bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Comparison of Four Vocalizations of the GenusTragopan(Aves, Phasianidae)
Authors: Islam Kamal , Crawford John A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractFour calls of the genusTragopanwere described and acoustically analysed. Alarm and wing whir calls were very similar in sound and structure in all five species. By contrast, a comparison of 11 physical parameters of advertisement and clicking calls indicated that species separated into three groups: western and Cabot's each separated into their own group, whereas Blyth's, Temminck's and satyr formed another group. It was hypothesized that the tragopan prototype population had their origin in the eastern Himalayas. Thus, the centrally distributed species of tragopans (satyr, Blyth's and Temminck's) retained characteristics of the ancestral population, whereas the peripheral species (western and Cabot's) underwent vocal modifications. Courtship vocalizations, which are under sexual selection pressure, probably serve as species‐isolating mechanisms in sympatric species.
Undirected Song in Wild Zebra Finch Flocks: Contexts and Effects of Mate Removal
Authors: Dunn A. M. , Zann R. A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWild zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata, sing frequently throughout the year but the function of undirected song, the most prevalent type, is unknown. Paired males commonly sang undirected song in feeding flocks where it occurred more frequently in the non‐breeding season than in the breeding season. Song rate varied greatly among males. The context of the singer and the absence of any overt responses from flock members excludes direct aggressive and mate‐attracting functions. Performance of undirected song may have energetic costs and predatory risks. The finding that singers are active individuals with ‘spare time’, that are neither hungry, nor tired, nor sexually motivated, suggests that singers are advertising their ‘quality’ as potential mates and/or participants for extra‐pair copulations. When the female partner in non‐breeding pairs was experimentally removed, the rate of undirected song of the ‘widower’ increased significantly. Males quickly re‐paired. This experiment supports the hypothesis that singing in the flock has a mate‐attracting role.
Maternal Defence of a Leaf Beetle is not Effective against Parasitoids but is against Pedestrian Predators
Authors: Kudo Shin‐ichi , Ishibashi Eiji 
Published: May 2010

AbstractFemales of the subsocial leaf beetle Gonioctena sibirica attend their broods on the willow Salix bakko. Females with broods settle on the underside of the basal part of leaves and face towards the base of the shoots. If other arthropods approach such attendant females, the females show aggressive behaviour against the intruder. The effectiveness of maternal care on offspring survival against pedestrian predators and against a parasitoid wasp was evaluated in field experiments using three groups: broods from which parent females were experimentally removed, those from which females were removed and pedestrian predators were excluded by tanglefoot treatments, and control broods. These experiments showed that maternal care was highly effective against pedestrian predators, but parasitism was not affected by the presence of females. Offspring mortality by predation or by parasitism was not usually dependent on larval densities. Position and orientation of attendant females will be effective for them to detect intruders which approach their larvae by walking along the stem, while it can inhibit the females from detecting parasitoids which fly and land directly on the leaf close to the larvae. The results suggest a trade‐off in the effectiveness of prey defensive behaviour against different enemy species: prey defensive behaviour specific to one type of the enemy may make the prey more vulnerable to the other.
Conflicting Territory Use in Males and Females of a Monogamous Ungulate, the Kirk's Dikdik
Authors: Komers Petr E. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn monogamous mammals it is often unclear why males do not defend larger territories to attract more than one female. I investigated the territoriality of the monogamous Kirk's dikdik, Madoqua kirki, a dwarf antelope, in which food resources increase with territory size and some males defend enough resources for more than one female. Yet, all males are paired monogamously. When males were removed from small territories, their female partners spent more time outside of their territories than females in large ones. When females were removed, their male partners almost never left. Pairs in small territories spent more time together than pairs in large ones. Paired males left mostly together with their females, apparently not on their own initiative. Presumably because females in small territories left more often, their males spent more time outside in the female's company than males in large territories. I argue that males in smaller territories can keep better track of their females and that they can effectively reduce their females' time outside. Male intrusion pressure was unrelated to territory size, but it increased in the presence of unguarded females. If large territories decrease the ability to mate guard, and if unguarded females attract competing males, then defending large territories may be uneconomical, even it they could attract more than one female. On the other hand, territories must be large enough to satisfy the requirements of a single female.
