1
|
Sakai O, Yokohata D, Hotta T. Boldness affects novel object recognition in a gecko species. Behav Processes 2024; 220:105072. [PMID: 38914379 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2024.105072] [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: 01/21/2024] [Revised: 06/14/2024] [Accepted: 06/17/2024] [Indexed: 06/26/2024]
Abstract
Individual animals exhibit considerable differences in cognitive characteristics associated with personality differences. The cognition-personality link was intensively investigated in the last decade though with mixed results. To grasp the general pattern, a common method should be applied to a wide range of animals. We tested novel object recognition (NOR) in the mourning gecko (Lepidodactylus lugubris) and investigated whether boldness, assessed in an anti-predator context, explained neophobia and how much attention animals pay to their surroundings. Boldness did not simply explain object neophobia but predicted attention to novel objects. Specifically, shy geckos showed shorter latency to approach the novel object than bold geckos only in the changed situation in which distinct types of objects were presented in two successive phases. However, no significant effect of boldness was detected in the unchanged situation in which the same object was presented twice. Our findings suggest that, in the mourning gecko, (1) boldness and object neophobia represent different aspects of personality traits and that (2) boldness underlies sensitivity to slight changes in the environment.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Osamu Sakai
- Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto; Department of Environment Conservation, Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology, Tokyo.
| | - Daichi Yokohata
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto
| | - Takashi Hotta
- Department of Psychology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Kimball MG, Lattin CR. The "Seven Deadly Sins" of Neophobia Experimental Design. Integr Comp Biol 2024; 64:38-54. [PMID: 37996398 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad127] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2023] [Revised: 10/23/2023] [Accepted: 11/08/2023] [Indexed: 11/25/2023] Open
Abstract
Neophobia, an aversive response to novelty, is a behavior with critical ecological and evolutionary relevance for wild populations because it directly influences animals' ability to adapt to new environments and exploit novel resources. Neophobia has been described in a wide variety of different animal species from arachnids to zebra finches. Because of this widespread prevalence and ecological importance, the number of neophobia studies has continued to increase over time. However, many neophobia studies (as well as many animal behavior studies more generally) suffer from one or more of what we have deemed the "seven deadly sins" of neophobia experimental design. These "sins" include: (1) animals that are not habituated to the testing environment, (2) problems with novel stimulus selection, (3) non-standardized motivation, (4) pseudoreplication, (5) lack of sufficient controls, (6) fixed treatment order, and (7) using arbitrary thresholds for data analysis. We discuss each of these potential issues in turn and make recommendations for how to avoid them in future behavior research. More consistency in how neophobia studies are designed would facilitate comparisons across different populations and species and allow researchers to better understand whether neophobia can help explain animals' responses to human-altered landscapes and the ability to survive in the Anthropocene.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Melanie G Kimball
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| | - Christine R Lattin
- Department of Biological Sciences, Louisiana State University, Baton Rouge, LA 70803, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Lucon-Xiccato T, De Russi G, Frigato E, Dadda M, Bertolucci C. One-trial odour recognition learning and its underlying brain areas in the zebrafish. Behav Brain Res 2024; 465:114949. [PMID: 38479474 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2024.114949] [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: 12/04/2023] [Revised: 02/27/2024] [Accepted: 03/09/2024] [Indexed: 03/24/2024]
Abstract
Distinguishing familiar from novel stimuli is critical in many animals' activities, and procedures based on this ability are among the most exploited in translational research in rodents. However, recognition learning and the underlying brain substrates remain unclear outside a few mammalian species. Here, we investigated one-trial recognition learning for olfactory stimuli in a teleost fish using a behavioural and molecular approach. With our behavioural analysis, we found that zebrafish can learn to recognise a novel odour after a single encounter and then, discriminate between this odour and a different one provided that the molecular structure of the cues is relatively differentiated. Subsequently, by expression analysis of immediate early genes in the main brain areas, we found that the telencephalon was activated when zebrafish encountered a familiar odour, whereas the hypothalamus and the optic tectum were activated in response to the novel odour. Overall, this study provided evidence of single-trial spontaneous learning of novel odours in a teleost fish and the presence of multiple neural substrates involved in the process. These findings are promising for the development of zebrafish models to investigate cognitive functions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Gaia De Russi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Elena Frigato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Dadda
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, Padova, Italy
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Santacà M, Gatto E, Dadda M, Bruzzone M, Dal Maschio M, Bisazza A. Exploring the Importance of Environmental Complexity for Newly Hatched Zebrafish. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1031. [PMID: 38612270 PMCID: PMC11011065 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 03/26/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
The effects of an early impoverished social or physical environment on vertebrate neural development and cognition has been known for decades. While existing studies have focused on the long-term effects, measuring adult cognitive phenotypes, studies on the effects of environmental complexity on the early stages of development are lacking. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) hatchlings are assumed to have minimal interaction with their environment and are routinely reared in small, bare containers. To investigate the effects of being raised under such conditions on development of behaviour and cognition, hatchlings housed for 10 days in either an enriched or a standard environment underwent two cognitive tasks. The results were mixed. Subjects of the two treatments did not differ in performance when required to discriminate two areas. Conversely, we found a significant effect in a number discrimination task, with subjects from impoverished condition performing significantly worse. In both experiments, larvae reared in impoverished environment showed a reduced locomotor activity. Given the effects that enrichment appears to exert on larvae, a third experiment explored whether hatchlings exhibit a spontaneous preference for more complex environments. When offered a choice between a bare setting and one with objects of different shapes and colors, larvae spent over 70% of time in the enriched sector. Deepening these effects of an early impoverished environment on cognitive development is crucial for the welfare of captive zebrafish populations and for enhancing the quality and reliability of studies on larval zebrafish.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Maria Santacà
- Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1030 Vienna, Austria
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (M.D.)
| | - Elia Gatto
- Department of Chemical, Pharmaceutical and Agricultural Science, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy;
- Department of Life Science and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy
| | - Marco Dadda
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (M.D.)
| | - Matteo Bruzzone
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy (M.D.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Marco Dal Maschio
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy (M.D.M.)
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy
| | - Angelo Bisazza
- Department of General Psychology, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy; (M.D.)
- Padua Neuroscience Center, University of Padova, 35131 Padova, Italy (M.D.M.)
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Amici F, Meacci S, Caray E, Oña L, Liebal K, Ciucci P. A first exploratory comparison of the behaviour of wolves (Canis lupus) and wolf-dog hybrids in captivity. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:9. [PMID: 38429445 PMCID: PMC10907477 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01849-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/11/2023] [Revised: 10/31/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Extensive introgression of genes from domesticated taxa may be a serious threat for the genomic integrity and adaptability of wild populations. Grey wolves (Canis lupus) are especially vulnerable to this phenomenon, but there are no studies yet assessing the potential behavioural effects of dog-introgression in wolves. In this study, we conducted a first systematic comparison of admixed (N = 11) and non-admixed (N = 14) wolves in captivity, focusing on their reaction to unfamiliar humans and novel objects, and the cohesiveness of their social groups. When exposed to unfamiliar humans in the experimental task, wolves were more vigilant, fearful and aggressive than admixed wolves, and less likely to approach humans, but also more likely to spend time in human proximity. When exposed to novel objects, wolves were more aggressive than admixed wolves, less likely to spend time in object proximity, and more likely to interact with objects, but also less vigilant and as fearful as admixed wolves. Finally, social networks were more cohesive in wolves than in admixed wolves. Although caution is needed when comparing groups of captive individuals with different life experiences, our study suggests that dog admixture may lead to important behavioural changes in wolves, with possible implications for conservation strategies.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Federica Amici
- Life Sciences, Institute for Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany.
