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Snekser JL, Leiser JK, Itzkowitz M. Patrolling the area, not ousting intruders, relates to reproductive success for territorial male Leon Springs pupfish, Cyprinodon bovinus. Behav Processes 2024; 220:105078. [PMID: 38964668 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105078] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2024] [Revised: 06/30/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 07/06/2024]
Abstract
We considered the relationship between the benefits and costs of territorial defense in a wild population of the Leon Springs pupfish, Cyprinodon bovinus. We defined benefit as the number of eggs deposited on an artificial substratum placed within the defender's territory. Costs included two defensive behaviors. First, males frequently "patrolled" their territories, swimming back-and-forth across their area. Second, males chased intruding Pecos gambusia (Gambusia nobilis) as well as small male and female conspecific C. bovinus from their territories. Both of these species prey on the territorial defenders' eggs; additionally, small male C. bovinus will attempt to "steal" spawns from the territorial defender by spawning with females in the territory. Our analyses revealed that only patrol frequency was related to the reproductive benefit of the territory. Neither chases against gambusia nor conspecifics were predicted by egg numbers on the breeding substrata. We speculate that the frequency of patrolling is an indicator of territorial value and note the qualitative differences in chasing behavior against the different species of intruder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer L Snekser
- Animal Behavior, Ecology, & Conservation, Canisius University, Buffalo, NY 14208, USA
| | - John K Leiser
- Biology & Environmental Science, Northampton Community College, Bethlehem, PA 18020, USA.
| | - Murray Itzkowitz
- Department of Biological Sciences, Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA 18018, USA
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2
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Wang H, Kwan AC. Competitive and cooperative games for probing the neural basis of social decision-making in animals. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2023; 149:105158. [PMID: 37019249 PMCID: PMC10175234 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2023.105158] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2023] [Revised: 03/29/2023] [Accepted: 04/02/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
In a social environment, it is essential for animals to consider the behavior of others when making decisions. To quantitatively assess such social decisions, games offer unique advantages. Games may have competitive and cooperative components, modeling situations with antagonistic and shared objectives between players. Games can be analyzed by mathematical frameworks, including game theory and reinforcement learning, such that an animal's choice behavior can be compared against the optimal strategy. However, so far games have been underappreciated in neuroscience research, particularly for rodent studies. In this review, we survey the varieties of competitive and cooperative games that have been tested, contrasting strategies employed by non-human primates and birds with rodents. We provide examples of how games can be used to uncover neural mechanisms and explore species-specific behavioral differences. We assess critically the limitations of current paradigms and propose improvements. Together, the synthesis of current literature highlights the advantages of using games to probe the neural basis of social decisions for neuroscience studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hongli Wang
- Interdepartmental Neuroscience Program, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA
| | - Alex C Kwan
- Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Department of Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA; Meinig School of Biomedical Engineering, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA; Department of Psychiatry, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY 10065, USA.
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3
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Stanbrook E, Fitzpatrick JL, Balshine S, Shultz S. The evolution of monogamy in cichlids and marine reef fishes. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1045383] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Although several hypotheses have been proposed to explain the emergence of social monogamy, its origin is still intensely debated. Monogamy has many potential drivers, but evolutionary causality among them remains unclear. Using phylogenetic comparative methods within a Bayesian framework we explored the evolution of monogamy in cichlids and in marine reef fishes because, while both groups are characterised by unusually high incidence of social monogamy, they face very different ecological challenges. For each group, we examined four classic hypotheses that explain the evolution of monogamy: female dispersal, male mate guarding, female–female intolerance, and the biparental care hypotheses. We also explored whether the ecological traits of diet and shelter use are evolutionarily coupled with these hypotheses or with monogamy. First, we found that the evolution of monogamy was predicted by male territoriality in cichlids and simultaneous male and female territoriality in marine reef fishes. We suggest that these results provide support for the male mate guarding hypothesis in cichlids and female–female intolerance hypothesis in marine reef fishes. Second, we demonstrate clear evidence against the biparental care hypothesis, as biparental care was a consequence, not a cause, of monogamy in our analyses. Third, as female dispersal drove the loss of monogamy in both cichlids and marine reef fishes, this suggests the female dispersal hypothesis is not driving the evolution of monogamy in either group. These findings in two highly-monogamous fish taxa largely support prior findings from primate and bird comparative studies and provide novel large-scale evidence for a link between mate guarding and the evolution of monogamy.
