bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Temporal Variation in Male Copulatory Behaviour in the Solitary Bee Nomadopsis Puellae (Hymenoptera: Andrenidae)
Authors: Rutowski Ronald L. , Alcock John 
Published: April 2008

Abstract1. Females of the solitary bee, Nomadopsis puellae, foraging for pollen at flowers will copulate with any male that can reach them but the duration of copulation is not constant over the daily foraging-mating period (which lasts from about 0900-1300). Early on, copulations are brief (usually less than 1 min). As the morning progresses, males tend not to release their mates spontaneously but remain in copula for as long as it takes a female to collect a full pollen load and return to her nest. In addition, late in the mating period males that have not secured a single female may begin to assault pairs in attempts to usurp a female from a copulating male. 2. We propose that males control the duration of mating in ways that reflect a change in the genetic gains associated with brief versus prolonged copulations over the course of the morning. We assume that sperm precedence occurs in this species and that females are more likely to oviposit at the end of the foraging period than at the beginning. If these assumptions are correct, guarding a mate through prolonged copulation could become increasingly advantageous as the mating period draws to a close each day. Given a high degree of competition for mates, a male that secured a female on her last trip of the morning could greatly improve the chance that his mate would use his sperm for fertilization if he prevented other males from reaching her until she was safely back inside her nest burrow. 3. An alternative hypothesis that the variation in copulation length is due to changes in the readiness of females to receive sperm from a male over the mating period is considered. Limited data suggest that females do not signal degrees of sperm receptivity to males. Males probably determine how long they will copulate, switching from the tactic of securing many short (unguarded) copulations to a few lengthy (guarded) matings in the course of a morning.
Behavioural Sequences and Strategies of Female Crab-Eating Monkeys, Macaca Fascicularis Raffles, 1821, During Group Formation Studies
Authors: Welker Christian , Lührmann Barbara , Meinel Werner 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
Through introductions, reintroductions and fusion experiments with fourteen adult Macaca fascicularis (one male, thirteen females) we were able to demonstrate the following: 1. During introductions the alpha male and the alpha female perform special functions, and this corresponds to their behaviour in the group. 2. The relationships between the alpha male and the newly introduced animal develop according to a fixed rule with different stages of integration. Stage 1, 'pursuit', is followed by stage 2, 'presenting', stage 3, 'mounting', stage 4, 'biting on the back' and finally stage 5, 'mutual allogrooming'. The same rule applies to dyadic relationships in the females-only group. 3. The alpha female bites the newly introduced animal right at the beginning of the introduction - before or after the male. 4. Among the females there appears to be a natural ranking of animals into high-ranking and low-ranking individuals. Later rank is additionally dependent on various factors, such as time of introduction and relations with other animals. 5. To attain a higher rank, females use certain strategies. Two of these were recognized as the principal ones: avoiding of agonistic altercations and establishment of mutual allogrooming relations with higher-ranking animals.
Post-Moult Behaviour in the Water-Stick Insect Ranatra Linearis
Authors: Cloarec Ann 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe four hour period in Ranatra nymphs between moulting and cuticle darkening is characterized by particular foreleg movements: (i) slow opening and closing of claws (OCT); (ii) moving foreleg femur tips towards the head (B2F). Post-moult behaviour has been divided into three phases: phase 1, lasting about 25 min, claws usually closed, few OCT movements and few B2F movements occur; phase 2 with claws open and forelegs stretched out in front, lasts on average 25 min; during longer phase 3 (205 min on average) many OCT and B2F movements occur. Age does not influence the duration of phases. The number of OCT and B2F movements during phase 3 increases significantly with age. An environmental factor such as presence of potential prey can influence this behaviour. Phases 1 and 3 last longer in absence of prey items than in their presence. The rates of B2F and OCT movements during phase 3 are significantly higher in the presence of prey, for all instars.
Comparative Organization of Grooming Sequences in Adult and Young Sciurid Rodents
Authors: Ferron Jean , Lefebvre Louis 
Published: April 2008

