Duarte CM, Scott R, Strano MS, Robotka H, Eizaguirre C, Fahlman A, Shepard ELC. Estimates for energy expenditure in free-living animals using acceleration proxies: A reappraisal. J Anim Ecol 2019; 89:161-172. [PMID: 31173339 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13040] [Citation(s) in RCA: 95] [Impact Index Per Article: 19.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2018] [Accepted: 04/10/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
It is fundamentally important for many animal ecologists to quantify the costs of animal activities, although it is not straightforward to do so. The recording of triaxial acceleration by animal-attached devices has been proposed as a way forward for this, with the specific suggestion that dynamic body acceleration (DBA) be used as a proxy for movement-based power. Dynamic body acceleration has now been validated frequently, both in the laboratory and in the field, although the literature still shows that some aspects of DBA theory and practice are misunderstood. Here, we examine the theory behind DBA and employ modelling approaches to assess factors that affect the link between DBA and energy expenditure, from the deployment of the tag, through to the calibration of DBA with energy use in laboratory and field settings. Using data from a range of species and movement modes, we illustrate that vectorial and additive DBA metrics are proportional to each other. Either can be used as a proxy for energy and summed to estimate total energy expended over a given period, or divided by time to give a proxy for movement-related metabolic power. Nonetheless, we highlight how the ability of DBA to predict metabolic rate declines as the contribution of non-movement-related factors, such as heat production, increases. Overall, DBA seems to be a substantive proxy for movement-based power but consideration of other movement-related metrics, such as the static body acceleration and the rate of change of body pitch and roll, may enable researchers to refine movement-based metabolic costs, particularly in animals where movement is not characterized by marked changes in body acceleration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory P Wilson
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Luca Börger
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Mark D Holton
- Department of Computing Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - D Michael Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Agustina Gómez-Laich
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos IBIOMAR-CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Instituto de Biología de Organismos Marinos IBIOMAR-CONICET, Puerto Madryn, Argentina
| | - Frank Rosell
- Department of Natural Sciences and Environmental Health, Faculty of Technology, Natural Sciences, and Maritime Sciences, University of South-Eastern Norway, Bø i Telemark, Norway
| | - Patricia M Graf
- Department of Forestry and Renewable Forest Resources, Biotechnical Faculty, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.,Institute of Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | | | - Richard Gunner
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Lloyd Hopkins
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Nikki Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, UK
| | - Nathan R Geraldi
- Red Sea Research Centre and Computational Biology Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Carlos M Duarte
- Red Sea Research Centre and Computational Biology Research Center, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, Saudi Arabia
| | - Rebecca Scott
- Geomar Helmholz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, Germany
| | - Michael S Strano
- Department of Chemical Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | - Christophe Eizaguirre
- School of Biological and Chemical Sciences, Queen Mary University of London, London, UK
| | - Andreas Fahlman
- Departamento de Investigación, Fundación Oceanogràfic de la Comunidad Valenciana, Valencia, Spain
| | - Emily L C Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, Swansea University, Swansea, UK.,Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
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15
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Luck in Food Finding Affects Individual Performance and Population Trajectories. Curr Biol 2018; 28:3871-3877.e5. [PMID: 30449669 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2018.10.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2018] [Revised: 09/21/2018] [Accepted: 10/11/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Energy harvesting by animals is important because it provides the power needed for all metabolic processes. Beyond this, efficient food finding enhances individual fitness [1] and population viability [2], although rates of energy accumulation are affected by the environment and food distribution. Typically, differences between individuals in the rate of food acquisition are attributed to varying competencies [3], even though food-encounter rates are known to be probabilistic [4]. We used animal-attached technology to quantify food intake in four disparate free-living vertebrates (condors, cheetahs, penguins, and sheep) and found that inter-individual variability depended critically on the probability of food encounter. We modeled this to reveal that animals taking rarer food, such as apex predators and scavengers, are particularly susceptible to breeding failure because this variability results in larger proportions of the population failing to accrue the necessary resources for their young before they starve and because even small changes in food abundance can affect this variability disproportionately. A test of our model on wild animals indicated why Magellanic penguins have a stable population while the congeneric African penguin population has declined for decades. We suggest that such models predicting probabilistic ruin can help predict the fortunes of species operating under globally changing conditions.