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Zhou J, Ji C, Dong K, Chu B, Wang L, Hua L. Dynamic changes in the home range of the subterranean rodent Myospalax baileyi. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.1041322] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/05/2022] Open
Abstract
As ecosystem engineers, subterranean rodents excavate and inhabit burrow systems. However, the changes in their use of underground space are poorly recorded. There is conflicting evidence about whether the burrow systems of subterranean rodents, once established, are relatively stable as a result of the high energy costs of digging. We monitored the size of the home ranges of the plateau zokor (Myospalax baileyi) during different stages of its life cycle to show whether mating behavior and the characteristics of its habitat influence the size and location of its home range. We used radio-tracking to quantify the changes in, and overlap of, the home range of M. baileyi during a one-year period. The average size of the home ranges of male zokors was 6.5 times larger than that of female zokors during the mating season. The males expanded their burrows to overlap with multiple females to increase their chances of mating. However, there was no overlap between estrus females or males, perhaps to reduce the number of encounters and unnecessary fights. The home ranges of male and female zokors were similar in size after courtship and the home ranges of single zokors overlapped with those of several neighbors. Most individuals remained territorial and excluded intraspecific interactions from their home ranges. The location of female zokors was stable throughout the year, but half of the males changed the location of their nests and established completely new home ranges in the non-breeding season, mainly in October. The use of space by M. baileyi is flexible in response to a need for physical contact during the mating season and food resources. The home ranges of subterranean plateau zokors are dynamic and the home ranges of male zokors can change within one breeding cycle.
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5
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Jones JA, Boersma J, Karubian J. Female Aggression Towards Same-sex Rivals Depends on Context in A Tropical Songbird. Behav Processes 2022; 202:104735. [PMID: 35995314 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104735] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2022] [Revised: 08/02/2022] [Accepted: 08/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
Agonistic conflict is ubiquitous throughout taxa, although the intensity of aggression observed is often highly variable across contexts. For socially monogamous species, a coordinated effort by both pair members can improve both the chances of successfully warding off challengers and reinforce pair bonds. However, the intensity of aggression exerted by any one pair member may vary with respect to contextual factors, including the intensity of their mate's aggression. Thus, experimentally exploring how individuals respond to potential rivals via multiple assays with varying social contexts can advance our basic understanding of how aggression varies in socially monogamous systems. We used simulated territorial intrusion and mirror image simulation assays to explore this issue in white-shouldered fairywrens (Malurus alboscapulatus moretoni) of Papua New Guinea. While males tended to be more responsive than females during simulated territorial intrusions, females were more aggressive towards their mirrored reflection than males. Further, individual females that were most aggressive in mirror image simulations were the least aggressive during simulated territorial intrusions, whereas males were inconsistent. These results suggest that female behavioral phenotypes appear to be flexible, relative to context. We discuss how multiple commonly used measurements of aggression might in fact measure different types of responses.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Anthony Jones
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA.
| | - Jordan Boersma
- School of Biological Sciences, Center for Reproductive Biology, Washington State University, Pullman, WA, USA
| | - Jordan Karubian
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA, USA
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6
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W. Schulz A. Tools of the trade: the bio-cultural evolution of the human propensity to trade. BIOLOGY & PHILOSOPHY 2022; 37:8. [PMID: 35261418 PMCID: PMC8893244 DOI: 10.1007/s10539-022-09837-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Humans are standouts in their propensity to trade. More specially, the kind of trading found in humans-featuring the exchange of many different goods and services with many different others, for the mutual benefit of all the involved parties-far exceeds anything that is found in any other creature. However, a number of important questions about this propensity remain open. First, it is not clear exactly what makes this propensity so different in the human case from that of other animals. Second, it is not clear why other animals did not acquire this propensity to the extent that humans did. Third, it is not clear what explains the fact that the extent to which humans engage in trade is culturally highly variable. The paper argues that at the heart of the human-animal divergence in this propensity is the particular socio-cultural environment in which humans evolved. This has led them to sometimes, but not always, acquire the cognitive technology (writing, algebra, tallying devices, money, etc.) to support a sophisticated disposition and capacity for reciprocal cooperation, and deep and wide concepts of property and exchange value.
