scholarly journals Oil palm cultivation critically affects sociality in a threatened Malaysian primate

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Holzner ◽  
Krishna N. Balasubramaniam ◽  
Brigitte M. Weiß ◽  
Nadine Ruppert ◽  
Anja Widdig
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Oil Palm ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Anthropogenic Landscapes ◽  
Habitat Alterations ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Social Network Structure ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Survival Studies ◽  
Species Adaptability

AbstractHuman-induced habitat alterations globally threaten animal populations, often evoking complex behavioural responses in wildlife. This may be particularly dramatic when negatively affecting social behaviour, which fundamentally determines individual fitness and offspring survival in group-living animals. Here, we provide first evidence for significant behavioural modifications in sociality of southern pig-tailed macaques visiting Malaysian oil palm plantations in search of food despite elevated predation risk. Specifically, we found critical reductions of key positive social interactions but higher rates of aggression in the plantation interior compared to the plantation edge (i.e. plantation areas bordering the forest) and the forest. At the plantation edge, affiliation even increased compared to the forest, while central positions in the macaques' social network structure shifted from high-ranking adult females and immatures to low-ranking individuals. Further, plantations also affected mother–infant relationships, with macaque mothers being more protective in the open plantation environment. We suggest that although primates can temporarily persist in human-altered habitats, their ability to permanently adapt requires the presence of close-by forest and comes with a trade-off in sociality, potentially hampering individual fitness and infant survival. Studies like ours remain critical for understanding species’ adaptability to anthropogenic landscapes, which may ultimately contribute to facilitating their coexistence with humans and preserving biodiversity.

scholarly journals Oil Palm Cultivation Critically Affects Sociality in an Endangered Malaysian Primate

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Holzner ◽  
Krishna Balasubramaniam ◽  
Nadine Ruppert ◽  
Anja Widdig
Keyword(s):  
Oil Palm ◽  
Infant Development ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Anthropogenic Landscapes ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Natural Behaviour ◽  
Social Network Structure ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Species Adaptability ◽  
And Shifts

Abstract Human-induced habitat alterations globally threaten animal populations, often evoking complex behavioural responses in wildlife. This may be particularly dramatic when negatively affecting social behaviour, which fundamentally determines individual fitness and offspring survival in group-living animals. Here, we provide first evidence for critical behavioural modifications in sociality of Southern pig-tailed macaques visiting Malaysian oil palm plantations in search of food. Specifically, we found significant reductions of positive social interactions, an increase of aggression and shifts in the macaques' social network structure, with the central positions of high-ranking adult females and immatures being passed to low-ranking individuals, likely resulting from socio-ecological risks posed by plantations. Deviations from natural behaviour also affected the smallest but crucial social units within groups, mother-infant pairs, with increased maternal protectiveness at plantations. We suggest that although primates can persist in human-altered habitats, their ability to adapt comes with a trade-off for their natural sociality, potentially hampering infant development and individual survival. Studies like ours remain critical for understanding species’ adaptability to anthropogenic landscapes, which may ultimately contribute to facilitating their coexistence with humans and preserving biodiversity.

Social ethology of the wolverine

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Copeland ◽  
Arild Landa ◽  
Kimberly Heinemeyer ◽  
Keith B. Aubry ◽  
Jiska van Dijk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Social System ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Ecological Framework ◽  
The Social ◽  
Living Species

Social behaviour in solitary carnivores has long been an active area of investigation but for many species remains largely founded in conjecture compared to our understanding of sociality in group-living species. The social organization of the wolverine has, until now, received little attention beyond its portrayal as a typical mustelid social system. In this chapter the authors compile observations of social interactions from multiple wolverine field studies, which are integrated into an ecological framework. An ethological model for the wolverine is proposed that reveals an intricate social organization, which is driven by variable resource availability within extremely large territories and supports social behaviour that underpins offspring development.

scholarly journals Family feud: permanent group splitting in a highly philopatric mammal, the killer whale (Orcinus orca)

