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Pollo P, Lagisz M, Yang Y, Culina A, Nakagawa S. Synthesis of sexual selection: a systematic map of meta-analyses with bibliometric analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024. [PMID: 38982618 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13117] [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: 10/17/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2024] [Accepted: 06/19/2024] [Indexed: 07/11/2024]
Abstract
Sexual selection has been a popular subject within evolutionary biology because of its central role in explaining odd and counterintuitive traits observed in nature. Consequently, the literature associated with this field of study became vast. Meta-analytical studies attempting to draw inferences from this literature have now accumulated, varying in scope and quality, thus calling for a synthesis of these syntheses. We conducted a systematic literature search to create a systematic map with a report appraisal of meta-analyses on topics associated with sexual selection, aiming to identify the conceptual and methodological gaps in this secondary literature. We also conducted bibliometric analyses to explore whether these gaps are associated with the gender and origin of the authors of these meta-analyses. We included 152 meta-analytical studies in our systematic map. We found that most meta-analyses focused on males and on certain animal groups (e.g. birds), indicating severe sex and taxonomic biases. The topics in these studies varied greatly, from proximate (e.g. relationship of ornaments with other traits) to ultimate questions (e.g. formal estimates of sexual selection strength), although the former were more common. We also observed several common methodological issues in these studies, such as lack of detailed information regarding searches, screening, and analyses, which ultimately impairs the reliability of many of these meta-analyses. In addition, most of the meta-analyses' authors were men affiliated to institutions from developed countries, pointing to both gender and geographical authorship biases. Most importantly, we found that certain authorship aspects were associated with conceptual and methodological issues in meta-analytical studies. Many of our findings might simply reflect patterns in the current state of the primary literature and academia, suggesting that our study can serve as an indicator of issues within the field of sexual selection at large. Based on our findings, we provide both conceptual and analytical recommendations to improve future studies in the field of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pietro Pollo
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Malgorzata Lagisz
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Yefeng Yang
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
| | - Antica Culina
- Ruđer Bošković Institute, Bijenička Cesta 54, Zagreb, 10000, Croatia
| | - Shinichi Nakagawa
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Gate 9 High St., Kensington, Sydney, NSW, 2052, Australia
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2
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Zang C, Chung MHJ, Neeman T, Harrison L, Vinogradov IM, Jennions MD. Does losing reduce the tendency to engage with rivals to reach mates? An experimental test. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arae037. [PMID: 38779595 PMCID: PMC11107846 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arae037] [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: 11/27/2023] [Revised: 04/16/2024] [Accepted: 05/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Male-male contests for access to females or breeding resources are critical in determining male reproductive success. Larger males and those with more effective weaponry are more likely to win fights. However, even after controlling for such predictors of fighting ability, studies have reported a winner-loser effect: previous winners are more likely to win subsequent contests, while losers often suffer repeated defeats. While the effect of winning-losing is well-documented for the outcome of future fights, its effect on other behaviors (e.g. mating) remains poorly investigated. Here, we test whether a winning versus losing experience influenced subsequent behaviors of male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) toward rivals and potential mates. We housed focal males with either a smaller or larger opponent for 24 h to manipulate their fighting experience to become winners or losers, respectively. The focal males then underwent tests that required them to enter and swim through a narrow corridor to reach females, bypassing a cylinder that contained either a larger rival male (competitive scenario), a juvenile or was empty (non-competitive scenarios). The tests were repeated after 1 wk. Winners were more likely to leave the start area and to reach the females, but only when a larger rival was presented, indicating higher levels of risk-taking behavior in aggressive interactions. This winner-loser effect persisted for at least 1 wk. We suggest that male mosquitofish adjust their assessment of their own and/or their rival's fighting ability following contests in ways whose detection by researchers depends on the social context.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chenke Zang
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Meng-Han Joseph Chung
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Teresa Neeman
- Biological Data Science Institute, Australian National University, Canberra Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Lauren Harrison
- School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich Research Park, Norwich NR4 7TJ, United Kingdom
| | - Ivan M Vinogradov
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
| | - Michael D Jennions
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University, Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, 2601, Australia
- Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Study (STIAS), Wallenberg Centre at Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch 7600, South Africa
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3
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Burciaga LM, Alcaraz G. Metabolic and behavioural effects of hermit crab shell removal techniques: Is heating less invasive than cracking? Anim Welf 2023; 32:e24. [PMID: 38487407 PMCID: PMC10936351 DOI: 10.1017/awf.2023.17] [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: 05/27/2022] [Revised: 11/04/2022] [Accepted: 11/15/2022] [Indexed: 03/04/2023]
Abstract
Hermit crabs (Paguroidea; Latreille 1802) offer great opportunities to study animal behaviour and physiology. However, the animals' size and sex cannot be determined when they are inside their shell; information crucial to many experimental designs. Here, we tested the effects of the two most common procedures used to make crabs leave their shells: heating the shell apex and cracking the shell with a bench press. We compared the effects of each of the two procedures on the metabolic rate, hiding time, and duration of the recovery time relative to unmanipulated hermit crabs. The hermit crabs forced to abandon their shell through heating increased their respiratory rate shortly after the manipulation (1 h) and recovered their metabolic rate in less than 24 h, as occurs in individuals suddenly exposed to high temperatures in the upper-intertidal zone. Hermit crabs removed from their shells via cracking spent more time hiding in their new shells; this effect was evident immediately after the manipulation and lasted more than 24 h, similar to responses exhibited after a life-threatening predator attack. Both methods are expected to be stressful, harmful, or fear-inducing; however, the temperature required to force the crabs to abandon the shell is below the critical thermal maxima of most inhabitants of tropical tide pools. The wide thermal windows of intertidal crustaceans and the shorter duration of consequences of shell heating compared to cracking suggest heating to be a less harmful procedure for removing tropical hermit crabs from their shells.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis M Burciaga
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México04510, México
| | - Guillermina Alcaraz
- Departamento de Ecología y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México04510, México
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4
