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Madsen A, de Silva S. Societies with fission-fusion dynamics as complex adaptive systems: the importance of scale. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230175. [PMID: 39034708 PMCID: PMC11293855 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Revised: 12/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/23/2024] Open
Abstract
In this article, we argue that social systems with fission-fusion (FF) dynamics are best characterized within a complex adaptive systems (CAS) framework. We discuss how different endogenous and exogenous factors drive scale-dependent network properties across temporal, spatial and social domains. Importantly, this view treats the dynamics themselves as objects of study, rather than variously defined notions of static 'social groups' that have hitherto dominated thinking in behavioural ecology. CAS approaches allow us to interrogate FF dynamics in taxa that do not conform to more traditional conceptualizations of sociality and encourage us to pose new types of questions regarding the sources of stability and change in social systems, distinguishing regular variations from those that would lead to system-level reorganization. This article is part of the theme issue 'Connected interactions: enriching food web research by spatial and social interactions'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anastasia Madsen
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, CA92093-0021, USA
| | - Shermin de Silva
- Department of Ecology, Behavior and Evolution, University of California, San Diego, CA92093-0021, USA
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2
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Frère CH, Class B, Potvin DA, Ilany A. Social inheritance of avoidances shapes the structure of animal social networks. Behav Ecol 2024; 35:arad088. [PMID: 38193013 PMCID: PMC10773302 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arad088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/16/2023] [Revised: 07/02/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 01/10/2024] Open
Abstract
Social structure can have significant effects on selection, affecting both individual fitness traits and population-level processes. As such, research into its dynamics and evolution has spiked in the last decade, where theoretical and computational advances in social network analysis have increased our understanding of its ecological and inheritance underpinnings. Yet, the processes that shape the formation of structure within social networks are poorly understood and the role of social avoidances unknown. Social avoidances are an alternate of social affiliation in animal societies, which, although invisible, likely play a role in shaping animal social networks. Assuming social avoidances evolve under similar constraints as affiliative behavior, we extended a previous model of social inheritance of affiliations to investigate the impact of social inheritance of avoidances on social network structure. We modeled avoidances as relationships that individuals can copy from their mothers or from their mother's social environment and varied the degrees to which individuals inherit social affiliates and avoidances to test their combined influence on social network structure. We found that inheriting avoidances via maternal social environments made social networks less dense and more modular, thereby demonstrating how social avoidance can shape the evolution of animal social networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Celine H Frère
- School of the Environment, University of Queensland, St. Lucia, QLD 4072, Australia
| | - Barbara Class
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Petrie, QLD 4502, Australia
- Department of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Großhaderner Straße 2, 82152 Planegg-Martinsried, Munich, Germany
| | - Dominique A Potvin
- School of Science, Technology and Engineering, University of the Sunshine Coast, Petrie, QLD 4502, Australia
| | - Amiyaal Ilany
- Faculty of Life Sciences, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan 590002, Israel
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3
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Bernardi-Gómez C, Valdivieso-Cortadella S, Llorente M, Aureli F, Amici F. Vigilance has mainly a social function in a wild group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Am J Primatol 2023; 85:e23559. [PMID: 37839064 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23559] [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: 02/07/2023] [Revised: 09/11/2023] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/17/2023]
Abstract
Vigilance is a widespread behavior that allows individuals to socially acquire information and/or effectively detect potential risks posed by predators and conspecifics. In this study, we aimed to investigate how social factors (i.e., subgroup size, number of males and immatures in the subgroup, presence of fission and fusion events, subgroup activity), individual characteristics (i.e., sex, presence of dependent offspring) and possible vulnerability to predation (i.e., being in smaller subgroups or lower in the canopy) explain variation in vigilance behavior in a wild group of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). We collected vigilance data during focal samples of all adults, subadults and juveniles of the group (N = 38), and ran generalized linear mixed models with a Bayesian approach. We found that the proportion of time both sexes spent in vigilance increased with subgroup size and during fusion events. Individuals also spent more time in vigilance when the subgroup was resting or socializing compared to other activities. Moreover, the proportion of time spent in vigilance increased in subgroups with more immatures. An alternative model with similar fit suggested that the proportion of time spent in vigilance increased in females when subgroups included more adult and subadult males. Overall, these results suggest that our study group mainly directed vigilance toward conspecifics (i.e., social vigilance), probably as a result of the relatively low predation pressure experienced, and contribute to the understanding of the multiple social factors affecting vigilance in group-living primates.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Miquel Llorente
- Fundació UdG: Innovació i Formació, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
- Grup de Recerca "Llenguatge i Cognició", Departament de Psicologia, Facultat d'Educació i Psicologia, Universitat de Girona, Girona, Spain
| | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Federica Amici
- Institute of Biology, Faculty of Life Science, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
- Department of Comparative Cultural Psychology, Max-Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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4
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Kao AB, Hund AK, Santos FP, Young JG, Bhat D, Garland J, Oomen RA, McCreery HF. Opposing Responses to Scarcity Emerge from Functionally Unique Sociality Drivers. Am Nat 2023; 202:302-321. [PMID: 37606948 DOI: 10.1086/725426] [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] [Indexed: 08/23/2023]