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany.
| | - Simone Meacci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| | - Emmeline Caray
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
| | - Linda Oña
- Life Sciences, Institute for Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Katja Liebal
- Life Sciences, Institute for Biology, Human Biology and Primate Cognition, Leipzig University, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Paolo Ciucci
- Department of Biology and Biotechnology "Charles Darwin", Sapienza University of Rome, Rome, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Crane AL, Feyten LEA, Preagola AA, Ferrari MCO, Brown GE. Uncertainty about predation risk: a conceptual review. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:238-252. [PMID: 37839808 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/13/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Uncertainty has long been of interest to economists and psychologists and has more recently gained attention among ecologists. In the ecological world, animals must regularly make decisions related to finding resources and avoiding threats. Here, we describe uncertainty as a perceptual phenomenon of decision-makers, and we focus specifically on the functional ecology of such uncertainty regarding predation risk. Like all uncertainty, uncertainty about predation risk reflects informational limitations. When cues are available, they may be novel (i.e. unknown information), incomplete, unreliable, overly abundant and complex, or conflicting. We review recent studies that have used these informational limitations to induce uncertainty of predation risk. These studies have typically used either over-responses to novelty (i.e. neophobia) or memory attenuation as proxies for measuring uncertainty. Because changes in the environment, particularly unpredictable changes, drive informational limitations, we describe studies assessing unpredictable variance in spatio-temporal predation risk, intensity of predation risk, predator encounter rate, and predator diversity. We also highlight anthropogenic changes within habitats that are likely to have dramatic impacts on information availability and thus uncertainty in antipredator decisions in the modern world.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- WCVM, Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Laurence E A Feyten
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Alexyz A Preagola
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- WCVM, Biomedical Sciences, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Dr., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke St. W., Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Feyten LEA, Ramnarine IW, Brown GE. Microhabitat conditions drive uncertainty of risk and shape neophobic responses in Trinidadian guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e10554. [PMID: 37753307 PMCID: PMC10518753 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.10554] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/28/2023] Open
Abstract
In response to uncertain risks, prey may rely on neophobic phenotypes to reduce the costs associated with the lack of information regarding local conditions. Neophobia has been shown to be driven by information reliability, ambient risk and predator diversity, all of which shape uncertainty of risk. We similarly expect environmental conditions to shape uncertainty by interfering with information availability. In order to test how environmental variables might shape neophobic responses in Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata), we conducted an in situ field experiment of two high-predation risk guppy populations designed to determine how the 'average' and 'variance' of several environmental factors might influence the neophobic response to novel predator models and/or novel foraging patches. Our results suggest neophobia is shaped by water velocity, microhabitat complexity, pool width and depth, as well as substrate diversity and heterogeneity. Moreover, we found differential effects of the 'average' and 'variance' environmental variables on food- and predator-related neophobia. Our study highlights that assessment of neophobic drivers should consider predation risk, various microhabitat conditions and neophobia being tested. Neophobic phenotypes are expected to increase the probability of prey survival and reproductive success (i.e. fitness), and are therefore likely linked to population health and species survival. Understanding the drivers and consequences of uncertainty of risk is an increasingly pressing issue, as ecological uncertainty increases with the combined effects of climate change, anthropogenic disturbances and invasive species.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Indar W. Ramnarine
- Department of Life SciencesThe University of the West IndiesSt. AugustineTrinidad and Tobago
| | - Grant E. Brown
- Department of BiologyConcordia UniversityMontrealQuebecCanada
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Martyka R, Skórka P. Do non-direct heterospecific cues of avian predator activity alter reproductive modes of a passerine bird? THE EUROPEAN ZOOLOGICAL JOURNAL 2023. [DOI: 10.1080/24750263.2023.2181988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/06/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- R. Martyka
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| | - P. Skórka
- Institute of Nature Conservation, Polish Academy of Sciences, Kraków, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
9
|
Michel A, Johnson JR, Szeligowski R, Ritchie EG, Sih A. Integrating sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to understand animal responses to fire. Ecol Lett 2023; 26:1050-1070. [PMID: 37349260 DOI: 10.1111/ele.14231] [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: 04/26/2022] [Revised: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/24/2023]
Abstract
Fire regimes are changing dramatically worldwide due to climate change, habitat conversion, and the suppression of Indigenous landscape management. Although there has been extensive work on plant responses to fire, including their adaptations to withstand fire and long-term effects of fire on plant communities, less is known about animal responses to fire. Ecologists lack a conceptual framework for understanding behavioural responses to fire, which can hinder wildlife conservation and management. Here, we integrate cue-response sensory ecology and predator-prey theory to predict and explain variation in if, when and how animals react to approaching fire. Inspired by the literature on prey responses to predation risk, this framework considers both fire-naïve and fire-adapted animals and follows three key steps: vigilance, cue detection and response. We draw from theory on vigilance tradeoffs, signal detection, speed-accuracy tradeoffs, fear generalization, neophobia and adaptive dispersal. We discuss how evolutionary history with fire, but also other selective pressures, such as predation risk, should influence animal behavioural responses to fire. We conclude by providing guidance for empiricists and outlining potential conservation applications.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Alice Michel
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Jacob R Johnson
- Animal Behavior Graduate Group, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Richard Szeligowski
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| | - Euan G Ritchie
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Centre for Integrative Ecology, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Andrew Sih
- Department of Environmental Science & Policy, University of California, Davis, California, USA
| |
Collapse
|
10
|
Fear generalization and behavioral responses to multiple dangers. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:369-380. [PMID: 36428124 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2022] [Revised: 10/23/2022] [Accepted: 11/01/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Animals often exhibit consistent-individual differences (CIDs) in boldness/fearfulness, typically studied in the context of predation risk. We focus here on fear generalization, where fear of one danger (e.g., predators) is correlated with fear of other dangers (e.g., humans, pathogens, moving vehicles, or fire). We discuss why fear generalization should be ecologically important, and why we expect fear to correlate across disparate dangers. CIDs in fear are well studied for some dangers in some taxa (e.g., human fear of pathogens), but not well studied for most dangers. Fear of some dangers has been found to correlate with general fearfulness, but some cases where we might expect correlated fears (e.g., between fear of humans, familiar predators, and exotic predators) are surprisingly understudied.
Collapse
|
11
|
Fear of the new? Geckos hesitate to attack novel prey, feed near objects and enter a novel space. Anim Cogn 2023; 26:537-549. [PMID: 36171484 PMCID: PMC9950209 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01693-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/07/2022] [Revised: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 09/17/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Neophobia, the fear of novelty, is an ecologically important response which enables animals to avoid potentially harmful situations. Neophobia is a cognitive process by which individuals distinguish novelty from familiarity. In this study, we aimed to quantify this cognitive process in captive tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) across three contexts: when encountering novel prey, foraging near novel objects and entering a novel space. We also investigated individual consistency across trials using different novel stimuli, and correlation of individual responses across the three contexts. We found that geckos hesitate to attack novel prey and prey close to objects (familiar and novel). Geckos hesitated the most when entering novel space. Repeatability of behaviour within and across contexts was low (R = 0.101-0.190) indicating that neophobia might not be expressed similarly across contexts. The strength of a neophobic response can indicate how anxious or curious an individual is. This test has great potential to help answer questions about how captivity, enrichment, rearing environment and cognition affect fear responses in different contexts in lizards. By studying reptiles, we can better understand the universality of what is known about the causes leading to difference in neophobia across individuals and species.
Collapse
|
12
|
Freire R, Rogers L, Creece D, Shamsi S. Neophobic behavioural responses of parasitised fish to a potential predator and baited hook. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105722] [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]
|
13
|
Gameiro J, Franco AM, Catry T, Palmeirim JM, Catry I. Antipredator benefits of heterospecific colonial breeding for a predominantly solitary bird. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
14
|
Gould GG, Barba-Escobedo PA, Horton RE, Daws LC. High Affinity Decynium-22 Binding to Brain Membrane Homogenates and Reduced Dorsal Camouflaging after Acute Exposure to it in Zebrafish. Front Pharmacol 2022; 13:841423. [PMID: 35754508 PMCID: PMC9218599 DOI: 10.3389/fphar.2022.841423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Organic cation transporters (OCTs) are expressed in the mammalian brain, kidney, liver, placenta, and intestines, where they facilitate the transport of cations and other substrates between extracellular fluids and cells. Despite increasing reliance on ectothermic vertebrates as alternative toxicology models, properties of their OCT homologs transporting many drugs and toxins remain poorly characterized. Recently, in zebrafish (Danio rerio), two proteins with functional similarities to human OCTs were shown to be highly expressed in the liver, kidney, eye, and brain. This study is the first to characterize in vivo uptake to the brain and the high-affinity brain membrane binding of the mammalian OCT blocker 1-1'-diethyl-2,2'cyanine iodide (decynium-22 or D-22) in zebrafish. Membrane saturation binding of [3H] D-22 in pooled zebrafish whole brain versus mouse hippocampal homogenates revealed a high-affinity binding site with a KD of 5 ± 2.5 nM and Bmax of 1974 ± 410 fmol/mg protein in the zebrafish brain, and a KD of 3.3 ± 2.3 and Bmax of 704 ± 182 fmol/mg protein in mouse hippocampus. The binding of [3H] D-22 to brain membrane homogenates was partially blocked by the neurotoxic cation 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium (MPP+), a known OCT substrate. To determine if D-22 bath exposures reach the brain, zebrafish were exposed to 25 nM [3H] D-22 for 10 min, and 736 ± 68 ng/g wet weight [3H] D-22 was bound. Acute behavioral effects of D-22 in zebrafish were characterized in two anxiety-relevant tests. In the first cohort of zebrafish, 12.5, 25, or 50 mg/L D-22 had no effect on their height in the dive tank or entries and time spent in white arms of a light/dark plus maze. By contrast, 25 mg/L buspirone increased zebrafish dive tank top-dwelling (p < 0.05), an anticipated anxiolytic effect. However, a second cohort of zebrafish treated with 50 mg/L D-22 made more white arm entries, and females spent more time in white than controls. Based on these findings, it appears that D-22 bath treatments reach the zebrafish brain and have partial anxiolytic properties, reducing anti-predator dorsal camouflaging, without increasing vertical exploration. High-affinity binding of [3H] D-22 in zebrafish brain and mouse brain was similar, with nanomolar affinity, possibly at conserved OCT site(s).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Georgianna G Gould