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Anjos DV, Tena A, Viana-Junior AB, Carvalho RL, Torezan-Silingardi H, Del-Claro K, Perfecto I. The effects of ants on pest control: a meta-analysis. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20221316. [PMID: 35975443 PMCID: PMC9382213 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1316] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental impacts of conventional agriculture have generated interest in sustainable agriculture. Biological pest control is a fundamental tool, and ants are key players providing ecological services, as well as some disservices. We have used a meta-analytical approach to investigate the contribution of ants to biological control, considering their effects on pest and natural enemy abundance, plant damage and crop yield. We also evaluated whether the effects of ants are modulated by traits of ants, pests and other natural enemies, as well as by field size, crop system and experiment duration. Overall (considering all meta-analyses), from 52 studies on 17 different crops, we found that ants decrease the abundance of non-honeydew-producing pests, decrease plant damage and increase crop yield (services). In addition, ants decrease the abundance of natural enemies, mainly the generalist ones, and increase honeydew-producing pest abundance (disservices). We show that the pest control and plant protection provided by ants are boosted in shaded crops compared to monocultures. Furthermore, ants increase crop yield in shaded crops, and this effect increases with time. Finally, we bring new insights such as the importance of shaded crops to ant services, providing a good tool for farmers and stakeholders considering sustainable farming practices.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diego V. Anjos
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38405-302, Brazil
| | - Alejandro Tena
- Centro de Protección Vegetal y Biotecnología, Instituto Valenciano de Investigaciones Agrarias (IVIA), Moncada, Spain
| | - Arleu Barbosa Viana-Junior
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade e Evolução, Coordenação de Zoologia, Museu Paraense Emílio Goeldi, Belém, Para 66077-830, Brazil
| | - Raquel L. Carvalho
- Instituto de Estudos Avançados, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, 05508-020, Brazil
| | - Helena Torezan-Silingardi
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38405-302, Brazil
| | - Kleber Del-Claro
- Instituto de Biologia, Universidade Federal de Uberlândia, Uberlândia, Minas Gerais 38405-302, Brazil
| | - Ivette Perfecto
- School for Environment and Sustainability, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
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Know your enemy: The dragonfly Erythrodiplax fusca (Libellulidae) uses eavesdropping to obtain information about potential rivals. Behav Processes 2022; 202:104741. [PMID: 36038024 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104741] [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: 01/10/2022] [Revised: 07/11/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Animals can eavesdrop on other competitors during territorial defense disputes to better choose rivals weaker than themselves and increase the chances of monopolizing resources. In dragonflies, males often compete for access to water bodies, which attract sexually receptive females to mate and lay eggs. During the breeding season, satellite males can observe fights between territory owners and intruders and, therefore, obtain information about potential rivals through visual cues. Consequently, weaker competitors may face more intense competition than stronger ones when defending a territory. In this study, we conducted field experiments with the dragonfly Erythrodiplax fusca to investigate whether eavesdropping on territorial disputes, using visual cues, affects the intensity of competition that territory owners face. We recorded the number of intruders that engage in disputes against males that recently occupied territories in two groups: the "eavesdropping" group (i.e., individuals with access to rivals' prior information) and the control group (i.e., competitors with no access to prior information). The number of intruders was greater in the eavesdropping group compared to the control group. This effect depended on the interaction between the size of the territory owners and the presence of eavesdropping. The number of intruders decreased with increase in the size of the owners in the presence of eavesdropping, but this relationship did not occur in the control group. We discuss the implications of our findings for the male decision-making process to initiate agonistic disputes and how investigating eavesdropping behavior can improve current models of conflict resolution in animals.
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Palaoro AV, Peixoto PEC. The hidden links between animal weapons, fighting style, and their effect on contest success: a meta‐analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1948-1966. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2021] [Revised: 05/20/2022] [Accepted: 05/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre V. Palaoro
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia e Evolução Universidade Federal de São Paulo Rua Prof. Artur Riedel 66 Diadema São Paulo State 99722‐270 Brazil
- Programa de Pós‐Graduação em Ecologia Universidade de São Paulo Rua do Matão Trav. 14 São Paulo São Paulo State 05508‐090 Brazil
- Department of Material Sciences and Engineering Clemson University 490 Sirrine Hall, 515 Calhoun Dr Clemson SC 29634 USA
| | - Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
- LASEXIA, Departamento de Genética, Ecologia e Evolução Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Av. Antônio Carlos 6627 Belo Horizonte Minas Gerais State 31270‐901 Brazil
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Fighting force and experience combine to determine contest success in a warlike mammal. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2022; 119:e2119176119. [PMID: 35700363 PMCID: PMC9231503 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2119176119] [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] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergroup conflict has been proposed as a major influence in social evolution. Understanding how intergroup contests exert selection on group living requires determining what properties of groups and their members drive contest success. We analyzed 19 y of data on intergroup fighting in wild banded mongooses to disentangle the factors that determine victory. Two factors, the number of males in the group and the age of the oldest “senior” male, most strongly influence the probability of victory. Senior males may be a benefit because of their disproportionate fighting experience. As in human societies, strength in numbers and the presence of key individuals are critical for success in violent intergroup contests, perhaps influencing selection on individual life history and social behavior. Conflicts between social groups or “intergroup contests” are proposed to play a major role in the evolution of cooperation and social organization in humans and some nonhuman animal societies. In humans, success in warfare and other collective conflicts depends on both fighting group size and the presence and actions of key individuals, such as leaders or talismanic warriors. Understanding the determinants of intergroup contest success in other warlike animals may help to reveal the role of these contests in social evolution. Using 19 y of data on intergroup encounters in a particularly violent social mammal, the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo), we show that two factors, the number of adult males and the age of the oldest male (the “senior” male), have the strongest impacts on the probability of group victory. The advantage conferred by senior males appears to stem from their fighting experience. However, the galvanizing effect of senior males declines as they grow old until, at very advanced ages, senior males become a liability rather than an asset and can be evicted. As in human conflict, strength in numbers and the experience of key individuals combine to determine intergroup contest success in this animal society. We discuss how selection arising from intergroup contests may explain a suite of features of individual life history and social organization, including male eviction, sex-assortative alloparental care, and adult sex ratio.
