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Lamontagne A, Legou T, Rauchbauer B, Grosbras MH, Fabre F, Gaunet F. Behavioural synchronization and social referencing of dogs and humans: walking in dyad vs in group. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:1021-1034. [PMID: 36759423 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-023-01750-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2022] [Revised: 01/14/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2023] [Indexed: 02/11/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies have demonstrated that dogs synchronize their locomotor behaviour with that of their owners. The present study aims to improve our understanding of the sensorimotor processes underlying interspecific behavioural synchronization by testing the influence of the number of humans on dogs' behavioural synchronization. We used Global Positioning System (GPS) devices in an outdoor environment to measure dogs' behavioural synchronization to humans during a locomotor activity involving three speeds (static, slow walking and fast walking). For half of the dogs, only their owner was walking, while for the other half, the owner walked with two familiar people. We also tested the effect of dog breeds by involving 30 shepherd dogs and 30 molossoids. Our results showed that dogs exhibited the same level of behavioural synchronization with their owner if alone or if surrounded by two familiar people. Though the presence of a group of humans did not strengthen the dogs' locomotor synchronization, it did produce another effect: dogs gazed at their owners more frequently in the presence of a group compared to their owner alone. This result suggests the same level of locomotor social entrainment but a difference in social referencing depending on the number of humans.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angélique Lamontagne
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive (UMR 7290), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 3, Place Victor Hugo, Marseille Cedex 03, France.
| | - Thierry Legou
- Laboratoire Parole et Langage (UMR7309), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 5 Avenue Pasteur, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France
| | - Birgit Rauchbauer
- Laboratoire Parole et Langage (UMR7309), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 5 Avenue Pasteur, 13100, Aix-en-Provence, France
- Laboratoire de Neuroscience Cognitives, (UMR 7291), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 3 Place Victor-Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - Marie-Hélène Grosbras
- Laboratoire de Neuroscience Cognitives, (UMR 7291), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 3 Place Victor-Hugo, 13331, Marseille Cedex 3, France
| | - Fannie Fabre
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive (UMR 7290), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 3, Place Victor Hugo, Marseille Cedex 03, France
| | - Florence Gaunet
- Laboratoire de Psychologie Cognitive (UMR 7290), Aix-Marseille University, CNRS, 3, Place Victor Hugo, Marseille Cedex 03, France
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Karl S, Anderle K, Völter CJ, Virányi Z. Pet dogs' Behavioural Reaction to Their Caregiver's Interactions with a Third Party: Join in or Interrupt? Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:1574. [PMID: 35739910 PMCID: PMC9219478 DOI: 10.3390/ani12121574] [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: 04/16/2022] [Revised: 06/06/2022] [Accepted: 06/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Pet dogs are promising candidates to study attachment-related and potentially jealousy-like behaviours in non-human animals, as they form a strong and stable bond with their human caregivers who often engage in affiliative interactions with diverse social partners. Nevertheless, it is still debated whether non-human animals are capable of experiencing such complex emotions. Even though caregivers frequently report observations of jealousy-like behaviours in dogs, behavioural studies in dogs have thus far led to contradictory results. Adding to this complexity, dogs appear extraordinarily skilled in understanding humans' communicative behaviour and can flexibly and diversely interact with them in social contexts. Here, we aimed at investigating (1) whether dogs indeed respond in a jealousy-consistent manner when seeing their caregiver interact in an affiliative way with a remotely controlled, realistic-looking fake dog, or (2) whether they would rather synchronize their reaction to the fake dog with the caregiver's behaviour, or (3) whether they respond directly to the caregiver without paying much attention to the third party. To address what drives the dogs' behaviours in this triadic situation, we compared four groups of dogs who first observed and then joined the interaction of either the caregiver or a stranger greeting or medically examining the fake dog. We found that the dogs initially responded negatively or neutrally when the fake dog entered the room but changed to more positive reactions when the caregiver approached the fake dog, especially if initiating a positive interaction. When being released, more dogs showed friendly behaviours towards the fake dog when the caregiver-rather than the stranger-was interacting with it. At the same time, however, the dogs tried to block the interaction of the caregiver with the fake dog more often than the one of the stranger. In conclusion, we did not find clear evidence for jealousy-like behaviours in dogs during the human-fake dog interactions, but we observed indicators of behavioural synchronization with the caregivers, suggesting that the caregivers' affiliative behaviours directed at a third party may more often facilitate positive than negative interactions in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Karl
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; (K.A.); (C.J.V.); (Z.V.)