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16
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Ichikawa H, Matsuo T, Haiya M, Higurashi Y, Wada N. Gait Characteristics of Cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus) and Greyhounds (Canis lupus familiaris) Running on Curves. MAMMAL STUDY 2018. [DOI: 10.3106/ms2017-0089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Hiroshi Ichikawa
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Taiki Matsuo
- The United Graduate School of Veterinary Science, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Megumi Haiya
- Akiyoshidai Safari Land, Mine, Yamaguchi 754-0302, Japan
| | - Yasuo Higurashi
- Laboratory of System Physiology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
| | - Naomi Wada
- Laboratory of System Physiology, Joint Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Yamaguchi University, Yamaguchi, Yamaguchi 753-8515, Japan
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17
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Biomechanics of predator-prey arms race in lion, zebra, cheetah and impala. Nature 2018; 554:183-188. [PMID: 29364874 DOI: 10.1038/nature25479] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2017] [Accepted: 01/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
The fastest and most manoeuvrable terrestrial animals are found in savannah habitats, where predators chase and capture running prey. Hunt outcome and success rate are critical to survival, so both predator and prey should evolve to be faster and/or more manoeuvrable. Here we compare locomotor characteristics in two pursuit predator-prey pairs, lion-zebra and cheetah-impala, in their natural savannah habitat in Botswana. We show that although cheetahs and impalas were universally more athletic than lions and zebras in terms of speed, acceleration and turning, within each predator-prey pair, the predators had 20% higher muscle fibre power than prey, 37% greater acceleration and 72% greater deceleration capacity than their prey. We simulated hunt dynamics with these data and showed that hunts at lower speeds enable prey to use their maximum manoeuvring capacity and favour prey survival, and that the predator needs to be more athletic than its prey to sustain a viable success rate.
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18
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Wheatley R, Clemente CJ, Niehaus AC, Fisher DO, Wilson RS. Surface friction alters the agility of a small Australian marsupial. J Exp Biol 2018; 221:jeb.172544. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.172544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2017] [Accepted: 03/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Movement speed can underpin an animal's probability of success in ecological tasks. Prey often use agility to outmanoeuvre predators, however faster speeds increase inertia and reduce agility. Agility is also constrained by grip, as the foot must have sufficient friction with the ground to apply the forces required for turning. Consequently, ground surface should affect optimum turning speed. We tested the speed-agility trade-off in buff-footed antechinus (Antechinus mysticus) on two different surfaces. Antechinus used slower turning speeds over smaller turning radii on both surfaces, as predicted by the speed-agility trade-off. Slipping was 64% more likely on the low-friction surface, and had a higher probability of occurring the faster the antechinus were running before the turn. However, antechinus compensated for differences in surface friction by using slower pre-turn speeds as their amount of experience on the low-friction surface increased, which consequently reduced their probability of slipping. Conversely, on the high-friction surface, antechinus used faster pre-turn speeds in later trials, which had no effect on their probability of slipping. Overall, antechinus used larger turning radii (0.733 ± 0.062 vs 0.576 ± 0.051 m) and slower pre-turn (1.595 ± 0.058 vs 2.174 ± 0.050 ms-1) and turning speeds (1.649 ± 0.061 vs 2.01 ± 0.054 ms-1) on the low-friction surface. Our results demonstrate the interactive effect of surface friction and the speed-agility trade-off on speed choice. To predict wild animals’ movement speeds, future studies should examine the interactions between biomechanical trade-offs and terrain, and quantify the costs of motor mistakes in different ecological activities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca Wheatley
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | | | - Amanda C. Niehaus
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Diana O. Fisher
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
| | - Robbie S. Wilson
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Australia
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19
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Bryce CM, Wilmers CC, Williams TM. Energetics and evasion dynamics of large predators and prey: pumas vs. hounds. PeerJ 2017; 5:e3701. [PMID: 28828280 PMCID: PMC5563439 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.3701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Accepted: 07/26/2017] [Indexed: 01/17/2023] Open
Abstract
Quantification of fine-scale movement, performance, and energetics of hunting by large carnivores is critical for understanding the physiological underpinnings of trophic interactions. This is particularly challenging for wide-ranging terrestrial canid and felid predators, which can each affect ecosystem structure through distinct hunting modes. To compare free-ranging pursuit and escape performance from group-hunting and solitary predators in unprecedented detail, we calibrated and deployed accelerometer-GPS collars during predator-prey chase sequences using packs of hound dogs (Canis lupus familiaris, 26 kg, n = 4-5 per chase) pursuing simultaneously instrumented solitary pumas (Puma concolor, 60 kg, n = 2). We then reconstructed chase paths, speed and turning angle profiles, and energy demands for hounds and pumas to examine performance and physiological constraints associated with cursorial and cryptic hunting modes, respectively. Interaction dynamics revealed how pumas successfully utilized terrain (e.g., fleeing up steep, wooded hillsides) as well as evasive maneuvers (e.g., jumping into trees, running in figure-8 patterns) to increase their escape distance from the overall faster hounds (avg. 2.3× faster). These adaptive strategies were essential to evasion in light of the mean 1.6× higher mass-specific energetic costs of the chase for pumas compared to hounds (mean: 0.76 vs. 1.29 kJ kg-1 min-1, respectively). On an instantaneous basis, escapes were more costly for pumas, requiring exercise at ≥90% of predicted [Formula: see text] and consuming as much energy per minute as approximately 5 min of active hunting. Our results demonstrate the marked investment of energy for evasion by a large, solitary carnivore and the advantage of dynamic maneuvers to postpone being overtaken by group-hunting canids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caleb M. Bryce