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Camerlink I, Farish M, Arnott G, Turner SP. Sexual dimorphism in ritualized agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs of Sus scrofa. Front Zool 2022; 19:13. [PMID: 35279172 PMCID: PMC8917762 DOI: 10.1186/s12983-022-00458-9] [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: 09/08/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Sexual selection has driven sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in many species. Agonistic behaviour is fundamentally altered by domestication and captivity, but it is unclear whether ancestral sex differences remain. We aimed to evaluate the effect of sex on agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs. We studied this in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa) where aggression compromises welfare, and sexual dimorphism in aggression has been inconclusively demonstrated. Behaviour and physiology of 827 male and female juvenile pigs were studied during resident-intruder tests and dyadic contests at various ages, while accounting for the relative body weight difference between the opponents. Results Males won in 79% of contests against females, even when at a large weight disadvantage. The effect of sex increased with age, with males having a 138 times higher likelihood of winning than females when 13 weeks old. In dyadic contests, males invested more time in non-damaging agonistic display behaviour and took longer before escalating into damaging aggression. Males showed ritualized display that included foaming from the mouth and piloerection of the neck hair, which was nearly always absent in females. Contest costs in terms of contest duration, blood lactate and skin lesions where higher for males, especially when fighting another male. Conclusions Profound sex differences were present for agonistic behaviour, fighting ability and contest costs, and became more pronounced as animals got older. Males invested more in ritualized display before escalating into costly fights, whereas females attacked sooner but also terminated contests more rapidly and with fewer costs. The sexual dimorphism in agonistic behaviour in juvenile domestic pigs is in line with the evolutionary relevance for females’ maternal defence and males’ competition for females.
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Tibbetts EA, Pardo-Sanchez J, Weise C. The establishment and maintenance of dominance hierarchies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200450. [PMID: 35000449 PMCID: PMC8743888 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 24.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal groups are often organized hierarchically, with dominant individuals gaining priority access to resources and reproduction over subordinate individuals. Initial dominance hierarchy formation may be influenced by multiple interacting factors, including an animal's individual attributes, conventions and self-organizing social dynamics. After establishment, hierarchies are typically maintained over the long-term because individuals save time, energy and reduce the risk of injury by recognizing and abiding by established dominance relationships. A separate set of behaviours are used to maintain dominance relationships within groups, including behaviours that stabilize ranks (punishment, threats, behavioural asymmetry), as well as signals that provide information about dominance rank (individual identity signals, signals of dominance). In this review, we describe the behaviours used to establish and maintain dominance hierarchies across different taxa and types of societies. We also review opportunities for future research including: testing how self-organizing behavioural dynamics interact with other factors to mediate dominance hierarchy formation, measuring the long-term stability of social hierarchies and the factors that disrupt hierarchy stability, incorporating phenotypic plasticity into our understanding of the behavioural dynamics of hierarchies and considering how cognition coevolves with the behaviours used to establish and maintain hierarchies. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chloe Weise
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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10
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Biomechanics influence sexual dimorphism in the giant mesquite bug, Thasus neocalifornicus. ZOOLOGY 2022; 150:125988. [PMID: 34973543 DOI: 10.1016/j.zool.2021.125988] [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: 10/07/2020] [Revised: 12/15/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
In many species, males possess specialized weaponry that confers benefits during male-male combat. Because male weapons are often disproportionately larger versions of preexisting body parts, females often possess reduced versions of male weaponry. Most research focuses exclusively on sexual dimorphism in the size of male and female weapons, even though other aspects such as weapon performance can also explain the evolution of weapon sexual dimorphism. In the giant mesquite bug, Thasus neocalifornicus, males wield exaggerated hindlegs that aid in locomotion and are used as weapons to generate forceful squeezes during combat. However, female T. neocalifornicus hindlegs are relatively inconspicuous and only used for locomotion. To understand the intricacies of weapon sexual dimorphism in T. neocalifornicus hindlegs, we measured the allometry of their hindlegs morphology, biomechanics, and performance. Males and females had relatively similar sized legs when concerning only linear measurements: hindleg length did not differ between the sexes (both for intercept and slope), but males do have relatively wider hindlegs (greater intercepts). Regarding performance, however, males were relatively and proportionally stronger than females. Furthermore, the output lever of male hindlegs scales hypoallometrically and the tibial spine maintains its position as the hindlegs grows, both of which maintain the hindlegs' biomechanical efficiency as they increase in size. Overall, our finding demonstrates that selection on the performance and biomechanics of sexually selected weapons can influence the expression of sexual dimorphism, by exaggerating some aspects of the weapons morphology-but constraining others.
