1
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Abstract
Van Leeuwen et al. found that two peculiar interactive behaviors (social scratching and groom slapping) transmitted socially through bonobo networks across six European zoos.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edwin J C van Leeuwen
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, K. Astridplein 26, B 2018 Antwerp, Belgium.
| | - Nicky Staes
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, K. Astridplein 26, B 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - Jonas Verspeek
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, K. Astridplein 26, B 2018 Antwerp, Belgium
| | - William J E Hoppitt
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, LS2 9JT Leeds, UK; School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, TW20 0EY Egham, UK
| | - Jeroen M G Stevens
- Behavioral Ecology and Ecophysiology Group, Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Wilrijk, Belgium; Centre for Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, K. Astridplein 26, B 2018 Antwerp, Belgium.
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2
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Wild S, Krützen M, Rankin RW, Hoppitt WJE, Gerber L, Allen SJ. Long-term decline in survival and reproduction of dolphins following a marine heatwave. Curr Biol 2020; 29:R239-R240. [PMID: 30939303 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2019.02.047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
One of many challenges in the conservation of biodiversity is the recent trend in the frequency and intensity of extreme climatic events [1]. The Shark Bay World Heritage Area, Western Australia, endured an unprecedented marine heatwave in 2011. Catastrophic losses of habitat-forming seagrass meadows followed [2], along with mass mortalities of invertebrate and fish communities [3]. Our long-term demographic data on Shark Bay's resident Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population revealed a significant decline in female reproductive rates following the heatwave. Moreover, capture-recapture analyses indicated 5.9% and 12.2% post-heatwave declines in the survival of dolphins that use tools to forage and those that do not, respectively. This implies that the tool-using dolphins may have been somewhat buffered against the cascading effects of habitat loss following the heatwave by having access to a less severely affected foraging niche [4]. Overall, however, lower survival has persisted post-heatwave, suggesting that habitat loss following extreme weather events may have prolonged, negative impacts on even behaviourally flexible, higher-trophic level predators. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Wild
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK; Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Robert W Rankin
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington DC, USA; National Socio-Environmental Synthesis Center (SESYNC), University of Maryland, Annapolis, MD, USA
| | | | - Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland; School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, Australia; School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK
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3
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Wild S, Allen SJ, Krützen M, King SL, Gerber L, Hoppitt WJE. Multi-network-based diffusion analysis reveals vertical cultural transmission of sponge tool use within dolphin matrilines. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190227. [PMID: 31311483 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural differences among social groups can arise from differing ecological conditions, genetic predispositions and/or social learning. In the past, social learning has typically been inferred as responsible for the spread of behaviour by the exclusion of ecological and genetic factors. This 'method of exclusion' was used to infer that 'sponging', a foraging behaviour involving tool use in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population in Shark Bay, Western Australia, was socially transmitted. However, previous studies were limited in that they never fully accounted for alternative factors, and that social learning, ecology and genetics are not mutually exclusive in causing behavioural variation. Here, we quantified the importance of social learning on the diffusion of sponging, for the first time explicitly accounting for ecological and genetic factors, using a multi-network version of 'network-based diffusion analysis'. Our results provide compelling support for previous findings that sponging is vertically socially transmitted from mother to (primarily female) offspring. This research illustrates the utility of social network analysis in elucidating the explanatory mechanisms behind the transmission of behaviour in wild animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Wild
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - William J E Hoppitt
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
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4
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Reynolds MP, Pask AJD, Hoppitt WJE, Sonder K, Sukumaran S, Molero G, Pierre CS, Payne T, Singh RP, Braun HJ, Gonzalez FG, Terrile II, Barma NCD, Hakim A, He Z, Fan Z, Novoselovic D, Maghraby M, Gad KIM, Galal EG, Hagras A, Mohamed MM, Morad AFA, Kumar U, Singh GP, Naik R, Kalappanavar IK, Biradar S, Sai Prasad SV, Chatrath R, Sharma I, Panchabhai K, Sohu VS, Mavi GS, Mishra VK, Balasubramaniam A, Jalal-Kamali MR, Khodarahmi M, Dastfal M, Tabib-Ghaffari SM, Jafarby J, Nikzad AR, Moghaddam HA, Ghojogh H, Mehraban A, Solís-Moya E, Camacho-Casas MA, Figueroa-López P, Ireta-Moreno J, Alvarado-Padilla JI, Borbón-Gracia A, Torres A, Quiche YN, Upadhyay SR, Pandey D, Imtiaz M, Rehman MU, Hussain M, Hussain M, Ud-Din R, Qamar M, Sohail M, Mujahid MY, Ahmad G, Khan AJ, Sial MA, Mustatea P, von Well E, Ncala M, de Groot S, Hussein AHA, Tahir ISA, Idris AAM, Elamein HMM, Manes Y, Joshi AK. Correction to: Strategic crossing of biomass and harvest index-source and sink-achieves genetic gains in wheat. Euphytica 2018; 214:9. [PMID: 31187787 DOI: 10.1007/s10681-017-2040-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s10681-017-2040-z.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P Reynolds
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Alistair J D Pask
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | | | - Kai Sonder
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Sivakumar Sukumaran
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Gemma Molero
