1
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Ritwika VPS, Gopinathan A, Yeakel JD. Beyond the kill: The allometry of predation behaviours among large carnivores. J Anim Ecol 2024; 93:554-566. [PMID: 38459609 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.14070] [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: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 02/06/2024] [Indexed: 03/10/2024]
Abstract
The costs of foraging can be high while also carrying significant risks, especially for consumers feeding at the top of the food chain. To mitigate these risks, many predators supplement active hunting with scavenging and kleptoparasitic behaviours, in some cases specializing in these alternative modes of predation. The factors that drive differential utilization of these tactics from species to species are not well understood. Here, we use an energetics approach to investigate the survival advantages of hunting, scavenging and kleptoparasitism as a function of predator, prey and potential competitor body sizes for terrestrial mammalian carnivores. The results of our framework reveal that predator tactics become more diverse closer to starvation, while the deployment of scavenging and kleptoparasitism is strongly constrained by the ratio of predator to prey body size. Our model accurately predicts a behavioural transition away from hunting towards alternative modes of predation with increasing prey size for predators spanning an order of magnitude in body size, closely matching observational data across a range of species. We then show that this behavioural boundary follows an allometric power-law scaling relationship where the predator size scales with an exponent nearing 3/4 with prey size, meaning that this behavioural switch occurs at relatively larger threshold prey body size for larger carnivores. We suggest that our approach may provide a holistic framework for guiding future observational efforts exploring the diverse array of predator foraging behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- V P S Ritwika
- Department of Physics, UC Merced, Merced, California, USA
- Department of Communication, UCLA, Los Angeles, California, USA
- Life and Environmental Sciences, UC Merced, Merced, California, USA
| | | | - Justin D Yeakel
- Life and Environmental Sciences, UC Merced, Merced, California, USA
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2
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Belyaev RI, Nikolskaia P, Bushuev AV, Panyutina AA, Kozhanova DA, Prilepskaya NE. Running, jumping, hunting, and scavenging: Functional analysis of vertebral mobility and backbone properties in carnivorans. J Anat 2024; 244:205-231. [PMID: 37837214 PMCID: PMC10780164 DOI: 10.1111/joa.13955] [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: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 09/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/07/2023] [Indexed: 10/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Carnivorans are well-known for their exceptional backbone mobility, which enables them to excel in fast running and long jumping, leading to them being among the most successful predators amongst terrestrial mammals. This study presents the first large-scale analysis of mobility throughout the presacral region of the vertebral column in carnivorans. The study covers representatives of 6 families, 24 genera and 34 species. We utilized a previously developed osteometry-based method to calculate available range of motion, quantifying all three directions of intervertebral mobility: sagittal bending (SB), lateral bending (LB), and axial rotation (AR). We observed a strong phylogenetic signal in the structural basis of the vertebral column (vertebral and joint formulae, length proportions of the backbone modules) and an insignificant phylogenetic signal in most characteristics of intervertebral mobility. This indicates that within the existing structure (stabilization of which occurred rather early in different phylogenetic lineages), intervertebral mobility in carnivorans is quite flexible. Our findings reveal that hyenas and canids, which use their jaws to seize prey, are characterized by a noticeably elongated cervical region and significantly higher SB and LB mobility of the cervical joints compared to other carnivorans. In representatives of other carnivoran families, the cervical region is very short, but the flexibility of the neck (both SB and LB) is significantly higher than that of short-necked odd-toed and even-toed ungulates. The lumbar region of the backbone in carnivorans is dorsomobile in the sagittal plane, being on average ~23° more mobile than in artiodactyls and ~38° more mobile than in perissodactyls. However, despite the general dorsomobility, only some representatives of Canidae, Felidae, and Viverridae are superior in lumbar flexibility to the most dorsomobile ungulates. The most dorsomobile artiodactyls are equal or even superior to carnivorans in their ability to engage in dorsal extension during galloping. In contrast, carnivorans are far superior to ungulates in their ability to engage ventral flexion. The cumulative SB in the lumbar region in carnivorans largely depends on the mode of running and hunting. Thus, adaptation to prolonged and enduring pursuit of prey in hyenas is accompanied by markedly reduced SB flexibility in the lumbar region. A more dorsostable run is also a characteristic of the Ursidae, and the peculiar maned wolf. Representatives of Felidae and Canidae have significantly more available SB mobility in the lumbar region. However, they fully engage it only occasionally at key moments of the hunt associated with the direct capture of the prey or when running in a straight line at maximum speed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ruslan I. Belyaev
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Polina Nikolskaia
- Geological InstituteRussian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Andrey V. Bushuev
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of BiologyLomonosov Moscow State UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
| | | | - Darya A. Kozhanova
- Department of Paleontology, Faculty of GeologyLomonosov Moscow State UniversityMoscowRussian Federation
| | - Natalya E. Prilepskaya
- A.N. Severtsov Institute of Ecology and EvolutionRussian Academy of SciencesMoscowRussian Federation
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3
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Wooster EIF, Gaynor KM, Carthey AJR, Wallach AD, Stanton LA, Ramp D, Lundgren EJ. Animal cognition and culture mediate predator-prey interactions. Trends Ecol Evol 2024; 39:52-64. [PMID: 37839906 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.09.012] [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: 05/10/2023] [Revised: 09/12/2023] [Accepted: 09/19/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Predator-prey ecology and the study of animal cognition and culture have emerged as independent disciplines. Research combining these disciplines suggests that both animal cognition and culture can shape the outcomes of predator-prey interactions and their influence on ecosystems. We review the growing body of work that weaves animal cognition or culture into predator-prey ecology, and argue that both cognition and culture are significant but poorly understood mechanisms mediating how predators structure ecosystems. We present a framework exploring how previous experiences with the predation process creates feedback loops that alter the predation sequence. Cognitive and cultural predator-prey ecology offers ecologists new lenses through which to understand species interactions, their ecological consequences, and novel methods to conserve wildlife in a changing world.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eamonn I F Wooster
- Gulbali Institute, School of Agricultural, Environmental, and Veterinary Sciences, Charles Sturt University, Albury, NSW, Australia.