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11
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Paul SC, Müller C. Fighting over defense chemicals disrupts mating behavior. Behav Ecol 2021; 33:329-335. [PMID: 35444493 PMCID: PMC9015217 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab117] [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: 03/13/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 10/11/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Studies on intraspecific contest behavior predominantly focus on contests between individuals of the same sex, however contest behavior is also expected to occur between individuals of the opposite sex including possible mates. Here we investigate potential trade-offs between mating and fighting behavior in the turnip sawfly (Athalia rosae). Adults of this species collect chemical defense compounds (clerodanoids) directly from plants but also indirectly by nibbling on conspecifics that have already obtained clerodanoids, a highly aggressive behavioral interaction. An A. rosae individual without clerodanoids may therefore be the potential mate or attacker of an individual of the opposite sex that has gained clerodanoids. To test the effect of clerodanoids on agonistic and mating behavior we paired females and males with or without clerodanoid access in a two-way factorial design. We show that asymmetrical clerodanoid acquisition between female-male pairs causes an increase in agonistic nibbling behavior, irrespective of sex, and moreover that conflict between individuals delays mating behavior. Our study highlights the importance of investigating agonistic intersex interactions, which can occur when adults are able to acquire valuable non-reproductive resources from a potential partner.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Catherine Paul
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
| | - Caroline Müller
- Chemical Ecology, Bielefeld University, Universitätsstr. 25, 33615 Bielefeld, Germany
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Abstract
AbstractAnimal vocalizations may provide information about a sender’s condition or motivational state and, hence, mediate social interactions. In this study, we examined whether vocalizations of gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus) emitted in aggressive contexts (grunts, tsaks) co-vary with physical condition, which would underly and indicate honest signaling. We recorded calls from captive individuals that were subjected to a caloric restricted (CR) or ad libitum (AL) diet, assuming that individuals on an ad libitum dietary regime were in better condition. We analyzed 828 grunts produced by seven CR and nine AL individuals and 270 tsaks by eight CR and five AL individuals. Grunts consisted of two separate elements, with the 1st element having more energy in higher frequencies than the 2nd element. Body mass correlated negatively with acoustic features of grunts, and heavier individuals produced lower-frequency grunts. Acoustic features of grunts did not differ between sexes. Acoustic features of tsaks were predicted by neither body mass nor sex. However, tsaks produced by AL individuals were noisier than those of CR individuals. Hence, manipulation of body condition via dietary regimes affected acoustic features of calls given during aggression in different ways: acoustic features of grunts varied according to the rule of acoustic allometry, and can be considered as honest signals. Acoustic features of tsaks, however, varied according to motivational structural rules. Longitudinal studies are now indicated to examine whether intra-individual changes in body mass are also reflected in the acoustic structure of calls, allowing callers to signal more flexible variation in condition.
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13
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McEachin S, Drury JP, Anderson CN, Grether GF. Mechanisms of reduced interspecific interference between territorial species. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab115] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Interspecific territoriality has complex ecological and evolutionary consequences. Species that interact aggressively often exhibit spatial or temporal shifts in activity that reduce the frequency of costly encounters. We analyzed data collected over a 13-year period on 50 populations of rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.) to examine how rates of interspecific fighting covary with fine-scale habitat partitioning and to test for agonistic character displacement in microhabitat preferences. In most sympatric species, interspecific fights occur less frequently than expected based on the species’ relative densities. Incorporating measurements of spatial segregation and species discrimination into the calculation of expected frequencies accounted for most of the reduction in interspecific fighting (subtle differences in microhabitat preferences could account for the rest). In 23 of 25 sympatric population pairs, we found multivariate differences between species in territory microhabitat (perch height, stream width, current speed, and canopy cover). As predicted by the agonistic character displacement hypothesis, sympatric species that respond more aggressively to each other in direct encounters differ more in microhabitat use and have higher levels of spatial segregation. Previous work established that species with the lowest levels of interspecific fighting have diverged in territory signals and competitor recognition through agonistic character displacement. In the other species pairs, interspecific aggression appears to be maintained as an adaptive response to reproductive interference, but interspecific fighting is still costly. We now have robust evidence that evolved shifts in microhabitat preferences also reduce the frequency of interspecific fighting.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shawn McEachin
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | | | | | - Gregory F Grether
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Los Angeles, 621 Charles Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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Almeida JGL, Peixoto PEC. In search of the perfect web? Males of the golden silk orb‐web spider
trichonephila clavipes
do not aggregate in webs of high‐quality females. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13132] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- João Gabriel Lacerda Almeida
- Laboratório de Seleção Sexual e Interações Agonísticas (Lasexia) Departamento de Genética, Evolução Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte Brazil
| | - Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
- Laboratório de Seleção Sexual e Interações Agonísticas (Lasexia) Departamento de Genética, Evolução Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte Brazil
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15
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Green P, Harrison J. Quadratic resource value assessment during mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda) contests. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.09.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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16
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Green PA, Briffa M, Cant MA. Assessment during Intergroup Contests. Trends Ecol Evol 2020; 36:139-150. [PMID: 33187729 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2020.09.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2020] [Revised: 09/24/2020] [Accepted: 09/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Research on how competitors assess (i.e., gather information on) fighting ability and contested resources, as well as how assessment impacts on contest processes and outcomes, has been fundamental to the field of dyadic (one-on-one) contests. Despite recent growth in studies of contests between social-living groups, there is limited understanding of assessment during these intergroup contests. We adapt current knowledge of dyadic contest assessment to the intergroup case, describing what traits of groups, group members, and resources are assessed, and how assessment is manifested in contest processes (e.g., behaviors) and outcomes. This synthesis helps to explain the role of individual heterogeneity in assessment and how groups are shaped by the selective pressure of contests.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Green
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK.
