bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Functional Analysis of Staccato Grunt Vocalizations in the Stumptailed Macaque (Macaca arctoides)
Authors: Bauers K. A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSocial interaction analysis was used to evaluate the social effect and function of the Staccato Grunt vocalizations (Chevalier‐Skolnikoff 1974) of stumptailed macaques (Macaca arctoides). Staccato Grunts are used in the highly specific context of an individual expressing friendly interest in an infant stumptailed macaque, as demonstrated in a previous quantitative descriptive study (Bauers 1989). It was hypothesized that these vocalizations function to signal an actor's benign intent when expressing Interest in Infants, that the signals are directed to the infant's mother, and that their use lowers the probability of an aggressive response from the mother. The functional hypothesis predicts that 1. mothers would not direct Staccato Grunts to their own infants; 2. Staccato Grunts would be given with higher probability when the mother of an infant is near (< 1 m), and 3, a mother's tolerance for attention or physical contact directed to her infant should be facilitated by Staccato Grunts. These predictions were supported by the data, based on analysis of the conditional probabilities of two‐event sequences in 554 interactions. It is concluded that Staccato Grunt vocalizations are used pragmatically to acquire access to infants and to reduce the probability of aggressive responses from their mothers. Acoustic characterization of Staccato Grunts, and alternative interpretations of the behavior are discussed.
Behavioral and Physiological Aspects of Reproductive Control in a Diacamma Species from Malaysia (Formicidae, Ponerinae)
Authors: Sommer Kathrin , Hölldobler Bert , Rembold Heinz 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe reproductive system of a Diacamma species from Malaysia is described. Intact colonies have no queens. Instead one mated worker (gamergate) reproduces. Only a few workers (2%) have weakly developed ovaries. Newly emerged workers possess thoracic appendages, called gemmae, but only one worker retains them, mates and becomes a gamergate. All other individuals are mutilated mostly by already mutilated workers. After the gamergate has been removed this mutilation‐behavior continues for at least 24 h. After three days no more mutilation occurs.Groups of workers without gamergate start to fight about one week after the gamergate was removed and one worker reaches the alpha‐position and becomes the sole egg layer. When workers emerge in already established groups they are not mutilated. Workers, which were isolated one week earlier than the rest of the group, and thus already escaped inhibition by the gamergate, had a higher chance to obtain the alpha‐position.To test factors that might influence worker‐dominance, juvenile hormone titer was measured. Juvenile hormone was not detectable in gamergates and alpha‐workers but the amounts of juvenile hormone in non‐reproductive workers increased with age. This is discussed with regard to the situation found in honeybees.
Comparative Analysis of Interaction Duration in Three Species of Gerbils (Genus Meriones)
Authors: Goltsman M. E. , Borisova Natalia G. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractGoltsman (1977) predicted that in more social species there should be longer durations of social behaviours. We studied durations of 9 behavioural actions (crawling over, crawling under, allogrooming, sniffing, sideways posture, frontal posture, fighting, upright and following) in two experiments with 1‐h introductions of (1) a group member that had been held in isolation for 24 h, and (2) an unfamiliar conspecific, into residental family groups of three gerbil species. Durations of some behavioural actions in these experiments were found to be longer in the most social species, Meriones libycus and M. unguiculatus. Also, we analysed the dependence of duration of agonistic interactions on the sex of the actor, the sex of the reactor, residental status of the actor and on the termination of the interaction. Species differed in the duration of three actions (sideways and frontal postures, fighting) with longer action durations in M. unguiculatus and M. libycus than in M. meridianus. These results support Goltsman's (1977) hypothesis.
Social Status and Feeding in Atlantic Salmon Salmo salar Parr: The Effect of Visual Exposure to a Dominant
Authors: Huntingford F. A. , Metcalfe N. B. , Thorpe J. E. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractGroups of four Atlantic salmon parr were established and the dominant individual identified. Feeding responses were then observed in the remaining (subordinate) fish housed in one of three conditions: in the same compartment as the dominant fish (full exposure), separated from it by a transparent partition (visual exposure) or behind an opaque partition (isolated). Subordinate parr in the full exposure condition responded to and ate fewer food pellets than did the dominant fish. However, subordinate parr in the visual exposure condition and in the isolation condition fed actively, indicating that neither visual intimidation nor long‐term stress‐induced reduction of appetite were responsible for the reduced food intake of subordinate parr in direct contact with dominants. Dominant parr and subordinates in the visual exposure condition, but not subordinates in the exposed condition, moved further from their feeding station when attacking food items that were contested by a competitor compared with the distance moved for uncontested items. The presence of a competitor therefore forced both dominant and visually exposed subordinates to pay higher costs while foraging.
