bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Weaning and Parent‐Offspring Conflict in the Domestic Dog
Authors: Malm Kerstin , Jensen Per 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWeaning and signs of a parent‐offspring conflict were studied in four females of the Swedish Dachsbracken breed of domestic dog and their pups. The animals were observed from the second to the seventh week of age of the pups. In addition to regular weighing, measurements of milk and solid food intake per pup and meal were also made, and samples of milk from the mothers were collected and analysed. The most important mechanism for weaning seemed to be on the behavioural level. The time that the mother spent with her pups decreased continuously from week 2 to week 7, as did the number of sucklings per hour. Furthermore, both duration of suckling and the number of sucklings initiated by the mother decreased during the period, while the proportion of sucklings where the mother was standing increased steadily. The weights of mothers stayed rather constant during the period and there was no difference in the amount of milk given per suckling or in the composition of milk between the early and late weeks of lactation. Consequently, costs for the mother, in terms of loss of weight, were negligible as she was able to compensate for the increased energy demand of lactation with an increased food intake. There was a tendency for care‐giving behaviour to decrease and aggression from the mother to increase at the same time as there was a tendency for care‐seeking and contact‐seeking behaviour from the pups to increase. These changes, together with the less frequent initiation of suckling by the mother, could perhaps be seen as signs of conflict. Conflict was defined according to TRIVERS' theory (1974) and referred to the disagreement between the female and her pups about the amount of care given. However, although the animals were kept in a way that allowed them to perform as much as possible of their natural behaviour, the good nutritional conditions, one of the characteristics of captive life, may have reduced overt parent‐offspring conflict.
Trophallaxis and Aggression in the Ponerine Ant, Ponera coarctata: Implications for the Evolution of Liquid Food Exchange in the Hymenoptera
Authors: Liebig Jürgen , Heinze Jürgen , Hölldobler Bert 
Published: May 2010

AbstractTrophallaxis (i.e. the exchange of alimentary liquid among colony members) plays a major role in the societies of many social Hymenoptera. Food is often not equally distributed among nestmates but instead is directed towards more dominant individuals by means of trophallaxis. Antagonistic behaviour can be associated with the exchange of food, or aggression may trigger the offering of food, even where social food exchange does not normally occur.In orphaned colonies of the ponerine ant,Ponera coarctata, workers interact aggressively at a high frequency. They establish hierarchies soon after the removal of the reproductive queen. One of the consequences of aggression among workers is trophallaxis, which also occurs regularly, although less frequently, in queenright colonies.The connection of trophallaxis and aggression inPonera coarctataand in many other species of the Hymenoptera is discussed. This study and various other examples show that, besides the nutritional function of trophallaxis, the offering of food may often serve as an appeasement behaviour during aggressive interactions. We speculate that appeasing food offers may have provided the basis for the further evolution and elaboration of trophallaxis in many social Hymenoptera.
Use of Song Amplitude for Ranging in Carolina Wrens, Thryothorus ludovicianus
Authors: Naguib Marc 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSongbirds are well known to use the degradation of conspecific song to assess the distance of the singer (called ranging). Because a song's degradation accumulates progressively with propagation distance and thus is not under direct control of the singer, it potentially provides more reliable distance information than the amplitude of songs. However, song amplitude decreases progressively with distance and thus also provides information about the singer's distance, provided that interference from wind is low and that the sender does not alter broadcast volume. This study investigated whether or not Carolina wrens, Thryothorus ludovicianus, can use changes in amplitude of conspecific song as a relative cue for ranging. Twelve male subjects each received one playback consisting of two successive songs differing by 6 dB in amplitude. Half the subjects received playbacks with the louder song first and the other half received playbacks with the louder song second. Receivers that would use song amplitude for ranging would perceive the simulated rival either as approaching or retreating, depending on whether the louder song was played first or second. Subjects responded as if the rival was farther away in the simulated retreat than in the simulated approach, indicating that Carolina wrens can use differences in amplitude of successive songs for ranging. Apparently, the risk of inaccurate ranging by song amplitude is outweighed by the advantage of using multiple cues, including information from song amplitude, to assess a rival's distance.
The Influence of Male Body Size and Social Environment on the Mating Behavior of Phallichthys quadripunctatus (Pisces: Poeciliidae)
Authors: Kolluru Gita Raman , Joyner Jamie Wynne 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn some poeciliid fishes, variation in male size is accompanied by differences in mating behavior. Large males are preferred by females and perform courtship displays followed by copulatory thrusts, whereas small males perform copulatory thrusts with few or no displays. This phenomenon has been described in only a few genera and little is known about mating behavior in other poeciliids. Although Phallichthys quadripunctatus males display size dimorphism that has a genetic component, mating behavior of this species has not been documented. We conducted experiments using socially experienced and socially naive males to characterize the mating behavior of this species and to evaluate potential size‐dependent differences in behavior. Males were tested with postpartum (presumably receptive) and midcycle (presumably unreceptive) females in different social environments. Whereas neither size class of P. quadripunctatus males performed courtship displays or altered behavior based on female receptivity, large males performed several reproductive behaviors more frequently than small males. This trend was repeatable and occurred in all social environments examined. Some males also attempted to mate with other males, with small males showing a greater tendency to perform this behavior than large males. The manner in which differences in reproductive activity translate into differences in reproductive success must be examined before inferring sexual selection favoring large males in P. quadripunctatus.