AbstractThe present study is an attempt to link principles of organization of grooming sequences to environmental, ontogenetic and phylogenetic factors through a comparative study of five species of North American squirrels (Glaucomys sabrinus, Spermophilus columbianus, Spermophilus lateralis, Spermophilus richardsonii and Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) that occupy a variety of ecological niches and have different degrees of taxonomic relatedness and morphological similarity. Three measures of grooming organization are analysed: bout length distributions, transition structure and anatomical distribution. Grooming bout length distributions in both adult and young sciurids fit with the geometric model. Mean bout length varies between species and is possibly influenced by social and ecological factors such as disturbance by conspecifies and predator surveillance. Transition structure follows a cephalocaudal progression that appears to be characteristic of rodent grooming and could be phylogenetically very old. 'I'he degree of organization of the sequences, as measured by transition structure, seems to be related to average bout length. Postural facilitation can also be invoked to explain some of the transitions. No general rule emerges from the comparative analysis of transition structure. Ecology phylogeny and morphology influence anatomical distribution of grooming activity. The three Spermophilus spp. are similar in pattern. Tail size in T. hudsonicus and the possible use of echolocation in G. sabrinus favour more frequent care of the tail and head regions respectively in these species.
The Pattern of Behaviour of Rabbit Pups in the Nest
Authors: Hudson R. , Distel H. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractDomestic rabbit pups (22 litters of 6 pups each) were raised in plexiglass nest boxes, and their behaviour was studied under various experimental conditions during the first 14 days of life. 1. Rabbit pups show a stereotyped pattern of behaviour closely associated with the once daily nursing visit of the doe until they start to leave the nest on day 13. 2. One to two hours before nursing pups group tightly together and become exposed from the nest material. In young litters these behaviours appear to improve access to the doe's belly and to shorten the time the doe spends in the nest. 3. Rabbit pups are unusual in that they display a vigorous burst of post-nursing activity, i.e. simultaneous urination followed by digging and burrowing around the nest. This activity is triggered by the nursing act and appears to contribute to thermoregulatory efficiency as an insulating cover is quickly regained. 4. Within about 30 minutes pups reaggregate and remain well covered until the next nursing time. 5. The anticipatory uncovering appears to represent a circadian rhythm, and not to be simply due to hunger, as demonstrated in isolated litters deprived of one nursing. 6. Presumably the less time wild does spend in the nursery burrow the less chance there is of predators trapping them or finding the young. The ability of the pups to anticipate the nursing and the their thermoregulatory self-sufficiency may contribute to shortening the time rabbit does must spend in the nest.
Cooperative Interactions and Environmental Control in the Intertidal Clustering of Nerita Textilis (Gastropoda; Prosobranchia)
Authors: Chelazzi G. , Deneubourg J.L. , Focardi S. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
1. Somalian populations of the intertidal gastropod Nerita textilis Gmelin show a vertical separation between resting (mid-upper eulittoral) and feeding (lower eulittoral) zone. During high tides and mostly diurnal low tides some snails remain scattered (SF), while other form aggregations (AF) at lower levels of the rocky shore. During the mostly nocturnal low tides both SF and AF migrate downward to feed on microalgae. 2. Lower and upper aggregations are mostly frequented around neap (NT) and spring tides (ST), respectively. Clustering significantly reduces the exposure to waves during high tide, and probably overheating and dehydration during diurnal low tide. 3. About 90 percent of the total population enters into the cluster system throughout each NT-ST-NT cycle. Clustering begins to increase at NT and falls at ST, reaching a maximum (52 percent of the population) between NT and ST. The relative frequency of transition between SF and AF shows a spike after NT and falls after ST. The inverse transition (AF to SF) is negatively correlated to the amount of AF. 4. Return to the original cluster after one feeding excursion is high (76 percent) and decreases slightly at increasing intervals (about 40 percent after 14 feeding migrations), but it becomes significantly lower after one or more rest phases spent in SF. 5. The field study suggests that the periodical (NT) increase in density at the lower rest-zone (tide-pools belt), long-lasting chemical marking of collective rest sites and releasing mucus trails during feeding excursions cause the clustering. According to this hypothesis, a primer group stops at each aggregation site at NT, mostly returning to it by self-trailing after each feeding migration, while the progressive recruitment of snails from SF is caused by the interindividual trail-following during the return migration from the feeding ground. 8. The same model can explain the clustering behaviour of other intertidal gastropods, though the importance of the different parameters (periodical variation in zonation, marking of rest places, trail-following) probably vary among the different species.
The Occurrence, Context and Functional Significance of Aggressive Begging Behaviours in Young American White Pelicans
Authors: Cash Kevin J. , Evans Roger M. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAggressive behaviours occurring in association with about 90% of all feedings developed in American white pelican chicks approximately three weeks old. These behaviours involved aggression directed toward self (Convulstion) and other young (Aggression). Observation of feedings revealed that: (1) when both Convulsion and Aggression occurred before or after a given feeding, convulsion bore a closer temporal relationship to the feed itself than did Aggression, (2) the frequency of both Aggression and Convulsion prior to feeding increased as the length of the begging bout increased, (3) the frequency of Convulsion and Aggression following feeding was not related to the duration of the feed but did depend on the amount fed (as measured by throat distension). Observations of identifiable parents and chicks revealed that most chicks receive a single feeding each day, each parent returning to the colony every two days. The frequency of multiple feeds given to the same chick on the same day or (by the presumed same parent) two days later was not related to the frequency of Aggression or Convulsion given after a feeding. The close association of these displays with feeding and low-intensity begging suggests that they function primarily as begging displays or, for Aggression, to drive other young away from the parent food source. Evidence suggesting that Convulsion may be a manifestation of parent-offspring conflict is discussed. Alternative proposed functions of Convulsion and Aggression are not supported by data collected in this study.
Rutting Behavior in African Elephants: the Phenomenon of Musth
Authors: Poole Joyce H. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract1. The physical and behavioral characteristics and the temporal patterning of musth were studied over a ten-year period in a free-ranging population of African elephants. 2. Males spent more time in association with females during musth than during non-musth periods. 3. Males were more aggressive during their musth periods than during non-musth. 4. The occurrence and duration of musth were age-related: no male under 24 years was seen in musth; bouts of must among younger individuals were short and sporadic, while older males experienced longer more predictable periods of musth on an annual basis. 5. Although males in musth were observed year-round, the frequency of musth males was highest during and following the two rainy seasons and, in general, good rainfall years had higher frequencies of males in musth than did poor rainfall years. 6. The number of males in musth per month correlated closely with the number of females observed in estrus. However, since the period of estrus lasts only four to six days (Moss, 1983), while musth may last several months, the onset of musth was not necessarily triggered by the onset of estrus in a particular female. 7. The musth periods of different males were asynchronous and each male came into musth at a specific time of year. This period was relatively consistent from one year to the next, particularly among the older males. 8. Males in musth advertised their heightened sexual and aggressive state through visual and olfactory signals and by vocalizing. It is suggested that these signals function to announce identity, condition and location to both rival males and to potentially receptive females. 9. The physical and behavioral characteristics and temporal patterning of musth in African and Asian elephants are compared and found to be remarkably similar. 10. The physical and behavioral manifestations of musth in elephants are similar to those described for other male mammals during rut. Since estrus in female elephants is less clumped relative to most ungulates, male elephants have a different temporal pattern of rutting. Although the musth periods of male elephants are asynchronous the phenomenon can functionally be considered a rutting period.
Temporal and Structural Analysis of Affiliative Vocal Exchanges in Squirrel Monkeys (Saimiri Sciureus)
Authors: Masataka Nobuo , Biben Maxeen , Symmes David 
Published: April 2008