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Carolina Saint Pierre
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Thomas Payne
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Ravi P Singh
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Hans J Braun
- 1International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | | | - Ignacio I Terrile
- 3Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Agropecuaria, Pergamino, Argentina
| | - Naresh C D Barma
- 4Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | - Abdul Hakim
- 4Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | | | - Zheru Fan
- 6Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Wulumuqi, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Adel Hagras
- Field Crops Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | | | - Rudra Naik
- 12University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India
| | | | - Suma Biradar
- 12University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India
| | | | - Ravish Chatrath
- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, India
| | - Indu Sharma
- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ernesto Solís-Moya
- 21Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Miguel A Camacho-Casas
- 21Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Pedro Figueroa-López
- 21Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Javier Ireta-Moreno
- 21Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Alberto Borbón-Gracia
- 21Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Deepak Pandey
- Nepal Agriculture Research Council, Bhairahawa, Nepal
| | | | | | - Manzoor Hussain
- Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Makhdoom Hussain
- 26Wheat Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ud-Din
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Maqsood Qamar
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sohail
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Y Mujahid
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Gulzar Ahmad
- Cereal Crop Research Institute, Nowshera-Pirsabak, Pakistan
| | - Abdul J Khan
- Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, Tarnab-Peshawar, Pakistan
| | | | - Pompiliu Mustatea
- National Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Fundulea, Romania
| | | | - Moses Ncala
- Small Grain Institute, Bethlehem, South Africa
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5
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Reynolds MP, Pask AJD, Hoppitt WJE, Sonder K, Sukumaran S, Molero G, Pierre CS, Payne T, Singh RP, Braun HJ, Gonzalez FG, Terrile II, Barma NCD, Hakim A, He Z, Fan Z, Novoselovic D, Maghraby M, Gad KIM, Galal EG, Hagras A, Mohamed MM, Morad AFA, Kumar U, Singh GP, Naik R, Kalappanavar IK, Biradar S, Sai Prasad SV, Chatrath R, Sharma I, Panchabhai K, Sohu VS, Mavi GS, Mishra VK, Balasubramaniam A, Jalal-Kamali MR, Khodarahmi M, Dastfal M, Tabib-Ghaffari SM, Jafarby J, Nikzad AR, Moghaddam HA, Ghojogh H, Mehraban A, Solís-Moya E, Camacho-Casas MA, Figueroa-López P, Ireta-Moreno J, Alvarado-Padilla JI, Borbón-Gracia A, Torres A, Quiche YN, Upadhyay SR, Pandey D, Imtiaz M, Rehman MU, Hussain M, Hussain M, Ud-Din R, Qamar M, Sohail M, Mujahid MY, Ahmad G, Khan AJ, Sial MA, Mustatea P, von Well E, Ncala M, de Groot S, Hussein AHA, Tahir ISA, Idris AAM, Elamein HMM, Manes Y, Joshi AK. Correction to: Strategic crossing of biomass and harvest index-source and sink-achieves genetic gains in wheat. Euphytica 2017; 214:9. [PMID: 31187787 PMCID: PMC6445510 DOI: 10.1007/s10681-017-2086-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2017] [Accepted: 10/13/2017] [Indexed: 05/24/2023]
Abstract
[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1007/s10681-017-2040-z.].
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew P. Reynolds
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Alistair J. D. Pask
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | | | - Kai Sonder
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Sivakumar Sukumaran
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Gemma Molero
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Carolina Saint Pierre
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Thomas Payne
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Ravi P. Singh
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | - Hans J. Braun
- International Maize and Wheat Improvement Center (CIMMYT), Apdo, 6-641, 06600 Mexico, DF Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Abdul Hakim
- Bangladesh Agricultural Research Institute, Gazipur, Bangladesh
| | | | - Zheru Fan
- Xinjiang Academy of Agricultural Science, Wulumuqi, China
| | | | | | | | | | - Adel Hagras
- Field Crops Research Institute, Cairo, Egypt
| | | | | | | | | | - Rudra Naik
- University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India
| | | | - Suma Biradar
- University of Agricultural Sciences, Dharwad, India
| | | | - Ravish Chatrath
- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, India
| | - Indu Sharma
- Indian Institute of Wheat and Barley Research, Karnal, India
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Ernesto Solís-Moya
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Pedro Figueroa-López
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | - Javier Ireta-Moreno
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | - Alberto Borbón-Gracia
- Instituto Nacional de Investigaciones Forestales, Agrícolas y Pecuarias, Mexico, Mexico
| | | | | | | | - Deepak Pandey
- Nepal Agriculture Research Council, Bhairahawa, Nepal
| | | | | | - Manzoor Hussain
- Regional Agricultural Research Institute, Bahawalpur, Pakistan
| | - Makhdoom Hussain
- Wheat Research Institute, Ayub Agricultural Research Institute, Faisalabad, Pakistan
| | - Riaz Ud-Din
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Maqsood Qamar
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Sohail
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Muhammad Y. Mujahid
- Crop Sciences Research Institute, National Agricultural Research Council, Islamabad, Pakistan
| | - Gulzar Ahmad
- Cereal Crop Research Institute, Nowshera-Pirsabak, Pakistan
| | - Abdul J. Khan
- Nuclear Institute for Food and Agriculture, Tarnab-Peshawar, Pakistan
| | | | - Pompiliu Mustatea
- National Agricultural Research and Development Institute, Fundulea, Romania
| | | | - Moses Ncala
- Small Grain Institute, Bethlehem, South Africa
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6
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Ross SRP, Hassall C, Hoppitt WJE, Edwards FA, Edwards DP, Hamer KC. Incorporating intraspecific trait variation into functional diversity: Impacts of selective logging on birds in Borneo. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Samuel R. P.‐J. Ross