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana
| | - Christopher C. Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Environmental Studies Department, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
| | - Terrie M. Williams
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA, United States of America
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20
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Kuznetsov A, Luchkina O, Panyutina A, Kryukova N. Observations on escape runs in wild European hare as a basis for the mechanical concept of extreme cornering with special inference of a role of the peculiar subclavian muscle. Mamm Biol 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.mambio.2017.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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21
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Williams HJ, Holton MD, Shepard ELC, Largey N, Norman B, Ryan PG, Duriez O, Scantlebury M, Quintana F, Magowan EA, Marks NJ, Alagaili AN, Bennett NC, Wilson RP. Identification of animal movement patterns using tri-axial magnetometry. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:6. [PMID: 28357113 PMCID: PMC5367006 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0097-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/27/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Accelerometers are powerful sensors in many bio-logging devices, and are increasingly allowing researchers to investigate the performance, behaviour, energy expenditure and even state, of free-living animals. Another sensor commonly used in animal-attached loggers is the magnetometer, which has been primarily used in dead-reckoning or inertial measurement tags, but little outside that. We examine the potential of magnetometers for helping elucidate the behaviour of animals in a manner analogous to, but very different from, accelerometers. The particular responses of magnetometers to movement means that there are instances when they can resolve behaviours that are not easily perceived using accelerometers. METHODS We calibrated the tri-axial magnetometer to rotations in each axis of movement and constructed 3-dimensional plots to inspect these stylised movements. Using the tri-axial data of Daily Diary tags, attached to individuals of number of animal species as they perform different behaviours, we used these 3-d plots to develop a framework with which tri-axial magnetometry data can be examined and introduce metrics that should help quantify movement and behaviour.. RESULTS Tri-axial magnetometry data reveal patterns in movement at various scales of rotation that are not always evident in acceleration data. Some of these patterns may be obscure until visualised in 3D space as tri-axial spherical plots (m-spheres). A tag-fitted animal that rotates in heading while adopting a constant body attitude produces a ring of data around the pole of the m-sphere that we define as its Normal Operational Plane (NOP). Data that do not lie on this ring are created by postural rotations of the animal as it pitches and/or rolls. Consequently, stereotyped behaviours appear as specific trajectories on the sphere (m-prints), reflecting conserved sequences of postural changes (and/or angular velocities), which result from the precise relationship between body attitude and heading. This novel approach shows promise for helping researchers to identify and quantify behaviours in terms of animal body posture, including heading. CONCLUSION Magnetometer-based techniques and metrics can enhance our capacity to identify and examine animal behaviour, either as a technique used alone, or one that is complementary to tri-axial accelerometry.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hannah J. Williams
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
| | - Mark D. Holton
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
| | - Emily L. C. Shepard
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
| | - Nicola Largey
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
| | - Brad Norman
- ECOCEAN Inc. (Aust.), ECOCEAN (USA), C/o 68a Railway Street, Perth, WA 6011 Australia
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST-NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701 South Africa
| | - Olivier Duriez
- CEFE UMR 5175, CNRS, Université de Montpellier, Université Paul-Valéry Montpellier, EPHE, 1919 route de Mende, 34293 Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - Michael Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Ireland
| | - Flavio Quintana
- Centro Nacional Patagónico, CONICET (9120), Puerto Madryn, Chubut Argentina
| | - Elizabeth A. Magowan
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Ireland
| | - Nikki J. Marks
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen’s University Belfast, Belfast, Ireland
| | - Abdulaziz N. Alagaili
- KSU Mammals Research Chair, Department of Zoology, College of Science, King Saud University, P.O. Box 2455, Riyadh, 11451 Saudi Arabia
| | - Nigel C. Bennett
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - Rory P. Wilson
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, SA2 8PP UK
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22