| | - M Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL3 8AA, UK
| | - M A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9FE, UK
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18
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Abstract
Understanding the determinants of fighting ability (or resource-holding potential, RHP) is key to elucidating the evolution of aggressive behaviour, as current tests of contest theory rely on realistic proxies for overall RHP. Traditionally, RHP is considered equivalent to body size but it is increasingly clear that a wider range of morphological and physiological traits contribute to fighting ability. In situations analogous to contests, such as courtship displays in animals and competitive sport in humans, the role of skill has long been appreciated but this component has been neglected in analyses of animal fights. Here, we investigated two spatial components of skill, accuracy and precision, during shell fights in hermit crabs, where an attacker repeatedly strikes (raps) its shell against that of a defender. By analysing the points of impact of these strikes, we found that attackers that rapped with coarse-scale accuracy were more likely to win the fight, indicating that the ability to target a ‘sweet spot’ on the defender's shell is an important determinant of contest success. Furthermore, we found that this element of skill correlated with temporal performance (vigour). Taken together these results show that spatial skill is an RHP component. Moreover, in contrast to the traditional assumption that fighting ability is equivalent to body size, RHP is actually underpinned by a suite of interlinked traits including performance capacities, morphology and skill. Fighting often involves the repeated performance of agonistic behaviours. Individuals may vary in how skilfully they perform such behaviours. We investigate the link between spatial skill and fighting success in hermit crabs. We find that winners perform rapping behaviour more skilfully than losers. Our results indicate that skill is tightly correlated with other fighting traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Lane
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Animal Behaviour Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, U.K
| | - Mark Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Animal Behaviour Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, U.K
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19
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Palaoro AV, Muniz DG, Santos S. Harder, better, faster, stronger: Weapon size is more sexually dimorphic than weapon biomechanical components in two freshwater anomuran species. J Morphol 2020; 281:1098-1109. [PMID: 32681767 DOI: 10.1002/jmor.21234] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/10/2019] [Revised: 06/11/2020] [Accepted: 06/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Sexual selection influences the evolution of morphological traits that increase the likelihood of monopolizing scarce resources. When such traits are used during contests, they are termed weapons. Given that resources are typically linked to monopolizing mating partners, theory expects only males to bear weapons. In some species, however, females also bear weapons, although typically smaller than male weapons. Understanding why females bear smaller weapons can thus help us understand the selective pressures behind weapon evolution. However, most of our knowledge comes from studies on weapon size, while the biomechanics of weapons, such as the size of the muscles, efficiency, and shape are seldom studied. Our goal was to test if the theoretical expectations for weapon size sexual dimorphism also occur for weapon biomechanics using two aeglid crab species. Males of both species had larger claws which were also stronger than female claws. Male claws were also more efficient than females' claws (although we used only one species in this analysis). For weapon shape, though, only one species differed in the mean claw shape. Regarding scaling differences, in both species, male claws had higher size scaling than females, while only one species had a higher shape scaling. However, male weapons did not have higher scaling regarding strength and efficiency than females. Thus, males apparently allocate more resources in weapons than females, but once allocated, muscle and efficiency follow a similar developmental pathway in both sexes. Taken together, our results show that sexual dimorphism in weapons involves more than differences in size. Shape differences are especially intriguing because we cannot fully understand its causes. Yet, we highlight that such subtle differences can only be detected by measuring and analysing weapon shape and biomechanical components. Only then we might better understand how weapons are forged.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alexandre V Palaoro
- LAGE do Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,LUTA do Departamento de Ecologia e Biologia Evolutiva, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.,Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Danilo G Muniz
- LAGE do Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Sandro Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, São Paulo, Brazil
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20
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Palaoro AV, Peixoto PEC, Benso-Lopes F, Boligon DS, Santos S. Fight intensity correlates with stronger and more mechanically efficient weapons in three species of Aegla crabs. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02834-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023]
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21
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Are good fighters also good singers? The relationship between acoustic traits and fight success in the treefrog Pithecopus nordestinus (Phyllomedusidae). Acta Ethol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-020-00337-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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22
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Lane SM, Wilson AJ, Briffa M. Analysis of direct and indirect genetic effects in fighting sea anemones. Behav Ecol 2020; 31:540-547. [PMID: 32210526 PMCID: PMC7083097 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz217] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/26/2019] [Revised: 12/05/2019] [Accepted: 12/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Theoretical models of animal contests such as the Hawk-Dove game predict that variation in fighting behavior will persist due to mixed evolutionarily stable strategies (ESS) under certain conditions. However, the genetic basis for this variation is poorly understood and a mixed ESS for fighting can be interpreted in more than one way. Specifically, we do not know whether variation in aggression within a population arises from among-individual differences in fixed strategy (determined by an individual's genotype-direct genetic effects [DGEs]), or from within-individual variation in strategy across contests. Furthermore, as suggested by developments of the original Hawk-Dove model, within-individual variation in strategy may be dependent on the phenotype and thus genotype of the opponent (indirect genetic effects-IGEs). Here we test for the effect of DGEs and IGEs during fights in the beadlet sea anemone Actinia equina. By exploiting the unusual reproductive system of sea anemones, combined with new molecular data, we investigate the role of both additive (DGE + IGE) and non-additive (DGE × IGE) genetic effects on fighting parameters, the latter of which have been hypothesized but never tested for explicitly. We find evidence for heritable variation in fighting ability and that fight duration increases with relatedness. Fighting success is influenced additively by DGEs and IGEs but we found no evidence for non-additive IGEs. These results indicate that variation in fighting behavior is driven by additive indirect genetic effects (DGE + IGE), and support a core assumption of contest theory that strategies are fixed by DGEs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Lane
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Animal Behaviour Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
| | - Alastair J Wilson
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall, UK
| | - Mark Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, Animal Behaviour Research Group, University of Plymouth, Plymouth, Devon, UK
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23
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Pay attention to the ladies: female aggressive behavior and weapon allometry provide clues for sexual selection in freshwater anomurans (Decapoda: Aeglidae). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2741-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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24
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Benso-Lopes F, Santos S, Palaoro AV. Underwater compensation for exaggerated weaponry: The role of morphology and environment on crab locomotor performance. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2019; 331:382-391. [PMID: 31290237 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2019] [Revised: 06/05/2019] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Exaggerated morphologies may increase fitness, but they might be costly to bear; heavy weight, for instance, might hinder locomotion. Evidence supporting these costs are sparse because animals that move on land or swim have traits reducing those costs, called compensatory traits. Animals that walk underwater, however, are under different environmental pressures than land animals. Buoyancy, for instance, reduces the effective weight of any object, which could decrease the locomotion costs of carrying exagerrated traits. Hence, underwater species might maintain performance without compensation. To test this, we compared males of the freshwater anomuran Aegla longirostri that bear an exaggerated claw to females (the natural control). We first tested whether the exaggerated claw decreased male locomotor performance. Next, we tested if sexual dimorphism in performance is associated with differences in leg asymmetry, length, and muscle size. Lastly, we tested if large males have proportionally heavier legs than smaller males. Unexpectedly, females are faster than males while also having relatively longer legs than males. Therefore, females might walk faster because of the longer legs, which might be unrelated to the male exaggerated claw. Furthermore, larger males did not have proportionally heavier legs than smaller males, further suggesting no compensation. Hence, even though aeglid's claw weigh ~25% of their total body weight, we did not find evidence for burden or compensation on males. The environment might thus decrease the costs of exaggerated traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fernando Benso-Lopes
