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Martínez AE, Si X, Zhou L, Zeng D, Ding P, Goodale E. Interspecific sociality alters the colonization and extinction rates of birds on subtropical reservoir islands. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220096. [PMID: 37066642 PMCID: PMC10107236 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Island biogeography theory has proved a robust approach to predicting island biodiversity on the assumption of species equivalency. However, species differ in their grouping behaviour and are entangled by complex interactions in island communities, such as competition and mutualism. We here investigated whether intra- and/or interspecific sociality may influence biogeographic patterns, by affecting movement between islands or persistence on them. We classified bird species in a subtropical reservoir island system into subcommunities based on their propensity to join monospecific and mixed-species flocks. We found that subcommunities which had high propensity to flock interspecifically had higher colonization rates and lower extinction rates over a 10-year period. Intraspecific sociality increased colonization in the same analysis. A phylogenetically corrected analysis confirmed the importance of interspecific sociality, but not intraspecific sociality. Group-living could enable higher risk crossings, with greater vigilance also linked to higher foraging efficiency, enabling colonization or long-term persistence on islands. Further, if group members are other species, competition can be minimized. Future studies should investigate different kinds of island systems, considering positive species interactions driven by social behaviour as potential drivers of community assembly on islands. This article is part of the theme issue 'Mixed-species groups and aggregations: shaping ecological and behavioural patterns and processes'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ari E Martínez
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, 100 DaXue Road, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
| | - Xingfeng Si
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Liping Zhou
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, 100 DaXue Road, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
- Kunming Natural History Museum of Zoology, Kunming Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Kunming, Yunnan 650223, People's Republic of China
| | - Di Zeng
- Zhejiang Zhoushan Archipelago Observation and Research Station, Institute of Eco-Chongming, Zhejiang Tiantong Forest Ecosystem National Observation and Research Station, School of Ecological and Environmental Sciences, East China Normal University, Shanghai 200241, People's Republic of China
| | - Ping Ding
- MOE Key Laboratory of Biosystems Homeostasis and Protection, College of Life Sciences, Zhejiang University, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310058, People's Republic of China
| | - Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and Conservation, College of Forestry, Guangxi University, 100 DaXue Road, Nanning, Guangxi 530004, People's Republic of China
- Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, Xi'an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, Suzhou, Jiangsu 215123, People's Republic of China
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Meaux E, He C, Zeng X, He R, Jiang A, Goodale E. Audience effects in a group‐living bird: How contact call rate is affected by vegetation and group size and composition. Ecol Evol 2023; 13:e9909. [PMID: 36969923 PMCID: PMC10037432 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.9909] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/02/2022] [Revised: 12/16/2022] [Accepted: 02/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Contact calling is a ubiquitous behavior of group‐living animals. Yet in birds, beyond a general connection with group cohesion, its precise function is not well‐understood, nor is it clear what stimulates changes in contact call rate. In an aviary experiment, we asked whether Swinhoe's White‐eyes, Zosterops simplex, would regulate their own production of contact calls to maintain a specific rate at the group level. Specifically, we hypothesized that the sudden cessation of the group‐level call rate could indicate an immediate predation threat, and we predicted that birds in smaller groups would call more to maintain a high call rate. We also investigated the effects of environmental characteristics, such as vegetation density, and social stimuli, such as the presence of certain individuals, on the rate of three different contact call types. To calculate mean individual‐level rates, we measured the group‐level rate and divided it by the number of birds in the aviary. We found that the individual‐level rate of the most common call types increased with a greater group size, the opposite pattern to what would be expected if birds were maintaining a specific group‐level rate. Vegetation density did not affect any call rate. However, individual‐level rates of all call types decreased when birds were in subgroups with individuals of differing dominance status, and the rate of some call types increased when birds were with affiliated individuals. Our results do not support the hypothesis that contact calls are related to habitat structure or immediate predation risk. Rather, they appear to have a social function, used for communication within or between groups depending on the call type. Increases in call rates could recruit affiliated individuals, whereas subordinates could withhold calls so that dominants are unable to locate them, leading to fluctuations in contact calling in different social contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Estelle Meaux
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
| | - Chao He
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
| | - Xiaolei Zeng
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
| | - Ruchuan He
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
| | - Aiwu Jiang
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
| | - Eben Goodale
- Guangxi Key Laboratory of Forest Ecology and ConservationCollege of Forestry, Guangxi UniversityNanningGuangxiChina
- Department of Health and Environmental ScienceXi'an Jiaotong‐Liverpool UniversitySuzhouJiangsuChina
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Michelangeli M, Martin JM, Pinter-Wollman N, Ioannou CC, McCallum ES, Bertram MG, Brodin T. Predicting the impacts of chemical pollutants on animal groups. Trends Ecol Evol 2022; 37:789-802. [PMID: 35718586 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2022.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2022] [Revised: 05/06/2022] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
Chemical pollution is among the fastest-growing agents of global change. Synthetic chemicals with diverse modes-of-action are being detected in the tissues of wildlife and pervade entire food webs. Although such pollutants can elicit a range of sublethal effects on individual organisms, research on how chemical pollutants affect animal groups is severely lacking. Here we synthesise research from two related, but largely segregated fields - ecotoxicology and behavioural ecology - to examine pathways by which chemical contaminants could disrupt processes that govern the emergence, self-organisation, and collective function of animal groups. Our review provides a roadmap for prioritising the study of chemical pollutants within the context of sociality and highlights important methodological advancements for future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marcus Michelangeli
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden; School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia.
