bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Quantitative Analysis of Secretion‐Grooming Behaviour in the Water Bug Plea minutissima Leach (Heteroptera, Pleidae): Control by Abiotic Factors
Authors: Kovac Damir 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe pigmy backswimmer, Plea minutissima, from time to time leaves the water to apply its antimicrobial metathoracic gland secretion to its water‐repellent ventral pubescence (“secretion‐grooming”) which is enclosed by an air sheath when submerged and has a respiratory function. Secretion‐grooming keeps the hairs free of microbial contamination and thus hydrophobous and functional. The grooming behaviour is regulated by abiotic factors. It is released by an increase in light intensity or water temperature, with a sudden rise in temperature being particularly effective. The higher the temperature and light intensity, the faster the grooming act is performed and completed. The grooming motivation is higher at a higher ambient temperature, but declines once the behaviour has been brought to completion. As a consequence the highest grooming activity in the field is observed in summer on the first sunny day after a prolonged period of overcast days. The tying of secretion‐grooming to abiotic factors probably serves to destroy epizoic microorganisms before they begin to multiply more rapidly at higher temperatures. The mechanisms regulating the secretion‐grooming behaviour of Plea may be of significance also for the regulation of certain other insect behaviours (e.g., flight behaviour).
Social Structure and the Development of Helping Behaviour in the Bell Miner (Manorina melanophrys, Meliphagidae)
Authors: Poiani Aldo 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe hypothesis that bell miners (Manorina melanophrys) improve their alloparenting skills during the period spent as helpers was tested by means of comparing: a) the frequency of nestling care activities, b) the frequency of nestling attendance “mistakes”, c) the gizzard contents and items brought to nestlings, and d) interactions at the nest with the breeders, for helpers of different ages. Results show that young birds made fewer feeding visits to the nestlings and made more empty (i.e. non‐feeding) visits than older helpers. The few “mistakes” detected were also made by young helpers. The proportion of food items brought to the nestlings consisting of arthropods was smaller for very young helpers (≤ 3.8 months) than for older helpers. Sexually mature helpers also had relatively more arthropods than psyllid sugary covers (a food item very easy to locate and capture) in their gizzards than immatures in winter, but this difference was marginally not significant.Young helpers must learn their place within the group hierarchy, but no clear division of labor in the alloparental activities studied was detected, which might have increased the effect of learning during the period birds spent as helpers.
Social Organization of a Maternity Group in the Noctule Bat, Nyctalus noctula (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae)
Authors: Kozhurina Eugenia I. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSocial organization of a captive group of noctule bats, N. noctula, was studied by frequent censuses of bats at roost sites during one summer season. Numerous nonrandom associations as measured by information indices of similarity (Kullback 1959; Semkin 1972; Zakharov et al. 1987) were found between related and unrelated individuals. The social group structure revealed by multidimensional scaling analysis was affected first of all by the history of group formation, and also by bat age and sex. Spatial bonds were in general stronger between related than unrelated bats. However, nearly all closest associations observed were formed by at best distantly related bats; family membership influenced the socio‐spatial positions of noctules far less than the above‐mentioned variables did. It is suggested that emergence and persistence of nonrandom associations is mainly due to individual attainment of a certain level of comfort in company of familiar conspecifics whose behaviour is predictable, and thus reduction of aggression within a group. Other benefits of stable associations would be derived from this primary function.
Communal Roosting of Wintering Red KitesMilvus milvus(Aves, Accipitridae): Social Feeding Strategies for the Exploitation of Food Resources
Authors: Hiraldo Fernando , Heredia Borja , Alonso Juan Carlos 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSocial feeding strategies of wintering red kites are analyzed in relation to age, food, roost‐sites and differences from kite residents. Whereas young and adult wintering kites gathered at roost sites almost daily, adult residents did not, and immature residents only occasionally. Kites using roost sites feed more often on prey prelocated by others, while lone roosters also forage and discover food alone. After finding food, kites tend to shift to a new roost site and foraging area. Two details of the ‘information centre’ hypothesis are confirmed in our study: carcasses are unpredictably found patches, divisible between several individuals. But carcasses disappeared fast in the study area, and no increase with time in the number of birds consuming a carcass was observed, so that information transmission was unconfirmed. When kites leave the roost in groups no leader is detectable. It seems that other types of social foraging are operating, and the model best matching our results is network foraging.