2021 ◽  
Vol 75 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Eva H. Stredulinsky ◽  
Chris T. Darimont ◽  
Lance Barrett-Lennard ◽  
Graeme M. Ellis ◽  
John K. B. Ford
Keyword(s):  
Killer Whale ◽  
Group Structure ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Orcinus Orca ◽  
Learning Approaches ◽  
Killer Whales ◽  
Internal Factors ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Leadership Experience

Abstract For animals that tend to remain with their natal group rather than individually disperse, group sizes may become too large to benefit individual fitness. In such cases, group splitting (or fission) allows philopatric animals to form more optimal group sizes without sacrificing all familiar social relationships. Although permanent group splitting is observed in many mammals, it occurs relatively infrequently. Here, we use combined generalized modeling and machine learning approaches to provide a comprehensive examination of group splitting in a population of killer whales (Orcinus orca) that occurred over three decades. Fission occurred both along and across maternal lines, where animals dispersed in parallel with their closest maternal kin. Group splitting was more common: (1) in larger natal groups, (2) when the common maternal ancestor was no longer alive, and (3) among groups with greater substructuring. The death of a matriarch did not appear to immediately trigger splitting. Our data suggest intragroup competition for food, leadership experience and kinship are important factors that influence group splitting in this population. Our approach provides a foundation for future studies to examine the dynamics and consequences of matrilineal fission in killer whales and other taxa. Significance statement Group living among mammals often involves long-term social affiliation, strengthened by kinship and cooperative behaviours. As such, changes in group membership may have significant consequences for individuals’ fitness and a population’s genetic structure. Permanent group splitting is a complex and relatively rare phenomenon that has yet to be examined in detail in killer whales. In the context of a growing population, in which offspring of both sexes remain with their mothers for life, we provide the first in-depth examination of group splitting in killer whales, where splitting occurs both along and across maternal lines. We also undertake the first comprehensive assessment of how killer whale intragroup cohesion is influenced by both external and internal factors, including group structure, population and group demography, and resource abundance.

scholarly journals Social fluidity mobilizes contagion in human and animal populations

eLife ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ewan Colman ◽  
Vittoria Colizza ◽  
Ephraim M Hanks ◽  
David P Hughes ◽  
Shweta Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Social Bonds ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Basic Reproductive Number ◽  
Reproductive Number ◽  
Frequency Dependent ◽  
Density Dependent ◽  
Gregarious Behavior ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Social Fluidity

Humans and other group-living animals tend to distribute their social effort disproportionately. Individuals predominantly interact with a small number of close companions while maintaining weaker social bonds with less familiar group members. By incorporating this behavior into a mathematical model, we find that a single parameter, which we refer to as social fluidity, controls the rate of social mixing within the group. Large values of social fluidity correspond to gregarious behavior, whereas small values signify the existence of persistent bonds between individuals. We compare the social fluidity of 13 species by applying the model to empirical human and animal social interaction data. To investigate how social behavior influences the likelihood of an epidemic outbreak, we derive an analytical expression of the relationship between social fluidity and the basic reproductive number of an infectious disease. For species that form more stable social bonds, the model describes frequency-dependent transmission that is sensitive to changes in social fluidity. As social fluidity increases, animal-disease systems become increasingly density-dependent. Finally, we demonstrate that social fluidity is a stronger predictor of disease outcomes than both group size and connectivity, and it provides an integrated framework for both density-dependent and frequency-dependent transmission.

scholarly journals Proximity-based vocal networks reveal social relationships in the Southern white rhinoceros

2020 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Julia Jenikejew ◽  
Brenda Chaignon ◽  
Sabrina Linn ◽  
Marina Scheumann
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Communication Networks ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Vocal Communication ◽  
Group Living ◽  
White Rhinoceros ◽  
Southern White Rhinoceros ◽  
Social Associations ◽  
High Level