Effects of Relatedness, Dominance, Age, and Association on Reciprocal Allogrooming by Captive Impala
Authors: Mooring Michael S. , Hart Benjamin L. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWild impala display a highly reciprocal allogrooming system that, by virtue of its frequency and high degree of reciprocity, is unique among ungulates. A herd of 35 free‐ranging captive impala provided opportunity to examine the degree of reciprocity of allogrooming exchanges and the influence of relatedness, dominance, age and association on partner preferences and distribution of grooming between allogrooming partners. As in wild impala, the exchange of allogrooming bouts in the captive impala was highly reciprocal regardless of partners. Kinship and dominance had no influence on partner preference or distribution of grooming between partners. Although mothers showed a significant preference to allogroom with their unweaned offspring, this preference practically disappeared with older offspring. Age‐mates (no greater than 6 mo apart) tended to associate with one another and spatial proximity was positively correlated with grooming partner preference. It was not clear whether impala actively sought out age‐mates for grooming, or randomly chose grooming partners from nearby age‐mates. The failure to find a role for kinship and dominance is counter to what has generally been found in most Old World terrestrial primate studies. The absence of pronounced social influences, coupled with the known effectiveness of grooming in removing ectoparasites, suggest that a utilitarian role, especially removal of ticks, is an important function of the impala reciprocal allogrooming system.
Agonistic Interactions in Juvenile Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) in Relation to Local Predation Risk
Authors: Wright P. J. , Huntingford F. A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSize‐matched groups of three‐spined stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus) fry were established using fish from two sites, one with abundant piscivorous predators (the high‐risk site) and the other with very few heterospecific predators (the low‐risk site). Over a period of two months, social interactions within groups were monitored regularly and mean lengths and coefficients of variance in length were tracked. Agonistic behaviour was observed in 45% of observation periods, but was more common in the groups of fry from the low‐risk site, where it was more likely to take the form of direct attack rather than displacement without contact. In both categories of fish, the great majority of agonistic acts were directed to fish of a similar size or smaller. Mean size increased rapidly in all groups. At the same time, the coefficient of variation also increased, approaching 15% after two months in both categories of fish, reflecting differing growth rates among individuals. After three months, the two largest and the two smallest fish from each group were observed individually during an encounter with a model predatory fish. Large and small fish from both sites behaved identically in this test, suggesting that in sticklebacks (unlike guppies, for example) early experience of aggressive attacks from conspecific companions may not influence the development of anti‐predator responses. As has been reported previously, sticklebacks from the high‐risk site responded much more strongly than low‐risk fish.
Socio‐spatial Organization and Activity Distribution of the Alpine Marmot Marmota marmota: Preliminary Results
Authors: Perrin Catherine , Berre Dominique Allaine & Michel Le 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe behavioural ecology of the Alpine marmot Marmota marmota (Linné, 1758) was studied Jun.—Sep. 1990 in the Vanoise National Park (French Alps). We describe the socio‐spatial structure of a high‐altitude population, to give additional information on the formerly unclear marmot social organization.The social unit was the family group, with a common home range between 0.9 and 2.8 ha; a slight overlapping occurred (9 to 12.5%). Each home range had a central area of main burrows, where the hibernaculum was located, and peripheral areas.Space utilization and distribution of activities during the season were analysed. Some activities took place exclusively in the centre area while peripheral parts were used for foraging. This latter increased in Aug. and decreased in Sep., marmots tending to remain more and more at the centre area as the hibernation period approached.
Social Play among Juvenile Bighorn Sheep: Structure, Development, and Relationship to Adult Behavior
Authors: Hass Christine C. , Jenni Donald A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractA 27‐mo study of bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis) was conducted to examine the structure and development of social play among lambs, and to compare that behavior with the behavior of yearlings and adults. Male lambs played more than females and exhibited a larger repertoire. The behavior patterns used by lambs in social play were the same as those used by adults in intrasexual conflict and courtship. However, the repertoire of lambs was more limited than that of adults. Lambs chose partners closest in age to interact with, regardless of sex. Results were consistent with the hypothesis that play serves to develop physical skills and strength.