Abstract
AbstractFrom biofilms to whale pods, organisms across taxa live in groups, thereby accruing numerous diverse benefits of sociality. All social organisms, however, pay the inherent cost of increased resource competition. One expects that when resources become scarce, this cost will increase, causing group sizes to decrease. Indeed, this occurs in some species, but there are also species for which group sizes remain stable or even increase under scarcity. What accounts for these opposing responses? We present a conceptual framework, literature review, and theoretical model demonstrating that differing responses to sudden resource shifts can be explained by which sociality benefit exerts the strongest selection pressure on a particular species. We categorize resource-related benefits of sociality into six functionally distinct classes and model their effect on the survival of individuals foraging in groups under different resource conditions. We find that whether, and to what degree, the optimal group size (or correlates thereof) increases, decreases, or remains constant when resource abundance declines depends strongly on the dominant sociality mechanism. Existing data, although limited, support our model predictions. Overall, we show that across a wide diversity of taxa, differences in how group size shifts in response to resource declines can be driven by differences in the primary benefits of sociality.
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5
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Saldaña-Sánchez AA, Schaffner CM, Smith-Aguilar S, Aureli F. Not just females: the socio-ecology of social interactions between spider monkey males. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20212808. [PMID: 35858053 PMCID: PMC9257287 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2021.2808] [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: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Male-male relationships are mostly characterized by competition. However, males also cooperate with one another if socio-ecological conditions are suitable. Due to their male philopatry, the need for cooperation in home range defence and high degree of fission-fusion dynamics, spider monkeys provide an opportunity to investigate how male-male interactions are associated with socio-ecological factors, such as the presence of potentially receptive females, the degree of food availability and the likelihood of home range defence. We tested predictions about changes in social interactions between wild spider monkey males in relation to these factors. First, males did not change their interaction patterns when potentially receptive females were in the subgroup compared to when they were absent. Second, males tended to be less tolerant of one another when feeding, but spent more time grooming, in contact and proximity with one another when food availability was lower than when it was higher. Third, males exchanged fewer embraces, spent less time grooming, in proximity and in contact with one another, and spent more time vigilant at the home range boundary area than at other locations. Our findings contribute to the understanding of social flexibility and the importance of considering males in socio-ecological models of any group-living species.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Colleen M. Schaffner
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico,Psychology Department, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Adam State University, Alamosa, CO, USA
| | - Sandra Smith-Aguilar
- Instituto de Investigaciones Sociológicas, Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, Oaxaca, Mexico
| | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Mexico,Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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6
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Bonnell TR, Henzi SP, Barrett L. Using network synchrony to identify drivers of social dynamics. Proc Biol Sci 2022; 289:20220537. [PMID: 35765841 PMCID: PMC9240667 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.0537] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Social animals frequently show dynamic social network patterns, the consequences of which are felt at the individual and group level. It is often difficult, however, to identify what drivers are responsible for changes in these networks. We suggest that patterns of network synchronization across multiple social groups can be used to better understand the relative contributions of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers. When groups are socially separated, but share similar physical environments, the extent to which network measures across multiple groups covary (i.e. network synchrony) can provide an estimate of the relative roles of extrinsic and intrinsic drivers. As a case example, we use allogrooming data from three adjacent vervet monkey groups to generate dynamic social networks. We found that network strength was strongly synchronized across the three groups, pointing to shared extrinsic environmental conditions as the driver. We also found low to moderate levels of synchrony in network modularity, suggesting that intrinsic social processes may be more important in driving changes in subgroup formation in this population. We conclude that patterns of network synchronization can help guide future research in identifying the proximate mechanisms behind observed social dynamics in animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tyler R. Bonnell
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada,Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystems Research Unit, University of South Africa, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - S. Peter Henzi
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada,Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystems Research Unit, University of South Africa, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
| | - Louise Barrett
- Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Alberta, Canada,Applied Behavioural Ecology and Ecosystems Research Unit, University of South Africa, Pretoria, 0002, South Africa
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7