Mating Systems and Male Size in Australian Hylaeine Bees (Hymenoptera: Colletidae)
Authors: Alcock John , Houston Terry F. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe mating systems of seven previously unstudied members of the colletid bee genus Hylaeus Fabricius and one of Hyleoides Smith are described. Male mating tactics can be categorized as territorial (perched males defend flowers or other sites that attract receptive females) or non‐territorial (patrolling males search for receptive females at flowering plants). The four species in which some territorial males occur are characterized by: 1. grappling fights among males for preferred perches; 2. territorial control by larger males; 3. the possession of prominent spines or other projections on the venter of the abdomen in larger males; and 4. the occurrence of some males that are as large as, or larger than, the largest females of their species (the ‘large‐male phenomenon’). In contrast, the four species that lack territorial males are distinctive in that males: 1. do not engage in grappling contests; 2. lack abdominal weaponry; and 3. are smaller than the largest females of their species. In addition, we searched for the large‐male phenomenon in museum collections of four species of Hylaeus that exhibit male abdominal spines (presumed to be the weapons used by territorial individuals) and two other species that lack these attributes (presumed non‐territorial patrolling species). The results tend to support the sexual‐selection‐for‐fighting‐ability hypothesis, which argues that the evolution of unusually large males is a selective consequence of aggressive male—male competition for access to mates. The limitations of the present data set as a comparative test of this hypothesis are discussed.
Testosterone Induces Sexual Release Quality in the Song of Female Canaries
Authors: Vallet Eric , Kreutzer Michel , Gahr Manfred 
Published: May 2010

AbstactWe tested the sexual responsiveness of female canaries, Serinus canaria, to two sets of different types of female conspecific songs versus an adult male conspecific song. Female songs were either spontaneously emitted (‘S‐songs’) or were testosterone‐induced (‘T‐songs’). Copulation‐solicitation displays (CSD) were used as an index of female sexual response. Playbacks were performed several days before and during egg laying, a period of natural sexual responsiveness of the females to song. We demonstrated that the weaker sexual displays of female canaries were recorded to S‐songs, thus suggesting that these types of female songs do not contain fully functional sexual releasers. Three T‐songs elicited high levels of sexual displays, thus demonstrating that testosterone treatment may induce sexual release quality in the female songs. Study of the phonology of these three T‐songs strongly suggested that special song phrases may be good candidates as powerful sexual releasers. To test the sexual value of these female song phrases, we carried out a third experiment, using hybrid songs where each of these special T‐song phrase types was included in a well‐known heterospecific context. Two phrases elicited high levels of sexual responses in females. Essential features of the male full song, such as broadband rapid frequency modulations and high repetition rate, are retrieved in both female song phrases. Taken together, these data demonstrate that testosterone treatment not only induces a male‐like structure in the songs of females, but also induces functionally ‘male‐like’ songs. This result allows features of the vocal control network of testosterone‐treated females to be compared with those of adult males singing full songs, to distinguish neural correlates of testosterone‐dependent full songs. However, because testosterone does not induce functionally male‐like songs in all the females, neuroanatomical structure‐function correlations need detailed behavioural analysis.
Female Choice for Male Morphological Traits in House Sparrows, Passer domesticus
Authors: Kimball Rebecca T. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractFemale mate choice for male morphological traits was examined in captive house sparrows in New Mexico, USA. A study of house sparrows in Denmark indicated that male bib size is important in female choice (Moller 1988, 1989). To examine this issue further, and to compare the selective pressures on male morphological traits between the two populations, bibs of males were manipulated to one of four standard sizes and females were allowed to choose from four males, one of each bib size. The amount of time the female spent with each male was recorded for 40 trials. Males were then ranked in each trial, with a rank of 4 given to the male the female spent the most time with. The ranks a male obtained were then averaged to provide an indication of a male's attractiveness to females. Data from 23 different males indicated that bib size was not correlated with a male's average rank, even when the effects of other traits were controlled statistically. In addition, the size of the original (unaltered) bib was not correlated with male average rank. Bill depth was the only trait significantly correlated with a male's average rank. Differences in the populations studied or the methodologies used may have led to differences between the results obtained in this study and that of Moller (1988).
Differential Kin Discrimination by Red‐spotted Newts (Notophthalmus viridescens) and Smooth Newts (Triturus vulgaris)
Authors: Gabor Caitlin R. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn organisms lacking parental care or when eggs of more than one female are layed together, parents preferentially tend to avoid eating their own offspring. In some species of newts (Caudata: Salamandridae), there is no parental care and cannibalism of eggs and larvae occurs when philopatric adults remain in the pond throughout the breeding season where eggs and larvae develop. Kin discrimination by both adult newts and larvae would be expected to occur during the breeding season as it would enable individuals to benefit from the nutrients obtained from eating eggs and larvae while they avoid eating close relatives. The effects of kinship on cannibalism of eggs and larvae were examined in two species of newts. In separate, but similar, paired behavioral trials adult female red‐spotted newts,Notophthalmus viridescens, and smooth newts,Triturus vulgaris, were allowed to consume their own egg or an egg from another female. Female red‐spotted newts, but not smooth newts, preferred to eat eggs of other females rather than their own, and overall smooth newts were ‘reluctant’ to eat conspecific eggs. To test for ontogenetic shifts in discrimination abilities, additional experiments were performed with adult female red‐spotted newts paired with their own larvae and a larva from another female. In addition, the effects of kinship on the attraction or repulsion of larvae was also studied in red‐spotted newts. Females showed no significant discrimination abilities during acts of cannibalism on larvae. Larvae spent similar amounts of time with siblings and non‐siblings. These results suggest that the ability of adult newts to discriminate among eggs varies between species and that the elicitation of a kin‐discrimination response may be context‐dependent. For red‐spotted newts, there was no evidence of discrimination abilities within and between other life‐history stages.