AbstractAffiliative, aggressive, and vocal behaviors were observed in a group of five adult female squirrel monkeys. Affiliative partner preferences were correlated with use of the chuck vocalization. Mutually preferred partners exchanged chucks more often and with shorter latencies of response. Animals with few affiliative contacts were more likely to repeat themselves, and to obtain responses at longer latencies. Chuck exchanges neither follow nor precede changes in nonvocal behavior. Structural differences associated with the position of a chuck within a sequence were found. The peak frequency attained by several acoustic features of chucks was higher in chucks that followed closely another chuck compared with chucks that followed a silent period. We have termed these vocalizations "answer" and "question" chucks respectively. Among answer chucks, those that terminate an exchange have higher peak frequencies than those that become part of a longer sequence. These results are viewed as evidence for flexible use of signals in an exclusively linguistic context, and may be an example of categorical prosody.
Distribution and Variability of Song Types in the Wood Thrush
Authors: Whitney Carl L. , Miller Joan 
Published: April 2008

AbstractCompared to the song of other oscine species, wood thrush song shows little macro-geographical variation: 1) Most song types defined for a local population are widespread over the geographical range, 2) the relative abundances of different song types are similar in samples taken from different locations, and 3) a given song type is no more variable in structure over the geographical range than within a local population. Wood thrush song also shows little microgeographical variation. The degree of song type sharing does not vary as a function of the distance between males in a local population. Song remains stable over time in a local population, as indicated by a similarity in the relative abundances of song types in samples taken 14 years apart. Regarding the distribution of song types among repertoires, 1) Different combinations of song types within repertoires occur no more or less often than expected by chance, 2) different versions of a single song type are distributed at random among repertoires, 3) large repertoires do not contain a greater proportion of rare (unclassified) songs than small repertoires, and 4) rare songs are not clustered in the repertoires of certain individuals.
How Long Will Newts Wait? an Experiment To Test an Assumption of a Causal Model of the Courtship of the Male Smooth Newt, Triturus V. Vulgaris
Authors: Halliday T.R. , Houston A.I. 
Published: April 2008