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Sandro Santos
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil
| | - Alexandre V Palaoro
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Biodiversidade Animal, Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Santa Maria, Brazil.,LAGE do Departamento de Ecologia, Instituto de Biociências, Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
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25
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What do we need to know to recognize a contest? Naturwissenschaften 2019; 106:32. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-019-1632-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2018] [Revised: 05/27/2019] [Accepted: 06/01/2019] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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26
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Pinto NS, Palaoro AV, Peixoto PEC. All by myself? Meta‐analysis of animal contests shows stronger support for self than for mutual assessment models. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2019; 94:1430-1442. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12509] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2018] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/06/2019] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nelson S. Pinto
- Graduate Program in EcologyUniversidade Federal da Bahia Salvador BA 40110‐909 Brazil
| | - Alexandre V. Palaoro
- LAGE do Departamento de EcologiaUniversidade de São Paulo São Paulo SP 05508‐090 Brazil
| | - Paulo E. C. Peixoto
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Biologia GeralUniversidade Federal de Minas Gerais Belo Horizonte MG 31270‐901 Brazil
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27
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Rink AN, Altwegg R, Edwards S, Bowie RCK, Colville JF. Contest dynamics and assessment strategies in combatant monkey beetles (Scarabaeidae: Hopliini). Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Ariella N Rink
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Res Altwegg
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
- African Climate and Development Initiative, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
| | - Shelley Edwards
- Evolutionary Biology and Molecular Biology, Department of Zoology and Entomology, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
| | - Rauri C K Bowie
- NRF Centre of Excellence at the Percy FitzPatrick Institute, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
- Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and Department of Integrative Biology, University of California, Harmon Way, Berkeley, CA, USA
| | - Jonathan F Colville
- South African National Biodiversity Institute, Kirstenbosch Research Centre, Newlands, Cape Town, South Africa
- Statistics in Ecology, Environment and Conservation, Department of Statistical Sciences, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, Cape Town, South Africa
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28
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Lobregat G, Gechel Kloss T, Peixoto PEC, Sperber CF. Fighting in rounds: males of a neotropical cricket switch assessment strategies during contests. Behav Ecol 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arz005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Lobregat
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Edifício Chotaro Shimoya, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Thiago Gechel Kloss
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade do Estado de Minas Gerais, Av. Olegário Maciel, Ubá, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
- Instituto de Ciências Biológicas, Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, Av. Presidente Antônio Carlos, Pampulha, Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Carlos Frankl Sperber
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Edifício Chotaro Shimoya, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
- Departamento de Biologia Geral, Universidade Federal de Viçosa, Av. Peter Henry Rolfs, s/n, Campus Universitário, Viçosa, Minas Gerais, Brazil
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29
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Green PA, Patek SN. Mutual assessment during ritualized fighting in mantis shrimp (Stomatopoda). Proc Biol Sci 2019; 285:rspb.2017.2542. [PMID: 29343603 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2542] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/13/2017] [Accepted: 12/14/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Safe and effective conflict resolution is critical for survival and reproduction. Theoretical models describe how animals resolve conflict by assessing their own and/or their opponent's ability (resource holding potential, RHP), yet experimental tests of these models are often inconclusive. Recent reviews have suggested this uncertainty could be alleviated by using multiple approaches to test assessment models. The mantis shrimp Neogonodactylus bredini presents visual displays and ritualistically exchanges high-force strikes during territorial contests. We tested how N. bredini contest dynamics were explained by any of three assessment models-pure self-assessment, cumulative assessment and mutual assessment-using correlations and a novel, network analysis-based sequential behavioural analysis. We staged dyadic contests over burrow access between competitors matched either randomly or based on body size. In both randomly and size-matched contests, the best metric of RHP was body mass. Burrow residency interacted with mass to predict outcome. Correlations between contest costs and RHP rejected pure self-assessment, but could not fully differentiate between cumulative and mutual assessment. The sequential behavioural analysis ruled out cumulative assessment and supported mutual assessment. Our results demonstrate how multiple analyses provide strong inference to tests of assessment models and illuminate how individual behaviours constitute an assessment strategy.
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Affiliation(s)
- P A Green
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
| | - S N Patek
- Biology Department, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA
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30
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Sex ratio and density may affect temporal variation in size-assortative mating in a Neotropical ant species. ZOOL ANZ 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jcz.2018.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Kasumovic MM, Blake K, Denson TF. Using knowledge from human research to improve understanding of contest theory and contest dynamics. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.2182. [PMID: 29237857 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.2182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2017] [Accepted: 11/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Our understanding of animal contests and the factors that affect contest dynamics and decisions stems from a long and prosperous collaboration between empiricists and theoreticians. Over the last two decades, however, theoretical predictions regarding the factors that affect individual decisions before, during and after a contest are becoming increasingly difficult to test empirically. Extremely large sample sizes are necessary to experimentally test the nuanced theoretical assumptions surrounding how information is used by animals during a contest, how context changes the information used, and how individuals change behaviour as a result of both the information available and the context in which the information is acquired. In this review, we discuss how the investigation of contests in humans through the collaboration of biologists and psychologists may advance contest theory and dynamics in general. We argue that a long and productive history exploring human behaviour and psychology combined with technological advancements provide a unique opportunity to manipulate human perception during contests and collect unbiased data, allowing more targeted examinations of particular aspects of contest theory (e.g. winner/loser effects, information use as a function of age). We hope that our perspective provides the impetus for many future collaborations between biologists and psychologists.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael M Kasumovic
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Khandis Blake
- Ecology and Evolution Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth & Environmental Sciences, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
| | - Thomas F Denson
- School of Psychology, UNSW Australia, Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia
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32
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Willingness to initiate a fight but not contest behaviour depends on intruder size in Lethrus apterus (Geotrupidae). Behav Processes 2018; 149:65-71. [PMID: 29428825 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.02.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/23/2017] [Revised: 02/02/2018] [Accepted: 02/05/2018] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
In resident-intruder contests, residents are expected to win more often than intruders unless the intruder has significantly higher competitive ability that is often determined by its size. Therefore, small intruders are expected to be less motivated to engage in contests than large ones and intruder size is predicted to have a positive relationship with the duration and escalation of the encounters. In a field experiment we tested these hypotheses in Lethrus apterus, a biparental beetle breeding in underground tunnels, by placing either a small or a large male in front of a tunnel occupied by a resident male. In agreement with our predictions residents won most of the encounters. Small intruders were less willing to engage in a contest and were less successful in their takeover attempts than large intruders. Contrary to many studies however, the duration and escalation (measured by the occurrence and latency of the different contest stages) of the fight in front of the burrow did not differ between the two intruder size categories. These findings suggest that in this species, small and large intruders adjust their prior decisions to their competitive abilities but once a fight started, they behave similarly during the contest.