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Affiliation(s)
- Armin W. Schulz
- Department of Philosophy, University of Kansas, 3101 Wescoe Hall, Lawrence, KS 66045 USA
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7
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Dear-enemy effect between two sympatric bird species. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.11.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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8
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Vuorinen KEM, Oksanen T, Oksanen L, Vuorisalo T, Speed JDM. Why don't all species overexploit? OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Katariina E. M. Vuorinen
- Dept of Natural History, NTNU Univ. Museum, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
| | - Tarja Oksanen
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT, The Arctic Univ. of Norway, Campus Alta Alta Norway
- Dept of Biology, Ecology Section, Univ. of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Lauri Oksanen
- Dept of Arctic and Marine Biology, UiT, The Arctic Univ. of Norway, Campus Alta Alta Norway
- Dept of Biology, Ecology Section, Univ. of Turku Turku Finland
| | - Timo Vuorisalo
- Dept of Biology, Ecology Section, Univ. of Turku Turku Finland
| | - James D. M. Speed
- Dept of Natural History, NTNU Univ. Museum, Norwegian Univ. of Science and Technology Trondheim Norway
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9
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Freret‐Meurer NV, Andreata JV, Alves MAS. Agonistic behaviour in the long‐snout seahorse: A gentlemanly challenge. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13216] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Villar Freret‐Meurer
- Graduate Program in Ecology and Evolution Roberto Alcantara Gomes Institute of Biology (IBRAG) Universidade do Estado do Rio de Janeiro (UERJ Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
- Laboratory of Animal Behaviour and Conservation Universidade Santa Úrsula Rio de Janeiro RJ Brazil
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10
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Leese JM, Blatt T. Sex Differences in How Territory Quality Affects Aggression in Convict Cichlids. Integr Org Biol 2021; 3:obab028. [PMID: 34671717 PMCID: PMC8522484 DOI: 10.1093/iob/obab028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2021] [Revised: 08/23/2021] [Accepted: 09/28/2021] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
In animal contests, the value an individual assigns to limited resources can directly impact the level of aggression it demonstrates. For territorial species, individuals often assess their territory quality and appropriately modify the time and energy invested in its defense. In this study, male and female convict cichlids, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, were acclimated to one of three territorial treatments representing either a low, medium, or high resource value. Territories with a “Low Value” included substrate alone, “Medium Value” territories included substrate and a nest site, and a “High Value” territory included substrate, a nest site, and constant food source. After three days of acclimation, a size-matched intruder was introduced to elicit territorial aggression and behaviors were observed. Territory quality affected one measure of low-intensity aggression (displays) in residents but had no effect on high-intensity aggression (bites and chases). Moreover, there was a significant effect of sex, with males and females differing in the types of aggressive behaviors demonstrated across all treatments. Females showed more low-intensity aggressive behaviors toward intruders than males did. Additionally, a significant interaction of sex and territory quality was observed on two measures of high-intensity aggressive behavior (bites and chases), with females more likely than males to increase aggressive behaviors along with increasing territory quality. This suggests that females may be more sensitive and/or responsive to changes in the quality of a territory, possibly due to the necessity of a suitable nest site for egg deposition within a territory.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph M Leese
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
| | - T Blatt
- Department of Biology, DeSales University, 2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA 18034, USA
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11
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Gómez JM, Verdú M, González-Megías A. Killing conspecific adults in mammals. Proc Biol Sci 2021; 288:20211080. [PMID: 34284635 PMCID: PMC8292775 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.1080] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 01/19/2023] Open
Abstract
Mammals kill both conspecific infants and adults. Whereas infanticide has been profusely studied, the killing of non-infants (adulticide) has seldom attracted the attention of researchers. Mammals kill conspecific adults by at least four, non-exclusive reasons: during intrasexual aggression for mating opportunities, to defend valuable resources, to protect their progeny and to prey upon conspecifics. In this study, we test which reason is most likely to explain male and female adulticide in mammals. For this, we recorded the presence of adulticide, the ecological and behavioural traits, and the phylogenetic relationship for more than 1000 species. Adulticide has been recorded in over 350 species from the most important Mammalian clades. Male adulticide was phylogenetically correlated with the presence of size dimorphism and intrasexually selected weapons. Female adulticide was phylogenetically associated with the occurrence of infanticide. These results indicate that the evolutionary pathways underlying the evolution of adulticide differ between sexes in mammals. Whereas males commit adulticide to increase breeding opportunities and to compete with other males for mating, females commit adulticide mainly to defend offspring from infanticidal conspecifics.
