bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Social Play in Free‐ranging Columbian Ground Squirrels, Spermophilus columbianus
Authors: Waterman J. M. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractPlay in the Columbian ground squirrel (Spermophilus columbianus) was examined using marked individuals in a population in southwestern Alberta, Canada. The components of play varied with the age, sex and relatedness of the interactors. Only in intra‐sexual play were differences apparent in littermate and non‐littermate play. Male‐male non‐littermate play had fewer contact behaviours than littermate play, whereas female‐female non‐littermate play had escalations in aggressive‐related behaviours. Yearling play was longer and had more aggressive‐related behaviours than juvenile play. Reversals were more common in yearling bouts. The significance of those differences in social play that were related to sex, age and relatedness are discussed in light of the social organization of the Columbian ground squirrel.
Patterns on the Face: The Eyebrow Flash in Crosscultural Comparison
Authors: Grammer Karl , Schiefenhövel Wulf , Schleidt Margret , Lorenz Beatrice , Eibl‐Eibesfeldt Irenäus 
Published: May 2010

Abstract255 instances of “brow raise” filmed in three cultures in unstaged social interactions were analyzed on different levels using the “Facial Action Coding System” (FACS, Ekman & Friesen 1978). Contraction and slackening of the M. frontalis, pars medialis et lateralis are involved, and show temporal constancy in all three cultures, creating a pattern with a typical movement configuration. This configuration is discussed as a universal prerequisite for stimulus generation perception. The total time of contraction varies with contextual features, and brow raise in openings is longer than during interactions. An analysis of co‐occurrence of other facial movements showed universal patterns occurring in all three cultures. Brow raise is most often accompanied by a smile. The antithesis of this “eyebrow flash”, both in neuromuscular and semantic aspect, is brought about by the action of the M. corrugator supercilii, lowering the brows and pulling them together. In addition, a set of functional patterns could be identified in all three cultures, ranging from a factual “yes” to a “yes to social contact”. Thus, the eyebrow flash can be interpreted as a “social marking‐tool” which emphasizes the meaning of other facial cues, head movements and even verbal statements.
Locomotor Activity in the Freshwater Crab Potamon fluviatile: The Analysis of Temporal Patterns by Radio‐telemetry
Authors: Gherardi Francesca , Tarducci Federica , Vannini Marco 
Published: May 2010

AbstractLocomotor activity in a field population of the freshwater crab, Potamon fluviatile, was studied during the breeding season by means of radio‐telemetry and by direct counts of active animals along a transect of the stream. The basic pattern of crabs' locomotor activity can be described as a sequence of short distance movements around the shelters (foraging movements), followed by rarer long distance displacements (wandering movements). Whilst direct counting showed that the crabs exhibit a broadly nocturnal rhythm in foraging movements, no daily periodicity in wandering activity was revealed by telemetry. There is sexual difference in these latter excursions: females move farther along the stream and into the surrounding terrestrial habitat than do males. This behaviour is in contrast to observations made during the non‐breeding season and is probably related to the stage of female reproduction.
Rattlesnakes Create a Context for Localizing Their Search for Potential Prey
Authors: Hennessy David F. , Owings Donald H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThis paper presents systematically collected field data on what transpires between free‐living rattlesnakes (Crotalus viridis oreganus) and individuals of an important prey species, California ground squirrels (Spermophilus beecheyi). In the course of two field seasons we discovered that rattlesnakes and California ground squirrels can engage in at least six different episode classes: snake watching, snake following, inspecting/probing coiled snakes, interaction, rattlesnake approaching squirrel and envenomation. If a rattlesnake is moving directly toward a squirrel and is within 3 m of its burrow an interaction may develop, but more commonly it does not. Instead of engaging the snake, the squirrels seemed to try to remain stationary in the face of the snake's advance, as if to minimize affording the snake information about the nursery burrow location. The rattlesnakes in turn behaved as though they were using the location of the squirrels that resisted moving away from their advance as the hub of a radial search pattern. We argue that if the squirrel engages the snake before it discovers the burrow, the location of the nursery burrow may be revealed and the pups' vulnerability actually increased.
Brood Value and Life Expectancy as Determinants of Parental Investment in Male Three‐spined Sticklebacks, Gasterosteus aculeatus
Authors: Ukegbu Angela Adanze , Huntingford Felicity Ann 
Published: May 2010