Social Effects of Maternal Age and Experience in Bison: Pre‐ and Post‐weaning Contact Maintenance with Daughters
Authors: Green Wendy C. H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractEffects of maternal age and experience on long‐term contact maintenance interactions with female offspring were examined in bison (Bison bison), as part of a study of factors influencing dyadic behavioural interaction. During the first five months, patterns of change in interactions varied with maternal age and parity. Young (largely primiparous) mothers and their calves steadily increased the frequency with which they maintained contact, while older mothers and their calves became increasingly independent (e.g. calves walked away from mothers more and followed them less often). Filial independence was most extreme in the (last) calves of the two oldest mothers. These age‐specific patterns appeared to result largely from contrasting shifts in maternal behaviour from Month 1 to 2; differences between groups before and after this shift were opposite in direction. In the first month, older mothers maintained more frequent contact and were behaviourally more synchronized with their calves. After the first month, however, the efforts of older mothers to maintain dyadic proximity abruptly decreased, while those of young mothers and their calves gradually increased. Subsequent differences between groups were more consistent. Young mothers and their daughters maintained closer contact and continued to do so well past weaning, at least as late as the third year, when daughters reached sexual maturity. Filial behaviour played an important role in determining patterns of dyadic spatial relations; the close proximity maintained by young mothers and their offspring appeared due largely to the frequency with which these calves followed their mothers' movements. The relatively independent calves of older mothers took greater initiative in contact interactions with mothers (e.g. nosing, licking). Young mothers appeared to strengthen long‐term bonds with daughters by initiating contact frequently; the closeness of post‐weaning dyadic association increased with the frequency of pre‐weaning maternal contact.
Variation in Song Rate during the Breeding Cycle of the Chaffinch, Fringilla coelebs
Authors: Hanski Ilpo K. , Laurila Anssi 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe variation in song rate during the breeding season was studied in two individually marked chaffinch Fringilla coelebs populations. We gathered data to investigate especially the recently presented mate‐guarding hypothesis. The active singing has been supposed to function as a form of mate guarding during the female's fertile period by announcing the high status of the male and preventing extra‐pair copulations by neighbouring males.There was no clear dawn chorus in the chaffinch, i.e. a peak in the song rate before sunrise. Male chaffinches continued to sing after mating, but the song rate dropped significantly. In contrast to the mate‐guarding hypothesis the song rate was lower during the fertile period of the female than during pre‐mating and incubation. Thus, the males do not announce the fertility status of their mates or their own quality and status by active singing. The song does not function as a form of mate guarding in the chaffinch.One function of the song of the chaffinch is mate attraction: singing activity was highest before pair formation in early spring and decreased after mating but increased again if the male lost his mate later in the breeding season.
Songs of American Redstarts (Setophaga ruticilla): Sequencing Rules and their Relationships to Repertoire Size
Authors: Lemon Robert E. , Dobson Charles W. , Clifton Peter G. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn order to determine the rules of sequencing of songs used by American redstarts, we related Markovian and hierarchical models to recordings obtained from free‐living males. In the smaller repertoires of three or four songs, low order Markov chain models fitted the data. 9 of the 10 sequences so examined were first‐order, and the last was second‐order. Larger repertoires of 6 and 8 songs were hierarchical in organization with subsets of songs having independent sequencing rules. Most samples of singing were stationary in their transition rules over periods of several days: non‐stationarity was sometimes associated with a change in the number of songs forming the sequence, or in repetitions of songs. We examine causal models of song sequencing and conclude that our results generally favor competition models, although some sequential dependencies may also apply. Hierarchical organization in the serial repertoires of American redstarts may reflect developmental influences rather than effects of repertoire size itself.
Social Control over the Survival and Selection of Winged Virgin Queens in an Ant without Nuptial Flight: Iridomyrmex humilis
Authors: Passera Luc , Aron Serge 
Published: May 2010

AbstractLaboratory and field experiments show that the number of winged virgin queens of the Argentine ant Iridomyrmex humilis allowed to remain alive in the nest is under social control. When reared in their natal nest, survival of virgin queens depends on the presence of males. In the presence of mature alate males or even male pupae only 20% of the gynes are executed before they are 4 days old. By contrast, if pupal and adult males are absent, about 55% of the gynes are executed. The workers tend to kill the lightest ones. Although the Argentine ant is a unicolonial species exhibiting complete acceptance of foreign conspecific workers and mated queens, regardless of whether the recipient nest is queenright or queenless, the acceptance of gynes is variable: they are executed by foreign queenless workers but widely accepted in queenright nests. These results are discussed with regard to possible existence of queen and gyne pheromones allowing recognition and to the lack of nuptial flight in this species.