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Affiliation(s)
- José María Gómez
- Dpto de Ecología Funcional y Evolutiva, Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Carretera de Sacramento s/n, La Cañada de San Urbano, 0-4120 Almería, Spain
| | - Miguel Verdú
- Centro de Investigaciones sobre Desertificación (CSIC-UV-GV), Ctra Moncada-Náquera km 4.5, 46113 Moncada (Valencia), Spain
| | - Adela González-Megías
- Dpto de Zoología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Granada, Avda Fuentenueva s/n, 18071 Granada, Spain
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12
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Van Belle S, Porter AM, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A. Ranging behavior and the potential for territoriality in pair-living titi monkeys (Plecturocebus discolor). Am J Primatol 2020; 83:e23225. [PMID: 33368565 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23225] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2020] [Revised: 11/23/2020] [Accepted: 12/13/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
Patterns of ranging behavior and space use are key for evaluating current ideas about the evolution and maintenance of pair-living and sexual monogamy as they provide insights into the dispersion of females, the potential for territoriality, and whether males are limited to defending an area that can support only one female and her offspring. We examined ranging behavior and space use to evaluate the potential for territoriality in five groups of red titi monkeys (Plecturocebus discolor) during a 10-year study in Ecuadorian Amazonia. Mean home range size, calculated using a time-sensitive local convex hull estimation procedure, was 4.0 ± 1.4 ha. Annual home ranges of neighboring groups overlapped, on average, 0%-7%. Mean daily path length was 670 ± 194 m, resulting in defendability indices of 2.2-3.6 across groups. Groups visited, on average, 4 of 12 sections of their home range border area per day, but that was not more often than would be expected by chance, and intergroup encounters were infrequent. We did not find evidence of active monitoring for intruders in border areas, in that groups did not travel either faster or slower when at the border than when in central areas of their range. The absence of overt monitoring might be compensated for by engaging in loud calls, which the study groups did throughout their home ranges; these calls may serve as an advertisement of occupancy and a deterrent to intruding conspecifics. Our finding that red titis have a high potential for territoriality is consistent with several of the main hypotheses proposed to explain pair-living in mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology and Primate Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA
| | - Amy M Porter
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, California, USA
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology and School of the Environment, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, USA.,Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina.,College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Cumbayá, Ecuador
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology and Primate Molecular Ecology and Evolution Laboratory, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas, USA.,College of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Cumbayá, Ecuador
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13
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Kleptoparasitic interactions modeling varying owner and intruder hunger awareness. Theor Popul Biol 2020; 136:31-40. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2020.11.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2020] [Revised: 10/13/2020] [Accepted: 11/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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14
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Ten Eyck GR, Ten Eyck LM. Serotonin and vasotocin function in territoriality. Pharmacol Biochem Behav 2020; 199:173068. [PMID: 33144208 DOI: 10.1016/j.pbb.2020.173068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2020] [Revised: 09/29/2020] [Accepted: 10/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