Abstract29 breeding male three‐spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) caught in the wild at different times in the breeding season were exposed simultaneously to a potential threat to their nest (a conspecific male) and to two hunting trout (potential predators of adult sticklebacks, seen through a transparent partition). By promoting a variety of protective responses, the presence of the predators reduced both the time spent confronting the intruder and the rate at which it was attacked. Subjects with a clutch of eggs in their nest maintained higher levels of territorial defence in the presence of predators than did those with an empty nest. However, those breeding later in the season took fewer risks to defend their nest. Possible proximate mechanisms responsible for these results are discussed. In addition, the adaptive significance of the behavioural changes is considered in the light of the value of the brood and the expected future reproductive output of the sticklebacks breeding at different times in the season.
Agonistic and Sexual Behavior of Nilgiri Tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius)
Authors: Rice Clifford G. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractNilgiri tahr (Hemitragus hylocrius) were observed in the wild in Eravikulam National Park, Kerala, India. Agonistic and sexual behaviors were described and classified by social function.The social behavior of Nilgiri tahr was compared with that of related species. Nilgiri tahr are thought to be evolutionary intermediates between the Rupicaprini and the Caprini; this was reflected in their behavior. While they used reverse parallel fighting and neckfighting, clashing with the horns was also well developed.
Pillar Function in the Fiddler Crab Uca beebei (II): Competitive Courtship Signaling
Authors: Christy John H. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractMale Uca beebei court and attract females into burrows they defend on muddy sand flats in the intertidal zone on the Pacific coast of the tropical Americas. Mating, oviposition and incubation (breeding) occur underground in males' burrows. Some courting males build mud pillars (2 cm high) at the entrance of their burrow. The purpose of this field study was to assess the role of pillars in competitive courtship signaling among males.I studied the effect of pillars on female behavior by recording the responses of wandering females to courtship from males resident at burrows with and without pillars. I also caught females, released them individually in a circular arena with an equal number of empty burrows with and without pillars around its circumference, and chased the females with a simulated avian predator. Females moved to burrows of both types more often when they were courted (82%) than when they were chased (67%). Receptive females were attracted to the burrows of the males that courted them significantly more often (97%) when these burrows had pillars than when they lacked pillars (66%). However, once females entered males' burrows they were equally likely to remain, mate and breed in both types of burrows. Females also more often moved to burrows with pillars (66%) than to burrows without pillars when they ran from the simulated predator. Both male courtship displays and pillars probably provide cues females use to locate males' burrows. The visual similarity between pillars and a display courting males give immediately before they enter their burrows suggests that pillars are icons of the display. The effect of pillars on female behavior, the timing of pillar building relative to when females choose mates, and contrasts in the behavior of males that do and those that do not build pillars suggest that pillar building has evolved due to competition among males to attract females into their burrows.
Information Transfer across Fish Shoals under Predator Threat
Authors: Magurran Anne E. , Higham Anthony 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe hypothesis that shoaling fish can obtain information about a predator's approach from changes in the behaviour of other shoal members was tested in an experiment in which receiver minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) behind a one‐way‐mirror could observe the reaction of transmitter minnows threatened by the stalk of a pike (Esox lucius) model. Although the receiver minnows were out of visual contact with the pike model they decreased their foraging behaviour and started hiding when the pike model came towards the feeding patch of the transmitter fish. The presence of skittering behaviour and inspection behaviour in the transmitter but not in the receiver fish suggests that individual confirmation of the predator does play a role in determining the nature of the anti‐predator response. Nevertheless there is clear evidence that receiver fish modify their own behaviour on the basis of information obtained from individuals which have seen a predator.
Social Dynamics of a Captive Dingo Pack: Population Regulation by Dominant Female Infanticide
Authors: Corbett Laurence K. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe social organization and dynamics of a captive dingo (Canis familiaris dingo) colony was studied to understand behavioural mechanisms of population regulation. Dingoes developed into an integrated pack of 7 adults and one litter of pups. Other adults were surplus or were killed so that, of the potential 43 dingoes in the enclosure, only 16 survived after three years. Within the pack there were discernable, but not totally independent, male and female hierarchies where rank order was largely determined and maintained by aggressive behaviour. Most rank changes occurred during the breeding season and plasma Cortisol values suggested that the alpha and low ranking males exhibited the highest stress levels. All females became pregnant, but the alpha female killed all pups of all other females, despite being closely related. Although the structure and dynamics of dingo and wolf packs is largely similar, the major mechanism suppressing reproduction in dingoes is dominant female infanticide whereas in wolves dominants suppress copulation by subordinates. Some consequences of this reproductive strategy provide insight into the significance of the copulatory tie in canids and an additional explanation for the increase in dingo numbers in Australia since European settlement.
Influence of Age and Size on the Response to Novel Prey by Fry of the Cichlid Fish Cichlasoma managuense (Pisces: Cichlidae)
Authors: Meyer Axel 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe response to a novel prey item was investigated during the first month of feeding of the cichlid fish Cichlasoma managuense. The relative contribution of size and age to improvement in predatory behavior was addressed. Group I (control) was fed nauplii of Artemia salina and group II a manufactured flakefood diet. Group II fish were tested for their ability to prey on a novel diet, the nauplii of Artemia salina. Latency to respond to the presence of novel prey decreased and the number of capture attempts increased with increasing experience with the artificial diet and with age. As size increased so did the number of capture attempts, but the latency did not change. Size and experiential and maturational factors may affect parts of the predatory behavior differentially. During the first month of feeding, age may be more important than size for the decrease in latency and the increase in the number of capture attempts. The number of capture attempts during the first 30 s of the observation period and the capture success increased faster than the latency decreased. Latency to respond to novel prey may mature at a slower rate than the number of capture attempts.
Additional Information on the Relationship between Intra‐specific Aggression and Anti‐predator Behaviour in the Three‐spined Stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus
Authors: Tulley J. J. , Huntingford F. A. 
Published: May 2010