The Shaking Signal of the Honey Bee Informs Workers to Prepare for Greater Activity
Authors: Seeley Thomas D. , Weidenmüller Anja , Kühnholz Susanne 
Published: May 2010

AbstractOne of the most conspicuous activities of worker bees inside a hive is the shaking of other workers. This shaking has long been suspected to be a communication behavior, but its information content and function have until recently remained mysterious. Prior studies of the colony‐level patterns of the production of the shaking signal suggest strongly that this signal serves to arouse workers to greater activity, such as at times of good foraging. Data from our observations of individual bees bolster the hypothesis that the shaking signal informs workers to prepare for a higher level of activity. We followed foragers in a colony whose only source of ‘nectar’ was a sugar‐water feeder and discovered that when the feeder was left empty for 1–3 d and then refilled, the first bees to find the food initially produced only shaking signals upon return to the hive. It was not until they had completed several trips to the feeder that they began to produce waggle dances. Evidently, the shaking signal and the waggle dance function together to stimulate a colony's foragers to activity.
Evidence of Nasonov Scenting in Colony Defence of the Giant Honeybee Apis dorsata
Authors: Kastberger Gerald , Raspotnig Günther , Biswas Sutapa , Winder Otmar 
Published: May 2010

AbstractParticipation of the Nasonov scent in the defence waving behaviour of Apis dorsata is demonstrated. The Nasonov scent seems to act as a superior pheromone for the control and promotion of individual defensive reaction, synchronizing and maximizing the defensive response on colony level. The role of Nasonov scenting in defensive behaviour is discussed, being in keeping with its usual role in attraction and coordination of social behaviour, as known from A. mellifera.
Suckling and Allosuckling in Captive Fallow Deer (Dama dama, Cervidae)
Authors: Pélabon Christophe , Yoccoz Nigel G. , Ropert‐Coudert Yan , Caron Mathieu , Peirera Vincent 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSuckling and allosuckling were studied in relation to the age and sex of fawns in a captive population of fallow deer (Dama dama) showing a high rate of allosuckling (73% of the suckling bouts). No difference occurred between the sexes in either the duration or frequency of suckling and allosuckling. The frequency of suckling bouts decreased rapidly during the first four weeks of life while the frequency of allosuckling bouts increased rapidly between the second and the third week and remained constant until the conclusion of the observations (11th week of life). Birth date affected allosuckling, with late‐born fawns performing fewer and shorter allosuckling bouts. The lack of a negative relationship between suckling and allosuckling frequencies failed to confirm the hypothesis that allosuckling allows fawns to complete their milk requirements on foster mothers. Both inbreeding and crowding could explain the absence of particular relationship between fawns and foster mothers.
Patch Defence in the Parasitoid Wasp Trissolcus basalis (Insecta: Scelionidae): The Time Structure of Pairwise Contests, and the ‘Waiting Game’
Authors: Field Scott A. , Calbert Greg , Keller Michael A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAggressive defence of host patches has been reported in many parasitoid wasps, but rarely examined in quantitative detail. One aspect of interest is that foraging female parasitoids do not simply consume resource patches, they invest offspring in them. Therefore, patch defence in parasitoids can involve not only resource defence prior to oviposition, but also postoviposition defence of offspring (maternal care). In this paper, the time‐structure and sequence of pairwise agonistic contests between females of the parasitoid Trissolcus basalis (Wollaston) (Hymenoptera: Scelionidae) are analysed. Three main periods were evident in contests. In the first period, both females exploited the patch with no aggression. After the initiation of fighting, they entered a ‘contest period’, during which resident and intruder roles became clearly resolved. The resident then usually guarded the patch for up to several hours before leaving. This signalled the beginning of the third period, in which the intruder returned to superparasitise the patch. During the contest period, resident behaviour initially reflected the trade‐off between exploiting fresh hosts, and defending those it had already parasitised from the intruder, which persistently returned to the patch to try and oviposit, with some success. However, when the patch became fully parasitised, both resident and intruder switched to a ‘waiting game’, in which they sat motionless for extended periods, the resident on the patch and the intruder at a distance. These stand‐offs were punctuated by occasional aggressive patrolling by the resident, and cryptic returns to the palch by the intruder. This waiting game appears to be an informational war of attrition, suggesting a conceptual basis for modelling patch‐leaving decisions using evolutionary game theory.