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Busia L, Schaffner CM, Aureli F. Should I stay or should I go? How activity synchronization affects fission decisions. Biol Lett 2022; 18:20210410. [PMID: 35015973 PMCID: PMC8752270 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2021.0410] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 12/08/2021] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Group-living animals need to deal with conflicting interests to maintain cohesion. When the costs of doing so outweigh the benefits, the group may (temporarily) split into two or more subgroups. Conflicting interests can concern what activity to pursue or the direction of travel. Temporary group separation is a common feature in species with a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics. We investigated the role activity synchronization played in fission decisions in a spider monkey group living in the Otoch Ma'ax Yetel Kooh Nature Reserve, Yucatan, Mexico. For 21 months, we recorded every fission event occurring in the followed subgroup, as well as the subgroup activity. We classified the activity as 'synchronized' when at least 75% of subgroup members performed the same activity (resting, foraging, socializing or travelling); otherwise, we classified it as 'non-synchronized'. We found that fission events occurred more often when the activity was non-synchronized. In addition, when the activity was synchronized, fission events occurred more often when spider monkeys were travelling than when they were engaged in other subgroup activities. Our findings highlight the role of conflicting interests over the activity to pursue and travel direction in fission decisions.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetologia, Universidad Veracruzana, Xalapa, Veracruz, Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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8
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van Overveld T, Gangoso L, García-Alfonso M, Bouten W, de la Riva M, Donázar JA. Seasonal grouping dynamics in a territorial vulture: ecological drivers and social consequences. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-2807-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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9
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Aguilar-Melo AR, Calmé S, Pinacho-Guendulain B, Smith-Aguilar SE, Ramos-Fernández G. Ecological and social determinants of association and proximity patterns in the fission-fusion society of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Am J Primatol 2019; 82:e23077. [PMID: 31823407 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.23077] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/13/2018] [Revised: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 11/24/2019] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Some social species exhibit high levels of fission-fusion dynamics (FFD) that improve foraging efficiency. In this study, we shed light on the way that FFD allows animal groups to cope with fluctuations in fruit availability. We explore the relative contribution of fruit availability and social factors like sex in determining association and proximity patterns in spider monkeys. We tested the influence of fruit availability and social factors on the association and proximity patterns using three-year data from a group of spider monkeys in the Yucatan Peninsula of Mexico. We identified subgroup members and estimated their Interindividual distances through instantaneous scan sampling. We evaluated fruit availability by monitoring the phenology of the 10 most important food tree species for spider monkeys in the study site. Social network analyses allowed us to evaluate association and proximity patterns in subgroups. We showed that association patterns vary between seasons, respond to changes in fruit availability, and are influenced by the sex of individuals, likely reflecting biological and behavioral differences between sexes and the interplay between ecological and social factors. In contrast, proximity patterns were minimally affected by changes in fruit availability, suggesting that social factors are more important than food availability in determining cohesion within subgroups.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sophie Calmé
- Département de biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada.,Departamento de conservación de la biodiversidad, El Colegio de la Frontera Sur, Chetumal, Quintana Roo, Mexico
| | - Braulio Pinacho-Guendulain
- Departamento de Ciencias Biológicas y de la Salud, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana, Unidad Lerma, Ciudad de México, Mexico.,Dirección de Investigación Científica y Vinculación Académica, Conservación de la Biodiversidad del Usumacinta A.C., Municipio de Emiliano Zapata, Tabasco, Mexico
| | - Sandra E Smith-Aguilar
- Departamento de Recursos Naturales, Conservación Biológica y Desarrollo Social A.C., Ciudad de México, Mexico
| | - Gabriel Ramos-Fernández
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Ciudad de México, Mexico.,Unidad Interdisciplinaria en Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Ciudad de México, Mexico
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10
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George EA, Brockmann A. Social modulation of individual differences in dance communication in honey bees. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2649-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
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11
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Palacios-Romo T, Castellanos F, Ramos-Fernandez G. Uncovering the decision rules behind collective foraging in spider monkeys. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
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12
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Using multiplex networks to capture the multidimensional nature of social structure. Primates 2018; 60:277-295. [DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0686-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 01/02/2023]
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13
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Seasonal and sex differences in the fission-fusion dynamics of spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi yucatanensis) in Belize. Primates 2018; 59:531-539. [PMID: 30209669 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-018-0685-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2018] [Accepted: 09/03/2018] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Spider monkeys (Ateles sp.) are characterized by high fission-fusion dynamics, meaning their social grouping pattern is fluid and consists of subgroups that vary in size, composition, and spatial cohesion over time. In this study, we quantify the fission-fusion dynamics of a group of spider monkeys at Runaway Creek Nature Reserve in Belize by measuring subgroup size, spatial cohesion, and stability using data spanning 5 years. We then test whether variation in these three subgroup measures differ according to season, subgroup sex composition, and the reproductive status of female subgroup members. Our results show that subgroups were larger in size and less stable in membership during the wet season compared to the dry season. All-female subgroups were less spatially cohesive but more stable in membership than all-male subgroups. Finally, we report that subgroups with one or more non-lactating females (i.e., without nursing young) were smaller on average than subgroups containing lactating females with nursing young. These data contribute to a growing body of research documenting the ecological and social dimensions along which grouping patterns might vary.