Variation in Social Structure: the Effects of Sex and Kinship on Social Interactions in Three Lemur Species
Authors: Kappeler Peter M. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe effects of sex and kinship on agonistic and affinitive interactions in Lemur catta, Eulemur fulvus, and Eulemur coronatus were examined to provide information on the social structure of these primates. All adult males and females of three captive forest‐living groups served as focal animals for one year. In contrast to many anthropoid primates, social interactions in these lemurs are characterized by predominantly competitive relations among closely related females, with low overall rates of polyadic conflicts. In L. catta, same‐sexed dyads and pairs of closely related individuals had higher proximity‐corrected frequencies of agonistic interactions than male‐female and non‐kin dyads. Grooming interactions, on the other hand, occurred significantly more often than expected in male‐female pairs and between unrelated animals. The top‐ranking male monopolized the majority of male‐female interactions. In E. fulvus, neither sex nor kinship had significant effects on the distribution of grooming and agonistic interactions. Unlike L. catta, grooming and conflicts were observed in all dyads, resulting in more complex social relationships. Male‐female relationships in E. fulvus were characterized by strong affiliative relations between individual male‐female pairs. Social relationships in E. coronatus were generally similar to those in E. fulvus, except for a significant sex effect on the distribution of interactions, but small sample size precluded a final characterization of this rare species.Collectively, these results suggest that there may be intense competition among individual female lemurs for group membership, even among close relatives in the same matriline. Moreover, interspecific contrasts in male‐male and intersexual relationships indicate fundamentally different male roles in these species. This study revealed that patterns of agonistic and affinitive interactions are not generally predictable from sexual selection theory and interspecific differences in life histories, indicating a need for more quantitative descriptions of social relationships in diverse taxa to identify other ecological and social determinants of social structure.
Essay on Contemporary Issues in Ethology: Variation among Mammalian Alarm Call Systems and the Problem of Meaning in Animal Signals
Authors: Macedonia Joseph M. , Evans Christopher S. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractUnderstanding the information conveyed by animal signals requires studies of both production and perception. It is important to determine the relationship between signal morphology and the circumstances of production, the way signaller behavior varies with motivational state and the role of context in mediating responses to signals. Alarm calls are well‐suited to research of this type because they are widespread in birds and mammals and typically evoke unambiguous responses. We review studies of alarm calling in primates and ground‐dwelling sciurid rodents, concentrating especially on whether these signal systems may be viewed as ‘functionally referential’, that is, as conveying sufficient information about an event for receivers to select appropriate responses. Comparisons of the physical, behavioral and habitat characteristics of these species suggest that incompatibility of the escape responses required to avoid different classes of predators may have been an important factor in the evolution of functionally referential alarm calls.
The Complex Acoustic Design of an Advertisement Call in Male Mouse Lemurs (Microcebus murinus, Prosimii, Primates) and Sources of its Variation
Authors: Zimmermann Elke , Lerch Carola 
Published: May 2010

AbstractDuring the breeding season sexually active male mouse lemurs produce a trill call used for advertising. The trill call displays a variable, high pitched, complex frequency and amplitude modulated acoustical structure and is given with a high sound intensity. The different sources of its variation in structure and usage have to be determined to understand its complex acoustical design and function. We investigated the vocal morphology of the trill call of males with known age and weight as well as the behavioral context, in order to evaluate sources of its variation. Cluster and discriminant analyses revealed that the structure of trill calls showed a high degree of individual stereotypy in contrast to a high interindividual variability. A set of three distinct variables (fundamental frequency of call onset, bandwidth of 3rd frequency modulation and end frequency of 7th modulation) was sufficient to identify individual senders with almost 90% probability. The structure of the trill call of adult males was independent of age, weight and context and was stable over at least one breeding season. Its individually distinct call structure and use in relation to social status provide the potential for individual recognition and for assessing the “quality” of a male.
Competition among Females for Mates in a Species with Male Parental Care, the Midwife Toad Alytes obstetricans
Authors: Verrell Paul A. , Brown Lauren E. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractOnly males provide parental care in midwife toads (genus Alytes), carrying fertilized eggs entwined around the hind limbs. Although energetic investment in reproduction probably is greater for females, male care may be a limited resource in terms of its quality, and competition among females for access to males might be expected. We videotaped sexual interactions in a group of individuals in the laboratory to determine whether female Alytes obstetricans from Portugal compete for mates. Courtship and mating behavior were largely similar to descriptions of other authors for this species. Males did not exhibit direct aggressive interactions with one another for access to mates. However, females engaged in intense competitive behavior, which included frequent physical displacement of the amplectant male by an unpaired female. One male mated with two females that had competed with one another, suggesting that females may be unable to ensure exclusive access to male parental care.
Demonstration of Strength and Concealment of Weakness in Escalating Fights of Male Swordtails (Xiphophorus helleri)
Authors: Ribowski Alexander , Franck Dierk 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn the green swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) confrontations between strange males regularly escalate to high levels of mutual Bites and Fin Grips, even between males differing greatly in size. The original expectation of early game theory models that the behaviours of the ultimate winners and losers are indistinguishable until shortly before the end of the fight could not be confirmed. A significant characteristic of loser behaviour is that the Biting rates are higher before and after escalation. Conversely, Fin Grips are more frequent in the ultimate winners than the losers. However, such behavioural differences are very poor predictors of the outcome of the fight from the viewpoint of a single fighting individual during the contest. Correct forecasts did not exceed 67%. The escalating fights of swordtails are considered as trials of strength in which the stronger male tries to demonstrate strength by the most costly behaviour pattern available, namely Fin Grips, and the weaker male conceals weakness quite successfully by countering with the same tactic and suppressing signs of weakness such as Avoidance behaviour.