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Priscilla A Barba-Escobedo
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Department of Endodontics, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Rebecca E Horton
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| | - Lynette C Daws
- Center for Biomedical Neuroscience, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Department of Cellular and Integrative Physiology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States.,Department of Pharmacology, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, San Antonio, TX, United States
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
White TE, Latty T, Umbers KDL. The exploitation of sexual signals by predators: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220444. [PMID: 35642366 PMCID: PMC9156902 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual signals are often central to reproduction, and their expression is thought to strike a balance between advertising to mates and avoiding detection by predatory eavesdroppers. Tests of the predicted predation costs have produced mixed results, however. Here we synthesized 187 effects from 78 experimental studies in a meta-analytic test of two questions; namely, whether predators, parasites and parasitoids express preferences for the sexual signals of prey, and whether sexual signals increase realized predation risk in the wild. We found that predators and parasitoids express strong and consistent preferences for signals in forced-choice contexts. We found a similarly strong overall increase in predation on sexual signallers in the wild, though here it was modality specific. Olfactory and acoustic signals increased the incidence of eavesdropping relative to visual signals, which experienced no greater risk than controls on average. Variation in outcome measures was universally high, suggesting that contexts in which sexual signalling may incur no cost, or even reduce the incidence of predation, are common. Our results reveal unexpected complexity in a central viability cost to sexual signalling, while also speaking to applied problems in invasion biology and pest management where signal exploitation holds promise for bio-inspired solutions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney 2106, Australia
| | - Kate D. L. Umbers
- School of Science, Western Sydney University, Sydney, New South Wales 2751, Australia,Hawkesbury Institute for the Environment, Western Sydney University, Penrith, New South Wales 2751, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
16
|
Ventricelli M, Gratton P, Sabbatini G, Addessi E, Sgaraglia G, Rufo F, Sirianni G. Individual Variation in Response to Novel Food in Captive Capuchin Monkeys (Sapajus spp.). Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.820323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
How animals respond to novelty may have important outcomes in terms of fitness. On the one hand, aversion to novel stimuli may reduce the risks of consuming potentially toxic food or encountering predators. On the other hand, the propensity to approach novel stimuli may allow individuals to explore novel food sources and more flexibly adapt to novel challenges. Different species and individuals may find different ways to balance the costs and benefits that novelty posits. To date, however, little is known on how response to novel food varies across individuals of the same species depending on their previous experience with novelty, risk attitude and presence of higher-ranking conspecifics. In this study, we assessed individual variation in response to novel food by testing captive capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) in an unconstrained social context, where all individuals in a group were able to access the testing area on a voluntary basis. We provided familiar and novel food to 23 study subjects belonging to four social groups differing in (i) previous experience with novel food, (ii) risk attitude (as assessed by a previous risky decision-making task), and (iii) dominance rank. We predicted that, as individuals may generalize their previous experience to novel contexts, those with more previous experience with novel food would be less neophobic than those with less experience. Moreover, if neophobia is a facet of the individual’s risk attitude, we predicted that more risk-prone individuals would be less neophobic than less risk-prone ones. Finally, individuals might flexibly modify their food choices according to the presence of conspecifics; in this respect, we predicted that, in response to monopolization of preferred resources by higher-ranking individuals, lower-ranking individuals would prefer familiar over novel food in the absence of higher-ranking individuals, but would modify their preference in favor of novel food in the presence of higher-ranking individuals. None of these predictions were supported by our results. We observed, however, that neophobia, measured as the latency to retrieve a food item, was more pronounced in lower-ranking than higher-ranking individuals, and that males showed a generally stronger bias than females toward a quicker retrieval of familiar food.
Collapse
|
17
|
Brown GE, Crane AL, Demers EE, Chivers DP, Ferrari MC. Uncertain foraging opportunities and predation risk exert additive effects on induced neophobia in cichlids. Anim Behav 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.01.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
18
|
Behavioral responses to predatory sounds predict sensitivity of cetaceans to anthropogenic noise within a soundscape of fear. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2114932119. [PMID: 35312354 PMCID: PMC9060435 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2114932119] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Acoustic signals travel efficiently in the marine environment, allowing soniferous predators and prey to eavesdrop on each other. Our results with four cetacean species indicate that they use acoustic information to assess predation risk and have evolved mechanisms to reduce predation risk by ceasing foraging. Species that more readily gave up foraging in response to predatory sounds of killer whales also decreased foraging more during 1- to 4-kHz sonar exposures, indicating that species exhibiting costly antipredator responses also have stronger behavioral reactions to anthropogenic noise. This advance in our understanding of the drivers of disturbance helps us to predict what species and habitats are likely to be most severely impacted by underwater noise pollution in oceans undergoing increasing anthropogenic activities. As human activities impact virtually every animal habitat on the planet, identifying species at-risk from disturbance is a priority. Cetaceans are an example taxon where responsiveness to anthropogenic noise can be severe but highly species and context specific, with source–receiver characteristics such as hearing sensitivity only partially explaining this variability. Here, we predicted that ecoevolutionary factors that increase species responsiveness to predation risk also increase responsiveness to anthropogenic noise. We found that reductions in intense-foraging time during exposure to 1- to 4-kHz naval sonar and predatory killer whale sounds were highly correlated (r = 0.92) across four cetacean species. Northern bottlenose whales ceased foraging completely during killer whale and sonar exposures, followed by humpback, long-finned pilot, and sperm whales, which reduced intense foraging by 48 to 97%. Individual responses to sonar were partly predicted by species-level responses to killer whale playbacks, implying a similar level of perceived risk. The correlation cannot be solely explained by hearing sensitivity, indicating that species- and context-specific antipredator adaptations also shape cetacean responses to human-made noise. Species that are more responsive to predator presence are predicted to be more disturbance sensitive, implying a looming double whammy for Arctic cetaceans facing increased anthropogenic and predator activity with reduced ice cover.
Collapse
|
19
|
Mezrai N, Houdelier C, Bertin A, Calandreau L, Arnould C, Darmaillacq AS, Dickel L, Lumineau S. Impact of natural and artificial prenatal stimulations on the behavioural profile of Japanese quail. J Exp Biol 2022; 225:274521. [PMID: 35213895 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.243175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
As the sensory systems of vertebrates develop prenatally, embryos perceive many environmental stimuli that can influence the ontogeny of their behaviour. Whether the nature and intensity of prenatal stimuli affect differently this ontogeny remains to be investigated. In this context, this study aimed to analyse the effects of prenatal auditory stimulations (natural stimulations "NS": predator vocalisations, or artificial stimulations "AS": metallic sounds) on the subsequent behaviour of young Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). For that, behavioural variables recorded during ethological tests evaluating emotional and social reactivity were analysed using a principal component analysis. This analysis revealed significant differences between the behavioural profile of stimulated chicks and that of non-exposed chicks. Indeed, chicks exposed to NS expressed more intense emotional responses in fearful situations, but less neophobia in the presence of a novel environment or object, whereas chicks exposed to AS appeared more sensitive to social isolation. Our original results show that the acoustic environment of embryos can influence the way young birds subsequently interact with their social and physical environment after hatching, and face challenges in changing living conditions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Nawel Mezrai
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Cécilia Houdelier
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Aline Bertin
- INRAE, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Ludovic Calandreau
- INRAE, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Cécile Arnould
- INRAE, UMR 85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, CNRS, UMR 7247, IFCE, Université F. Rabelais, Nouzilly, France
| | - Anne-Sophie Darmaillacq
- Normandie Univ, Unicaen, CNRS, EthoS, 14000 Caen, France.,Univ Rennes, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Ludovic Dickel
- Normandie Univ, Unicaen, CNRS, EthoS, 14000 Caen, France.,Univ Rennes, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| | - Sophie Lumineau
- Univ Rennes, Normandie Univ, CNRS, EthoS (Éthologie animale et humaine) - UMR 6552, F-35000 Rennes, France
| |
Collapse
|
20
|
Rivera-Hernández IAE, Crane AL, Pollock MS, Ferrari MCO. Disturbance cues function as a background risk cue but not as an associative learning cue in tadpoles. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:881-889. [PMID: 35099624 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01599-4] [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: 08/06/2021] [Revised: 12/16/2021] [Accepted: 01/11/2022] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Chemical information has an important role in the sensory ecology of aquatic species. For aquatic prey, chemical cues are a vital source of information related to predator avoidance and risk assessment. For instance, alarm cues are released by prey that have been injured by predators. In addition to providing accurate information about current risk, repeated exposure to alarm cues can elicit a fear response to novel stimuli (neophobia) in prey. Another source of chemical information is disturbance cues, released by prey that have been disturbed or harassed (but not injured) by a predator. While disturbance cues have received much less attention than alarm cues, they appear to be useful as an early warning signal of predation risk and have the potential to be used as a priming cue for learning. In this study, we used wood frog (Lithobates sylvaticus) tadpoles to test whether repeated exposure to disturbance cues during the embryonic stage can induce neophobic behaviour. Three weeks following repeated exposure to disturbance cues, tadpoles showed reduced activity when exposed to a novel odour, but they no longer displayed an antipredator response to disturbance cues. In a second experiment, we found that tadpoles failed to learn that a novel odour was dangerous following a pairing with disturbance cues, whereas alarm cues facilitated such learning. Our results add to the growing body of information about disturbance cues and provide evidence of their function as an embryonic risk cue but not as an associative learning cue.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Ita A E Rivera-Hernández
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada. .,Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, VER, Xalapa-Enríquez, Mexico.