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14
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Fission-fusion dynamics as a temporally and spatially flexible behavioral strategy in spider monkeys. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2562-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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15
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Ramos-Fernandez G, King AJ, Beehner JC, Bergman TJ, Crofoot MC, Di Fiore A, Lehmann J, Schaffner CM, Snyder-Mackler N, Zuberbühler K, Aureli F, Boyer D. Quantifying uncertainty due to fission-fusion dynamics as a component of social complexity. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20180532. [PMID: 29848648 PMCID: PMC5998110 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.0532] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/08/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Groups of animals (including humans) may show flexible grouping patterns, in which temporary aggregations or subgroups come together and split, changing composition over short temporal scales, (i.e. fission and fusion). A high degree of fission-fusion dynamics may constrain the regulation of social relationships, introducing uncertainty in interactions between group members. Here we use Shannon's entropy to quantify the predictability of subgroup composition for three species known to differ in the way their subgroups come together and split over time: spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and geladas (Theropithecus gelada). We formulate a random expectation of entropy that considers subgroup size variation and sample size, against which the observed entropy in subgroup composition can be compared. Using the theory of set partitioning, we also develop a method to estimate the number of subgroups that the group is likely to be divided into, based on the composition and size of single focal subgroups. Our results indicate that Shannon's entropy and the estimated number of subgroups present at a given time provide quantitative metrics of uncertainty in the social environment (within which social relationships must be regulated) for groups with different degrees of fission-fusion dynamics. These metrics also represent an indirect quantification of the cognitive challenges posed by socially dynamic environments. Overall, our novel methodological approach provides new insight for understanding the evolution of social complexity and the mechanisms to cope with the uncertainty that results from fission-fusion dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel Ramos-Fernandez
- Unidad Profesional Interdisciplinaria en Ingeniería y Tecnologías Avanzadas, Instituto Politécnico Nacional, Mexico, Mexico
- Instituto de Investigaciones en Matemáticas Aplicadas y en Sistemas, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Andrew J King
- Department of Biosciences, College of Science, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Jacinta C Beehner
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
- Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | - Thore J Bergman
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Michigan, USA
| | - Margaret C Crofoot
- Department of Anthropology, University of California, CA, USA
- Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Panama, Panama
| | - Anthony Di Fiore
- Department of Anthropology, University of Texas at Austin, TX, USA
| | - Julia Lehmann
- Department of Life Sciences, University of Roehampton, London, UK
| | | | - Noah Snyder-Mackler
- Department of Psychology and Center for Studies in Demography and Ecology, University of Washington, WA, USA
| | - Klaus Zuberbühler
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Scotland, UK
- Department of Comparative Cognition, Institute of Biology, University of Neuchatel, Neuchatel, Switzerland
| | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetología, Universidad Veracruzana, Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Denis Boyer
- Instituto de Física, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico, Mexico
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16
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Ordóñez-Gómez JD, Santillán-Doherty AM, Fischer J, Hammerschmidt K. Acoustic variation of spider monkeys' contact calls (whinnies) is related to distance between vocalizing individuals and immediate caller behavior. Am J Primatol 2018; 80:e22747. [PMID: 29566275 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22747] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2017] [Revised: 12/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/22/2018] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Due to several factors such as ecological conditions, group size, and social organization, primates frequently spend time out of visual contact with individuals of their own group. Through the use of long-distance vocalizations, often termed "contact calls," primates are able to maintain contact with out-of-sight individuals. Contact calls have been shown to be individually distinct, and reverberation and attenuation provide information about caller distance. It is less clear, however, whether callers actively change the structure of contact calls depending on the distance to the presumed listeners. We studied this question in spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi), a species with complex spatial dynamics (fission-fusion society) that produces highly frequency modulated contact calls, denominated "whinnies." We determined the acoustic characteristics of 566 whinnies recorded from 35 free-ranging spider monkeys that belong to a community located in