This ethopharmacological investigation comprised a long-term field study that examined the function of serotonergic and vasotonergic systems in territoriality. Adult territorial and non-territorial (silent) male coquí frogs (Eleutherodactylus coqui) were injected (IP) with either arginine vasotocin (AVT) or one of two serotonin agonists, 5-HT2A/2C selective agonist, (±) DOI - [(±)-1-(2,5-dimethoxy-4-iodophenyl)-2-aminopropane], or 2) the 5-HT1A selective agonist, 8-OH-DPAT - [(±)-2-dipropylamino-8-hydroxy-1,2,3,4-tetrahydronaphthalene]. Control groups received saline injections. Each male received two injections. Following the first injection, whether AVT or a 5HT agonist, the male was observed so that behavior could be documented prior to the second injection, which consisted of the other drug class. All frogs were marked, placed back in the exact location as captured, and observed for all behaviors and vocalizations. Territoriality in E. coqui includes several behavioral components: movement into a calling site, presentation of dominant physical displays, emitting advertisement calls, and defense a territory (including the use of physical force and/or aggressive vocalizations). This investigation found that particular territorial behaviors were significantly influenced by 5HT and AVT action. Initiation of advertisement calling is activated by AVT and suppressed by 5HT, calling rate is affected by 5HT activation, presentation of dominant physical displays are activated by AVT and repressed by 5HT activation, and movement associated with activation of territorial behavior is stimulated by AVT. These data suggested that both 5HT and AVT have a profound impact on territoriality and are two fundamental neuroendocrine systems that govern territorial behavior in social systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gary R Ten Eyck
- NYU Langone Health Center, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Department of Foundations of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USA.
| | - Lily M Ten Eyck
- NYU Langone Health Center, NYU Long Island School of Medicine, Department of Foundations of Medicine, Mineola, NY 11501, USA
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15
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Morrison RE, Hirwa JP, Mucyo JPS, Stoinski TS, Vecellio V, Eckardt W. Inter‐group relationships influence territorial defence in mountain gorillas. J Anim Ecol 2020; 89:2852-2862. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13355] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2020] [Accepted: 08/06/2020] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Robin E. Morrison
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Musanze Rwanda
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour University of Exeter Exeter UK
| | | | | | - Tara S. Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Musanze Rwanda
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund Atlanta GA USA
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16
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A temporal model of territorial defence with antagonistic interactions. Theor Popul Biol 2020; 134:15-35. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tpb.2020.03.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2019] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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17
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Intruder traits modulate aggressive behavior of territory owners. Sci Rep 2020; 10:12050. [PMID: 32694657 PMCID: PMC7374745 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-68513-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2019] [Accepted: 05/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The prior residence effect consists of a higher probability of territory owners to win a fight against intruders, as observed in several territorial species across animal kingdom. However, in investigations on territorial behavior, intruder traits have been assumed as fixed. Thus, we used a territorial species as experimental model to evaluate the effect of intruder traits on aggressive behavior of territory owners. During fights staged between territory owners and intruders, intruder traits, linked with visual signals of social status (dominant-subordinate position), modulate fighting behavior of territory owners, but prior residence effect still occurred. Intruder traits must be addressed more effectively for improving the theoretical understanding of territoriality.