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33
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Briffa M, Lane SM. The role of skill in animal contests: a neglected component of fighting ability. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.1596. [PMID: 28954913 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.1596] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 08/25/2017] [Indexed: 01/21/2023] Open
Abstract
What attributes make some individuals more likely to win a fight than others? A range of morphological and physiological traits have been studied intensely but far less focus has been placed on the actual agonistic behaviours used. Current studies of agonistic behaviour focus on contest duration and the vigour of fighting. It also seems obvious that individuals that fight more skilfully should have a greater chance of winning a fight. Here, we discuss the meaning of skill in animal fights. As the activities of each opponent can be disrupted by the behaviour of their rival, we differentiate among ability, technique and skill itself. In addition to efficient, accurate and sometimes precise movement, skilful fighting also requires rapid decision-making, so that appropriate tactics and strategies are selected. We consider how these different components of skill could be acquired, through genes, experiences of play-fighting and of real fights. Skilful fighting can enhance resource holding potential (RHP) by allowing for sustained vigour, by inflicting greater costs on opponents and by minimizing the chance of damage. Therefore, we argue that skill is a neglected but important component of RHP that could be readily studied to provide new insights into the evolution of agonistic behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark Briffa
- School of Biological and Marine Science, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL3 8AA, UK
| | - Sarah M Lane
- School of Biological and Marine Science, Plymouth University, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL3 8AA, UK
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34
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dos Santos TB, Peixoto PEC. Agonistic interactions in the dragonfly Micrathyria ungulata: does male fighting investment come from an innate ability or an indomitable will? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2335-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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35
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Motor pattern during fights in the hermit crab Pagurus bernhardus : evidence for the role of skill in animal contests. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.03.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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36
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Moura RR, Gonzaga MO. Temporal variation in size-assortative mating and male mate choice in a spider with amphisexual care. Naturwissenschaften 2017; 104:28. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-017-1448-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2016] [Revised: 02/15/2017] [Accepted: 02/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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37
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Palaoro AV, Briffa M. Weaponry and defenses in fighting animals: how allometry can alter predictions from contest theory. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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38
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Camerlink I, Arnott G, Farish M, Turner SP. Complex contests and the influence of aggressiveness in pigs. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.08.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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39
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Ferreira CPS, Cerqueira LP, Uezu A, Oliveira EJF, Peixoto PEC. Territory Availability at Different Spatial Scales does not Affect Fighting Investment in Males of the Lycaenid Butterfly Strymon mulucha. Ethology 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12526] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cibele P. S. Ferreira
- Programa de pós-graduação em Zoologia; Sala 06, 1° andar - Prédio LABIO; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Feira de Santana BA Brazil
- Laboratório de Entomologia; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Novo Horizonte Feira de Santana BA Brazil
| | - Luana P. Cerqueira
- Programa de pós-graduação em Zoologia; Sala 06, 1° andar - Prédio LABIO; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Feira de Santana BA Brazil
- Laboratório de Entomologia; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Novo Horizonte Feira de Santana BA Brazil
| | - Alexandre Uezu
- Instituto de Pesquisas Ecológicas; Nazaré Paulista SP Brazil
| | - Eddy J. F. Oliveira
- Laboratório de Entomologia; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Novo Horizonte Feira de Santana BA Brazil
| | - Paulo E. C. Peixoto
- Laboratório de Entomologia; Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana; Novo Horizonte Feira de Santana BA Brazil
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40
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Moore MP, Martin RA. Intrasexual selection favours an immune-correlated colour ornament in a dragonfly. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:2256-2265. [PMID: 27467980 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12953] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2016] [Revised: 07/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
Abstract
Sexual signalling is predicted to shape the evolution of sex-specific ornamentation, and establishing the costs and benefits of ornamentation and the information that ornamentation provides to receivers is necessary to evaluating this adaptive function. Here, we assessed the adaptive function of a common colour ornament in insects, melanin wing ornamentation, using the dragonfly Pachydiplax longipennis. We hypothesized that greater ornamentation would improve territory-holding success by decreasing aggression that males receive from territorial rivals, but that more ornamented males may have shorter lifespans. Using mark-recapture field observations, we found that more ornamented males had greater territory-holding success and that viability selection did not act on wing melanization. We then compared the aggression of territorial rivals to decoy males before and after experimentally augmenting wing melanization, finding that males significantly reduced aggression following the manipulation. We next hypothesized that wing melanization would signal fighting ability to territorial rivals by reflecting condition via investment in the costly melanin synthesis pathway. We observed a positive relationship between ornamentation and the likelihood of winning territorial disputes, suggesting that wing melanization provides information about fighting ability to rivals. We also found a positive relationship between melanin-based immune defence and ornamentation, supporting a link between the signal and condition. We conclude that wing melanization is a condition-related signal of fighting ability and suggest that this may be a common mechanism promoting the evolution of melanin ornamentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Moore
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA.