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9LU UK
- Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology 1919‐1 Tancha Onna‐son Kunigami Okinawa 904‐0495 Japan
| | - Christopher Hassall
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9LU UK
| | - William J. E. Hoppitt
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9LU UK
| | - Felicity A. Edwards
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9LU UK
| | - David P. Edwards
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences University of Sheffield Sheffield S10 2TN UK
| | - Keith C. Hamer
- School of Biology Faculty of Biological Sciences University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9LU UK
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7
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Abstract
A number of recent studies have used Network Based Diffusion Analysis (NBDA) to detect the role of social transmission in the spread of a novel behavior through a population. In this paper we present a unified framework for performing NBDA in a Bayesian setting, and demonstrate how the Watanabe Akaike Information Criteria (WAIC) can be used for model selection. We present a specific example of applying this method to Time to Acquisition Diffusion Analysis (TADA). To examine the robustness of this technique, we performed a large scale simulation study and found that NBDA using WAIC could recover the correct model of social transmission under a wide range of cases, including under the presence of random effects, individual level variables, and alternative models of social transmission. This work suggests that NBDA is an effective and widely applicable tool for uncovering whether social transmission underpins the spread of a novel behavior, and may still provide accurate results even when key model assumptions are relaxed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Whalen
- School of Biology, University of St. Andrews St. Andrews, UK
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8
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Webster MM, Atton N, Hoppitt WJE, Laland KN. Environmental complexity influences association network structure and network-based diffusion of foraging information in fish shoals. Am Nat 2013; 181:235-44. [PMID: 23348777 DOI: 10.1086/668825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Socially transmitted information can significantly affect the ways in which animals interact with their environments. We used network-based diffusion analysis, a novel and powerful tool for exploring information transmission, to model the rate at which sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) discovered prey patches, comparing shoals foraging in open and structured environments. We found that for groups in the open environment, individuals tended to recruit to both the prey patch and empty comparison patches at similar times, suggesting that patch discovery was not greatly affected by direct social transmission. In contrast, in structured environments we found strong evidence that information about prey patch location was socially transmitted and moreover that the pathway of information transmission followed the shoals' association network structures. Our findings highlight the importance of considering habitat structure when investigating the diffusion of information through populations and imply that association networks take on greater ecological significance in structured than open environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mike M Webster
- School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TF, United Kingdom.
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9
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Rendell L, Fogarty L, Hoppitt WJE, Morgan TJH, Webster MM, Laland KN. Cognitive culture: theoretical and empirical insights into social learning strategies. Trends Cogn Sci 2011; 15:68-76. [PMID: 21215677 DOI: 10.1016/j.tics.2010.12.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 290] [Impact Index Per Article: 22.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2010] [Revised: 12/06/2010] [Accepted: 12/06/2010] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Research into social learning (learning from others) has expanded significantly in recent years, not least because of productive interactions between theoretical and empirical approaches. This has been coupled with a new emphasis on learning strategies, which places social learning within a cognitive decision-making framework. Understanding when, how and why individuals learn from others is a significant challenge, but one that is critical to numerous fields in multiple academic disciplines, including the study of social cognition.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Rendell
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Bute Medical Building, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK.
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10
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Hoppitt WJE, Brown GR, Kendal R, Rendell L, Thornton A, Webster MM, Laland KN. Lessons from animal teaching. Trends Ecol Evol 2008; 23:486-93. [PMID: 18657877 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2008.05.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 113] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2007] [Revised: 05/01/2008] [Accepted: 05/12/2008] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
Abstract
Many species are known to acquire valuable life skills and information from others, but until recently it was widely believed that animals did not actively facilitate learning in others. Teaching was regarded as a uniquely human faculty. However, recent studies suggest that teaching might be more common in animals than previously thought. Teaching is present in bees, ants, babblers, meerkats and other carnivores but is absent in chimpanzees, a bizarre taxonomic distribution that makes sense if teaching is treated as a form of altruism. Drawing on both mechanistic and functional arguments, we integrate teaching with the broader field of animal social learning, and show how this aids understanding of how and why teaching evolved, and the diversity of teaching mechanisms.
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Affiliation(s)
- William J E Hoppitt
- Centre for Social Learning and Cognitive Evolution, School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Bute Medical Building, St. Andrews, Fife KY16 9TS, UK
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