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18
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Kabala RT, Swinford NA, Mason MJ, Wright WG. The role of dislodgement in the territorial ecology of the owl limpet, Lottia gigantea. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2020.1717639] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ryan T. Kabala
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Dr, Orange, CA 92866, USA
- Department of Biological Science, California State University Fullerton, 800 North State College Blvd, Fullerton, CA 92834, USA
| | - Natalie A. Swinford
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Dr, Orange, CA 92866, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, Davis, One Shields Ave., Davis, CA 95616, USA
| | - Maria J. Mason
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Dr, Orange, CA 92866, USA
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Oklahoma, the Children’s Hospital, 1200 Children’s Ave. Ste 14402, Oklahoma City, OK 73104, USA
| | - William G. Wright
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, One University Dr, Orange, CA 92866, USA
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Abstract
The evolutionary origins of how modern humans share and use space are often modelled on the territorial-based violence of chimpanzees, with limited comparison to other apes. Gorillas are widely assumed to be non-territorial due to their large home ranges, extensive range overlap, and limited inter-group aggression. Using large-scale camera trapping, we monitored western gorillas in Republic of Congo across 60 km2. Avoidance patterns between groups were consistent with an understanding of the “ownership” of specific regions, with greater avoidance of their neighbours the closer they were to their neighbours’ home range centres. Groups also avoided larger groups’ home ranges to a greater extent, consistent with stronger defensive responses from more dominant groups. Our results suggest that groups may show territoriality, defending core regions of their home ranges against neighbours, and mirror patterns common across human evolution, with core areas of resident dominance and larger zones of mutual tolerance. This implies western gorillas may be a key system for understanding how humans have evolved the capacity for extreme territorial-based violence and warfare, whilst also engaging in the strong affiliative inter-group relationships necessary for large-scale cooperation.
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Cunha-Saraiva F, Balshine S, Gozdowska M, Kulczykowska E, H Wagner R, C Schaedelin F. Parental care and neuropeptide dynamics in a cichlid fish Neolamprologus caudopunctatus. Horm Behav 2019; 116:104576. [PMID: 31442428 DOI: 10.1016/j.yhbeh.2019.104576] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2019] [Revised: 07/31/2019] [Accepted: 08/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The hypothalamic neuropeptides arginine vasopressin (AVP) and oxytocin (OT) modulate social behavior across a wide variety of species. However, the role of arginine vasotocin (AVT) and isotocin (IT, the teleost homologs of AVP and OT) in regulating biparental care especially in the context of monogamy is not well studied. Here, using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we investigated how bioactive whole brain AVT and IT neuropeptide levels vary in relation to the phase of the breeding cycle and sex, in a monogamous biparental cichlid fish, Neolamprologus caudopunctatus. Since non-caring individuals of this species readily cannibalize eggs, but caring parents never do, we further investigated whether there might be changes in AVT/IT whole brain levels that correspond to the transition from a non-breeding, egg cannibal to an egg caring parent. We found that AVT levels were higher in females than in males and that AVT levels were highest when the need to defend the young was greatest. Breeding pairs that had a strong pair-bond and a higher frequency of nest care had the highest levels of AVT, whereas individuals that spent little time close to their breeding partner, displayed aggression towards their partner and neglected their nest duties (signs of a weak pair bond), had lower whole brain AVT levels. Isotocin (IT) levels did not differ between sexes and we did not detect any variation across the breeding cycle, with pair-bonding scores or with parental behavior. Our results show that whole brain AVT levels are linked to the breeding cycle, nest maintenance and pair-bonding score in this species. Furthermore, our study highlights species and sex-specific nonapeptides patterns in bi-parental caring fish and contributes to the increasing knowledge on neuroendocrinological mechanisms underlying parental care.
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Affiliation(s)
- Filipa Cunha-Saraiva
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria.
