bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
A Comparative Study of the Behaviour of Six Taxa of Male and Female Gerbils (Rodentia) in Intra‐ and Interspecific Encounters
Authors: Dempster Edith R. , Dempster R. , Perrin M. R. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractFrequencies and sequences of visually‐identifiable acts were investigated in male‐female combinations of gerbils of the taxa Tatera brantsii, Gerbillurus paeba paeba, G. p. exilis, G. tytonis, G. setzeri, and G. vallinus. Sexual dimorphism of behaviour was most apparent in T. brantsii, G. setzeri, and G. vallinus, in which following, anogenital sniffing, and mounting were significantly more frequently performed by males than females. Females of all taxa presented and darted, while males did not perform these acts.Analysis of first‐order transitions of acts in intraspecific encounters revealed remarkable similarity among species in the sequences identified as most significantly deviating from expected frequency.Species‐specific patterns of behaviour were detected by discriminant analysis. G. p. paeba, G. p. exilis and G. vallinus were not clearly distinguished by discriminant analysis, and presented a behaviour pattern characterized by low levels of aggression and high levels of huddling behaviour. G. tytonis, G. setzeri and T. brantsii were characterized by low levels of huddling, G. tytonis performed the largest number of upright postures of all taxa, G. setzeri watched more than other taxa, and T. brantsii nasal sniffed less frequently than Gerbillurus taxa. Differences among taxa were more apparent in males than in females.Interspecific encounters were staged between G. p. paeba and G. p. exilis, G. p. paeba and G. tytonis, G. setzeri and G. vallinus. Males showed more evidence of changed behaviour in interspecific encounters than females. More sexual and less agonistic behaviour was detected in intraspecific encounters than in interspecific encounters, but this was statistically significant in only 5 of 12 combinations.Visual, tactile and olfactory communication during physical contact with another individual may complement auditory communication in promoting conspecific recognition in southern African gerbils.
Reproductive Coordination in a Nonseasonally Breeding Primate Species, Macaca silenus
Authors: Clarke A. S. , Harvey N. C. , Lindburg D. G. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractVarying types of reproductive coordination among females have been described for several mammals. Among nonhuman primates, female reproductive coordination has usually been described as breeding seasonality, or in few cases, closer synchrony within the breeding or birth season. We examined birth records from a large captive colony of lion‐tailed macaques, Macaca silenus, a nonseasonally breeding species, in order to determine the degree of female reproductive synchrony in this population. Births were nonrandomly distributed over the 10‐year study period. Of the total of 28 births, the majority (21 or 75 %) of births occurred in cohorts, in spite of wide variations in interbirth intervals among cohort birth mothers. Cohorts consisted of two to five infants born within a 90‐d period or less. Of the remaining 7 “isolated” births, four were in the three years in which only one or two births occurred. The pattern of cohort births was nonrandomly distributed according to mother's parity: three of the isolated births were to primiparous mothers, whereas only one of the 21 cohort births was to a primiparous mother. Estrous synchrony results showed that females in the longer‐established of two groups exhibited greater synchrony, suggesting social facilitation of reproductive coordination. It is thus suggested that synchrony in this sample was the result of social rather than ecological mechanisms, as has been hypothesized for some other mammalian species.
Evidence of Chemical Signaling in the Sand Scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis (Scorpionida: Vaejovida)
Authors: Gaffin Douglas D. , Brownell Philip H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis study presents evidence of intraspecific chemical communication in scorpions. The subject of our investigation was the nocturnal sand scorpion, Paruroctonus mesaensis. During the mating season, mature males show a sex‐specific wandering behavior ostensibly directed at locating conspecific females that remain in the vicinity of their home burrows. Searching behavior was stimulated in the laboratory by releasing males onto substrates that had previously been occupied by females. Receptive males exhibited changes in locomotory behavior that favored occupation of the female‐exposed area. Males occasionally displayed a precourtship behavior, called juddering, indicating the presence of a pheromone on the substrate. Juddering, and two newly described behavior patterns, tail‐wagging and pedipalp‐reaching, were also induced by solvent extracts of female cuticle. Most behavioral responses began vigorously within the first few s of stimulus contact and gradually adapted within 10 min. The potential importance of specialized sensory appendages, the pectines, for mediating chemosensitivity is discussed. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that mate identification and localization in sand scorpions are mediated in part by a contact sex pheromone.