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada.,Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Michael S Pollock
- Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Miller R, Lambert ML, Frohnwieser A, Brecht KF, Bugnyar T, Crampton I, Garcia-Pelegrin E, Gould K, Greggor AL, Izawa EI, Kelly DM, Li Z, Luo Y, Luong LB, Massen JJM, Nieder A, Reber SA, Schiestl M, Seguchi A, Sepehri P, Stevens JR, Taylor AH, Wang L, Wolff LM, Zhang Y, Clayton NS. Socio-ecological correlates of neophobia in corvids. Curr Biol 2022; 32:74-85.e4. [PMID: 34793696 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2021.10.045] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/20/2021] [Revised: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 10/20/2021] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Behavioral responses to novelty, including fear and subsequent avoidance of novel stimuli, i.e., neophobia, determine how animals interact with their environment. Neophobia aids in navigating risk and impacts on adaptability and survival. There is variation within and between individuals and species; however, lack of large-scale, comparative studies critically limits investigation of the socio-ecological drivers of neophobia. In this study, we tested responses to novel objects and food (alongside familiar food) versus a baseline (familiar food alone) in 10 corvid species (241 subjects) across 10 labs worldwide. There were species differences in the latency to touch familiar food in the novel object and novel food conditions relative to the baseline. Four of seven socio-ecological factors influenced object neophobia: (1) use of urban habitat (versus not), (2) territorial pair versus family group sociality, (3) large versus small maximum flock size, and (4) moderate versus specialized caching (whereas range, hunting live animals, and genus did not), while only maximum flock size influenced food neophobia. We found that, overall, individuals were temporally and contextually repeatable (i.e., consistent) in their novelty responses in all conditions, indicating neophobia is a stable behavioral trait. With this study, we have established a network of corvid researchers, demonstrating potential for further collaboration to explore the evolution of cognition in corvids and other bird species. These novel findings enable us, for the first time in corvids, to identify the socio-ecological correlates of neophobia and grant insight into specific elements that drive higher neophobic responses in this avian family group. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rachael Miller
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK.
| | - Megan L Lambert
- University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Messerli Research Institute, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - Anna Frohnwieser
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Katharina F Brecht
- Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Institute for Neurobiology, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Bugnyar
- University of Vienna, Department of Behavioral & Cognitive Biology, Althanstrasse 14, 1090 Vienna, Austria; University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine, Haidlhof Research Station, Bad Vöslau, Austria
| | - Isabelle Crampton
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Elias Garcia-Pelegrin
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| | - Kristy Gould
- Luther College, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, 700 College Drive, Decorah, IA 52101, USA
| | - Alison L Greggor
- San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Recovery Ecology, 15600 San Pasqual Valley Rd, Escondido, San Diego, CA 92101, USA
| | - Ei-Ichi Izawa
- Keio University, Department of Psychology, 2-15-45, Mita, Minato-ku, 108-8345 Tokyo, Japan
| | - Debbie M Kelly
- University of Manitoba, Department of Psychology, 190 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, R3T 2N2 MB, Canada
| | - Zhongqiu Li
- Nanjing University, Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, 163 Xianlin Avenue, 210023 Nanjing, China
| | - Yunchao Luo
- Nanjing University, Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, 163 Xianlin Avenue, 210023 Nanjing, China
| | - Linh B Luong
- Luther College, Department of Psychology and Neuroscience Program, 700 College Drive, Decorah, IA 52101, USA
| | - Jorg J M Massen
- Utrecht University, Animal Behaviour & Cognition, Institute of Environmental Biology, Padualaan 8, De Uithof, 3584 Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Andreas Nieder
- Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen, Institute for Neurobiology, Auf der Morgenstelle 28, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stephan A Reber
- Lund University, Department of Cognitive Science, Helgonavagen 3, Lund 221 00, Sweden
| | - Martina Schiestl
- Auckland University, School of Psychology, 23 Symonds Street, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand; Max Planck Society, Max Planck Institute for the Science of Human History, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745 Jena, Germany
| | - Akiko Seguchi
- Keio University, Department of Psychology, 2-15-45, Mita, Minato-ku, 108-8345 Tokyo, Japan; Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, 5-3-1 Kojimachi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo 102-0083, Japan
| | - Parisa Sepehri
- University of Manitoba, Department of Psychology, 190 Dysart Road, Winnipeg, R3T 2N2 MB, Canada
| | - Jeffrey R Stevens
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain, Biology & Behavior, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Alexander H Taylor
- Auckland University, School of Psychology, 23 Symonds Street, 1010 Auckland, New Zealand
| | - Lin Wang
- Nanjing University, Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, 163 Xianlin Avenue, 210023 Nanjing, China
| | - London M Wolff
- University of Nebraska-Lincoln, Department of Psychology, Centre for Brain, Biology & Behavior, 238 Burnett Hall, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
| | - Yigui Zhang
- Nanjing University, Lab of Animal Behavior & Conservation, School of Life Sciences, 163 Xianlin Avenue, 210023 Nanjing, China
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- University of Cambridge, Department of Psychology, Downing Site, Cambridge CB2 3EB, UK
| |
Collapse
|
22
|
Experimental evaluation of predator exclosures on nest, chick, and adult survival of piping plovers. J Wildl Manage 2022. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.22139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
|
23
|
Michalska K, Studnicki M. What Could Arrest an Eriophyoid Mite on a Plant? The Case of Aculops allotrichus from the Black Locust Tree. INSECTS 2021; 12:insects12111031. [PMID: 34821831 PMCID: PMC8625851 DOI: 10.3390/insects12111031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2021] [Revised: 11/11/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Simple Summary For a phytophagous arthropod, plant cues and the presence of conspecifics or heterospecifics on a plant are important sources of information about food availability and predation risk. In eriophyoid mites, which are a group of economically important plant parasites, this issue is still poorly understood. In the previous study, females of the eriophyoid Aculops allotrichus prolonged their stay on unprofitable, old black locust leaves with injured conspecifics, suggesting their specific attraction to pierced individuals. The aim of this study was to shed light on this phenomenon. The series of tests using intact and artificially injured conspecifics, heterospecifics, pollen and sand grains revealed the high specificity of cues associated with mite injury. Only the presence of conspecifics triggered female arrestment on unprofitable old leaves, and this effect was more pronounced on leaf patches with injured than with intact eriophyoids. To our best knowledge, A. allotrichus is the first described herbivore in which injured conspecifics, instead of causing an alarm to be raised, keep the foraging individuals within a risky patch. Our tests using three non-host plants also suggest that A. allotrichus presumably needs more time to identify and evaluate non-host plants than host plants. Abstract Aculops allotrichus is a vagrant eriophyoid that lives gregariously on the leaves of the black locust tree. This study demonstrated that conspecifics can have a significant impact on A. allotrichus females on unprofitable, old black locust leaves and can arrest them on those leaves. The effect was more pronounced in females that were exposed to artificially injured individuals than to intact ones. They not only prolonged their sojourn on leaf discs with pierced conspecifics, but also preferred the leaf disc halves with damaged individuals to clean ones. Aculops allotrichus is the first described herbivore in which artificially injured conspecifics, instead of causing alarm, keep the foraging individuals within a risky patch. Other objects, such as artificially injured or intact heterospecifics, pollen or sand, were irrelevant to the eriophyoid females on old leaf patches. In tests with old leaves of maple, magnolia and hard kiwi vine, the females postponed their movement from non-host leaf discs, which suggests that they may need more time to recognise and evaluate unfamiliar plants than familiar ones.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katarzyna Michalska
- Section of Applied Entomology, Department of Plant Protection, Institute of Horticulture Sciences, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland
- Correspondence:
| | - Marcin Studnicki
- Department of Biometry, Institute of Agriculture, Warsaw University of Life Sciences, Nowoursynowska 159, 02-776 Warsaw, Poland;
| |
Collapse
|
24
|
Crane AL, Demers EE, Feyten LEA, Ramnarine IW, Brown GE. Exploratory decisions of Trinidadian guppies when uncertain about predation risk. Anim Cogn 2021; 25:581-587. [PMID: 34741669 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01575-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/01/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/31/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Animals can reduce their uncertainty of predation risk by gathering new information via exploration behaviour. However, a decision to explore may also be costly due to increased predator exposure. Here, we found contextual effects of predation risk on the exploratory activity of Trinidadian guppies Poecilia reticulata in a novel environment. First, guppies were exposed to a 3-day period of either high or low background predation risk in the form of repeated exposure to either injured conspecific cues (i.e. alarm cues) or control water, respectively. A day later, guppies were moved into a testing arena with limited visual information due to structural barriers and were then presented with an acute chemical stimulus, either alarm cues (a known and reliable indicator of risk), a novel odour (an ambiguous cue), or control water. In the presence of control water, guppies from high and low background risk showed a similar willingness to explore the arena. However, high-risk individuals significantly reduced their spatial evenness, although not their movement latency, in the presence of both the alarm and novel cues. When these high-risk individuals were a member of a shoal, they became willing to explore the environment more evenly in the presence of alarm cues while remaining cautious toward the novel cue, indicating an effect of the greater uncertainty associated with the novel cue. In contrast, low-risk guppies showed a willingness to explore the arena regardless of acute threat or social context. Such contextual effects of background risk and social context highlight the complexity of exploratory decisions when uncertain.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada.