Abstract18 non‐breeding three‐spined sticklebacks from a heavily predated site a further 24 fish from a predator‐free site were screened for their responses to a realistic model pike. The behaviour of the same fish when confronted with a territorial intruder during the breeding season was also recorded, the two tests being carried out in random sequence and with an interval of at least 6 weeks. Multivariate analyses identified major behavioural dimensions in the pike test and in the intruder test, summarized by the labels ‘boldness’ and ‘aggression’ respectively. Sticklebacks from the heavily predated site were both less bold and less aggressive than those from the unpredated site. Levels of aggression for individuals within each population were positively correlated with their boldness scores, but only for the period when the subjects were recovering from a simulated predatory attack.
On the Relationship between Aggression and Social Dominance
Authors: Francis Richard C. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractIt is frequently assumed that variation in dominance status is in large part a function of differences in levels of aggressiveness. This assumption and the reasoning underlying it are examined in this paper. It is argued that the large role ascribed to aggression with respect to dominance success results from a conceptual error, in particular, the temptation to conflate the two constructs. There may be an association between aggression and social dominance, not because levels of aggression determine dominance success, but because aggression is a manifestation of dominance. It is further argued that the analysis of dominance relationships exclusively in terms of individual attributes such as aggression is flawed. Social dominance is a relational quality, which could be profitably studied from a sociological perspective.
Oviposition Site Selection and Spatial Predictability of Female White‐faced Dragonflies (Leucorrhinia intacta) (Odonata: Libellulidae)
Authors: Wolf Larry L. , Waltz Edward C. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractLocation of breeding or egg‐laying sites may be an important factor underlying social behavior of many organisms. We studied oviposition sites used by a population of Leucorrhinia intacta dragonflies at a small pond near Syracuse, NY, USA. Females preferentially used shallow water as an oviposition habitat. Shallow water increases egg hatching rate through temperature effects on development time and reduces predation on the female. Use of shallow water areas was reduced by locally high densities of territorial males. The same oviposition sites probably maximized the fitness of the male, female, and offspring, meaning that site selection did not necessitate fitness tradeoffs among these classes of individuals. Pond sectors used by ovipositing females were significantly correlated within and between years, but not within days or between consecutive days. Use of pond sectors within and between days was not related to the relative availability of the shallow water habitat, while seasonal use of pond sectors was related positively to availability of shallow water. In spite of the preference by females for ovipositing in shallow water, short‐term location of females was not predictable and males could not search predictably good areas during a day. However, across a season, areas with more shallow water available were used for oviposition more than areas with limited substrate.
The Reproductive Behavior of Acanthurus nigrofuscus (Forskal) and other Surgeonfishes (Fam. Acanthuridae) off Eilat, Israel (Gulf of Aqaba, Red Sea)
Authors: Myrberg Arthur A. , Montgomery W. Linn , Fishelson Lev 
Published: May 2010