Functional Polygyny, Agonistic Interactions and Reproductive Dominance in the Neotropical Ant Odontomachus chelifer (Hymenoptera, Formicidae, Ponerinae)
Authors: Medeiros Flavia N. S. , Lopes Luciano E. , Moutinho Paulo R. S. , Oliveira Paulo S. , Hölldobler Bert 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIntracolony aggression among dealated queens of the ponerine ant Odontomachus chelifer leads to a dominance order within the colony. Behavioral domination between queens entails an array of stereotyped displays which may escalate from vigorous antennation bouts to full mandibular strikes. In extreme situations a dominant queen may also suspend her subordinate opponent, who remains in pupal posture while being lifted up. As a rule the individual initiating a contest normally wins it. Subordinate queens may assume a crouching posture at the approach of a dominant nestmate from behind, a fact suggesting that chemical cues may also play a role in the establishment of the dominance order. Behavioral performances during domination contests and the rank position of different dealated queens correlated well with the data on individual egg production, ovarian development and other parameters of division of labor within the colony. Therefore, highly‐ranked queens laid more eggs, had better developed ovaries and engaged less frequently in foraging activities outside the nest. Inseminated queens occupied the top positions in the dominance structure of the colony, and accounted for most of the aggressive interactions recorded within the nest tubes. Aggression toward egg‐laying queens and the destruction of newly‐laid eggs were conspicuous behavioral traits in the reproductive dominance of the O. chelifer colony. High ranking dealated queens were also the ones more frequently seen attacking alate females. The latter were observed to lay eggs, and some of them had developed ovaries. Our results with Odontomachus chelifer are in accordance with the data obtained elsewhere for other ponerine ants, and provide the first demonstration of a dominance structure linked to reproductive status among queens in a functionally polygynous ant colony.
Ethotypic Variation of Prey Recognition in Juvenile Anolis lineatopus (Reptilia: Iguanidae) Revisited
Authors: Curio Eberhard , von Brockhusen‐Holzer Friederike 
Published: May 2010

AbstractA previous study (von Brockhusen‐Holzer & Curio 1990) had led to the major conclusion that prey‐naive Anolis lineatopus hatchlings differ in terms of a “hard‐wired” perceptual mechanism underlying the recognition of cricket prey. We reconsider here one result leading to that conclusion since it rested on negative evidence in one treatment group as compared to another. A newly applied discriminant analysis utilizing the complete prey rejection/acceptance data of individuals in the two treatment groups, i.e. cricket‐rejectors and prefed cricket‐acceptors, again permits the repudiation of a motivation‐based alternative hypothesis explaining the rejector‐acceptor dichotomy. Thereby we reconfirm the original hypothesis of a “hard‐wired”, preprogrammed polyethism underlying prey recognition.
Influence of Male Songs on Female Mating Behavior in the Grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus (Orthoptera: Acrididae)
Authors: Kriegbaum Helmut , von Helversen Otto 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn males of the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus the relationship between song and mating success was investigated in three isolated field populations of individually marked animals within their natural habitat.In a population with muted males (forewings removed), females mated on average 1.7 days later than in a population with intact males. But approximately 14 days after the imaginal moult, roughly corresponding with the time of the first oviposition, 100% of females in both populations had mated.In a further test population, females with a choice between singing and mute males mated almost exclusively (16 from 17 observed copulations) with the intact, singing males.The chance encounter frequency of a male and female was equally high for all populations (on average one encounter every 1.2 h). Different encounter probabilities cannot therefore have caused either mating delay in the population with muted males or preferential selection of intact partners.
The Evening Chorus of the Desert Clicker, Ligurotettix coquilletti (Orthoptera: Acrididae): Mating Investment with Delayed Returns
Authors: Greenfield Michael D. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe diel periodicities of male signaling and long‐range female orientation to male signals were studied in Ligurotettix coquilletti, a territorial grasshopper in which singing males defend individual host plants (Larrea tridentata bushes) as mating territories. Systematic observations revealed that both male and female activity schedules were markedly bimodal. Each consisted of a midday plateau and a sharp crepuscular peak. Curiously, neither courtship nor mating followed the intense signaling activity at dusk.The onset of midday activity was advanced by warmer temperatures, whereas the crepuscular peak appeared to be fixed at 15–40 min post‐sunset. Crepuscular singing was louder and typically involved a higher percentage of the population than midday signaling. Singing rates in the evening equalled or exceeded those during the day. Male singing and female relocation movements (toward Larrea bushes) were synchronized remarkably, but each occurred with or without the presence of the other. It is proposed that some females relocate at dusk because this is the last opportunity for these visually orienting insects to move onto their host plant until the following day and that males which sing intensely at this time would tend to attract such females for future mating opportunities.
Cooperative Nesting in the Multivoltine Large Carpenter Bee Xylocopa sulcatipes Maa (Apoidea: Anthophoridae): Do Helpers Gain or Lose to Solitary Females?