Mexico, and used cluster analyses, discriminant function analyses, and generalized linear mixed models to assess if they varied in relation to the presumed distance to the listener. Whinnies could be grouped into five subtypes. Since the lowest frequency subtype was mainly produced by spider monkeys that exchanged whinnies at longer distances, and lower frequency calls propagate across longer distances, our results suggest that whinnies vary in order to enhance vocal contact between individuals separated by different distances. Our results also revealed that whinnies convey potential information about caller immediate behaviors and corroborated that these calls are individually distinct. Overall, our results suggest that whinny acoustic variation facilitates the maintenance of vocal contact between individuals living in a society with complex spatial dynamics.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Ana M Santillán-Doherty
- Neurociencias, Instituto Nacional de Psiquiatría Ramón de la Fuente Muñiz, Mexico City, Mexico
| | - Julia Fischer
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
| | - Kurt Hammerschmidt
- Cognitive Ethology Laboratory, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
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17
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Busia L, Schaffner CM, Aureli F. Relationship quality affects fission decisions in wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12609] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Busia
- Instituto de Neuroetologia; Universidad Veracruzana; Xalapa Veracruz Mexico
| | | | - Filippo Aureli
- Instituto de Neuroetologia; Universidad Veracruzana; Xalapa Veracruz Mexico
- Research Centre in Evolutionary Anthropology and Palaeoecology; Liverpool John Moores University; Liverpool UK
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18
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Pinacho-Guendulain B, Ramos-Fernández G. Influence of Fruit Availability on the Fission–Fusion Dynamics of Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi). INT J PRIMATOL 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-017-9955-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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19
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Dougherty ER, Carlson CJ, Blackburn JK, Getz WM. A cross-validation-based approach for delimiting reliable home range estimates. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:19. [PMID: 28904797 PMCID: PMC5586009 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0110-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/14/2017] [Accepted: 08/28/2017] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND With decreasing costs of GPS telemetry devices, data repositories of animal movement paths are increasing almost exponentially in size. A series of complex statistical tools have been developed in conjunction with this increase in data. Each of these methods offers certain improvements over previously proposed methods, but each has certain assumptions or shortcomings that make its general application difficult. In the case of the recently developed Time Local Convex Hull (T-LoCoH) method, the subjectivity in parameter selection serves as one of the primary impediments to its more widespread use. While there are certain advantages to the flexibility it offers for question-driven research, the lack of an objective approach for parameter selection may prevent some users from exploring the benefits of the method. METHODS Here we present a cross-validation-based approach for selecting parameter values to optimize the T-LoCoH algorithm. We demonstrate the utility of the approach using a case study from the Etosha National Park anthrax system. RESULTS Utilizing the proposed algorithm, rather than the guidelines in the T-LoCoH documentation, results in significantly different values for derived site fidelity metrics. CONCLUSIONS Due to its basis in principles of cross-validation, the application of this method offers a more objective approach than the relatively subjective guidelines set forth in the T-LoCoH documentation and enables a more accurate basis for the comparison of home ranges among individuals and species, as well as among studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eric R. Dougherty
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Colin J. Carlson
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
| | - Jason K. Blackburn
- Spatial Epidemiology and Ecology Research Laboratory, Department of Geography, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL USA
| | - Wayne M. Getz
- Department of Environmental Science, Policy, and Management, University of California, Berkeley, Berkeley, CA USA
- School of Mathematical Sciences, University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, South Africa
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Weiss O, Segev E, Eilam D. Social spatial cognition in rat tetrads: how they select their partners and their gathering places. Anim Cogn 2016; 20:409-418. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-016-1063-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2016] [Revised: 11/23/2016] [Accepted: 12/03/2016] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
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Busia L, Schaffner CM, Rothman JM, Aureli F. Do Fruit Nutrients Affect Subgrouping Patterns in Wild Spider Monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi)? INT J PRIMATOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-016-9935-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
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