Sexual Interference in the Sword‐tailed Newt, Cynops ensicauda popei (Amphibia: Salamandridae)
Authors: Sparreboom Max 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis paper describes competitive interaction between males of the salamandrid Cynops ensicauda popei. The sexual behaviour of the male is influenced by the presence of a second, rival, male. Competition for access to the female and other male interactions continuously interrupt ongoing courtships. Spermatophore pick‐up success is lower than in encounters involving single pairs. During triad encounters, fewer spermatophores were deposited than in dyad encounters, due to interference during the creep stage of courtship.Two basic forms of male sexual interference were distinguished: ‘lure away’ during the creeping stage, from a position that is different from the direction of creep; and ‘female mimicry’, during which the male presses his snout alternately against the courting male's tail and the female's snout. In both forms, a rival male may shove one of the courting individuals away.The repertoire of sexual behaviour patterns of Cynops ensicauda popei appears to be less complex and varied than that of most Triturus species. The courtship of Cynops places less emphasis on display behaviour with tail and body, and a stronger emphasis on the creeping stage, where the male carefully leads the responsive female over a series of spermatophores, but during which rival males may interfere in a variety of ways.
Vocal Signalling of the Great Crested Flycatcher, Myiarchus crinitus (Aves, Tyrannidae)
Authors: Smith W. John , Smith Anne Marie 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe singing and related vocalizing of great crested flycatchers, Myiarchus crinitus (Aves, Tyrannidae), included at least 12 different vocalizations. Each vocalization correlated with (and thus made information available about) a distinctive range of behaviour, from unassertive to more actively responsive, provocative or even confrontational. Four were used by individuals primarily when alone and not initiating close social encounters. The eight other vocalizations were uttered primarily in close encounters: one in preliminaries to such events, two predominantly in encounters with opponents, another in close associating of mates, two in duetting, and two infrequently, mostly in confrontations. The division of the repertoire into sets of vocalizations providing information about either low or elevated probabilities that a signaller will undertake the behavioural initiatives that precede, shape or sustain social interactions parallels a division found in other recently studied passerines. Such information is pertinent to individuals' decisions to forego or start close interactions with, for instance, competitors or mates. The information should be useful to a great many species, not just birds, but also mammals and various other animals — species in which individuals keep each other informed by singing when they are apart.
Female Sexual Interference in the Smooth Newt, Triturus vulgaris vulgaris
Authors: Waights Verina 
Published: May 2010

AbstractCompetition between unmated females for males was observed in the smooth newt, T. vulgaris, during the early part of the breeding season. Females interfered at the spermatophore‐transfer stage of courtship, preventing a rival female from picking up the sperm mass. Interference often resulted in the rival female abandoning the courtship encounter. In many of the encounters (70%), the interfering female was inseminated. However, interference between females was not observed after the commencement of ovulation.By contrast, the incidence of sexual interference between males was low during the preovulatory period and increased significantly post‐ovulation.Sexual interference in newts and salamanders has previously only been observed between males. During the greater part of the breeding season, when females are ovipositing, eggs are the limiting resource and males compete for access to receptive females. However, this study suggests that early in the breeding season, prior to commencement of ovulation, the limiting resource may temporarily be sperm, due to the physiological constraint of spermatophore production. This may lead to female competition for mates.