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Clemente CJ, Cooper CE, Withers PC, Freakley C, Singh S, Terrill P. The private life of echidnas: using accelerometry and GPS to examine field biomechanics and assess the ecological impact of a widespread, semi-fossorial monotreme. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:3271-3283. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.143867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2016] [Accepted: 08/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The short-beaked echidna (Tachyglossus aculeatus) is a monotreme and therefore provides a unique combination of phylogenetic history, morphological differentiation and ecological specialisation for a mammal. The echidna has a unique appendicular skeleton, a highly specialised myrmecophagous lifestyle and a mode of locomotion that is neither typically mammalian nor reptilian, but has aspects of both lineages. We therefore were interested in the interactions of locomotor biomechanics, ecology and movements for wild, free-living short-beaked echidnas. To assess locomotion in its complex natural environment, we attached both GPS and accelerometer loggers to the back of echidnas in both spring and summer. We found that the locomotor biomechanics of echidnas is unique, with lower stride length and stride frequency than reported for similar-sized mammals. Speed modulation is primarily accomplished through changes in stride frequency, with a mean of 1.39 Hz and a maximum of 2.31 Hz. Daily activity period was linked to ambient air temperature, which restricted daytime activity during the hotter summer months. Echidnas had longer activity periods and longer digging bouts in spring compared with summer. In summer, echidnas had higher walking speeds than in spring, perhaps because of the shorter time suitable for activity. Echidnas spent, on average, 12% of their time digging, which indicates their potential to excavate up to 204 m3 of soil a year. This information highlights the important contribution towards ecosystem health, via bioturbation, of this widespread Australian monotreme.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christofer J. Clemente
- School of Science and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, QLD 4556, Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Christine E. Cooper
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
- Zoology, School of Animal Biology M092, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Philip C. Withers
- Department of Environment and Agriculture, Curtin University, Perth, WA 6102, Australia
- Zoology, School of Animal Biology M092, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009, Australia
| | - Craig Freakley
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Surya Singh
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Philip Terrill
- School of Information Technology and Electrical Engineering, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
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23
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Cade D, Friedlaender A, Calambokidis J, Goldbogen J. Kinematic Diversity in Rorqual Whale Feeding Mechanisms. Curr Biol 2016; 26:2617-2624. [DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2016.07.037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2016] [Revised: 06/21/2016] [Accepted: 07/14/2016] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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24
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Elliott KH. Measurement of flying and diving metabolic rate in wild animals: Review and recommendations. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol 2016; 202:63-77. [PMID: 27264988 DOI: 10.1016/j.cbpa.2016.05.025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2016] [Revised: 05/16/2016] [Accepted: 05/27/2016] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Animals' abilities to fly long distances and dive to profound depths fascinate earthbound researchers. Due to the difficulty of making direct measurements during flying and diving, many researchers resort to modeling so as to estimate metabolic rate during each of those activities in the wild, but those models can be inaccurate. Fortunately, the miniaturization, customization and commercialization of biologgers has allowed researchers to increasingly follow animals on their journeys, unravel some of their mysteries and test the accuracy of biomechanical models. I provide a review of the measurement of flying and diving metabolic rate in the wild, paying particular attention to mass loss, doubly-labelled water, heart rate and accelerometry. Biologgers can impact animal behavior and influence the very measurements they are designed to make, and I provide seven guidelines for the ethical use of biologgers. If biologgers are properly applied, quantification of metabolic rate across a range of species could produce robust allometric relationships that could then be generally applied. As measuring flying and diving metabolic rate in captivity is difficult, and often not directly translatable to field conditions, I suggest that applying multiple techniques in the field to reinforce one another may be a viable alternative. The coupling of multi-sensor biologgers with biomechanical modeling promises to improve precision in the measurement of flying and diving metabolic rate in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kyle H Elliott
- Department of Natural Resource Sciences, McGill University, Ste Anne-de-Bellevue, QC, Canada
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25
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Halsey LG. Terrestrial movement energetics: current knowledge and its application to the optimising animal. J Exp Biol 2016; 219:1424-31. [DOI: 10.1242/jeb.133256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 03/14/2016] [Indexed: 01/25/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT
The energetic cost of locomotion can be a substantial proportion of an animal's daily energy budget and thus key to its ecology. Studies on myriad species have added to our knowledge about the general cost of animal movement, including the effects of variations in the environment such as terrain angle. However, further such studies might provide diminishing returns on the development of a deeper understanding of how animals trade-off the cost of movement with other energy costs, and other ecological currencies such as time. Here, I propose the ‘individual energy landscape’ as an approach to conceptualising the choices facing the optimising animal. In this Commentary, first I outline previous broad findings about animal walking and running locomotion, focusing in particular on the use of net cost of transport as a metric of comparison between species, and then considering the effects of environmental perturbations and other extrinsic factors on movement costs. I then introduce and explore the idea that these factors combine with the behaviour of the animal in seeking short-term optimality to create that animal's individual energy landscape – the result of the geographical landscape and environmental factors combined with the animal's selected trade-offs. Considering an animal's locomotion energy expenditure within this context enables hard-won empirical data on transport costs to be applied to questions about how an animal can and does move through its environment to maximise its fitness, and the relative importance, or otherwise, of locomotion energy economy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G. Halsey