Vocal Quality is Correlated with Levels of Stress Hormones in Domestic Pigs
Authors: Schrader Lars , Todt Dietmar 
Published: May 2010

AbstractOur study examined whether vocalizations of domestic pigs Sus scrofa domestica provide reliable cues for particular endocrine stress responses. To induce stress responses, we separated subjects individually from groupmates (SEP) and controlled potential effects of motor activity by a second treatment in which subjects were also immobilized (SEP + 1M). We analysed blood samples taken at short intervals via an indwelling catheter for titres of stress hormones to estimate endocrine stress responses. To identify behavioural responses we analysed recordings of vocalizations and non‐vocal activities. Data evaluation yielded the following results. Multi‐parametric sound analysis enabled us to distinguish four categories of vocalizations within treatments. Increasing rates of ‘squeal‐grunts’ indicated increasing plasma levels of adrenaline, whereas the rates of ‘grunts’ decreased when the levels of cortisol increased. Acoustic parameters within the vocal categories distinguished did not correlate consistently with levels of any of the measured stress hormones; thus, our results show that peripheral endocrine stress responses are accompanied by changing rates of specific types of vocalizations. These relationships remained consistent, even when subjects' motor activity was restricted. Our results suggest possible effects of central stress reactions on both the control of vocalization and the activation of endocrine stress responses.
Individual and Species Differences in Quail Calls (Coturnix c. japonica, c. c. coturnix and a Hybrid)
Authors: Collins S. A. , Goldsmith A. R. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractMale European and Japanese male quail have very stereotyped calls. This study examined which parameters best discriminated between individuals, and which between the two sub‐species and a hybrid of the two (European father x Japanese mother). Recordings were made of several calls from individual Japanese, European and hybrid quail, from which sonograms were made and analyzed. We found that parameters describing the time structure of the call discriminated best between individuals. Time structure also showed the greatest differences between the two sub‐species and the hybrid. Hybrid calls were extremely variable, individual hybrids often producing more than one call type, occasionally of both sub‐species types. However, individuals could still be identified from the call parameters. In addition, we investigated responses of males to playbacks of calls from all three quail types. European and Japanese males responded most strongly, with calling, to the playbacks of the calls of their own sub‐species, intermediately to playbacks of the hybrid and least to those of the other sub‐species.
Sexual Dimorphism, Fighting Success and Mating Tactics of Male Onymacris plana Péringuey (Coleoptera: Tenebrionidae) in the Namib Desert
Authors: Enders Margit M. , Schüle Holger , Henschel Joh R. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSexually dimorphic characters of Onymacris plana, a dune‐living, solitary tenebrionid beetle of the Namib Desert, were tested for their roles in male‐male fighting over females. Males were smaller than females but had extraordinarily wide elytra, with great variance in this characteristic. In males, but not in females, elytra width increased with body length at an allometric scale. Male beetles were often aggressive towards each other, especially when mating or guarding females after mating or waiting for females at shady spots. Interactions were less intense when contesting over females on the open surface, where these fast‐running beetles often overran each other in their attempts to retain their positions behind females until the females retreated into the sand, where mating took place. Winners of intrasexual fights and the successful mates of females tended to have longer bodies and wider elytra than the losers. Sexual selection appears to be the best explanation of the allometric scaling of the lateral extensions of male elytra. Sexual selection may furthermore contribute to other characteristics, such as large body length and long legs, that have ecological and ecophysiological significance.
Searching Behaviour and Direction Finding of Differently Motivated Displaced Honeybees—an ‘Etho‐psychological’ Study of Release Behaviour
Authors: Schöne Hermann , Westermayr Philipp , Kühme Dietrich , Kühme Lisa , Schöne Monika , Schöne Renate 
Published: May 2010

AbstractBees were captured as they left from or arrived at a feeding place (F), or took off from the hive (H) (leave‐F, arrive‐F, and leave‐H, respectively). They were displaced and released (one or more times) at initially unfamiliar sites. In some tests, sight conditions prior to release were restricted. Searching behaviour performed prior to leaving the release site was recorded as well as the final vanishing bearing (VB). The VBs obtained are distributed in one or more clusters, depending on the type of experiment. As a rule, one of the peaks coincides with the compass bearing that bees would have selected had they not been displaced. Another peak is in accordance with a ‘fleeing’ course in the direction of the hive, probably initiated by the stress situation caused by the experimental manipulations. Prior to selecting the final course, leave‐H bees searched longer than did leave‐F or arrive‐F bees, first‐time flyers searched longer than repeaters and bees limited to sky‐vision searched longer than bees with free sight. There is a significant positive correlation between searching behaviour and scatter of vanishing bearings. Function and origins of the searching behaviour, as well as the effects of sight conditions and of repeated releases, are discussed.