AbstractThe reproductive behavior of Acanthurus nigrofuscus, a common surgeonfish of the Red Sea, is described for two overlapping populations inhabiting the coral reefs off Eilat, Israel (Gulf of Aqaba). The spectacular daily spawning activities, often involving aggregations of thousands of individuals, as well as the often long distance migrations to and from the spawning grounds by groups in highly organized formations are characterized in detail. Evidence is provided that the precise timing of these various phenomena is controlled by ambient light levels during the late afternoon. Less detailed information is also provided on comparable activities of two other surgeonfishes from the same reefs: Ctenochaetus striatus and Zebrasoma xanthurum. Finally, comparisons are made of reproduction and its associated environmental controls among populations of the same and related species of surgeonfishes at widely distributed locations in the Indo‐Pacific.
Can Individual Differences in History of Dominance Explain the Development of Linear Dominance Hierarchies?
Authors: Jackson Wendy M. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractObserved dominance hierarchies are often more linear than expected from randomly‐formed dominance relationships, and in triads of animals attacks are distributed non‐randomly. I hypothesize that an individual's history of dominance affects its probability of initiating aggressive interactions in the future and that individuals with winning records are more likely to initiate (winning begets initiating). Consistent with this hypothesis, evidence is presented that dominant individuals are more likely to attack than subordinate individuals.The winning begets initiating hypothesis may also explain why correlations between predicted dominance ranks (based on size, age etc.) and observed dominance ranks can be low: If the cost of engaging in and losing an interaction is high relative to the potential benefits of winning, then a large individual conditioned to be subordinate may refrain from contesting smaller, dominant individuals despite its actual competitive superiority.
Song Differentiation and Population Structure: the Example of the Whistled Songs in an Introduced Population of European Starlings Sturnus vulgaris in Australia
Authors: Adret‐Hausberger Martine 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWhistled songs of male starlings were studied in Australia and results compared with previous ones in Europe. Starling whistle sonograms can be divided into general classes according to certain criteria. All or most males sing five whistled types (“species‐specific” themes), plus other (“individual”) themes. The basic repertoire of species‐specific themes is almost the same in Europe and Australia with the same characteristics and similar variation ranges. In both continents each male has a certain number of individual themes, but Australian repertoires tend to be smaller, with two species‐specific themes less and fewer individual themes. In all study areas dialects were based on local variations in species‐specific theme structure, but the Australian dialectal system is simpler than in Europe. Therefore basic characteristics seem to have been similarly transmitted across generations in both continents. But some of the differences (individual characteristics, repertoire size, frequencies) may stem from different habitat characteristics and also social structure, which could have greatly affected song differentiation.
Eavesdropping by Bats: The Influence of Echolocation Call Design and Foraging Strategy
Authors: Balcombe Jonathan P. , Fenton M. Brock 
Published: May 2010

AbstractWe used playback presentations to free‐flying bats of 3 species to assess the influence of echolocation call design and foraging strategy on the role of echolocation calls in communication. Near feeding sites over water,Myotis lucifugusandM. yumanensisresponded positively only to echolocation calls of conspecifics. Near roosts, these bats did not respond before young of the year became volant, and after this responded to presentations of echolocation calls of similar and dissimilar design. At feeding sitesLasiurus borealisresponded only to echolocation calls of conspecifics and particularly to “feeding buzzes”. WhileMyotis, particularly subadults, appear to use the echolocation calls of conspecifics to locate feeding sites,L. borealisappears to use the calls of a foraging neighbour attacking prey to identify opportunities for ‘stealing’ food.
Male Gibbon (Hylobates agilis) Singing Behavior: Natural History, Song Variations and Function
Authors: Mitani John C. 
Published: May 2010

AbstractMale gibbons engage in elaborate singing performances during which they emit a variety of song types. Field observations, acoustic analyses and experimental playbacks were conducted to investigate the communicative significance of song variations and to test the hypothesis that unmated male gibbons use song to attract potential mates. Singing is progressively elaborated during the course of a performance, with louder, longer, syllabically more complex songs produced at the end compared to the start. Similarly, song complexity increases during vocal interactions with territorial neighbors. Field playbacks showed that complex songs elicit significantly faster approaches than the simple songs used to initiate performances. Additional observations and experiments revealed few differences between the singing performances of mated and unmated males, and that the reproductive status of singing males did not affect the responsiveness of gibbons to songs. These results suggest that increasing song complexity during performances represents a series of graded signals used intrasexually in territorial defense; current evidence does not support the hypothesis that male song performs an intersexual mate attraction function.