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, Holybourne Avenue, London SW15 4JD, UK
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26
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Halsey LG. Do animals exercise to keep fit? J Anim Ecol 2016; 85:614-20. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12488] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2015] [Accepted: 11/27/2015] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lewis G. Halsey
- University of Roehampton Holybourne Avenue London SW15 4JD UK
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27
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Mills MG. Living Near the Edge: A Review of the Ecological Relationships Between Large Carnivores in the Arid Kalahari. AFRICAN JOURNAL OF WILDLIFE RESEARCH 2015. [DOI: 10.3957/056.045.0127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
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Wilson RP, Griffiths IW, Mills MGL, Carbone C, Wilson JW, Scantlebury DM. Mass enhances speed but diminishes turn capacity in terrestrial pursuit predators. eLife 2015; 4. [PMID: 26252515 PMCID: PMC4542338 DOI: 10.7554/elife.06487] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2015] [Accepted: 08/02/2015] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
The dynamics of predator-prey pursuit appears complex, making the development of a framework explaining predator and prey strategies problematic. We develop a model for terrestrial, cursorial predators to examine how animal mass modulates predator and prey trajectories and affects best strategies for both parties. We incorporated the maximum speed-mass relationship with an explanation of why larger animals should have greater turn radii; the forces needed to turn scale linearly with mass whereas the maximum forces an animal can exert scale to a 2/3 power law. This clarifies why in a meta-analysis, we found a preponderance of predator/prey mass ratios that minimized the turn radii of predators compared to their prey. It also explained why acceleration data from wild cheetahs pursuing different prey showed different cornering behaviour with prey type. The outcome of predator prey pursuits thus depends critically on mass effects and the ability of animals to time turns precisely. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06487.001 A pursuit between a predator and its prey involves complex strategies. Prey often make sudden sharp turns when running to evade a predator. Any predator that cannot turn quickly enough will have to run further to catch up with the prey again, thus potentially allowing the prey to pull away from the predator. The timing of these turns is crucial; if the prey turns when the predator is too far away, the predator can cut the corner off the turn and catch up with the prey more easily. The speed at which animals can turn depends on the forces involved in cornering, and larger animals need to produce greater forces for any given turn. However, larger animals can apply relatively less force than smaller animals for turns and so cannot turn as rapidly. The effect of the relationship between mass and turning ability on the strategies used during land-based pursuits had not been investigated. Wilson et al. have now created a mathematical model that considers how the mass of a predator and its prey influences the course and strategies used in a land-based pursuit. The model is based in part on a mathematical problem called the ‘homicidal chauffeur game’, where a car driver attempts to run over a pedestrian. Wilson et al.'s model predicts that chases between large predators and smaller prey should feature frequent sharp turns, as the prey try to exploit their superior turning ability. However, when the predators and prey are of similar size, the prey gain little or no advantage from executing high-speed turns. Indeed, as turning slows the prey down, turning may often be disadvantageous, and so fewer turns should be seen during a pursuit. The predictions of the model were compared with the pursuit strategies of wild cheetahs, which were studied using collars equipped with tags to measure acceleration as the predators chased prey of different sizes—from hares to large antelopes called gemsboks. The tracking data confirmed the predictions of the model; thereby revealing that body mass and the ability of animals to choose when best to turn strongly determine the outcome of predator-prey pursuits. DOI:http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.06487.002
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Affiliation(s)
- Rory P Wilson
- Swansea Lab for Animal Movement, Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, Wales
| | | | | | - Chris Carbone
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
| | - John W Wilson
- Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - David M Scantlebury
- School of Biological Sciences, Institute for Global Food Security, Queen's University Belfast, Belfast, United Kingdom
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Kays R, Crofoot MC, Jetz W, Wikelski M. ECOLOGY. Terrestrial animal tracking as an eye on life and planet. Science 2015; 348:aaa2478. [PMID: 26068858 DOI: 10.1126/science.aaa2478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 664] [Impact Index Per Article: 73.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Moving animals connect our world, spreading pollen, seeds, nutrients, and parasites as they go about the their daily lives. Recent integration of high-resolution Global Positioning System and other sensors into miniaturized tracking tags has dramatically improved our ability to describe animal movement. This has created opportunities and challenges that parallel big data transformations in other fields and has rapidly advanced animal ecology and physiology. New analytical approaches, combined with remotely sensed or modeled environmental information, have opened up a host of new questions on the causes of movement and its consequences for individuals, populations, and ecosystems. Simultaneous tracking of multiple animals is leading to new insights on species interactions and, scaled up, may enable distributed monitoring of both animals and our changing environment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roland Kays
- North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences, Raleigh, NC, USA. Department of Forestry and Environmental Resources, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, NC, USA. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama.