| | - Jake M Martin
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Melbourne, 3800, Australia
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095-7246, USA
| | - Christos C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1QU, UK
| | - Erin S McCallum
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - Michael G Bertram
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
| | - Tomas Brodin
- Department of Wildlife, Fish, and Environmental Studies, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Umeå, SE-901 83, Sweden
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Mattila HR, Kernen HG, Otis GW, Nguyen LTP, Pham HD, Knight OM, Phan NT. Giant hornet ( Vespa soror) attacks trigger frenetic antipredator signalling in honeybee ( Apis cerana) colonies. R Soc Open Sci 2021; 8:211215. [PMID: 34804577 PMCID: PMC8580428 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.211215] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/21/2021] [Accepted: 10/14/2021] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Abstract
Asian honeybees use an impressive array of strategies to protect nests from hornet attacks, although little is understood about how antipredator signals coordinate defences. We compared vibroacoustic signalling and defensive responses of Apis cerana colonies that were attacked by either the group-hunting giant hornet Vespa soror or the smaller, solitary-hunting hornet Vespa velutina. Apis cerana colonies produced hisses, brief stop signals and longer pipes under hornet-free conditions. However, hornet-attack stimuli-and V. soror workers in particular-triggered dramatic increases in signalling rates within colonies. Soundscapes were cacophonous when V. soror predators were directly outside of nests, in part because of frenetic production of antipredator pipes, a previously undescribed signal. Antipredator pipes share acoustic traits with alarm shrieks, fear screams and panic calls of primates, birds and meerkats. Workers making antipredator pipes exposed their Nasonov gland, suggesting the potential for multimodal alarm signalling that warns nestmates about the presence of dangerous hornets and assembles workers for defence. Concurrent observations of nest entrances showed an increase in worker activities that support effective defences against giant hornets. Apis cerana workers flexibly employ a diverse alarm repertoire in response to attack attributes, mirroring features of sophisticated alarm calling in socially complex vertebrates.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather R. Mattila
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | - Hannah G. Kernen
- Department of Biological Sciences, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA, USA
| | - Gard W. Otis
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Lien T. P. Nguyen
- Insect Ecology Department, Institute of Ecology and Biological Resources, Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Hanh D. Pham
- Bee Research Centre, National Institute of Animal Sciences, Hanoi, Vietnam
| | - Olivia M. Knight
- School of Environmental Sciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada
| | - Ngoc T. Phan
- Research Center for Tropical Bees and Beekeeping, Vietnam National University of Agriculture, Hanoi, Vietnam
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Hobson EA, Silk MJ, Fefferman NH, Larremore DB, Rombach P, Shai S, Pinter-Wollman N. A guide to choosing and implementing reference models for social network analysis. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 96:2716-2734. [PMID: 34216192 PMCID: PMC9292850 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12775] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/02/2020] [Revised: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Analysing social networks is challenging. Key features of relational data require the use of non-standard statistical methods such as developing system-specific null, or reference, models that randomize one or more components of the observed data. Here we review a variety of randomization procedures that generate reference models for social network analysis. Reference models provide an expectation for hypothesis testing when analysing network data. We outline the key stages in producing an effective reference model and detail four approaches for generating reference distributions: permutation, resampling, sampling from a distribution, and generative models. We highlight when each type of approach would be appropriate and note potential pitfalls for researchers to avoid. Throughout, we illustrate our points with examples from a simulated social system. Our aim is to provide social network researchers with a deeper understanding of analytical approaches to enhance their confidence when tailoring reference models to specific research questions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 318 College Drive, Cincinnati, OH, 45221, U.S.A
| | - Matthew J Silk
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, Cornwall, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Nina H Fefferman