| | - Sigal Balshine
- Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour, McMaster University, 1280 Main St. West, Ontario L8S 4K1, Canada
| | - Magdalena Gozdowska
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Ewa Kulczykowska
- Genetics and Marine Biotechnology, Institute of Oceanology of Polish Academy of Sciences, Powstańców Warszawy 55, 81-712 Sopot, Poland
| | - Richard H Wagner
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Franziska C Schaedelin
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstrasse 1, 1160 Vienna, Austria
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Péron G. The time frame of home-range studies: from function to utilization. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1974-1982. [PMID: 31347250 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12545] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/26/2019] [Revised: 06/18/2019] [Accepted: 06/21/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
As technological and statistical innovations open new avenues in movement ecology, I review the fundamental implications of the time frame of home-range studies, with the aim of associating terminologies consistently with research objectives and methodologies. There is a fundamental distinction between (a) extrapolations of stationary distributions, associated with long time scales and aiming at asymptotic consistency, and (b) period-specific techniques, aiming at specificity but typically sensitive to the sampling design. I then review the difference between function and utilization in home-range studies. Most home-range studies are based on phenomenological descriptions of the time budgets of the study animals, not the function of the visited areas. I highlight emerging trends in automated pattern-recognition techniques for inference about function rather than utilization.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guillaume Péron
- University of Lyon, Laboratoire de Biométrie et Biologie Evolutive, CNRS, Université Lyon 1, UMR5558, F-69622, Villeurbanne, France
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What do we need to know to recognize a contest? Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:32. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1632-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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Van Belle S, Porter A, Fernandez-Duque E, Di Fiore A. Ranging behavior and potential for territoriality in equatorial sakis (Pithecia aequatorialis) in Amazonian Ecuador. AMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY 2018; 167:701-712. [PMID: 30276790 DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.23645] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2017] [Revised: 06/04/2018] [Accepted: 06/14/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Territoriality refers to the consistent defense of an area within the home range (HR) against intrusions of conspecifics. It implies exclusive space use with low degree of overlap among neighboring groups, high site fidelity, specific ranging behavior such as high mobility relative to HR size and frequent visits of territory borders, and monitoring behavior. We examined ranging behavior and use of space to evaluate territoriality in Pithecia aequatorialis in Ecuador. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2005 and 2015, we monitored one main study group continuously and five additional groups for shorter periods (5 months to 2.5 years) at the Tiputini Biodiversity Station, in eastern Ecuador. We scored the location of the study groups at 20 min intervals during, on average, 5 days per month. We estimated saki HRs and core areas (CAs) using the fixed kernel density method (95 and 50%, respectively). RESULTS The average HR size was 57 ha and the average CA 14 ha. The degree of overlap between HRs of neighboring groups was low (2-9%). For the main study group, the average overlap between annual HRs was 82%. Mean daily path length across groups was 1,151 m; the defensibility index varied between 1.1 and 2.3 (values >1 are suggestive of territoriality), and the fractional monitoring rate varied between 0.06 and 0.15 (values >0.08 are suggestive of territoriality). Groups did not visit their HR borders (100 m inner buffer) more often than would be expected by chance. Travel speed and directness were comparable between the borders and the centers of groups' HRs. DISCUSSION Our multiyear study suggests that equatorial sakis show low degree of range overlap and high site fidelity and have the potential to be territorial, given their high mobility relative to HR size that allows for frequent border monitoring. Nevertheless, their movement patterns in border areas did not reveal evidence for monitoring behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarie Van Belle
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
| | - Amy Porter
- Department of Anthropology, University of California Davis, Davis, California
| | - Eduardo Fernandez-Duque
- Department of Anthropology, Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut.,Facultad de Recursos Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Formosa, Formosa, Argentina
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas
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Punish the thief-coevolution of defense and cautiousness stabilizes ownership. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017; 71:102. [PMID: 28706342 PMCID: PMC5486837 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2330-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2017] [Revised: 05/15/2017] [Accepted: 05/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Abstract Ownership of non-controllable resources usually has to be maintained by costly defense against competitors. Whether defense and thus ownership pays in terms of fitness depends on its effectiveness in preventing theft. We show that if the owners’ willingness to defend varies in the population and information about it is available to potential thieves then the ability to react to this information and thus avoid being attacked by the owner is selected for. This can lead to a positive evolutionary feedback between cautiousness in intruders and aggressiveness in owners. This feedback can maintain ownership when the actual direct effectiveness of defense in reducing theft is very low or even absent, effectively turning defense into punishment. We conclude that the deterrence effect of defense in many situations could be stronger than that of prevention and that for many real-world scenarios the purpose of defense of resources might be to punish rather than to drive away intruders. Significance statement Many animals defend resources against conspecifics. Resource defense can usually only evolve if its costs are paid for by foiling attempts at theft. We show that if potential thieves can detect differences in aggressiveness between owners then cautious intruders and aggressive owners coevolve so that in the end even ineffective defense deters thieves and maintains ownership. This result greatly extends the number of situations in which we expect resource defense to evolve and has the potential to unify the concepts of defense and punishment.
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