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama. Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, Davis, CA, USA. Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany
| | - Walter Jetz
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520, USA. Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot SL5 7PY, UK
| | - Martin Wikelski
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Republic of Panama. Department of Migration and Immuno-Ecology, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Radolfzell, Germany. Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
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Williams TM, Wolfe L, Davis T, Kendall T, Richter B, Wang Y, Bryce C, Elkaim GH, Wilmers CC. Mammalian energetics. Instantaneous energetics of puma kills reveal advantage of felid sneak attacks. Science 2014; 346:81-5. [PMID: 25278610 DOI: 10.1126/science.1254885] [Citation(s) in RCA: 130] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Pumas (Puma concolor) live in diverse, often rugged, complex habitats. The energy they expend for hunting must account for this complexity but is difficult to measure for this and other large, cryptic carnivores. We developed and deployed a physiological SMART (species movement, acceleration, and radio tracking) collar that used accelerometry to continuously monitor energetics, movements, and behavior of free-ranging pumas. This felid species displayed marked individuality in predatory activities, ranging from low-cost sit-and-wait behaviors to constant movements with energetic costs averaging 2.3 times those predicted for running mammals. Pumas reduce these costs by remaining cryptic and precisely matching maximum pouncing force (overall dynamic body acceleration = 5.3 to 16.1g) to prey size. Such instantaneous energetics help to explain why most felids stalk and pounce, and their analysis represents a powerful approach for accurately forecasting resource demands required for survival by large, mobile predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terrie M Williams
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA.
| | - Lisa Wolfe
- Wildlife Health Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 4330 West Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Tracy Davis
- Wildlife Health Program, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, 4330 West Laporte Avenue, Fort Collins, CO 80521, USA
| | - Traci Kendall
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Beau Richter
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Yiwei Wang
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Caleb Bryce
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95060, USA
| | - Gabriel Hugh Elkaim
- Autonomous Systems Lab, Department of Computer Engineering, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
| | - Christopher C Wilmers
- Center for Integrated Spatial Research, Department of Environmental Studies, University of California, Santa Cruz, CA 95064, USA
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Scantlebury DM, Mills MGL, Wilson RP, Wilson JW, Mills MEJ, Durant SM, Bennett NC, Bradford P, Marks NJ, Speakman JR. Flexible energetics of cheetah hunting strategies provide resistance against kleptoparasitism. Science 2014; 346:79-81. [DOI: 10.1126/science.1256424] [Citation(s) in RCA: 73] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Population viability is driven by individual survival, which in turn depends on individuals balancing energy budgets. As carnivores may function close to maximum sustained power outputs, decreased food availability or increased activity may render some populations energetically vulnerable. Prey theft may compromise energetic budgets of mesopredators, such as cheetahs and wild dogs, which are susceptible to competition from larger carnivores. We show that daily energy expenditure (DEE) of cheetahs was similar to size-based predictions and positively related to distance traveled. Theft at 25% only requires cheetahs to hunt for an extra 1.1 hour per day, increasing DEE by just 12%. Therefore, not all mesopredators are energetically constrained by direct competition. Other factors that increase DEE, such as those that increase travel, may be more important for population viability.
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