| | - Ebony E Demers
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| | | | - Indar W Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, QC, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Yosef R, Hershko M, Zduniak P. Anti Covid-19 face-masks increases vigilance in Nubian ibex ( Capra nubiana). BIOLOGICAL CONSERVATION 2021; 263:109339. [PMID: 34580549 PMCID: PMC8459132 DOI: 10.1016/j.biocon.2021.109339] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Revised: 09/15/2021] [Accepted: 09/17/2021] [Indexed: 05/13/2023]
Abstract
Changes in ecosystems resulting from anthropause caused by Covid-19 relate to both abiotic and biotic factors which have both a positive or negative effect on wildlife. The lockdown was manifested by reduced air and water pollution, lower mortality of animals on the roads, an increase in animals' body condition and reproduction success. On the other hand, the closures lead to an increase in the populations of invasive species or poaching. We studied the behavioural reaction of natural, desert-dwelling Nubian ibex (Capra nubiana) on the appearance of a new element in the environment - the facial-masks. We hypothesized that the mask would trigger a response expressed through differences in the vigilance towards a potentially new threat. We applied the flight initiation distance (FID) technique to check the reaction at the approach of a human with a facial-mask and without it. The average FID was 8.8 m and was longer when the observer was wearing a mask (10.7 m) as compared to trials without the mask (6.9 m). Our study indicates that wildlife, even if habituated to human silhouette at a distance, appear to notice unusual accessories when up-close and respond by increased vigilance and what may affect their overall fitness.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Reuven Yosef
- Ben Gurion University of the Negev, Eilat Campus, P.O. Box 272, Eilat 8810201, Israel
- Rabin High School, 51 Yotam Street, Eilat 8820301, Israel
| | - Michal Hershko
- Rabin High School, 51 Yotam Street, Eilat 8820301, Israel
| | - Piotr Zduniak
- Department of Avian Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Uniwersytetu Poznańskiego 6, 61-614 Poznań, Poland
| |
Collapse
|
26
|
O'Dea RE, Lagisz M, Jennions MD, Koricheva J, Noble DW, Parker TH, Gurevitch J, Page MJ, Stewart G, Moher D, Nakagawa S. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses in ecology and evolutionary biology: a PRISMA extension. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:1695-1722. [PMID: 33960637 PMCID: PMC8518748 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12721] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 43.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/02/2020] [Revised: 04/05/2021] [Accepted: 04/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Abstract
Since the early 1990s, ecologists and evolutionary biologists have aggregated primary research using meta-analytic methods to understand ecological and evolutionary phenomena. Meta-analyses can resolve long-standing disputes, dispel spurious claims, and generate new research questions. At their worst, however, meta-analysis publications are wolves in sheep's clothing: subjective with biased conclusions, hidden under coats of objective authority. Conclusions can be rendered unreliable by inappropriate statistical methods, problems with the methods used to select primary research, or problems within the primary research itself. Because of these risks, meta-analyses are increasingly conducted as part of systematic reviews, which use structured, transparent, and reproducible methods to collate and summarise evidence. For readers to determine whether the conclusions from a systematic review or meta-analysis should be trusted - and to be able to build upon the review - authors need to report what they did, why they did it, and what they found. Complete, transparent, and reproducible reporting is measured by 'reporting quality'. To assess perceptions and standards of reporting quality of systematic reviews and meta-analyses published in ecology and evolutionary biology, we surveyed 208 researchers with relevant experience (as authors, reviewers, or editors), and conducted detailed evaluations of 102 systematic review and meta-analysis papers published between 2010 and 2019. Reporting quality was far below optimal and approximately normally distributed. Measured reporting quality was lower than what the community perceived, particularly for the systematic review methods required to measure trustworthiness. The minority of assessed papers that referenced a guideline (~16%) showed substantially higher reporting quality than average, and surveyed researchers showed interest in using a reporting guideline to improve reporting quality. The leading guideline for improving reporting quality of systematic reviews is the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. Here we unveil an extension of PRISMA to serve the meta-analysis community in ecology and evolutionary biology: PRISMA-EcoEvo (version 1.0). PRISMA-EcoEvo is a checklist of 27 main items that, when applicable, should be reported in systematic review and meta-analysis publications summarising primary research in ecology and evolutionary biology. In this explanation and elaboration document, we provide guidance for authors, reviewers, and editors, with explanations for each item on the checklist, including supplementary examples from published papers. Authors can consult this PRISMA-EcoEvo guideline both in the planning and writing stages of a systematic review and meta-analysis, to increase reporting quality of submitted manuscripts. Reviewers and editors can use the checklist to assess reporting quality in the manuscripts they review. Overall, PRISMA-EcoEvo is a resource for the ecology and evolutionary biology community to facilitate transparent and comprehensively reported systematic reviews and meta-analyses.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Rose E. O'Dea
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSW2052Australia
| | - Michael D. Jennions
- Research School of BiologyAustralian National University46 Sullivans Creek RoadCanberra2600Australia
| | - Julia Koricheva
- Department of Biological SciencesRoyal Holloway University of LondonEghamSurreyTW20 0EXU.K.
| | - Daniel W.A. Noble
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSW2052Australia
- Research School of BiologyAustralian National University46 Sullivans Creek RoadCanberra2600Australia
| | | | - Jessica Gurevitch
- Department of Ecology and EvolutionStony Brook UniversityStony BrookNY11794‐5245U.S.A.
| | - Matthew J. Page
- School of Public Health and Preventative MedicineMonash UniversityMelbourneVIC3004Australia
| | - Gavin Stewart
- School of Natural and Environmental SciencesNewcastle UniversityNewcastle upon TyneNE1 7RUU.K.