Abstract
The NEWTSEX model simulates the behavioural transition between two parts of newt courtship, Retreat Display and Creep, and models the interaction between four causal factors: the behaviour of the female, the male's spermatophore supply, his need for oxygen, and feedback from the male's own behaviour. The model predicts that, if feedback from the female is witheld at a critical point (Tail-touch), the male will revert from Creep to Retreat Display after an interval, the duration of which is proportional to his spermatophore supply. The results of an experiment in which the female's behaviour was controlled support this prediction, but a high level of variance in the results suggests that respiratory constraints on male courtship behaviour require further investigation.
Behavioural and Breeding-Habitat Related Aspects of Sperm Competition in Razorbills
Authors: Wagner Richard H. 
Published: April 2008

AbstractI observed razorbill copulation behaviour to examine the ability of males to assure their paternity in the presence of sperm competition. While males in colonial species are generally unable to guard their mates throughout the female's fertile period, male razorbills suffered a special problem in that females actively sought extra-pair copulations (EPCs) and did so in two separate locations, the colony and ledges outside the colony called "mating arenas". Most within-pair and extra-pair copulations were performed in the mating arenas (74% and 82%, respectively). Individuals were consistent in their attendance in one of the two arenas, depending upon the accessibility of the breeding site from the arena, and the attendance of other individuals from the same sub-colony. Individuals were also consistent in their occupation of specific sites within the arenas, and usually attended these sites between years. Attendance in the relatively small arenas brought individuals from the sparser colony into much closer proximity than when they attended their nesting sites. The higher density in the arenas was associated with females receiving EPC attempts three times more frequently upon arrival in the arenas than in the colony. Females resisted most EPC attempts, but a high proportion (50%) of females accepted at least one EPC prior to egg-laying. Mating arena attendance by males was aimed at obtaining EPCs when their mates were absent, and at attempting to assure their paternity when their mates were present. Paternity assurance was accomplished by a) inhibiting their mates from accepting EPCs, b) depriving other males access to the female, and c) copulating with the female frequently. Males did not guard their mates effectively in that they were absent from the mating arenas during a large proportion (34%) of their mates' arrivals. The principal male strategy for gaining paternity assurance was apparently to attempt frequent copulations with their mates. Males achieved cloacal contact (and presumably insemination) with their mates approximately 80 times during the 30 days preceding the laying of the single egg, and the number of days males attended the arenas was positively correlated with the number of
Ideal Free Distribution and the Mechanism of Patch Profitability Assessment in Three-Spined Sticklebacks (Gasterosteus Aculeatus)
Authors: Krause Jens 
Published: April 2008

AbstractIn this paper I tested four factors that might be involved in a fish's choice of a food patch: a) shoal size present in the patch b) food delivery rate c) conspecific's feeding rate d) excitement of conspecifics Single sticklebacks were presented with a choice between two display shoals feeding at different rates but were prevented from entering the food patch by a glass sheet. When size of display shoals was equal and food delivery rate different sticklebacks spent more time near the shoal with the higher food delivery rate. When the same two different food delivery rates were presented without display shoals, test fish spent about equal amounts of time in both halves of the test tank. In a third experiment different shoal sizes (5 vs 2) were presented while keeping food delivery rate constant (5 vs 5 prey items; thus individual payoffs were in the ratio 1:2.5). The test fish spent more time with the larger shoal during the prefeeding period but significantly reduced this time during the feeding period and increased it again after feeding had stopped indicating a trade-off between safety and energy intake. A final experiment investigated the influence of excitement in display shoals on the test fish's choice. The test fish was given a choice between two display shoals (20 hungry vs 20 satiated fish). During the prefeeding period, fish in the hungry shoal showed biting rates 10 times higher than that of fish in the satiated shoal (directed at the tank interior). The test fish showed no preference, indicating that biting rate/fish is not an important factor. However, the test fish turned to the hungry shoal immediately when a clay ball (which stimulated feeding movements) was introduced into each of the outer compartments. I conclude from these experiments that neither shoal size nor food delivery rate alone play a role in the initial choice among patches. Rather an individual's initial choice of patch appears to be influenced by the excitement that conspecifics show to food, which in nature may lead to selection of the more profitable patch.