| | - Kaitlyn M Gaynor
- Departments of Zoology and Botany, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - Alexandra J R Carthey
- School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Macquarie Park, NSW 2113, Australia
| | - Arian D Wallach
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia
| | - Lauren A Stanton
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California Berkeley, Berkeley, CA 94720-3114, USA
| | - Daniel Ramp
- Centre for Compassionate Conservation, TD School, University of Technology Sydney, Ultimo, NSW 2007, Australia
| | - Erick J Lundgren
- School of Biology and Environmental Science, Faculty of Science, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD, Australia; Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics in a Changing World (BIOCHANGE), Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark; Section for Ecoinformatics and Biodiversity, Department of Biology, Aarhus University, Aarhus C, Denmark
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4
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Taxonomic, Genomic, and Functional Variation in the Gut Microbiomes of Wild Spotted Hyenas Across 2 Decades of Study. mSystems 2023; 8:e0096522. [PMID: 36533929 PMCID: PMC9948708 DOI: 10.1128/msystems.00965-22] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022] Open
Abstract
The gut microbiome provides vital functions for mammalian hosts, yet research on its variability and function across adult life spans and multiple generations is limited in large mammalian carnivores. Here, we used 16S rRNA gene and metagenomic high-throughput sequencing to profile the bacterial taxonomic composition, genomic diversity, and metabolic function of fecal samples collected from 12 wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) residing in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, over a 23-year period spanning three generations. The metagenomic data came from four of these hyenas and spanned two 2-year periods. With these data, we determined the extent to which host factors predicted variation in the gut microbiome and identified the core microbes present in the guts of hyenas. We also investigated novel genomic diversity in the mammalian gut by reporting the first metagenome-assembled genomes (MAGs) for hyenas. We found that gut microbiome taxonomic composition varied temporally, but despite this, a core set of 14 bacterial genera were identified. The strongest predictors of the microbiome were host identity and age, suggesting that hyenas possess individualized microbiomes and that these may change with age during adulthood. The gut microbiome functional profiles of the four adult hyenas were also individual specific and were associated with prey abundance, indicating that the functions of the gut microbiome vary with host diet. We recovered 149 high-quality MAGs from the hyenas' guts; some MAGs were classified as taxa previously reported for other carnivores, but many were novel and lacked species-level matches to genomes in existing reference databases. IMPORTANCE There is a gap in knowledge regarding the genomic diversity and variation of the gut microbiome across a host's life span and across multiple generations of hosts in wild mammals. Using two types of sequencing approaches, we found that although gut microbiomes were individualized and temporally variable among hyenas, they correlated similarly to large-scale changes in the ecological conditions experienced by their hosts. We also recovered 149 high-quality MAGs from the hyena gut, greatly expanding the microbial genome repertoire known for hyenas, carnivores, and wild mammals in general. Some MAGs came from genera abundant in the gastrointestinal tracts of canid species and other carnivores, but over 80% of MAGs were novel and from species not previously represented in genome databases. Collectively, our novel body of work illustrates the importance of surveying the gut microbiome of nonmodel wild hosts, using multiple sequencing methods and computational approaches and at distinct scales of analysis.
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5
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Fouché J, Reilly BK, de Crom EP, Baeumchen YK. Diet of spotted hyaenas (Crocuta crocuta) on farmlands in Namibia. FOOD WEBS 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.fooweb.2022.e00262] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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6
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Støen OG, Sivertsen TR, Tallian A, Rauset GR, Kindberg J, Persson LT, Stokke R, Skarin A, Segerström P, Frank J. Brown bear predation on semi-domesticated reindeer and depredation compensations. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02168] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
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7
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Zhao M, Tang N, Dahmani AL, Zhu Y, Rossano F, Gao T. Sharing Rewards Undermines Coordinated Hunting. J Comput Biol 2022; 29:1022-1030. [PMID: 35749149 DOI: 10.1089/cmb.2021.0549] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Coordinated hunting is widely observed in animals, and sharing rewards is often considered a major incentive for its success. While current theories about the role played by sharing in coordinated hunting are based on correlational evidence, we reveal the causal roles of sharing rewards through computational modeling with a state-of-the-art Multi-agent Reinforcement Learning (MARL) algorithm. We show that counterintuitively, while selfish agents reach robust coordination, sharing rewards undermines coordination. Hunting coordination modeled through sharing rewards (1) suffers from the free-rider problem, (2) plateaus at a small group size, and (3) is not a Nash equilibrium. Moreover, individually rewarded predators outperform predators that share rewards, especially when the hunting is difficult, the group size is large, and the action cost is high. Our results shed new light on the actual importance of prosocial motives for successful coordination in nonhuman animals and suggest that sharing rewards might simply be a byproduct of hunting, instead of a design strategy aimed at facilitating group coordination. This also highlights that current artificial intelligence modeling of human-like coordination in a group setting that assumes rewards sharing as a motivator (e.g., MARL) might not be adequately capturing what is truly necessary for successful coordination.
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Affiliation(s)
- Minglu Zhao
- Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Ning Tang
- Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Annya L Dahmani
- Department of Psychology, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Yixin Zhu
- Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Federico Rossano
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego, La Jolla, California, USA
| | - Tao Gao
- Department of Statistics, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA.,Department of Communication, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
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8
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Heldstab SA, Isler K, Graber SM, Schuppli C, van Schaik CP. The economics of brain size evolution in vertebrates. Curr Biol 2022; 32:R697-R708. [PMID: 35728555 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2022.04.096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, we see remarkable variation in brain size. This variation has even increased over evolutionary time. Traditionally, studies aiming to explain brain size evolution have looked at the fitness benefits of increased brain size in relation to its increased cognitive performance in the social and/or ecological domain. However, brains are among the most energetically expensive tissues in the body and also require an uninterrupted energy supply. If not compensated, these energetic demands inevitably lead to a reduction in energy allocation to other vital functions. In this review, we summarize how an increasing number of studies show that to fully comprehend brain size evolution and the large variation in brain size across lineages, it is important to look at the economics of brains, including the different pathways through which the high energetic costs of brains can be offset. We further show how numerous studies converge on the conclusion that cognitive abilities can only drive brain size evolution in vertebrate lineages where they result in an improved energy balance through favourable ecological preconditions. Cognitive benefits that do not directly improve the organism's energy balance can only be selectively favoured when they produce such large improvements in reproduction or survival that they outweigh the negative energetic effects of the large brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sandra A Heldstab
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5a, 78467 Konstanz, Germany.