Post‐conflict Behaviour of Wild Olive Baboons. I. Reconciliation, Redirection and Consolation
Authors: Castles Duncan L. , Whiten Andrew 
Published: May 2010

AbstractObservations of post‐conflict interactions have provided important insights into primate social organization. In this study, the nature and determinants of post‐conflict behaviour in a troop of wild olive baboons, Papio anubis, were investigated. Reconciliation was observed among all age‐sex classes, occurring at a rate consistent with a relatively intolerant dominance style. Reconciliation was more frequent when one of the combatants carried a dependent infant but rarely followed conflicts associated with food. Neither the directionality nor the decidedness of conflicts affected conciliatory tendency. In contrast, opponents that were close kin or of similar rank reconciled more often. Olive baboons did not affiliate with non‐combatants more frequently following aggression than in control periods, although affiliation with supporters and the close kin of opponents increased. Absence of consolation follows the observed cercopithecine pattern, consistent with the hypothesis that consolation requires an ability to empathize with the victim's distress. Initiation of post‐conflict attacks on third parties was not elevated in victims of aggression. The rarity of redirection is attributed to spatial dispersion, the frequent bidirectionality of baboon aggression and regular male intervention in female conflicts, all of which appear to limit the availability of ‘safe’ targets.
The Effects of Snake Predation on Metamorphosis of Western Toads,Bufo boreas(Amphibia, Bufonidae)
Authors: Devito Jill , Chivers Douglas P. , Kiesecker Joseph M. , Marco Adolfo , Wildy Erica L. , Blaustein Andrew R. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractFor some anuran species, synchronous metamorphosis may function as an antipredator adaptation by swamping predators during the period of transformation. We examined the levels of synchrony of emergence from the water of metamorphosing western toads (Bufo boreas) in the presence and absence of a live snake predator, the common garter snake (Thamnophis sirtalis) in a laboratory experiment. To compare between the treatments, we measured the time to emergence from the water, the number of metamorphs emerging together, and the level of aggregation (before and during emergence) of the toads in each treatment. There was a difference between the treatments when all three factors were considered. We attributed these differences to a behavioral response in whichB. boreasemerged sooner in the presence of the predator, regardless of whether individual toads had reached the point at which they were physically better suited to the terrestrial environment than the larval environment.
The Vocal Repertoire of Barbary Macaques: A Quantitative Analysis of a Graded Signal System
Authors: Hammerschmidt Kurt , Fischer Julia 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe vocal behavior of Barbary macaques (Macaca sylvanus) was studied in an outdoor enclosure at Rocamadour, France. Ad libitum recordings were made across a broad array of socioecological contexts from 92 individually identified subjects from all age—sex classes. From the recordings, 8479 calls were sampled and submitted to a Fourier transform. A custom software program was used to determine 35 acoustic parameters describing the call in terms of its frequency and time dynamics. On these parameters a cluster analysis was used to examine the acoustic morphology of the Barbary macaque vocal repertoire. The analysis revealed a highly graded structure with intergraded variations between different clusters (‘call types’). There were clear age‐related preferences in usage of different clusters, but animals of all ages were potentially able to produce the whole array of call types. The major sex difference was a differential use of certain call types in specific situations. Despite a clear sex dimorphism in body size no significant sex differences in the acoustic structure of calls in adults was found. There were no unidirectional relationships between the acoustic structure of a call and the context in which it was uttered, although call usage was more specific in some contexts than in others. The results suggest that the major factor underlying the variation in acoustic structure reflect the internal state of the caller.
Mate Choice in Female Red‐necked Pademelons, Thylogale thetis (Marsupialia: Macropodoidea)
Authors: Radford Sally L. , Croft David B. , Moss Graeme L. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractChanges in the behaviour of captive female red‐necked pademelons, Thylogale thetis, before, during and after oestrus were observed relative to the location of potential male mates. A penned female was presented with four adjacent, individually caged males representing the size classes large, medium, small and subadult. The female's behaviour was videotaped for 8–9 d spanning oestrous (3 d), post‐oestrous (3 d) and normal (3 d) sessions of time. Changes in the activity, orientation and location of six penned females, relative to the caged males, were transcribed from videotape. A model of female pademelon behaviour pattern was developed. Results suggest that the females spent a significantly greater amount of time directly in front of the largest available male, relative to the other three smaller males during the oestrous period only, and that a significant proportion of this time was spent involved in active behaviours (grooming and locomotion, compared with inactive behaviours of sitting and scan/sniffing). Although there was a significant preference for females to orientate their bodies away from the location of the males, they faced the males significantly more during oestrus than any other session. Furthermore, the females faced the large male significantly more frequently than any other male. This study provides evidence for mate choice by female red‐necked pademelons.