- Departments of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology & Mathematics, University of Tennessee, 569 Dabney Hall, Knoxville, TN, 37996, U.S.A
| | - Daniel B Larremore
- Department of Computer Science, University of Colorado Boulder, 1111 Engineering Drive, Boulder, CO, 80309, U.S.A.,BioFrontiers Institute, University of Colorado Boulder, 3415 Colorado Ave,, Boulder, CO, 80303, U.S.A
| | - Puck Rombach
- Department of Mathematics & Statistics, University of Vermont, 82 University Place, Burlington, VT, 05405, U.S.A
| | - Saray Shai
- Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, Wesleyan University, Science Tower 655, 265 Church Street, Middletown, CT, 06459, U.S.A
| | - Noa Pinter-Wollman
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, 612 Charles E. Young Drive South, Los Angeles, CA, 90095, U.S.A
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Hobson EA, Mønster D, DeDeo S. Aggression heuristics underlie animal dominance hierarchies and provide evidence of group-level social information. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2021; 118:e2022912118. [PMID: 33658380 PMCID: PMC7958391 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2022912118] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Members of a social species need to make appropriate decisions about who, how, and when to interact with others in their group. However, it has been difficult for researchers to detect the inputs to these decisions and, in particular, how much information individuals actually have about their social context. We present a method that can serve as a social assay to quantify how patterns of aggression depend upon information about the ranks of individuals within social dominance hierarchies. Applied to existing data on aggression in 172 social groups across 85 species in 23 orders, it reveals three main patterns of rank-dependent social dominance: the downward heuristic (aggress uniformly against lower-ranked opponents), close competitors (aggress against opponents ranked slightly below self), and bullying (aggress against opponents ranked much lower than self). The majority of the groups (133 groups, 77%) follow a downward heuristic, but a significant minority (38 groups, 22%) show more complex social dominance patterns (close competitors or bullying) consistent with higher levels of social information use. These patterns are not phylogenetically constrained and different groups within the same species can use different patterns, suggesting that heuristic use may depend on context and the structuring of aggression by social information should not be considered a fixed characteristic of a species. Our approach provides opportunities to study the use of social information within and across species and the evolution of social complexity and cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elizabeth A Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH 45221;
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501
| | - Dan Mønster
- Interacting Minds Centre, Aarhus University, 8000 Aarhus C, Denmark
- School of Business and Social Sciences, Aarhus University, 8210 Aarhus V, Denmark
- Cognition and Behavior Lab, Aarhus University, 8210 Aarhus V, Denmark
| | - Simon DeDeo
- Santa Fe Institute, Santa Fe, NM 87501
- Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA 15213
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Abstract
Biology is marked by a hierarchical organization: all life consists of cells; in some cases, these cells assemble into groups, such as endosymbionts or multicellular organisms; in turn, multicellular organisms sometimes assemble into yet other groups, such as primate societies or ant colonies. The construction of new organizational layers results from hierarchical evolutionary transitions, in which biological units (e.g., cells) form groups that evolve into new units of biological organization (e.g., multicellular organisms). Despite considerable advances, there is no bottom-up, dynamical account of how, starting from the solitary ancestor, the first groups originate and subsequently evolve the organizing principles that qualify them as new units. Guided by six central questions, we propose an integrative bottom-up approach for studying the dynamics underlying hierarchical evolutionary transitions, which builds on and synthesizes existing knowledge. This approach highlights the crucial role of the ecology and development of the solitary ancestor in the emergence and subsequent evolution of groups, and it stresses the paramount importance of the life cycle: only by evaluating groups in the context of their life cycle can we unravel the evolutionary trajectory of hierarchical transitions. These insights also provide a starting point for understanding the types of subsequent organizational complexity. The central research questions outlined here naturally link existing research programs on biological construction (e.g., on cooperation, multilevel selection, self-organization, and development) and thereby help integrate knowledge stemming from diverse fields of biology.
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