| | - Karin Isler
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Sereina M Graber
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Caroline Schuppli
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Development and Evolution of Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5a, 78467 Konstanz, Germany
| | - Carel P van Schaik
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland; Comparative Socioecology Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Bücklestrasse 5a, 78467 Konstanz, Germany; Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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9
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McCormick SK, Holekamp KE, Smale L, Weldele ML, Glickman SE, Place NJ. Sex Differences in Spotted Hyenas. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol 2022; 14:a039180. [PMID: 34649923 PMCID: PMC9248831 DOI: 10.1101/cshperspect.a039180] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
The apparent virilization of the female spotted hyena raises questions about sex differences in behavior and morphology. We review these sex differences to find a mosaic of dimorphic traits, some of which conform to mammalian norms. These include space-use, dispersal behavior, sexual behavior, and parental behavior. By contrast, sex differences are reversed from mammalian norms in the hyena's aggressive behavior, social dominance, and territory defense. Androgen exposure early in development appears to enhance aggressiveness in female hyenas. Weapons, hunting behavior, and neonatal body mass do not differ between males and females, but females are slightly larger than males as adults. Sex differences in the hyena's nervous system are relatively subtle. Overall, it appears that the "masculinized" behavioral traits in female spotted hyenas are those, such as aggression, that are essential to ensuring consistent access to food; food critically limits female reproductive success in this species because female spotted hyenas have the highest energetic investment per litter of any mammalian carnivore. Evidently, natural selection has acted to modify traits related to food access, but has left intact those traits that are unrelated to acquiring food, such that they conform to patterns of sexual dimorphism in other mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Kevin McCormick
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Laura Smale
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
- Department of Psychology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan 48824, USA
| | - Mary L Weldele
- Departments of Psychology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Stephen E Glickman
- Departments of Psychology and Integrative Biology, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720, USA
| | - Ned J Place
- Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York 14853, USA
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10
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Jarvey JC, Aminpour P, Bohm C. The effects of social rank and payoff structure on the evolution of group hunting. PLoS One 2022; 17:e0269522. [PMID: 35687649 PMCID: PMC9187110 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0269522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Group hunting is common among social carnivores, and mechanisms that promote this behavior are a central topic in evolutionary biology. Increased prey capture success and decreased losses from competitors are often invoked as factors promoting group hunting. However, many animal societies have linear dominance hierarchies where access to critical resources is determined by social rank, and group-hunting rewards are shared unequally. Despite this inequality, animals in such societies cooperate to hunt and defend resources. Game theoretic models predict that rank and relative rewards from group hunting vs. solitary hunting affect which hunting strategies will evolve. These predictions are partially supported by empirical work, but data needed to test these predictions are difficult to obtain in natural systems. We use digital evolution to test how social rank and tolerance by dominants of subordinates feeding while sharing spoils from group hunting influence which hunting strategies evolve in digital organisms. We created a computer-simulated world to reflect social and hunting dynamics of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). We found that group hunting increased as tolerance increased and as the relative payoff from group hunting increased. Also, top-ranking agents were more likely to group hunt than lower-ranking agents under despotic sharing conditions. These results provide insights into mechanisms that may promote cooperation in animal societies structured by dominance hierarchies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julie C. Jarvey
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Payam Aminpour
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- Department of Community Sustainability, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
| | - Clifford Bohm
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, United States of America
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11
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Struller F, Bauer H, Yirga G, Vos M. Growing Up Urban: Hyena Foraging Groups and Social Structure at a City Waste Dump. FRONTIERS IN CONSERVATION SCIENCE 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fcosc.2022.866836] [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
Urban spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in Ethiopia are a prime example of large carnivores coexisting with little to no conflict with people in a human-dominated landscape, providing a valuable waste-removal service. To gain insight in how this urban lifestyle persists across generations, we studied hyena group composition at the city waste dump of Mekelle, a regional capital in northern Ethiopia. We found that hyena cubs and sub-adults foraged with adults in groups of highly variable composition. Young urban hyenas already take part in a fission-fusion dynamic that is also characteristic of hyenas in non-urban environments. They do not seem to learn from only one or few close reference adults. Social network analysis revealed no clusters among these dump-visiting hyenas. The number of counted hyenas is furthermore larger than any hyena clan in non-urban areas. All individuals were more or less equally connected to each other, and each hyena had a few connections, but to different individuals. All cubs and sub-adults were connected to each other, over a maximum of four links. Hyenas shared the abundance of food at the waste dump without overt aggression. A much larger number of urban hyenas shares this waste dump at night than would fit into a single forest fragment, such as those associated with orthodox churches where small groups of hyenas have often been observed to rest at daytime. Hyenas appear to commute from different dens and resting sites located around the city, but we have no information on their behavior and group composition away from the dump. We observed no defense of any part of the dump area by any of the foraging groups. In absence of territorial behavior at this city site, the clan concept does not seem to apply to these urban hyenas. Similar to what has been observed in other urban carnivores, individuals at the waste dump behaved as members of conflict-free foraging groups ostensibly sharing food without aggression. Perhaps this is what most strikingly defines their urbanity.
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12
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Laubach ZM, Gering E, Yang E, Montgomery TM, Getty T, Holekamp KE. Associations between Toxoplasma gondii infection and steroid hormone levels in spotted hyenas. Int J Parasitol Parasites Wildl 2022; 17:53-59. [PMID: 34984167 PMCID: PMC8693151 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2021.11.007] [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: 10/23/2021] [Revised: 11/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/24/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Toxoplasma gondii is a common parasite that infects warm-blooded animals and influences host physiology. T. gondii is known to target the host's central nervous system, affecting circulating levels of steroid hormones, fear-related behaviors, and health, although these effects appear to vary among host taxa. Here, we investigated the relationship between T. gondii infection and levels of plasma testosterone and cortisol within a wild population of spotted hyenas (Crocutacrocuta, n = 109). In our analyses, we accounted for age and sex via stratified regression analyses. We detected a negative association between circulating plasma testosterone and T. gondii infection among female cubs and subadults as well as adult male hyenas. We found no associations between T. gondii infection and cortisol in any age class or sex group of hyenas. Our work adds to a growing body of literature by characterizing the relationship between T. gondii infection and physiology in a novel host in its natural habitat. In a broader context, our findings indicate that responses to infection vary with characteristics of the host and point to a clear need for additional studies and priorities for future work that include diverse taxa and ecological settings. Toxoplasma gondii infects diverse hosts and leads to differences in hormone levels. The relationship between T. gondii infection and host hormone response is mixed. We assessed if wild spotted hyena hormones differed by T. gondii infection. Testosterone was lower in infected female cub/subadult and adult males hyenas. Our results parallel laboratory findings but provide added realism of a wild animal.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M. Laubach
- Michigan State University, Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, MI, USA
- University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, CO, USA
- Mara Hyena Project, Kenya
- Corresponding author. University of Colorado, Boulder, Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, CO, USA.