| | - David Moher
- Centre for Journalology, Clinical Epidemiology ProgramOttawa Hospital Research InstituteGeneral Campus, 501 Smyth Road, Room L1288OttawaONK1H 8L6Canada
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesSydneyNSW2052Australia
| |
Collapse
|
27
|
Feyten LEA, Crane AL, Ramnarine IW, Brown GE. Predation risk shapes the use of conflicting personal risk and social safety information in guppies. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
Abstract
When faced with uncertainty, animals can benefit from using multiple sources of information in order to make an optimal decision. However, information sources (e.g., social and personal cues) may conflict, while also varying in acquisition cost and reliability. Here, we assessed behavioral decisions of Trinidadian guppies (Poecilia reticulata), in situ, when presented with conflicting social and personal information about predation risk. We positioned foraging arenas within high- and low-predation streams, where guppies were exposed to a personal cue in the form of conspecific alarm cues (a known indicator of risk), a novel cue, or a control. At the same time, a conspecific shoal (a social safety cue) was either present or absent. When social safety was absent, guppies in both populations showed typical avoidance responses towards alarm cues, and high-predation guppies showed their typical avoidance of novel cues (i.e., neophobia). However, the presence of social safety cues was persuasive, overriding the neophobia of high-predation guppies and emboldening low-predation guppies to ignore alarm cues. Our experiment is one of the first to empirically assess the use of safety and risk cues in prey and suggests a threshold level of ambient risk which dictates the use of conflicting social and personal information.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, West, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| | - Indar W Ramnarine
- Department of Life Sciences, University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, West, Montreal, Québec, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
28
|
Yanai S, Endo S. Functional Aging in Male C57BL/6J Mice Across the Life-Span: A Systematic Behavioral Analysis of Motor, Emotional, and Memory Function to Define an Aging Phenotype. Front Aging Neurosci 2021; 13:697621. [PMID: 34408644 PMCID: PMC8365336 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2021.697621] [Citation(s) in RCA: 74] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/02/2023] Open
Abstract
Aging is characterized generally by progressive and overall physiological decline of functions and is observed in all animals. A long line of evidence has established the laboratory mouse as the prime model of human aging. However, relatively little is known about the detailed behavioral and functional changes that occur across their lifespan, and how this maps onto the phenotype of human aging. To better understand age-related changes across the life-span, we characterized functional aging in male C57BL/6J mice of five different ages (3, 6, 12, 18, and 22 months of age) using a multi-domain behavioral test battery. Spatial memory and physical activities, including locomotor activity, gait velocity, and grip strength progressively declined with increasing age, although at different rates; anxiety-like behaviors increased with aging. Estimated age-related patterns showed that these functional alterations across ages are non-linear, and the patterns are unique for each behavioral trait. Physical function progressively declines, starting as early as 6 months of age in mice, while cognitive function begins to decline later, with considerable impairment present at 22 months of age. Importantly, functional aging of male C57BL/6J mouse starts at younger relative ages compared to when it starts in humans. Our study suggests that human-equivalent ages of mouse might be better determined on the basis of its functional capabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Shuichi Yanai
- Aging Neuroscience Research Team, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| | - Shogo Endo
- Aging Neuroscience Research Team, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Gerontology, Tokyo, Japan
| |
Collapse
|
29
|
|
30
|
Kareklas K, Kunc HP, Arnott G. Extrinsic stressors modulate resource evaluations: insights from territoriality under artificial noise. Front Zool 2021; 18:12. [PMID: 33743763 PMCID: PMC7980355 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-021-00397-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2020] [Accepted: 03/07/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Competition is considered to rely on the value attributed to resources by animals, but the influence of extrinsic stressors on this value remains unexplored. Although natural or anthropogenic environmental stress often drives decreased competition, assumptions that this relies on resource devaluation are without formal evidence. According to theory, physiological or perceptual effects may influence contest behaviour directly, but motivational changes due to resource value are expected to manifest as behavioural adjustments only in interaction with attainment costs and resource benefits. Thus, we hypothesise that stressor-induced resource devaluations will impose greater effects when attainment costs are high, but not when resource benefits are higher. Noise may elicit such effects because it impacts the acoustic environment and imposes physiological and behavioural costs to animals. Therefore, we manipulated the acoustic environment using playbacks of artificial noise to test our hypotheses in the territorial male Siamese fighting fish, Betta splendens. Results Compared to a no-playback control, noise reduced defense motivation only when territory owners faced comparatively bigger opponents that impose greater injury costs, but not when territories also contained bubble nests that offer reproductive benefits. In turn, nest-size decreases were noted only after contests under noise treatment, but temporal nest-size changes relied on cross-contest variation in noise and comparative opponent size. Thus, the combined effects of noise are conditional on added attainment costs and offset by exceeding resource benefits. Conclusion Our findings provide support for the hypothesised modulation of resource value under extrinsic stress and suggest implications for competition under increasing anthropogenic activity. Supplementary Information The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s12983-021-00397-x.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Kyriacos Kareklas
- Integrative Behavioural Biology Group, Instituto Gulbenkian de Ciência, Rua da Quinta Grande 6, 2780-156, Oeiras, Portugal. .,School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK.
| | - Hansjoerg P Kunc
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| | - Gareth Arnott
- School of Biological Sciences, Queen's University Belfast, 19 Chlorine Gardens, Belfast, BT9 5DL, Northern Ireland, UK
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Goldman JA, Crane AL, Feyten LEA, Collins E, Brown GE. Disturbance cue communication is shaped by emitter diet and receiver background risk in Trinidadian guppies. Curr Zool 2021; 68:433-440. [PMID: 36090140 PMCID: PMC9450174 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoab025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
In animal communication systems, individuals that detect a cue (i.e., “receivers”) are often influenced by characteristics of the cue emitter. For instance, in many species, receivers avoid chemical cues that are released by emitters experiencing disturbance. These chemical “disturbance cues” appear to benefit receivers by warning them about nearby danger, such as a predator’s approach. While the active ingredients in disturbance cues have been largely unexplored, by-products of metabolized protein are thought to play a role for some species. If so, the content (quality) and volume (quantity) of the emitter’s diet should affect their disturbance cues, thus altering how receivers perceive the cues and respond. Guppies Poecilia reticulata are a species known to discriminate among disturbance cues from different types of donors, but dietary variation has yet to be explored. In this study, we found evidence that diet quality and quantity can affect disturbance cues released by guppy emitters (i.e., experimental “donors”). Receivers discriminated between donor cue treatments, responding more strongly to cues from donors fed a protein-rich bloodworm diet (Experiment 1), as well as an overall larger diet (Experiment 2). We also found that receivers exposed to higher background risk were more sensitive to disturbance cue variation, with the strongest avoidance responses displayed by high-risk receivers toward disturbance cues from donors fed the high-quality diet. Therefore, diet, and perhaps protein specifically, affects either the concentration or composition of disturbance cues released by guppies. Such variation may be important in information signaling in social species like the guppy.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Jack A Goldman
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Laurence E A Feyten
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Emily Collins
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, Canada H4B 1R6
| |
Collapse
|
32
|
Honda T. Geographical personality gradient in herbivorous animals: Implications for selective culling to reduce crop damage. Ecol Res 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1440-1703.12186] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Takeshi Honda
- Yamanashi Prefecture Agricultural Research Center Kai Japan
| |
Collapse
|
33
|
Neophobia in 10 ungulate species-a comparative approach. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021; 75:102. [PMID: 34177046 PMCID: PMC8219784 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03041-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Revised: 05/25/2021] [Accepted: 05/27/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
ABSTRACT Neophobia (the fearful reaction to novel stimuli or situations) has a crucial effect on individual fitness and can vary within and across species. However, the factors predicting this variation are still unclear. In this study, we assessed whether individual characteristics (rank, social integration, sex) and species socio-ecological characteristics (dietary breadth, group size, domestication) predicted variation in neophobia. For this purpose, we conducted behavioral observations and experimental tests on 78 captive individuals belonging to 10 different ungulate species-an ideal taxon to study inter-specific variation in neophobia given their variety in socio-ecological characteristics. Individuals were tested in their social groups by providing them with familiar food, half of which had been positioned close to a novel object. We monitored the individual latency to approach and eat food and the proportion of time spent in its proximity. Using a phylogenetic approach and social network analyses, we showed that across ungulate species neophobia was higher in socially more integrated individuals, as compared to less integrated ones. In contrast, rank and sex did not predict inter-individual differences in neophobia. Moreover, species differed in their levels of neophobia, with Barbary sheep being on average less neophobic than all the other study species. As group size in Barbary sheep was larger than in all the other study species, these results support the hypothesis that larger group size predicts lower levels of neophobia, and confirm ungulates as a highly promising taxon to study animal behavior and cognition with a comparative perspective. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT In several species, individuals may respond fearfully to novel stimuli, therefore reducing the risks they may face. However, it is yet unclear if certain individuals or species respond more fearfully to novelty. Here, we provided food to 78 individual ungulates with different characteristics (e.g., sex, rank, social integration, group size, domestication, dietary breadth) in different controlled conditions (e.g., when food was close to novel or to familiar objects). Across species, we found that socially integrated individuals responded more fearfully in all species. Moreover, being in larger groups decreased the probability of fearfully responding to novelty. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1007/s00265-021-03041-0.
Collapse
|
34
|
Crane AL, Meuthen D, Thapa H, Ferrari MCO, Brown GE. Early-life and parental predation risk shape fear acquisition in adult minnows. Anim Cogn 2020; 24:471-481. [PMID: 33125574 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01439-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2020] [Revised: 09/11/2020] [Accepted: 10/01/2020] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
Exposure to predation risk can induce a fearful baseline state, as well as fear reactions toward novel situations (i.e., neophobia). Some research indicates that risk exposure during sensitive periods makes adults more prone to acquiring long-term fearful phenotypes. However, chronic risk can also lead to ignoring threats in order to maintain other activities. We sought to assess how a relatively long period of low risk, experienced either early in life or by the previous generation, influences fear behaviour acquired from a short period of high risk as adults. We used fathead minnows as study subjects and simulated predation risk with repeated exposures to conspecific chemical alarm cues. The period of high risk experienced by adults induced typical fear behaviour (baseline freezing and neophobia), whereas the early-life low-risk period 1 year prior caused only a reduction in baseline foraging. We found no evidence that the early-life risk significantly altered the fear acquired from the adult-risk period. However, in a second experiment, a low-risk period during the parental generation interacted with a high-risk period experienced by the adult offspring. The combination of both risk periods heightened baseline freezing despite parental risk having little effect independently. Hence, our study provides evidence that parental risk exposure can lead to an additive intergenerational effect on fear acquisition in minnows.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada.