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Marumo JL, Fisher DN, Lusseau D, Mackie M, Speakman JR, Hambly C. Social associations in lactating dairy cows housed in a robotic milking system. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105589] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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Maeda T, Sueur C, Hirata S, Yamamoto S. Behavioural synchronization in a multilevel society of feral horses. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0258944. [PMID: 34699556 PMCID: PMC8547633 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0258944] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 10/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural synchrony among individuals is essential for group-living organisms. The functioning of synchronization in a multilevel society, which is a nested assemblage of multiple social levels between many individuals, remains largely unknown. The aim of the present study was to build a model that explained the synchronization of activity in a multilevel society of feral horses. Multi-agent-based models were used based on four hypotheses: A) horses do not synchronize, B) horses synchronize with any individual in any unit, C) horses synchronize only within units, and D) horses synchronize across and within units, but internal synchronization is stronger. The empirical data obtained from drone observations best supported hypothesis D. This result suggests that animals in a multilevel society coordinate with other conspecifics not only within a unit but also at an inter-unit level. In this case, inter-individual distances are much longer than those in most previous models which only considered local interaction within a few body lengths.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamao Maeda
- Wildlife Research Centre, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- * E-mail:
| | - Cédric Sueur
- Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, Strasbourg, France
- Institut Universitaire de France, Paris, France
| | - Satoshi Hirata
- Wildlife Research Centre, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
| | - Shinya Yamamoto
- Wildlife Research Centre, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Institute for Advanced Study, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
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Richter S, Gerum RC, Schneider W, Fabry B, Le Bohec C, Zitterbart DP. A remote‐controlled observatory for behavioural and ecological research: A case study on emperor penguins. Methods Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12971] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Ben Fabry
- Biophysics GroupFriedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen Germany
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Département de Biologie PolaireCentre Scientifique de Monaco Monaco Principality of Monaco
- Université de StrasbourgCNRSIPHC Strasbourg France
| | - Daniel P. Zitterbart
- Biophysics GroupFriedrich‐Alexander University Erlangen Germany
- Applied Ocean Physics and EngineeringWoods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole USA
- Alfred‐Wegener‐Institute for Polar and Marine Research Bremerhaven Germany
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Ancel A, Gilbert C, Poulin N, Beaulieu M, Thierry B. New insights into the huddling dynamics of emperor penguins. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.09.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Duranton C, Gaunet F. Canis sensitivus: Affiliation and dogs' sensitivity to others' behavior as the basis for synchronization with humans? J Vet Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2015.08.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Ancel A, Cristofari R, Fretwell PT, Trathan PN, Wienecke B, Boureau M, Morinay J, Blanc S, Le Maho Y, Le Bohec C. Emperors in hiding: when ice-breakers and satellites complement each other in Antarctic exploration. PLoS One 2014; 9:e100404. [PMID: 24963661 PMCID: PMC4070948 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0100404] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/13/2014] [Accepted: 05/26/2014] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Evaluating the demographic trends of marine top predators is critical to understanding the processes involved in the ongoing rapid changes in Antarctic ecosystems. However, the remoteness and logistical complexity of operating in Antarctica, especially during winter, make such an assessment difficult. Satellite imaging is increasingly recognised as a valuable method for remote animal population monitoring, yet its accuracy and reliability are still to be fully evaluated. We report here the first ground visit of an emperor penguin colony first discovered by satellite, but also the discovery of a second one not indicated by satellite survey at that time. Several successive remote surveys in this coastal region of East Antarctica, both before and after sudden local changes, had indeed only identified one colony. These two colonies (with a total of ca. 7,400 breeding pairs) are located near the Mertz Glacier in an area that underwent tremendous habitat change after the glacier tongue broke off in February 2010. Our findings therefore suggest that a satellite survey, although offering a major advance since it allows a global imaging of emperor penguin colonies, may miss certain colony locations when challenged by certain features of polar ecosystems, such as snow cover, evolving ice topology, and rapidly changing habitat. Moreover our survey shows that this large seabird has considerable potential for rapid adaptation to sudden habitat loss, as the colony detected in 2009 may have moved and settled on new breeding grounds. Overall, the ability of emperor penguin colonies to relocate following habitat modification underlines the continued need for a mix of remote sensing and field surveys (aerial photography and ground counts), especially in the less-frequented parts of Antarctica, to gain reliable knowledge about the population demography and dynamics of this flagship species of the Antarctic ecosystem.