| | - Eben Gering
- Nova Southeastern University, Department of Biological Sciences, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, FL, USA
| | - Erik Yang
- Nova Southeastern University, Department of Biological Sciences, Halmos College of Natural Sciences and Oceanography, FL, USA
| | - Tracy M. Montgomery
- Mara Hyena Project, Kenya
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department for the Ecology of Animal Societies, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Thomas Getty
- Michigan State University, Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, MI, USA
| | - Kay E. Holekamp
- Michigan State University, Department of Integrative Biology and Program in Ecology, Evolution and Behavior, MI, USA
- Mara Hyena Project, Kenya
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13
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Priority of access to food and its influence on social dynamics of an endangered carnivore. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03115-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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14
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Kebede Y, Megaze A, Tekalegn W, Dobamo T, Leirs H. Population estimation and livestock loss by spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta) in Damota Community Managed Forest, Southern Ethiopia. Glob Ecol Conserv 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.gecco.2022.e02037] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022] Open
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15
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Herringe CA, Middleton EJ, Boyd KC, Latty T, White TE. Benefits and costs of social foraging in velvet worms. Ethology 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13256] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Caragh A. Herringe
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Eliza J. Middleton
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Kelsey C. Boyd
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
- School of Earth, Atmospheric and Life Sciences University of Wollongong Wollongong Australia
| | - Tanya Latty
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
| | - Thomas E. White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences The University of Sydney Sydney Australia
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16
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Palmer MS, Packer C. Reactive anti-predator behavioral strategy shaped by predator characteristics. PLoS One 2021; 16:e0256147. [PMID: 34407141 PMCID: PMC8372962 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0256147] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 07/31/2021] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Large mammalian herbivores use a diverse array of strategies to survive predator encounters including flight, grouping, vigilance, warning signals, and fitness indicators. While anti-predator strategies appear to be driven by specific predator traits, no prior studies have rigorously evaluated whether predator hunting characteristics predict reactive anti-predator responses. We experimentally investigated behavioral decisions made by free-ranging impala, wildebeest, and zebra during encounters with model predators with different functional traits. We hypothesized that the choice of response would be driven by a predator’s hunting style (i.e., ambush vs. coursing) while the intensity at which the behavior was performed would correlate with predator traits that contribute to the prey’s relative risk (i.e., each predator’s prey preference, prey-specific capture success, and local predator density). We found that the choice and intensity of anti-predator behaviors were both shaped by hunting style and relative risk factors. All prey species directed longer periods of vigilance towards predators with higher capture success. The decision to flee was the only behavior choice driven by predator characteristics (capture success and hunting style) while intensity of vigilance, frequency of alarm-calling, and flight latency were modulated based on predator hunting strategy and relative risk level. Impala regulated only the intensity of their behaviors, while zebra and wildebeest changed both type and intensity of response based on predator traits. Zebra and impala reacted to multiple components of predation threat, while wildebeest responded solely to capture success. Overall, our findings suggest that certain behaviors potentially facilitate survival under specific contexts and that prey responses may reflect the perceived level of predation risk, suggesting that adaptive functions to reactive anti-predator behaviors may reflect potential trade-offs to their use. The strong influence of prey species identity and social and environmental context suggest that these factors may interact with predator traits to determine the optimal response to immediate predation threat.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meredith S. Palmer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
- * E-mail:
| | - Craig Packer
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota, United States of America
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17
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Holekamp KE, Strauss ED. Reproduction Within a Hierarchical Society from a Female's Perspective. Integr Comp Biol 2021; 60:753-764. [PMID: 32667986 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icaa068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The reproductive biology of many female mammals is affected by their social environment and their interactions with conspecifics. In mammalian societies structured by linear dominance hierarchies, such as that of the spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta), a female's social rank can have profound effects on both her reproductive success and her longevity. In this species, social rank determines priority of access to food, which is the resource limiting reproduction. Due largely to rank-related variation in access to food, reproduction from the perspective of a female spotted hyena can only be understood in the context of her position in the social hierarchy. In this review, we examine the effects of rank on the various phases of reproduction, from mating to weaning. Summed over many individual reproductive lifespans, the effect of rank at these different reproductive phases leads to dramatic rank-related variation in fitness among females and their lineages. Finally, we ask why females reproduce socially despite these apparent costs of group living to low-ranking females. Gregariousness enhances the fitness of females regardless of their positions in the social hierarchy, and females attempting to survive and reproduce without clanmates lose all their offspring. The positive effects of gregariousness appear to result from having female allies, both kin and non-kin, who cooperate to advertise and defend a shared territory, acquire, and defend food resources, maintain the status quo, and occasionally also to rise in social rank.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Eli D Strauss
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE 68588, USA
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18
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Johnson-Ulrich L, Yirga G, Strong RL, Holekamp KE. The effect of urbanization on innovation in spotted hyenas. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:1027-1038. [PMID: 33687598 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01494-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2020] [Revised: 02/12/2021] [Accepted: 02/16/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
Urbanization represents a dramatic form of evolutionary novelty in the landscapes inhabited by many extant animals. The Cognitive Buffer Hypothesis suggests that innovation, the process by which animals solve novel problems or use novel behaviors, may be key for many animals when adapting to novel environments. If innovation is especially beneficial in urban environments, then we would expect urban animals to be more innovative than their non-urban counterparts. However, studies comparing innovative problem-solving between urban and rural habitats have produced mixed results. Here, we hypothesized that these findings result from comparing only two levels of urbanization when related research suggests that the stage of invasion of urban habitats likely has a strong effect on demand for innovation, with demand being highest during early establishment in a novel environment. To test this hypothesis, we assessed innovation in three locations where spotted hyenas experienced varying degrees of urbanization. Spotted hyenas are relatively innovative compared to other carnivores and, although many large carnivores in Africa are endangered, spotted hyenas remain abundant both inside and outside protected areas. We measured innovation with a multi-access puzzle box with four different doors through which hyenas could obtain a food reward. We predicted that hyenas in a transitional, rapidly urbanizing habitat would be more innovative, measured by the number of unique doors opened, than those in rural or fully urban habitats. Contrary to our predictions, hyenas in the rural habitat were the most innovative. These results challenge the idea that the evolutionary novelty associated with urbanization favors greater innovativeness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lily Johnson-Ulrich
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Rm 203, Natural Sciences Bldg, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA. .,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA. .,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya.