Hormonal Correlates of Dominance and Starvation‐induced Aggression in Chicks of the Blue‐footed Booby
Authors: Mora Alejandra Nuǹz‐de la , Drummond Hugh , Wingfield John C. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn the blue‐footed booby (Sula nebouxii), the first‐hatched chick aggressively dominates its sibling and sometimes kills it when food is in short supply. To investigate the endocrine correlates of dominance‐subordinance and hunger‐induced agonism, we deprived 15–20‐d‐old single‐chick and two‐chick broods of food during 48 h by taping chicks' necks to prevent ingestion of parentally provided food (a protocol used previously and known to elicit escalated sibling fighting). We monitored weight and levels of circulating testosterone, oestradiol and corticosterone in deprived and normally fed broods comprising singletons, seniors (= dominants) and juniors (= subordinates), and observed behaviour to verify that aggression increased in deprived two‐chick broods. During the 2 d of fasting, experimental chicks lost on average 6% of their baseline weight. After normal feeding was reinstated, seniors and singletons recovered normal (control) weight, but juniors remained significantly lighter than controls. No testosterone was detected in any nestling, but baseline corticosterone level was 109% higher in juniors than in seniors or singletons, implying that elevated corticosterone in juniors is a consequence of social subordination and may facilitate submissive behaviour. Although there was evidence that aggression of seniors increased under food deprivation, the increase was not accompanied by the rise in levels of testosterone expected under the ‘Challenge hypothesis’ (Wingfield et al. 1990). This result implies that this hypothesis probably does not apply to booby nestlings in the context of starvation‐induced aggression. During the 2 d deprivation period, corticosterone levels of experimental chicks increased significantly, then declined to baseline levels a day after tapes were removed. The increase was probably due to the combined effects of starvation and frustration. We suggest that corticosterone could alter responsiveness of nestling blue‐footed boobies to external stimuli, resulting in more aggression by dominants and greater readiness of subordinates to submit.
Male‐male Interactions in Heterosexual and All‐male Wild Mountain Gorilla Groups
Authors: Robbins Martha M. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractVariation in male dispersal and behavior patterns are components of intraspecific differences in social systems. A comparison of male behavior in different social settings can be useful for determining which behavioral mechanisms contribute to variability in social systems. Two heterosexual multimale groups and one all‐male group of mountain gorillas (Gorilla gorilla beringei) were observed for over 1100 h at the Karisoke Research Centre, Rwanda. Data on proximity patterns, dominance relationships, aggression, agonistic interventions, affiliation, and homosexual behavior were compared among the males in these groups to examine the influence of female presence, sex ratio, group size, and kinship on male—male interactions. Males in the all‐male group stayed closer together, affiliated more, exhibited more homosexual behavior, and were more aggressive toward each other than males in heterosexual groups. However, the males in heterosexual groups showed more wounding and more consistent dominance relationships. Kinship did not influence male‐male relationships in the all‐male group. The males in the heterosexual groups rarely interacted with one another; they may actively avoid close proximity to reduce aggression. Results suggest that the variable social system of mountain gorillas may be more strongly influenced by demographic factors, male‐female social relationships, and male‐male competition for mates than by any benefits of male‐male relationships.
Dominance Rank and Parental Investment in Swine (Sus scrofa domesticus)
Authors: Meikle Douglas B. , Drickamer Lee C. , Vessey Stephen H. , Arthur Robert D. , Rosenthal Thomas L. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractUsing domestic swine, we tested the general prediction from life history theory that females increase their investment in offspring with increasing age and parity. Because increased investment may have a greater beneficial impact on the lifetime reproduction of sons than daughters, we also tested the prediction that older females would invest more in sons than in daughters compared to younger females. Finally, we examined whether age‐ or parity‐related patterns of change in reproductive effort were associated with differences in the social dominance ranks of females. Female swine from a large number of domestic breeds were assigned to social groups, and their dominance ranks were determined based on the outcome of agonistic encounters. The prediction that older females produce larger litters was supported, but the increase was related only to age, not to parity. Across all ages, high‐ranking females produced a greater proportion of sons than low‐ranking females. Contrary to our prediction, there was no rank‐related change in the proportion of sons born with increasing age or parity. However, the mean body masses offspring born to high‐ranking females increased with increasing maternal age and parity, but this was not the case for offspring of low‐ranking females. Studies of free‐ranging groups of swine are needed to determine whether an increase in body mass at birth would have different effects on the reproduction of sons or daughters.
Aposematic Behaviour in the Striped Skunk,Mephitis mephitis
Authors: Lartviere Serge , Messier François 
Published: May 2010

AbstractFrom April to August, 1993 to 1995, we studied the aposematic behaviour patterns of striped skunks,Mephitis mephitis, incidentally while ground‐tracking radio‐marked animals. During 2668 h of tracking, 207 defensive postures were displayed by 34 radio‐collared (27 females, 7 males) and 21 unidentified skunks. Skunks most often advertised their noxiousness using Tail‐up (69.1 % occurrence) and Stomp (17.4%). Encounters were frequently (42.5 %) terminated by the skunk running away from the source of disturbance. Most warning behaviour was directed at radio‐trackers (95.7 %), and the remainder was displayed to a variety of predatory and non‐predatory animals or objects. Stomp occurred more frequently in taller vegetation, where visual advertisement was limited. Reaction distance of skunks disturbed by observers (median = 6 m) was not affected by wind, movement or vegetation height. The small awareness circle and high tolerance of skunks to disturbance are consistent with the life history traits of aposematic animals.