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Affiliation(s)
- André Ancel
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
- * E-mail:
| | - Robin Cristofari
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, LEA-647 BioSensib, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | | | | | | | - Matthieu Boureau
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Jennifer Morinay
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Stéphane Blanc
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
| | - Yvon Le Maho
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, LEA-647 BioSensib, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
| | - Céline Le Bohec
- Université de Strasbourg, Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Strasbourg, France
- Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
- Centre Scientifique de Monaco, LEA-647 BioSensib, Monaco, Principality of Monaco
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Abstract
We present a systematic and quantitative model of huddling penguins. In this mathematical model, each individual penguin in the huddle seeks only to reduce its own heat loss. Consequently, penguins on the boundary of the huddle that are most exposed to the wind move downwind to more sheltered locations along the boundary. In contrast, penguins in the interior of the huddle neither have the space to move nor experience a significant heat loss, and they therefore remain stationary. Through these individual movements, the entire huddle experiences a robust cumulative effect that we identify, describe, and quantify. This mathematical model requires a calculation of the wind flowing around the huddle and of the resulting temperature distribution. Both of these must be recomputed each time an individual penguin moves since the huddle shape changes. Using our simulation results, we find that the key parameters affecting the huddle dynamics are the number of penguins in the huddle, the wind strength, and the amount of uncertainty in the movement of the penguins. Moreover, we find that the lone assumption of individual penguins minimizing their own heat loss results in all penguins having approximately equal access to the warmth of the huddle.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron Waters
- Applied Mathematics, University of California Merced, Merced, California, United States of America
| | - François Blanchette
- Applied Mathematics, University of California Merced, Merced, California, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Arnold D. Kim
- Applied Mathematics, University of California Merced, Merced, California, United States of America
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Zitterbart DP, Wienecke B, Butler JP, Fabry B. Coordinated movements prevent jamming in an Emperor penguin huddle. PLoS One 2011; 6:e20260. [PMID: 21673816 PMCID: PMC3106014 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0020260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 39] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 04/21/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For Emperor penguins (Aptenodytes forsteri), huddling is the key to survival during the Antarctic winter. Penguins in a huddle are packed so tightly that individual movements become impossible, reminiscent of a jamming transition in compacted colloids. It is crucial, however, that the huddle structure is continuously reorganized to give each penguin a chance to spend sufficient time inside the huddle, compared with time spent on the periphery. Here we show that Emperor penguins move collectively in a highly coordinated manner to ensure mobility while at the same time keeping the huddle packed. Every 30-60 seconds, all penguins make small steps that travel as a wave through the entire huddle. Over time, these small movements lead to large-scale reorganization of the huddle. Our data show that the dynamics of penguin huddling is governed by intermittency and approach to kinetic arrest in striking analogy with inert non-equilibrium systems, including soft glasses and colloids.
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