Magnetic Orientation in the Savannah Sparrow
Authors: Able Kenneth P. , Able Mary A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAlthough magnetic compass orientation has been reported in a number of invertebrate and vertebrate taxa, including about a dozen migratory bird species, magnetic orientation capabilities in animals remain somewhat controversial. We have hand‐raised a large number of Savannah sparrows (Passerculus sandwichensis) to study the ontogeny of orientation behavior. Young birds with a variety of early experience with visual and magnetic orientation cues have been tested for magnetic orientation during their first autumn migration. Here we present data from 80 hand‐raised sparrows, each tested several times in both normal and shifted magnetic fields. Birds reared indoors with no experience with visual orientation cues showed axial north‐south orientation that shifted by almost exactly the magnitude of 90° clockwise and counterclockwise shifts in the direction of magnetic north. Other groups of birds with varying early experience with visual orientation cues showed different preferred orientation directions, but all groups shifted orientation direction in response to shifts in the magnetic field. The data thus demonstrate a robust magnetic orientation ability in this species.
Behaviour of Foals before Weaning May Have Some Genetic Basis
Authors: Wolff Anja , Hausberger Martine 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn this preliminary study on foal behaviour, 13 French saddlebred foals (2–3 mo old) and their dams were observed on pasture. The most important findings are the interindividual quantitative differences in foal behaviour patterns as well as in the amount of mainly foal‐initiated time spent at given distances from their mares. Interindividual differences seem in part due to a sire effect.
Short‐range Navigation of the Weakly Electric Fish, Gnathonemus petersii L. (Mormyridae, Teleostei), in Novel and Familiar Environments
Authors: Cain Peter , Gerin William , Moller Peter 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWe investigated the electrolocation performance of the weakly electric fish, Gnathonemus petersii, in novel and familiar environments. By selectively interfering with the fish's sensory input, we determined the sensory channels necessary for navigation and orientation. The fish's task was to locate a circular aperture (diameter: 64 mm) in a wall dividing a 200–1 aquarium into two equal compartments. To assess the fish's performance, we measured (1) the time it took the fish to locate the aperture, (2) the height at which it contacted the divider, (3) its electric organ discharge rate, and (4) the frequency of divider crossings. In the first experiment (novel environment), 50 naive G. petersii assigned to five groups of 10 fish each (intact, blind, electrically “silent,” blind and “silent,” and shamoperated animals) were tested with the aperture presented randomly in one of three positions (aperture center: 7.6, 17.7, 27.8 cm from the bottom). In a novel environment, G. petersii depend on active electrolocation. Despite the changing aperture position, over the 15 trials, fish with a functioning electric organ found the aperture, whereas those without one did not. The electric organ discharge rate was inversely correlated with the amount of time spent searching for the aperture. In a second experiment (familiar environment) 20 intact fish learned the position of a fixed aperture. When we subsequently denervated the electric organ in 10 of these animals, their performance did not differ significantly from that of their conspecifics. Thus, once the fish were familiar with the aperture's position, they no longer depended on active electrolocation. We interpret and discuss this behavior as evidence for a “central expectation” and discuss its possible role in electronavigation.
Discrimination among Males by Female Zebra Finches Based on Past as Well as Current Phenotype
Authors: Sullivan Matthew S. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThere are many social and sexual contexts in which individuals should base their interactions with others on the recipient's history of behaviour or morphology over the time in which the two have associated. I tested the ability of female zebra finches to discriminate among males on the basis of their past as well as current phenotype by allowing them to view groups of four males for two hours a day, for four days, while the bill colour of individual males was manipulated with orange and red paint. Four bill colour treatments were assigned to the males in a stimulus set. One male was orange for all four days, one was red for all four days, a third male was orange for the first two days but red for the second two days, and the fourth male was red for the first two days and orange for the second two days. There was a slight, but non‐significant, preference for orange bills when compared on a day to day basis regardless of bill colour history. However, when males were ranked on day 3 and day 4 according to the proportion of the assessment period they had been orange, there was a significant positive correlation between preference on those days and proportion of time orange. A more detailed examination shows that there was an effect of bill colour history independent of current bill colour but not vice‐versa. These results suggest that discrimination is based not only upon instantaneous appearance, but average appearance over the assessment period.