| | - Denis Meuthen
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada.,Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Himal Thapa
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
Neophobia and social facilitation in narrow-striped mongooses. Anim Cogn 2020; 24:165-175. [PMID: 32955622 PMCID: PMC7829228 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-020-01429-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2019] [Revised: 09/06/2020] [Accepted: 09/11/2020] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Social learning is widespread in the animal kingdom, but individuals can differ in how they acquire and use social information. Personality traits, such as neophobia, may, for example, promote individual learning strategies. Here, we contribute comparative data on social learning strategies in carnivorans by examining whether narrow-striped mongooses (Mungotictis decemlineata), a group-living Malagasy euplerid, learn socially and whether neophobia influences social learning. To this end, we tested seven wild female groups with a two-option artificial feeding box, using a demonstrator–observer paradigm, and conducted novel object tests to assess neophobia. In five groups, one individual was trained as a demonstrator displaying one of the techniques, whereas the other two groups served as control groups. Neophobia did not co-vary with an individual’s propensity to seek social information. However, less neophobic individuals, and individuals that tended to seek social information, learned the task faster. Moreover, individuals in demonstrator groups learned the task faster than those in groups without a demonstrator and used the demonstrated technique more often. Hence, narrow-striped mongooses rely on social facilitation and local or stimulus enhancement to solve new problems. Finally, our results suggest that several individual characteristics should be taken into consideration to obtain a more comprehensive understanding of social learning strategies.
Collapse
|
36
|
Ernst B, Steinhauser M. The effect of feedback novelty on neural correlates of feedback processing. Brain Cogn 2020; 144:105610. [PMID: 32777688 DOI: 10.1016/j.bandc.2020.105610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 07/02/2020] [Accepted: 07/24/2020] [Indexed: 01/17/2023]
Abstract
It has been suggested that stimulus novelty itself can be rewarding and recent evidence suggests that novelty processing and reward processing share common neural mechanisms. For feedback processing, this can be beneficial as well as detrimental: If novelty lends a rewarding characteristic to a stimulus, then this should particularly decrease the impact of negative feedback. The present study investigated whether such an effect of feedback novelty on feedback processing is reflected in electrophysiological markers of reinforcement learning (feedback-related negativity, FRN) and feedback processing (feedback-P300) in a simple decision-making task. In this task, participants had to chose between two stimuli in a learning trial followed by a novel or a familiar feedback stimulus. Learning from feedback allowed them to optimize their payoff in a later test trial. As expected, we found that the FRN effect, i.e. the difference between the FRN amplitudes after negative and positive feedback, was reduced for novel compared to familiar feedback stimuli. In addition, the amplitude of the feedback-P300 was decreased by feedback novelty, both for the anterior P3a and the posterior P3b. Together, these results indicate that feedback novelty can affect feedback processing as reflected by feedback-related brain activity.
Collapse
|
37
|
The propensity for re-triggered predation fear in a prey fish. Sci Rep 2020; 10:9253. [PMID: 32518253 PMCID: PMC7283299 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-65735-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2020] [Accepted: 05/08/2020] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Variation in predation risk can drive variation in fear intensity, the length of fear retention, and whether fear returns after waning. Using Trinidadian guppies, we assessed whether a low-level predation threat could easily re-trigger fear after waning. First, we show that background risk induced neophobia after either multiple exposures to a low-level threat or a single exposure to a high-level threat. However, a single exposure to the low-level threat had no such effect. The individuals that received multiple background exposures to the low-level threat retained their neophobic phenotype over an 8-day post-risk period, and this response was intensified by a single re-exposure to the low-level threat on day 7. In contrast, the neophobia following the single high-level threat waned over the 8-day period, but the single re-exposure to the low-level threat on day 7 re-triggered the neophobic phenotype. Thus, despite the single low-level exposure being insufficient to induce neophobia, it significantly elevated existing fear and re-triggered fear that had waned. We highlight how such patterns of fear acquisition, retention, and rapid re-triggering play an important role in animal ecology and evolution and outline parallels between the neophobic phenotype in fishes and dimensions of post-traumatic stress in humans.
Collapse
|
38
|
Abstract
Abstract
Predation fear is a unifying theme across vertebrate taxa. Here, we explored how the frequency and duration of predation risk affects postrisk fear behavior in Trinidadian guppies. We first exposed individuals to visual cues of potential predators for 3 days, either frequently (6×/day) or infrequently (1×/day). Each exposure lasted for either a relatively brief (5 min) or long (30 min) duration, whereas a control group consisted of no risk exposures. One day later, we quantified guppy behavior. All background risk treatments induced a fear response toward a novel odor (i.e., neophobia), and individuals previously exposed to frequent bouts of brief risk showed elevated baseline fear. Although neophobic responses were initially similar across risk treatments (1 day later), retention of this response differed. After 8 days, only individuals previously exposed to brief bouts of risk (both frequent and infrequent) maintained neophobic responses, whereas their initially higher level of baseline fear remained elevated but was no longer significantly different from the control. These results increase our understanding of temporal factors that affect the intensity and retention of fear that persists after risk exposure, which may have applications across vertebrates in relation to problems with fearful phenotypes.
Collapse
|
39
|
Behavioral differences at scent stations between two exploited species of desert canids. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0232492. [PMID: 32413032 PMCID: PMC7228668 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0232492] [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: 11/22/2019] [Accepted: 04/15/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Coyotes (Canis latrans) and kit foxes (Vulpes macrotis) are desert canids that share ecological similarities, but have disparate histories with anthropogenic pressure that may influence their responses towards novel stimuli. We used remote cameras to investigate response to novel stimuli for these two species. We predicted that coyotes (heavily pressured species) would be more wary towards novel stimuli on unprotected land (canid harvest activities are permitted) than in protected areas (canid harvest activities are not permitted), whereas kit foxes (less pressured species) would exhibit no difference. We examined differences in the investigative behaviors at 660 scent stations in both protected and unprotected areas. Coyotes showed no differences between protected and unprotected land and were generally more wary than kit foxes, supporting our prediction. Kit foxes were more investigative on protected land, contrary to our expectations. Our study provides evidence that anthropogenic pressure can alter the behaviors of wildlife species.
Collapse
|
40
|
Lucon-Xiccato T, De Russi G, Bertolucci C. A novel-odour exploration test for measuring anxiety in adult and larval zebrafish. J Neurosci Methods 2020; 335:108619. [PMID: 32027891 DOI: 10.1016/j.jneumeth.2020.108619] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2019] [Revised: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 01/31/2020] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Existing methods to assess anxiety in zebrafish are mostly based on visual exploration. However, evidence suggests that zebrafish are more attuned to olfactory than visual stimuli. We developed a novel-odour exploration test (NOEt) for zebrafish. NEW METHOD Adult zebrafish were exposed to a stimulus sponge soaked with olfactory cue and a control sponge with no cue, placed at the extremities of a narrow, rectangular tank. We scored time spent close to the two sponges to calculate the attraction towards the olfactory cue. In experiment 1, we tested adult zebrafish in the NOEt using various olfactory cues. In experiment 2, we tested larvae. In experiment 3, we compared the NOEt with the most used method to assess anxiety, the open-field test. RESULTS In experiment 1, zebrafish responded markedly to cues, by either approaching or avoiding the soaked sponge according to the type of cue. The temporal pattern of exploration toward the cue was similar to that of novel objects' exploration in this species. In experiment 2, larvae responded to novel odours, but differently from adults. In experiment 3, we found a relationship between the NOEt and the open-field test. COMPARISON WITH EXISTING METHOD(S) Compared to existing tests, the NOEt has the advantage of exploiting the preferred sensory modality of zebrafish. Moreover, it can be used in early stages because olfactory receptors develop early in this species. CONCLUSIONS The NOEt is a simple, rapid and low-cost test to study anxiety in zebrafish using the spontaneous exploration of novel olfactory cues.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Tyrone Lucon-Xiccato
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy.