| | - Gidey Yirga
- Department of Biology, Mekelle University, P.O. Box 231, Mek'ele, Ethiopia.,Theoretical and Applied Biodiversity Research, Ruhr Universität Bochum, 44780, Bochum, Germany
| | - Robyn L Strong
- Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Rm 203, Natural Sciences Bldg, East Lansing, MI, 48823, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, & Behavior Program, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, 48824, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Maasai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
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19
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Davidian E, Wachter B, Heckmann I, Dehnhard M, Hofer H, Höner OP. The interplay between social rank, physiological constraints and investment in courtship in male spotted hyenas. Funct Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/1365-2435.13733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Eve Davidian
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Bettina Wachter
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Ilja Heckmann
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Martin Dehnhard
- Department of Reproduction Biology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
| | - Heribert Hofer
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
- Department of Veterinary Medicine Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
- Department of Biology, Chemistry, Pharmacy Freie Universität Berlin Berlin Germany
| | - Oliver P. Höner
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research Berlin Germany
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20
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21
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Pérez-Claros JA, Coca-Ortega C. Canines and carnassials as indicators of sociality in durophagous hyaenids: analyzing the past to understand the present. PeerJ 2020; 8:e10541. [PMID: 33362977 PMCID: PMC7747684 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.10541] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2020] [Accepted: 11/20/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
We analyzed the lower and upper dentition of the family Hyaenidae along its evolutionary history from a multivariate point of view. A total of 13,103 individual measurements of the lengths and widths of canines and the main post-canine teeth (lower third and fourth premolar, lower first molar, and upper second, third, and fourth premolars) were collected for 39 extinct and extant species of this family. We analyzed these measurements using principal component analyses. The multivariate structure characterized the main groups of previously defined hyaenid ecomorphs. Strikingly, our analyses also detected differences between social hunting durophages (such as Crocuta crocuta) and solitary scavengers (such as Hyaena hyaena or Parahyaena brunnea). Concerning the hyaenid bauplan, social hunters have large carnassials and smaller canines, whereas solitary scavengers show the exact opposite morphological adaptations. Additionally, scavengers exhibited upper canines larger than lower ones, whereas hunters have upper and lower canines of similar size. It is hypothesized that sociality has led to an increase in carnassial length for hunting durophages via scramble competition at feeding. Such competition also penalizes adults from bringing food to cubs, which are consequently breastfed. On the other hand, it is also hypothesized that natural selection has led to solitary scavengers having large canines to transport carcasses to cubs. Our results indicate that these functional aspects are also better reflected by lower teeth than the upper dentition, which leads to a mosaic evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Carlos Coca-Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología y Geología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad de Málaga, Málaga, Spain
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22
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Hintze A, Staudacher J, Gelhar K, Pothmann A, Rasch J, Wildegger D. Inclusive groups can avoid the tragedy of the commons. Sci Rep 2020; 10:22392. [PMID: 33372190 PMCID: PMC7769990 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-79731-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2020] [Accepted: 12/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
The public goods game is a famous example illustrating the tragedy of the commons (Hardin in Science 162:1243-1248, 1968). In this game cooperating individuals contribute to a pool, which in turn is distributed to all members of the group, including defectors who reap the same rewards as cooperators without having made a contribution before. The question is now, how to incentivize group members to all cooperate as it maximizes the common good. While costly punishment (Helbing et al. in New J Phys 12:083005, 2010) presents one such method, the cost of punishment still reduces the common good. The selfishness of the group members favors defectors. Here we show that including other members of the groups and sharing rewards with them can be another incentive for cooperation, avoiding the cost required for punishment. Further, we show how punishment and this form of inclusiveness interact. This work suggests that a redistribution similar to a basic income that is coupled to the economic success of the entire group could overcome the tragedy of the commons.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arend Hintze
- Institute for Complex Dynamical Systems and MicroData Analytics, Dalarna University, Falun, Sweden.
- BEACON Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, USA.
| | - Jochen Staudacher
- Faculty of Computer Science, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, Germany
| | - Katja Gelhar
- Faculty of Computer Science, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, Germany
| | - Alexander Pothmann
- Faculty of Computer Science, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, Germany
| | - Juliana Rasch
- Faculty of Computer Science, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, Germany
| | - Daniel Wildegger
- Faculty of Computer Science, Kempten University of Applied Sciences, Kempten, Germany
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23
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Laboratory experiments reveal effects of group size on hunting performance in yellow saddle goatfish, Parupeneus cyclostomus. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.08.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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24
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Balisi MA, Van Valkenburgh B. Iterative evolution of large-bodied hypercarnivory in canids benefits species but not clades. Commun Biol 2020; 3:461. [PMID: 32826954 PMCID: PMC7442796 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-020-01193-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/12/2019] [Accepted: 07/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Ecological specialization has costs and benefits at various scales: traits benefitting an individual may disadvantage its population, species or clade. In particular, large body size and hypercarnivory (diet over 70% meat) have evolved repeatedly in mammals; yet large hypercarnivores are thought to be trapped in a macroevolutionary "ratchet", marching unilaterally toward decline. Here, we weigh the impact of this specialization on extinction risk using the rich fossil record of North American canids (dogs). In two of three canid subfamilies over the past 40 million years, diversification of large-bodied hypercarnivores appears constrained at the clade level, biasing specialized lineages to extinction. However, despite shorter species durations, extinction rates of large hypercarnivores have been mostly similar to those of all other canids. Extinction was size- and carnivory-selective only at the end of the Pleistocene epoch 11,000 years ago, suggesting that large hypercarnivores were not disadvantaged at the species level before anthropogenic influence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mairin A Balisi
- La Brea Tar Pits and Museum, Los Angeles, CA, 90036, USA.
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA.
- Department of Vertebrate Paleontology, Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County, Los Angeles, CA, 90007, USA.
- Department of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of California, Merced, CA, 95343, USA.
| | - Blaire Van Valkenburgh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, USA
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25
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Briers‐Louw WD, Leslie AJ. Dietary partitioning of three large carnivores in Majete Wildlife Reserve, Malawi. Afr J Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Willem D. Briers‐Louw
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
| | - Alison J. Leslie
- Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology Stellenbosch University Matieland South Africa
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26
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Body Size and Bite Force of Stray and Feral Cats-Are Bigger or Older Cats Taking the Largest or More Difficult-to-Handle Prey? Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10040707. [PMID: 32316555 PMCID: PMC7222765 DOI: 10.3390/ani10040707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 03/26/2020] [Accepted: 03/30/2020] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
As carnivorans rely heavily on their head and jaws for prey capture and handling, skull morphology and bite force can therefore reflect their ability to take larger or more difficult-to-handle prey. For 568 feral and stray cats (Felis catus), we recorded their demographics (sex and age), source location (feral or stray) and morphological measures (body mass, body condition); we estimated potential bite force from skull measurements for n = 268 of these cats, and quantified diet composition from stomach contents for n = 358. We compared skull measurements to estimate their bite force and determine how it varied with sex, age, body mass, body condition. Body mass had the strongest influence of bite force. In our sample, males were 36.2% heavier and had 20.0% greater estimated bite force (206.2 ± 44.7 Newtons, n = 168) than females (171.9 ± 29.3 Newtons, n = 120). However, cat age was the strongest predictor of the size of prey that they had taken, with older cats taking larger prey. The predictive power of this relationship was poor though (r2 < 0.038, p < 0.003), because even small cats ate large prey and some of the largest cats ate small prey, such as invertebrates. Cats are opportunistic, generalist carnivores taking a broad range of prey. Their ability to handle larger prey increases as the cats grow, increasing their jaw strength, and improving their hunting skills, but even the smallest cats in our sample had tackled and consumed large and potentially 'dangerous' prey that would likely have put up a defence.