Authors: Stark Roland E. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWhether an individual strives to breed or restrains from reproducing directly but increases the fitness of another individual through its help, may be viewed as a result of a trade‐off between fitness costs and benefits arising from this decision. A population of the large carpenter bee Xylocopa sulcatipes Maa was studied in southeast Israel over a two year period. Female reproductive success, in terms of genetic representation in the gene pool (genetic gain), was calculated using coefficients of relatedness and the number of offspring produced by solitary, reproductively dominant and helper bees of social nests. In one year helper females, that shared a nest with a related female accrued a higher genetic gain than did solitary females. In the subsequent year solitary females did better than the helper bees. In nests founded by unrelated females a helper bee accrued only little genetic gain. However, evidence is presented to show that subordinate behaviour can have an adaptive value and can ultimately be beneficial through nest inheritance by the subordinate bee.
Vocal and Escape Responses of Columbian Ground Squirrels to Simulated Terrestrial and Aerial Predator Attacks
Authors: MacWhirter R. Bruce 
Published: May 2010

AbstractMost ground‐dwelling sciurids emit nonrepetitive and repetitive calls in response to predators. In this study, I simulated terrestrial (badger Taxidea taxus) and aerial (flying disc) predator attacks to elicit escape and vocal responses in Columbian ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus). In response to the badger, ground squirrels often ran, but rarely to a burrow, and were most likely to give nonrepetitive calls before running or without running; rarely did they enter burrows. Ground squirrels in direct line of the flying disc (i.e., “target” squirrels under “attack”), ran to, and into, the nearest escape burrow and rarely gave a nonrepetitive call. Squirrels distant from the flying disc often called, usually while running or after assuming an upright posture at the nearest burrow. These results suggest that ground squirrels incur little cost when calling in response to aerial predators. Nonrepetitive and repetitive calling in response to the badger and flying disc did not differ significantly among age‐sex classes; however, parous females were more likely than nonparous females to give both types of calls in response to the badger. Nonparous females either with or without close nondescendant kin rarely called in response to the badger. Thus, there was no indication that females exposed to the badger behaved nepotistically toward close kin other than their juvenile offspring. Nonrepetitive calling in response to the badger apparently functions primarily to warn vulnerable offspring and, hence, is a component of maternal investment. Although the occurrence of antipredator calling in response to the flying disc did not vary significantly among parity‐kin classes, there was evidence that adult and yearling females were more likely to emit repetitive, and to a lesser extent, nonrepetitive calls, if close nondescendant kin were in the colony. I conclude that indirect fitness benefits, that is, kin selection, probably contributes to the maintenance of antipredator calling in response to aerial predators.
Acoustical and Behavioral Correlates of Profitability of Food Sources in Honey Bee Round Dances
Authors: Waddington Keith D. , Kirchner Wolfgang H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe effects of the profitability of food sources on round dance behavior of honey bees (Apis mellifera) were studied by varying the concentration of sucrose solution imbibed at an artificial flower. The probability of dancing and the rate of reversals in the dance increased with concentration, as did several aspects of the dance sounds: mean carrier frequency, duration of the sound bursts, pulse repetition rate, number of sound bursts per dance, and amplitude. Significant variation among bees was detected in rate of reversals, but not for the other variables. The question of how bees communicate profitability in the round dance is discussed and further work is suggested.
Methodological and Evolutionary Aspects of Reconciliation among Primates
Authors: Kappeler Peter M. , van Schaik Carel P. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractAffinitive contact between former opponents soon after a conflict has been demonstrated in a growing number of primate species. Several recent studies show that such contact reduces the probability of future conflicts, allows the recipient of aggression to reduce its anxiety, and restores tolerance between former opponents. Hence, these contacts can be termed reconciliation. In this paper, we critically discuss common methodological problems of studying reconciliation, examine functional aspects, and evaluate the existing variation in primate reconciliation in light of predictions derived from four untested hypotheses about its evolutionary origins. We find that the occurrence of reconciliation in primates is not limited to anthropoids. Neither is it limited to species with formalized dominance relations. Reconciliation is also not a prerequisite for life in permanent social groups. Instead, several lines of evidence support the hypothesis that reconciliation serves to maintain valuable social relationships between individuals. We suggest several more specific versions of this hypothesis and discuss reconciliation between kin, mates, and alliance partners, as well as a number of open questions pertaining to the mechanisms, functions and origins of reconciliation among primates.
Agonistic Behaviour in Female New Zealand Fur Seals, Arctocephalus forsteri
Authors: Carey Peter W. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractNew Zealand fur seals, Arctocephalus forsteri, breed in densely packed colonies where males hold exclusive territories. Both sexes overheat while on land and use shade and pools of water for cooling. In addition, females are aggressive towards one another and rarely tolerate neighbours closer than 1 m away. At a New Zealand colony of this species, agonistic interactions among females occurred most often in areas used for thermoregulation: shaded rock substrate and pools of water. Fewest interactions occurred in sunny, dry areas. These findings suggest that females are competing for a limited resource, which could limit harem size.