| | - R A Martin
- Department of Biology, Case Western Reserve University, Cleveland, OH, USA
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41
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Takeuchi T, Yabuta S, Tsubaki Y. The erroneous courtship hypothesis: do insects really engage in aerial wars of attrition? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Tsuyoshi Takeuchi
- Center for Ecological Research; Kyoto University; Hirano 2-509-3 Otsu 5202113 Japan
- Entomological Laboratory; Graduate School of Life and Environmental Science; Osaka Prefecture University; Gakuencho1-1 Nakaku Sakai 5998531 Japan
| | - Shinji Yabuta
- Department of Animal Sciences; Teikyo University of Science & Technology; 2525 Yatsusawa Uenohara Yamanashi 4090193 Japan
| | - Yoshitaka Tsubaki
- Center for Ecological Research; Kyoto University; Hirano 2-509-3 Otsu 5202113 Japan
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Carvalho MRM, Peixoto PEC, Benson WW. Territorial clashes in the Neotropical butterfly Actinote pellenea (Acraeinae): do disputes differ when contests get physical? Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2042-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Peixoto PEC, Medina AM, Mendoza-Cuenca L. Do territorial butterflies show a macroecological fighting pattern in response to environmental stability? Behav Processes 2014; 109 Pt A:14-20. [PMID: 25013990 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.07.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2014] [Revised: 06/28/2014] [Accepted: 07/01/2014] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
Abstract
The territorial defense of mating sites by males should be favored when female monopolization is possible. Such monopolization should occur in species in which females emerge asynchronously, since males may have time to copulate with one female before the arrival of other. However, regions with smaller reproductive windows should promote higher synchronicity of female emergence, generating a predictable macroecological pattern associated to the rewards from territorial defense. In this study we evaluated the hypothesis that territorial male butterflies should invest more in fighting in species that occur in areas with stable climatic conditions that should present longer reproductive windows. We compiled studies reporting mean butterfly fighting times, mean trait differences among winners and losers and local Köppen climatic classification (a surrogate for climatic stability). We found that males from butterfly species located in areas with stable climatic conditions fight for longer times. However, although winners were stronger than intruders only in areas with intermediate climatic conditions, there was a marked variation among winner-loser comparisons in species in areas with stable climatic conditions. We conclude that males from butterfly species that occur in areas with stable climatic regimes invest more in fighting due to the higher payoffs accrued with territorial defense, but that such investment does not change the effect of trait asymmetries in settling territorial conflicts. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Special Issue:Neotropical Behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paulo Enrique Cardoso Peixoto
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana CEP: 44036-900, BA, Brazil.
| | - Anderson Matos Medina
- Laboratório de Entomologia, Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana CEP: 44036-900, BA, Brazil.
| | - Luis Mendoza-Cuenca
- Laboratorio de Ecología de la Conducta, Facultad de Biologia, Universidad Michoacana de San Nicolás de Hidalgo, Av. Francisco J. Mújica s/n, Col. Felicitas del Rio. C.P., 58030 Morelia, Michoacán, Mexico.
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Tsai YJJ, Barrows EM, Weiss MR. Pure Self-Assessment of Size During Male-Male Contests in the Parasitoid WaspNasonia vitripennis. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12254] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Yi-Jiun J. Tsai
- Department of Biology; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
| | - Edward M. Barrows
- Department of Biology; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
- Center for the Environment; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
| | - Martha R. Weiss
- Department of Biology; Georgetown University; Washington DC USA
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Outomuro D, Rodríguez-Martínez S, Karlsson A, Johansson F. Male wing shape differs between condition-dependent alternative reproductive tactics in territorial damselflies. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.02.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Mourão MAN, Peixoto PEC. Do morphological and physiological characteristics of males of the dragonfly Macrothemis imitans determine the winner of territorial contests? JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2014; 14:89. [PMID: 25368045 PMCID: PMC4212874 DOI: 10.1093/jis/14.1.89] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/15/2012] [Accepted: 03/06/2013] [Indexed: 06/04/2023]
Abstract
Males of many animal species show intraspecific disputes for mating territories that range from displays without physical contact to physical fights with risk of injury. This variation motivated the proposition of different models that suggest possible rules used by rivals to decide the contest winner. To evaluate those models, it is necessary to identify how males behave during the fight and the individual attributes that determine their fighting ability (resource holding potential). For this, males of the dragonfly Macrothemis imitans (Karsch) (Odonata: Libellulidae) were used to evaluate two hypotheses conditioned on the occurrence of physical contact during the fight: if the contests occur with physical contact, features related to size should determine male resource holding potential, and if males do not exhibit physical contact during the contests, features that confer greater endurance should determine resource holding potential. To assess these hypotheses, we collected males that had ownership of territories (resident males) and males that occupied the territory after we removed the resident males (substitute males). After the capture, the resident and substitute males were transferred to the laboratory for measurements of wing area, dry weight, thoracic muscle mass, and fat content. The results showed that resident males do not differ in any measured trait from substitutes. Because the fights occur with physical contact, it is intriguing that resident males do not possess higher fighting capacity than intruders. Perhaps physical contact does not incur high costs during the fight, and other asymmetries, such as motivation associated with prior residency of the disputed territory, determine the contest winner.
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Affiliation(s)
- M A N Mourão
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ecologia e Recursos Naturais, Universidade Federal do Ceará, Ceará, Brazil Instituto Brasileiro do Meio Ambiente e dos Recursos Naturais Renováveis, Brasília CEP 70818-900, Distrito Federal, Brazil
| | - P E C Peixoto
- Departamento de Ciências Biológicas, Universidade Estadual de Feira de Santana, Feira de Santana CEP 44036-900, Bahia, Brazil
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Porto TJ, Peixoto PEC. Experimental evidence of habitat selection and territoriality in the Amazonian whip spider Heterophrynus longicornis (Arachnida, Amblypygi). J ETHOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10164-013-0379-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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