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27
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Smith JE, Ortiz CA, Buhbe MT, van Vugt M. Obstacles and opportunities for female leadership in mammalian societies: A comparative perspective. LEADERSHIP QUARTERLY 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.leaqua.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
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28
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Johnson-Ulrich L, Holekamp KE. Group size and social rank predict inhibitory control in spotted hyaenas. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
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29
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Van Vugt M, Smith JE. A Dual Model of Leadership and Hierarchy: Evolutionary Synthesis. Trends Cogn Sci 2019; 23:952-967. [DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2019.09.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2019] [Revised: 08/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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30
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Davidson Z, Dupuis-Desormeaux M, Dheer A, Pratt L, Preston E, Gilicho S, Mwololo M, Chege G, MacDonald SE, Doncaster CP. Borrowing from Peter to pay Paul: managing threatened predators of endangered and declining prey species. PeerJ 2019; 7:e7916. [PMID: 31637142 PMCID: PMC6798864 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.7916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2019] [Accepted: 09/18/2019] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Conservation policy and practice can sometimes run counter to their mutual aims of ensuring species survival. In Kenya, where threatened predators such as lion deplete endangered prey such as Grevy's zebra, conservation practitioners seek to ensure species success through exclusive strategies of protection, population increase and preservation. We found strong selection for the endangered Grevy's zebra by both lion and hyena on two small fenced conservancies in Kenya. Despite abundant diversity of available prey, Grevy's zebra were selected disproportionately more than their availability, while other highly available species such as buffalo were avoided. Lions were therefore not alone in presenting a credible threat to Grevy's zebra survival. Conservation practitioners must consider interlinked characteristics of prey selection, resource availability and quality, the interplay between carnivore guild members and landscape scale population trends performance in wildlife management decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zeke Davidson
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,Lewa Wildlife Conservancy, Isiolo, Meru, Kenya.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Marc Dupuis-Desormeaux
- Department of Biology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Arjun Dheer
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Laura Pratt
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | - Elizabeth Preston
- Marwell Wildlife, Colden Common, Winchester, Hampshire, United Kingdom.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
| | | | | | | | - Suzanne E MacDonald
- Department of Psychology, York University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada.,Lewa Wildlife Conservancy Canada, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - C Patrick Doncaster
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Southampton, Southampton, Hampshire, United Kingdom
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31
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Drouilly M, Nattrass N, O'Riain MJ. Global positioning system location clusters vs. scats: comparing dietary estimates to determine mesopredator diet in a conflict framework. J Zool (1987) 2019. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- M. Drouilly
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - N. Nattrass
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
| | - M. J. O'Riain
- Institute for Communities and Wildlife in Africa Department of Biological Sciences University of Cape Town Rondebosch South Africa
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32
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Laubach ZM, Faulk CD, Dolinoy DC, Montrose L, Jones TR, Ray D, Pioon MO, Holekamp KE. Early life social and ecological determinants of global DNA methylation in wild spotted hyenas. Mol Ecol 2019; 28:3799-3812. [PMID: 31291495 DOI: 10.1111/mec.15174] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2018] [Revised: 06/14/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
Abstract
Environmental factors early in life can have lasting influence on the development and phenotypes of animals, but the underlying molecular modifications remain poorly understood. We examined cross-sectional associations among early life socioecological factors and global DNA methylation in 293 wild spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) in the Masai Mara National Reserve, Kenya, grouped according to three age classes (cub, subadult and adult). Explanatory variables of interest included annual maternal rank based on outcomes of dyadic agonistic interactions, litter size, wild ungulate prey density and anthropogenic disturbance in the year each hyena was born based on counts of illegal livestock in the Reserve. The dependent variable of interest was global DNA methylation, assessed via the LUminometric Methylation Assay, which provides a percentage methylation value calculated at CCGG sites across the genome. Among cubs, we observed approximately 2.75% higher CCGG methylation in offspring born to high- than low-ranking mothers. Among cubs and subadults, higher anthropogenic disturbance corresponded with greater %CCGG methylation. In both cubs and adults, we found an inverse association between prey density measured before a hyena was 3 months old and %CCGG methylation. Our results suggest that maternal rank, anthropogenic disturbance and prey availability early in life are associated with later life global DNA methylation. Future studies are required to understand the extent to which these DNA methylation patterns relate to adult phenotypes and fitness outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Zachary M Laubach
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON, NSF Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | | | - Dana C Dolinoy
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA.,Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Luke Montrose
- Department of Nutritional Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Tamara R Jones
- Department of Environmental Health Sciences, School of Public Health, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Donna Ray
- Divisions of Geriatric Medicine and Rheumatology, Department of Internal Medicine, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Malit O Pioon
- Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
| | - Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology, and Behavior, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,BEACON, NSF Center for the Study of Evolution in Action, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI, USA.,Mara Hyena Project, Michigan State University, Masai Mara National Reserve, Talek, Kenya
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33
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Holekamp KE, Sawdy MA. The evolution of matrilineal social systems in fissiped carnivores. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180065. [PMID: 31303158 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
We review matrilineal relationships in the societies of fissiped mammalian carnivores, focusing on how the most complex of these may have evolved from simpler systems. Although competition for food is very intense at the trophic level occupied by most carnivores, and although most species of extant fissiped carnivores therefore lead solitary lives, some species show at least rudimentary clustering of maternal kin and matrilineal resource-sharing or transmission of critical resources between generations. The resources shared or transmitted range from individual food items and territories to entire networks of potential allies. The greatest elaboration of matrilineal relationships has occurred in two large carnivores, lions and spotted hyenas, which occur sympatrically throughout much of Africa. The societies of both these species apparently evolved in response to a shared suite of ecological conditions. The highly matrilineal societies of spotted hyenas are unique among carnivores and closely resemble the societies of many cercopithecine primates. The conditions favouring the evolution of matrilineal societies in carnivores include male-biased dispersal, female philopatry, the need for assistance in protecting or provisioning offspring, reliance on large or abundant prey, particularly in open habitat, high population density and kin-structured cooperative interactions that have strong positive effects on fitness. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA.,2 Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA
| | - Maggie A Sawdy
- 1 Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA.,2 Program in Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University , East Lansing, MI , USA
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34
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The hunters or the hunters: Human and hyena prey choice divergence in the Late Pleistocene Levant. J Hum Evol 2019; 160:102572. [DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2019.01.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2018] [Revised: 01/22/2019] [Accepted: 01/23/2019] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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35
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36