Essay on Contemporary Issues in Ethology: On the Problems Studied in Ethology, Comparative Psychology, and Animal Behavior
Authors: Dewsbury Donald A. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractI review Tinbergen's “four problems of biology,” their antecedents, and their subsequent development in the hands of other writers. As they have been developed from writer to writer the “problems” have been transformed and altered in subtle ways, some of which appear counterproductive. I suggest that the divisions of the problems in terms of “proximate‐ultimate” and “how‐why” have had unfortunate consequences and I suggest a modest revision so that problems are considered in relation to the genesis, control, and consequences of behavior.
Nest Localization and Recognition in a Solitary Bee, Lasioglossum (Dialictus) figueresi Wcislo (Hymenoptera: Halictidae), in Relation to Sociality
Authors: Wcislo William T. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractSweat bees [Lasioglossum (Dialictus) figueresi] returning to their nests were not disturbed if small‐scale landmarks were added near nests before bees made orientation flights. Landmarks added after orientation flights delayed bees in locating nests when they returned. Spatially displacing landmarks had no effects on bees returning to their nests. Nest entrances usually had conspicuous turrets, but these were not required for nest recognition. Turrets provided some cues concerning nest identity since searching bees preferentially contacted their own turrets over alien ones. Swabbing the inner lining of a nest tunnel with hexane significantly delayed the bee's entry into the nest, but distilled water or an equal amount of hexane applied to the outside of the nest had no effect. The delay induced by a hexane wash was reduced significantly by placing the bee's unwashed turret on the nest entrance. Adding whole‐body hexane extracts from probably unrelated females to nest entrances significantly delayed bees' entering nests.A review of mechanisms for nest recognition within Apoidea shows that to date olfactory mechanisms are more prevalent among bees (Apiformes) than wasps (Spheciformes). This pattern may be an artifact of the little information available on wasps. If substantiated, then known cases of olfactory nest recognition generally co‐occur with a tendency toward social evolution within Apoidea, supporting a hypothesis proposed by Hölldobler & Michener (1980).
Infant‐care Behavior of Non‐reproductive Helpers in a Communal‐care Primate, the Cotton‐top Tamarin (Saguinus oedipus)
Authors: Tardif Suzette D. , Carson Robert L. , Gangaware Barbara L. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractInfant‐care behavior patterns of captive cotton‐top tamarins were examined to assess factors defining participation by non‐reproductive helpers. The time spent carrying infants and characteristics of infant transfers were examined for 47 helpers in a total of 18 groups. We predicted that age, previous experience, and carrying opportunity would all affect participation of non‐reproductive helpers. Our results confirm that carrying by non‐reproductive helpers was related to age, with older helpers carrying more often. However, this difference declined with increasing infant age, suggesting that body size of the carrier was not the only factor determining participation in carrying. When observations were classified relative to type of interaction with infants, older juveniles were found to both investigate and harass infants more often than subadults or younger juveniles. There was no effect of gender on carrying. The carrying behavior of subadults was not affected by their previous experience; that is, subadults with no previous exposure to infants carried as often as those with previous experience. Inter‐individual variation among helpers was high; within 11 twin litters of helpers, one animal usually carried significantly more than the other.
Electrolocation of Capacitive Objects in Four Species of Pulse‐type Weakly Electric Fish
Authors: von der Emde Gerhard 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIn four species of mormyrid weakly electric fish (Pollimyrus isidori, Gnathonemus petersii, Mormyrus rume, and M. caschive) the electric signalling and motor behaviour during the solution of a conditioned electrolocation task was investigated. All fish had to discriminate between two objects of different electric properties which were identical otherwise. The behaviour of the fish before, during, and after electrolocation of the objects was recorded and analysed. The same types of stereotyped motor behaviours (‘probing motor acts’, PMAs) were observed in all fish during probing of the objects. Independent of the occurrence of PMAs, ‘probing’ was accompanied by a regular pattern (regularization) of electric organ discharges (EODs). Interval durations between successive discharges were kept constant on an individual specific level which was maintained in successive tests under the same conditions. This level was negatively correlated with the spectral frequency of peak power of a single EOD but was also influenced by additional parameters such as motivation. It did not depend, however, on the type of electrolocation target. Before and after investigation of the objects, the discharge rhythm was variable with inter‐pulse intervals spanning a wider range than during ‘probing’. In contrast to discharge rhythm, there was no change in waveform or spectral composition of single EODs of a fish, regardless of behavioural context. In conclusion I suggest that regularization of electric signalling is an important factor during electrolocation in all mormyrids but its level is not critical. No special behavioural strategies exist which might explain different electrolocation abilities of the four mormyrid species.