| | - Gaia De Russi
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| | - Cristiano Bertolucci
- Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, Ferrara, Italy
| |
Collapse
|
41
|
Crane AL, Brown GE, Chivers DP, Ferrari MCO. An ecological framework of neophobia: from cells to organisms to populations. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:218-231. [PMID: 31599483 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12560] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/13/2019] [Revised: 09/09/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Neophobia is the fear of novel stimuli or situations. This phenotype has recently received much ecological attention, primarily in the context of decision making. Here, we explore neophobia across biological levels of organisation, first describing types of neophobia among animals and the underlying causes of neophobia, highlighting high levels of risk and uncertainty as key drivers. We place neophobia in the framework of Error Management Theory and Signal Detection Theory, showing how increases in overall risk and uncertainty can lead to costly non-responses towards novel threats unless individuals lower their response threshold and become neophobic. We then discuss how neophobic behaviour translates into population and evolutionary consequences before introducing neophobia-like processes at the cellular level, where some phenomena such as allergy and autoimmunity can parallel neophobic behaviour. Finally, we discuss neophobia attenuation, considering how a sudden change in the environment from dangerous to safe can lead to problematic over-responses (i.e. the 'maladaptive defensive carry-over' hypothesis), and discuss treatment methods for such over-responses. We anticipate that bridging the concept of neophobia with a process-centered perspective can facilitate a transfer of insight across organisational levels.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada.,Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, 7141 Sherbrooke Street West, Montreal, QC, H4B 1R6, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Pl., Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5B4, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
42
|
Greggor AL, Masuda B, Flanagan AM, Swaisgood RR. Age-related patterns of neophobia in an endangered island crow: implications for conservation and natural history. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
43
|
Crane AL, Ferrari MCO, Rivera-Hernández IAE, Brown GE. Microhabitat complexity influences fear acquisition in fathead minnows. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz187] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Habitat varies in structure, with animals often preferring a certain degree of microhabitat complexity that facilitates fitness-related activities such as predator avoidance. Environments with high predation risk can induce elevated baseline fear and neophobia in prey, but whether microhabitat complexity influences the acquisition of neophobia has yet to be reported. Here, we tested whether exposure to predation risk induces different levels of fear in microhabitats that differed in complexity. We exposed fathead minnows, Pimephales promelas, to predation risk repeatedly (12 times over 4 days) in the form of damage-released chemical alarm cues (compared to water control) in tanks with vertical plant structure distributed either throughout the tank (complex habitat) or clumped together (simple habitat). Then, we tested minnows before and after exposure to a novel odor in tanks with either the same microhabitat complexity (i.e., familiar habitats) or in tanks with novel habitat that had different substrate structure and no vertical structure. Minnows in the complex habitat showed less overall movement one day after the background risk period, whereas individuals in the simple habitat showed reduced movement regardless of prior risk exposure. We observed stronger effects in the novel habitat, where background risk in both simple and complex habitats caused neophobia. However, individuals from the simple background habitat showed higher baseline fear behaviors. Hence, for minnows, low microhabitat complexity appears to lead to elevated fear, which remains even after a habitat change.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Adam L Crane
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Q, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, Canada
| | | | - Grant E Brown
- Department of Biology, Concordia University, Montreal, Q, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
44
|
Mazza V, Dammhahn M, Eccard JA, Palme R, Zaccaroni M, Jacob J. Coping with style: individual differences in responses to environmental variation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2760-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
|
45
|
Cooper N, Bond AL, Davis JL, Portela Miguez R, Tomsett L, Helgen KM. Sex biases in bird and mammal natural history collections. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20192025. [PMID: 31640514 PMCID: PMC6834056 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/30/2019] [Accepted: 09/30/2019] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Natural history specimens are widely used across ecology, evolutionary biology and conservation. Although biological sex may influence all of these areas, it is often overlooked in large-scale studies using museum specimens. If collections are biased towards one sex, studies may not be representative of the species. Here, we investigate sex ratios in over two million bird and mammal specimen records from five large international museums. We found a slight bias towards males in birds (40% females) and mammals (48% females), but this varied among orders. The proportion of female specimens has not significantly changed in 130 years, but has decreased in species with showy male traits like colourful plumage and horns. Body size had little effect. Male bias was strongest in name-bearing types; only 27% of bird and 39% of mammal types were female. These results imply that previous studies may be impacted by undetected male bias, and vigilance is required when using specimen data, collecting new specimens and designating types.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Natalie Cooper
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Alexander L. Bond
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Bird Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Akeman Street, Tring, Hertfordshire, HP23 6AP, UK
| | - Joshua L. Davis
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Roberto Portela Miguez
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Mammal Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Louise Tomsett
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Mammal Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
| | - Kristofer M. Helgen
- Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Mammal Group, Department of Life Sciences, Natural History Museum, Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BD, UK
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, University of Adelaide, North Terrace, Adelaide SA 5005, Australia
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
Meuthen D, Ferrari MCO, Lane T, Chivers DP. High background risk induces risk allocation rather than generalized neophobia in the fathead minnow. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz094] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
To cope with the heterogeneous nature of predation and the trade-off between predator avoidance and foraging, prey animals have evolved several cognitive rules. One of these is the risk allocation hypothesis, which predicts that in environments with long periods of sustained high risk, individuals should decrease their antipredator effort to satisfy their metabolic requirements. The neophobia hypothesis, in turn, predicts increased avoidance of novel cues in high-risk habitats. Despite the recent interest in predator-induced neophobia across different sensory channels, tests of such generalized neophobia are restricted to a single fish taxon, the Cichlidae. Hence, we retested the generalized neophobia hypothesis in fathead minnows Pimephales promelas, a small schooling North American cyprinid fish. From hatching onward, minnows were exposed to conspecific alarm cues, which indicate predation risk, or distilled water in a split-clutch design. After 1 month, shoaling behavior was examined prior and subsequent to a mechanical predator disturbance. Fish previously exposed to elevated background risk formed compact shoals for a shorter time interval after the stimulus compared with controls. These results contrast previous studies of generalized neophobia but match the risk allocation hypothesis. Consequently, risk allocation and generalized neophobia are not ubiquitous cognitive rules but instead evolved adaptations of different taxa to their respective environments.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Denis Meuthen
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Maud C O Ferrari
- Department of Biomedical Sciences, WCVM, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Taylor Lane
- Toxicology Centre, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| | - Douglas P Chivers
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
47
|
Jarjour C, Evans JC, Routh M, Morand-Ferron J. Does city life reduce neophobia? A study on wild black-capped chickadees. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz167] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
AbstractAs human populations increase and city borders grow, many animals have to modify foraging behaviors in order to exploit evolutionarily novel urban food sources that could aid their survival. Neophobia, the fear of novelty, can lead to missed opportunities in these cases. Here, we studied the novelty response of wild animals in ecologically relevant conditions while controlling for individual characteristics and potential differences in foraging group size. We predicted that urban black-capped chickadees (Poecile atricapillus) would be more likely to initially contact novelty than rural chickadees and that subordinates and juveniles would be more likely to first contact novelty than dominants and adults, respectively. We ran replicated experiments using three novelty types (object, color, or food) on six sites, during which we registered feeder choice of 71 tagged individuals. We found that urban chickadees showed less neophobia than their rural counterparts, the latter having a higher probability of initially contacting the familiar feeder before approaching the novel feeder. There was no significant effect of an individual’s dominance, age, or sex on its first choice of feeder, nor was there any effect of novelty type. Overall, our results suggest that urban chickadees exhibit less neophobia than their rural counterparts because they have generally learned to tolerate novelty in their habitat, they have adapted to live in an environment that rewards low neophobia, and/or they are less reluctant to use feeders at new locations.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Jarjour
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Julian C Evans
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | - Mélanie Routh
- Department of Biology, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
48
|
Ros A, Dunst J, Gugele S, Brinker A. Anti‐predator mechanisms in evolutionarily predator‐naïve vs. adapted fish larvae. Ecosphere 2019. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.2699] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Albert Ros
- Fisheries Research Station Baden‐Württemberg LAZBW Langenargen Germany
| | - Julian Dunst
- Fisheries Research Station Baden‐Württemberg LAZBW Langenargen Germany
| | - Sarah Gugele
- Fisheries Research Station Baden‐Württemberg LAZBW Langenargen Germany
| | - Alexander Brinker
- Fisheries Research Station Baden‐Württemberg LAZBW Langenargen Germany
| |
Collapse
|
49
|
Ehlman SM, Trimmer PC, Sih A. Prey Responses to Exotic Predators: Effects of Old Risks and New Cues. Am Nat 2019; 193:575-587. [PMID: 30912973 DOI: 10.1086/702252] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Exotic predators can have major negative impacts on prey. Importantly, prey vary considerably in their behavioral responses to exotic predators. Factors proposed to explain variation in prey response to exotic predators include the similarity of new predators to familiar, native predators, the prevalence and diversity of predators in a prey's past, and variation in a prey's innate ability to discriminate between predators and safety. While these factors have been put forth verbally in the literature, no theory exists that combines these hypotheses in a common conceptual framework using a unified behavioral model. Here, we formalize existing verbal arguments by modeling variation in prey responses to new predators in a state-dependent detection theory framework. We find that while some conventional wisdom is upheld, novel predictions emerge. As expected, prey respond poorly to exotic predators that do not closely resemble familiar predators. Furthermore, a history with more abundant or diverse native predators can lessen effects of some exotic predators on prey; however, under some conditions, the opposite prediction emerges. Also, prey that evolved in situations where they easily discriminate between safe and dangerous situations can be more susceptible to novel predators.
Collapse
|
50
|
The cost of carryover effects in a changing environment: context-dependent benefits of a behavioural phenotype in a coral reef fish. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.01.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
|