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Mhlanga M, Ramesh T, Kalle R, Madiri TH, Downs CT. Spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta
) habitat occupancy in a national park, hunting area and private ranch in western Zimbabwe. Afr J Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12567] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mlamuleli Mhlanga
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Department of Animal Science and Rangeland Management; Lupane State University; Bulawayo Zimbabwe
| | - Tharmalingam Ramesh
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON); Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India
| | - Riddhika Kalle
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON); Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India
| | | | - Colleen T. Downs
- School of Life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
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Belton LE, Cameron EZ, Dalerum F. Spotted hyaena visitation at anthropogenic sites in the Kruger National Park, South Africa. AFRICAN ZOOLOGY 2018. [DOI: 10.1080/15627020.2018.1518728] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- LE Belton
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
| | - EZ Cameron
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand
- School of Zoology, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia
| | - F Dalerum
- Mammal Research Institute, Department of Zoology and Entomology, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, South Africa
- Research Unit of Biodiversity (UO, CSIC, PA), University of Oviedo, Mieres Campus, Mieres, Spain
- Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
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Roeleke M, Johannsen L, Voigt CC. How Bats Escape the Competitive Exclusion Principle—Seasonal Shift From Intraspecific to Interspecific Competition Drives Space Use in a Bat Ensemble. Front Ecol Evol 2018. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2018.00101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Benson-Amram S, Gilfillan G, McComb K. Numerical assessment in the wild: insights from social carnivores. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2018; 373:rstb.2016.0508. [PMID: 29292356 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2016.0508] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/11/2017] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Abstract
Playback experiments have proved to be a useful tool to investigate the extent to which wild animals understand numerical concepts and the factors that play into their decisions to respond to different numbers of vocalizing conspecifics. In particular, playback experiments have broadened our understanding of the cognitive abilities of historically understudied species that are challenging to test in the traditional laboratory, such as members of the Order Carnivora. Additionally, playback experiments allow us to assess the importance of numerical information versus other ecologically important variables when animals are making adaptive decisions in their natural habitats. Here, we begin by reviewing what we know about quantity discrimination in carnivores from studies conducted in captivity. We then review a series of playback experiments conducted with wild social carnivores, including African lions, spotted hyenas and wolves, which demonstrate that these animals can assess the number of conspecifics calling and respond based on numerical advantage. We discuss how the wild studies complement those conducted in captivity and allow us to gain insights into why wild animals may not always respond based solely on differences in quantity. We then consider the key roles that individual discrimination and cross-modal recognition play in the ability of animals to assess the number of conspecifics vocalizing nearby. Finally, we explore new directions for future research in this area, highlighting in particular the need for further work on the cognitive basis of numerical assessment skills and experimental paradigms that can be effective in both captive and wild settings.This article is part of a discussion meeting issue 'The origins of numerical abilities'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA .,Program in Ecology, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
| | - Geoff Gilfillan
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9RH, UK
| | - Karen McComb
- School of Psychology, University of Sussex, Falmer BN1 9RH, UK
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40
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Mhlanga M, Ramesh T, Kalle R, Ngosi E, Downs CT. Comparison of spotted hyena (Crocuta crocuta
) prey in two protected wildlife land-use types, a hunting area and a nonhunting area, in western Zimbabwe. Afr J Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12499] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mlamuleli Mhlanga
- School of life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Department of Animal Science & Rangeland Management; Lupane State University; Lupane Zimbabwe
| | - Tharmalingam Ramesh
- School of life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON); Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India
| | - Riddhika Kalle
- School of life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
- Sálim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History (SACON); Coimbatore Tamil Nadu India
| | - Edmore Ngosi
- Zimbabwe Parks & Wildlife Management Authority; Harare Zimbabwe
| | - Colleen T. Downs
- School of life Sciences; University of KwaZulu-Natal; Pietermaritzburg South Africa
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41
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Krzyszczyk E, Patterson EM, Stanton MA, Mann J. The transition to independence: sex differences in social and behavioural development of wild bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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43
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Hobaiter C, Samuni L, Mullins C, Akankwasa WJ, Zuberbühler K. Variation in hunting behaviour in neighbouring chimpanzee communities in the Budongo forest, Uganda. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0178065. [PMID: 28636646 PMCID: PMC5479531 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0178065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/26/2016] [Accepted: 05/08/2017] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Hunting and sharing of meat is seen across all chimpanzee sites, with variation in prey preferences, hunting techniques, frequencies, and success rates. Here, we compared hunting and meat-eating behaviour in two adjacent chimpanzee communities (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) of Budongo Forest, Uganda: the Waibira and Sonso communities. We observed consistent between-group differences in prey-species preferences and in post-hunting behaviour. Sonso chimpanzees show a strong prey preference for Guereza colobus monkeys (Colobus guereza occidentalis; 74.9% hunts), and hunt regularly (1-2 times a month) but with large year-to-year and month-to-month variation. Waibira chimpanzee prey preferences are distributed across primate and duiker species, and resemble those described in an early study of Sonso hunting. Waibira chimpanzees (which include ex-Sonso immigrants) have been observed to feed on red duiker (Cephalophus natalensis; 25%, 9/36 hunts), a species Sonso has never been recorded to feed on (18 years data, 27 years observations), despite no apparent differences in prey distribution; and show less rank-related harassment of meat possessors. We discuss the two most likely and probably interrelated explanations for the observed intergroup variation in chimpanzee hunting behaviour, that is, long-term disruption of complex group-level behaviour due to human presence and possible socially transmitted differences in prey preferences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Catherine Hobaiter
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution and Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Liran Samuni
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Caroline Mullins
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution and Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
| | - Walter John Akankwasa
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- School of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Resources, Makerere University, Kampala, Uganda
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution and Scottish Primate Research Group, School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
- Budongo Conservation Field Station, Masindi, Uganda
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchâtel, Switzerland
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Holekamp KE, Benson-Amram S. The evolution of intelligence in mammalian carnivores. Interface Focus 2017; 7:20160108. [PMID: 28479979 DOI: 10.1098/rsfs.2016.0108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Although intelligence should theoretically evolve to help animals solve specific types of problems posed by the environment, it is unclear which environmental challenges favour enhanced cognition, or how general intelligence evolves along with domain-specific cognitive abilities. The social intelligence hypothesis posits that big brains and great intelligence have evolved to cope with the labile behaviour of group mates. We have exploited the remarkable convergence in social complexity between cercopithecine primates and spotted hyaenas to test predictions of the social intelligence hypothesis in regard to both cognition and brain size. Behavioural data indicate that there has been considerable convergence between primates and hyaenas with respect to their social cognitive abilities. Moreover, compared with other hyaena species, spotted hyaenas have larger brains and expanded frontal cortex, as predicted by the social intelligence hypothesis. However, broader comparative study suggests that domain-general intelligence in carnivores probably did not evolve in response to selection pressures imposed specifically in the social domain. The cognitive buffer hypothesis, which suggests that general intelligence evolves to help animals cope with novel or changing environments, appears to offer a more robust explanation for general intelligence in carnivores than any hypothesis invoking selection pressures imposed strictly by sociality or foraging demands.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Integrative Biology, Michigan State University, 288 Farm Lane, Room 203, East Lansing, MI 48824-1115, USA.,Ecology, Evolutionary Biology and Behavior, Michigan State University, 103 Giltner Hall, East Lansing, MI 48824, USA