A Comparative Study of Social Behaviour of Two Sympatric Ground Squirrels (Spermophilus spilosoma, S. mexicanus)
Authors: Livoreil B. , Gouat P. , Baudoin C. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractDuring the reproductive period, intraspecific dyadic encounters were staged within and between S. spilosoma and S. mexicanus individuals under controlled conditions. Video recordings were used to describe and quantify behaviour of males and females of these two sympatric ground squirrels. To compare dyads within and between species two indices (an Agonistic index and a Tolerance index) were designed from measures of behavioural frequencies. During intrasexual encounters, S. mexicanns males and females appear to be more aggressive than male and female S. spilosoma. In both species, encounters between males were more aggressive than between females, which were very tolerant to each other in S. spilosoma. In most cases encounters between male and female conspecifics exhibit an intermediate level of agonistic behaviour and tolerance.The null hypothesis of similarity of the social behaviour of S. spilosoma and S. mexicanus is falsified. Some alternative hypotheses are proposed. First, the tolerance of S. spilosoma is an adaptation to the difficult environmental conditions. Thus differences between the two species reflect differences in behavioural evolution in allopatric populations. Second, S. spilosoma tolerance is a behavioural response to S. mexicanus' recent arrival.
Variation in the Sonar of an Aerial‐hawking Bat (Eptesicus nilssonii)
Authors: Rydell Jens 
Published: May 2010

AbstractEcholocation calls from 10 individually marked female northern bats (Eptesicus nilssonii) were recorded as the bats foraged at three distinct feeding sites (territories) near their maternity roost in southern Sweden (57° N). In addition, recordings of unmarked bats were made in northern Sweden (65° N). The frequency at maximum amplitude of “search phase” echolocation pulses was bimodally distributed, with peaks around 29–30 kHz and 31–32 kHz and was negatively correlated with pulse duration. The frequency at maximum amplitude was related to flight altitude (bats used higher frequencies when they flew near the ground) and also differed among the feeding sites. Hence, much of the variation, probably including regional differences, was behavioural and is interpreted as short term (in the order of s or min) adaptation to current foraging situations. Variation among individual bats, caused by age and size, seemed to be of less importance. Individuals did not use exclusive frequency bands.
Fission of a Spotted Hyena Clan: Consequences of Prolonged Female Absenteeism and Causes of Female Emigration
Authors: Holekamp K. E. , Ogutu J. O. , Dublin H. T. , Frank L. G. , Smale L. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWe describe the fission of one large East African clan of spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta). During an 8‐mo period from late 1989 to early 1990, 8 of 22 adult females vanished from the clan, along with their juvenile offspring. 6 of these 8 adult females formed a new clan in an area adjacent to the parent clan's home range. The 6 adult female dispersers belonged to three mid‐ or low‐ranking matrilines in the parent clan. Two juvenile males returned to the parent clan for temporary visits, and three female members of one matriline rejoined the parent clan after absences of over 8 mo. Returning females, but not males, were targets of severe aggression by adult female residents of the parent clan, and by juvenile residents of both sexes. Returning females fell from their previous mid‐ranking positions to the bottom of the adult female hierarchy. Our data suggest that clan fission was promoted by the simultaneous occurrence of low food availability, an unusually high density of higher‐ranking conspecific competitors, and the availability of neighboring vacant habitat.
Behavioural Divergence in Allopatric and Sympatric Gerbil Species (Rodentia: Gerbillinae)
Authors: Dempster Edith R. , Dempster R. , Perrin M. R. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSouthern African gerbils comprise 3 genera, each genus represented by morphologically‐ and ecologically‐similar species. All species are monomorphic, with social systems varying from asocial (Desmodillus auricularis) to colonial (Tatera species).This study compares the behaviour patterns of an allopatric species, T. afra, 2 sympatric species, T. leucogaster and T. brantsii, and a species of a different genus, D. auricularis which is sympatric with T. leucogaster and T. brantsii.Interactions between males and females of the same species were staged and quantified in terms of the frequencies of each of 23 behavioural acts. D. auricularis performed 2 acts, namely “sidle” and “fight” which have not been identified in Gerbillurus or Tatera interactions. Sequences of behaviour were similar in all species, and involved females moving away from males, which followed, sniffed the anogenital region and attempted to mount the females. Females responded by presenting, if receptive, or agonistic behaviour such as aggressive or upright postures. Exploration of the terrarium accounted for a large proportion of the behaviour during the 20 min encounter, and watching the opponent also occurred frequently.Discriminant function analysis successfully separated all 4 species on the basis of behaviour frequencies. Individuals were assigned to the correct species with an accuracy of 80%, indicating that each species exhibits species‐specific patterns of behaviour. D. auricularis displayed more agonistic and sexual behaviour and less huddling behaviour than any of the Tatera species.The sympatric species‐pair, T. leucogaster and T. brantsii, exhibited more significant difference in behaviour than either of the allopatric species‐pairs, T. afra and T. brantsii, and T. afra and T. leucogaster. Divergence in behaviour patterns has occurred in allopatric species, but divergence is more marked in species which are sympatric. It is not known whether divergence between T. leucogaster and T. brantsii occurred during a period of allopatry, or whether divergence has occurred due to selection against hybrids in sympatry.