| | - Sarah Benson-Amram
- Department of Zoology and Physiology, University of Wyoming, 1000 E. University Ave, Biological Science Building, Laramie, WY 82071, USA.,Program in Ecology, Berry Center, University of Wyoming, Laramie, WY 82071, USA
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Brockman CJ, Collins WB, Welker JM, Spalinger DE, Dale BW. Determining kill rates of ungulate calves by brown bears using neck-mounted cameras. WILDLIFE SOC B 2017. [DOI: 10.1002/wsb.733] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - William B. Collins
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game; 1800 Glenn Highway Palmer AK 99645 USA
| | - Jeffery M. Welker
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alaska Anchorage; Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Donald E. Spalinger
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Alaska Anchorage; Anchorage AK 99508 USA
| | - Bruce W. Dale
- Alaska Department of Fish & Game; 1800 Glenn Highway Palmer AK 99645 USA
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In-group defense, out-group aggression, and coordination failures in intergroup conflict. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2016; 113:10524-9. [PMID: 27601640 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1605115113] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Intergroup conflict persists when and because individuals make costly contributions to their group's fighting capacity, but how groups organize contributions into effective collective action remains poorly understood. Here we distinguish between contributions aimed at subordinating out-groups (out-group aggression) from those aimed at defending the in-group against possible out-group aggression (in-group defense). We conducted two experiments in which three-person aggressor groups confronted three-person defender groups in a multiround contest game (n = 276; 92 aggressor-defender contests). Individuals received an endowment from which they could contribute to their group's fighting capacity. Contributions were always wasted, but when the aggressor group's fighting capacity exceeded that of the defender group, the aggressor group acquired the defender group's remaining resources (otherwise, individuals on both sides were left with the remainders of their endowment). In-group defense appeared stronger and better coordinated than out-group aggression, and defender groups survived roughly 70% of the attacks. This low success rate for aggressor groups mirrored that of group-hunting predators such as wolves and chimpanzees (n = 1,382 cases), hostile takeovers in industry (n = 1,637 cases), and interstate conflicts (n = 2,586). Furthermore, whereas peer punishment increased out-group aggression more than in-group defense without affecting success rates (Exp. 1), sequential (vs. simultaneous) decision-making increased coordination of collective action for out-group aggression, doubling the aggressor's success rate (Exp. 2). The relatively high success rate of in-group defense suggests evolutionary and cultural pressures may have favored capacities for cooperation and coordination when the group goal is to defend, rather than to expand, dominate, and exploit.
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Rduch V. A snapshot into the spotted hyaena's feeding ecology (Crocuta crocuta) in the miombo woodland of Zambia. Afr J Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1111/aje.12347] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vera Rduch
- ZamBio Project; Zoologisches Forschungsmuseum Alexander Koenig (ZFMK); Adenauerallee 160 53113 Bonn Germany
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48
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Schuppli C, Graber SM, Isler K, van Schaik CP. Life history, cognition and the evolution of complex foraging niches. J Hum Evol 2016; 92:91-100. [PMID: 26989019 DOI: 10.1016/j.jhevol.2015.11.007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/30/2014] [Revised: 11/11/2015] [Accepted: 11/12/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Animal species that live in complex foraging niches have, in general, improved access to energy-rich and seasonally stable food sources. Because human food procurement is uniquely complex, we ask here which conditions may have allowed species to evolve into such complex foraging niches, and also how niche complexity is related to relative brain size. To do so, we divided niche complexity into a knowledge-learning and a motor-learning dimension. Using a sample of 78 primate and 65 carnivoran species, we found that two life-history features are consistently correlated with complex niches: slow, conservative development or provisioning of offspring over extended periods of time. Both act to buffer low energy yields during periods of learning, and may thus act as limiting factors for the evolution of complex niches. Our results further showed that the knowledge and motor dimensions of niche complexity were correlated with pace of development in primates only, and with the length of provisioning in only carnivorans. Accordingly, in primates, but not carnivorans, living in a complex foraging niche requires enhanced cognitive abilities, i.e., a large brain. The patterns in these two groups of mammals show that selection favors evolution into complex niches (in either the knowledge or motor dimension) in species that either develop more slowly or provision their young for an extended period of time. These findings help to explain how humans constructed by far the most complex niche: our ancestors managed to combine slow development (as in other primates) with systematic provisioning of immatures and even adults (as in carnivorans). This study also provides strong support for the importance of ecological factors in brain size evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caroline Schuppli
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Sereina M Graber
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Karin Isler
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Carel P van Schaik
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, CH-8057 Zurich, Switzerland.
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49
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Gilby IC, Machanda ZP, Mjungu DC, Rosen J, Muller MN, Pusey AE, Wrangham RW. 'Impact hunters' catalyse cooperative hunting in two wild chimpanzee communities. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2015; 370:20150005. [PMID: 26503679 PMCID: PMC4633842 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2015.0005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 07/28/2015] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Even when hunting in groups is mutually beneficial, it is unclear how communal hunts are initiated. If it is costly to be the only hunter, individuals should be reluctant to hunt unless others already are. We used 70 years of data from three communities to examine how male chimpanzees 'solve' this apparent collective action problem. The 'impact hunter' hypothesis proposes that group hunts are sometimes catalysed by certain individuals that hunt more readily than others. In two communities (Kasekela and Kanyawara), we identified a total of five males that exhibited high hunt participation rates for their age, and whose presence at an encounter with red colobus monkeys increased group hunting probability. Critically, these impact hunters were observed to hunt first more often than expected by chance. We argue that by hunting first, these males dilute prey defences and create opportunities for previously reluctant participants. This by-product mutualism can explain variation in group hunting rates within and between social groups. Hunting rates declined after the death of impact hunter FG in Kasekela and after impact hunter MS stopped hunting frequently in Kanyawara. There were no impact hunters in the third, smaller community (Mitumba), where, unlike the others, hunting probability increased with the number of females present at an encounter with prey.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian C Gilby
- School of Human Evolution and Social Change and Institute of Human Origins, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
| | - Zarin P Machanda
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Deus C Mjungu
- Gombe Stream Research Centre, The Jane Goodall Institute, Kigoma, Tanzania
| | - Jeremiah Rosen
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
| | - Martin N Muller
- Department of Anthropology, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM 87131, USA
| | - Anne E Pusey
- Department of Evolutionary Anthropology, Duke University Durham, NC 27708, USA
| | - Richard W Wrangham
- Department of Human Evolutionary Biology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA
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50
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Modlmeier AP, Laskowski KL, Brittingham HA, Coleman A, Knutson KA, Kuo C, McGuirk M, Zhao K, Keiser CN, Pruitt JN. Adult presence augments juvenile collective foraging in social spiders. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/26/2022]
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