Reconciling with Valuable Partners by Long‐tailed Macaques
Authors: Cords Marina , Thurnheer Sylvie 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn primates and other social mammals, opponents in aggressive conflicts have been reported to seek one another out after fights for various types of friendly interaction. In long‐tailed macaques, these friendly reunions have been shown to restore aspects of the social relationship of the opponents to their preconflict state, and they have thus been interpreted as reconciliations. Although postconflict reconciliation would seem to be adaptive to gregarious animals that establish individualized social relationships, its occurrence is variable among species, groups and dyads. Some of this variation probably reflects costs and benefits of reconciling in different situations. One factor that might influence the benefit of reconciliation and hence its occurrence is the value of the social partner as a social or ecological resource: reconciliation should occur more often after fights with valuable social partners. We conducted an experiment to test this hypothesis using pairs of monkeys (Macaca fascicularis) as their own controls. First, baseline rates of reconciliation after experimenter‐induced conflict were measured. Then, the value of the relationship, at least in the test context, was increased by training each pair of monkeys to perform a simple cooperative task in which each got access to food only if the partner fed nearby simultaneously. Finally, the reconciliation rate was measured again after training and compared to its baseline value. In 6 of 7 dyads, the reconciliation rate increased after training, and the median reconciliation rate after training was 3 times higher than at baseline. While the results are consistent with the value hypothesis, there are other potential explanations. Comparison of friendly behavior when there had been no prior aggression in baseline and post‐training phases, however, suggested that the increase in reconciliation rate was neither the result of a general increase in compatibility nor the result of anticipated conflict in the cofeeding context.
Food Storage in Gray Jays: Source Type and Cache Dispersion
Authors: Waite Thomas A. , Reeve John D. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAnimals that store food items in scattered sites must decide how to distribute their caches in space. Our theoretical approach is based on the assumption that such animals disperse their caches in a manner that maximizes the long‐term rate of storage of recoverable (surviving) food items in the habitat. We investigate the cache‐spacing behavior of theoretical scatter hoarders that encounter food sources differing in the energetic content of the items they contain. We then describe a field experiment in which gray jays (Perisoreus canadensis) were presented with both small‐ and large‐item food sources. The jays compensated for source type by spacing larger‐item caches more widely, a compensation that would tend to yield a high rate of storage of recoverable food energy over the long term and throughout the territory. Previous models do not adequately account for the observed patterns of cache dispersion.
Diving‐for‐Food: A New Model to Assess Social Roles in a Group of Laboratory Rats
Authors: Krafft Bertrand , Colin Catherine , Peignot Patricia 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn an experimental situation called “diving for food”, groups of laboratory rats are tested in an aquarium where they have to dive and swim under water to reach the single source of food located at the other end. A behavioural differentiation appears: some rats — the carriers — dive to get food and others — non‐carriers — stay in the cage and feed by stealing. We examine whether carrier and non‐carrier profiles can be considered as social roles, defined as supraindividual features dependent on the social context. Carrier/non‐carrier differentiation resulted in all groups tested. Individually tested, almost all rats can get food by diving and swimming. Differentiation also occurred in groups that had been previously trained alone in the device, and in groups whose members had all been carriers or non‐carriers exclusively in a preliminary stage. As the access‐to‐food behaviour of a rat having to cope with the diving‐for‐food situation is settled by its social environment, we consider that the present experimental model is promising for the study of interactions between the individual and the social structure.
Behavior of Colonial Orb‐weaving Spiders during a Solar Eclipse
Authors: Uetz George W. , Hieber Craig S. , Jakob Elizabeth M. , Wilcox R. Stimson , Kroeger David , McCrate Andrea , Mostrom Alison M. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe behavior of colonial orb‐weaving spiders (Metepeira incrassata) in tropical Veracruz, Mexico was studied during the total solar eclipse on July 11, 1991. Spiders behaved in a manner typical of daily activity until totality, when many began taking down webs. After solar reappearance, most spiders that had begun taking down webs rebuilt them. There was no significant difference in the overall activity patterns of spiders during totality across a range of colony sizes. Experimental illumination of part of a colony during totality altered web takedown behavior. While spiders in the darkness of totality began to take down webs, those spiders which were artificially illuminated did not. These observations suggest that the primary environmental cue responsible for the daily rhythm of web building behavior in this species is light level.