Abstract Vocal communication networks can be linked to social behaviour, allowing a deeper understanding of social relationships among individuals. For this purpose, the description of vocal dyads is fundamental. In group-living species, this identification is based on behavioural indicators which require a high level of reactivity during social interactions. In the present study, we alternatively established a proximity-based approach to investigate whether sex-specific differences in vocal communication reflect social behaviour in a species with rather loose social associations and low levels of reactivity: the Southern white rhinoceros (Ceratotherium simum simum). We performed audio- and video recordings of 30 captive animals from seven groups. Vocal networks for the four most common call types were constructed by considering conspecifics at close distance (≤ 1 body length) to the sender as potential receivers. The analysis of the resulting unidirectional structures showed that not only the sex of the sender but also the sex of the potential receiver, the quality of social interactions (affiliative or agonistic) as well as association strength predict the intensity of vocal interactions between group members. Thus, a proximity-based approach can be used to construct vocal networks providing information about the social relationships of conspecifics—even in species with loose social associations where behavioural indicators are limited.

The importance of superior-quality wildlife habitats

2004 ◽  
Vol 80 (1) ◽  
pp. 75-81 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ian D Thompson
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Selection ◽  
Habitat Quality ◽  
Population Level ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Animal Populations ◽  
Cumulative Change ◽  
Few Data ◽  
Managed Landscapes ◽  
The Relationship

While animals may use many habitat types, relatively few are preferred and fewer yet are superior in quality (referring to individual fitness as the measure of quality). Historical reduction in habitat quality for some wildlife species has occurred such that we may now have limited reference to original superior-quality habitats. As time passes, managers may be unaware that superior habitats are slowly disappearing and that the slow but cumulative change is significant to a species at the population level. The perception of superior-quality habitat also changes with each successive generation of managers based on their experiences. This paper raises the concern that retrospective work may often be required to determine past forest habitats and associated animal populations to avoid the risk of falling into a trap of not recognizing ever-declining habitat quality through time and relegating animals to what is in fact much poorer quality habitat than those to which they are actually best adapted. Further, the relationship between relative abundance and habitat quality may often be uncertain owing to maladaptive habitat selection by animals, inappropriate survey timing or interannual population differences. While we have begun to appreciate aspects of habitat selection for many forest species, few data are yet available that relate selected habitats to fitness of individual animals. Hence, while we may have models to predict habitat use, considerable research remains to be done to be able to predict long-term sustainability of species in managed landscapes. Key words: habitat quality, forest management, sustainability, biodiversity

scholarly journals Vigilance behavior of pyrenean chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica: Effect of sex and position in the herd

2010 ◽  
Vol 56 (2) ◽  
pp. 232-237 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antoni Dalmau ◽  
Alfred Ferret ◽  
Xavier Manteca
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Rupicapra Pyrenaica ◽  
Vigilance Behavior ◽  
Focal Animal ◽  
Risk Of Predation ◽  
Pyrenean Chamois ◽  
Optimal Group Size

Abstract The Pyrenean chamois Rupicapra pyrenaica pyrenaica is a mountain-dwelling ungulate with an extensive presence in open areas. Optimal group size results from the trade off between advantages (a reduction in the risk of predation) and disadvantages (competition between members of the herd) of group living. In addition, advantages and disadvantages of group living may vary depending on the position of each individual within the herd. Our objective was to study the effect of central vs. peripheral position in the herd on feeding and vigilance behavior in male and female Pyrenean chamois and to ascertain if a group size effect existed. We used focal animal sampling and recorded social interactions when a focal animal was involved. With males, vigilance rate was higher in the central part of the group than at the periphery, probably due to a higher density of animals in the central part of the herd and a higher probability of being disturbed by conspecifics. With females, vigilance rate did not differ according to position in the herd. Females spent more time feeding than males, and males showed a higher frequency of the vigilance behavior than females. We did not observe a clear relationship between group size and vigilance behavior. The differences in vigilance behavior might be due to social interactions.

scholarly journals A field demonstration of the costs and benefits of group living to edible and defended prey

2015 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 20150152 ◽  
Author(s):  
Edward A. M. Curley ◽  
Hannah E. Rowley ◽  
Michael P. Speed
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Animal Species ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Laboratory Research ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Predator Satiation ◽  
Chemical Defences ◽  
Behavioural Biology ◽  
Wild Predators ◽  
First Time

Both theoretical and laboratory research suggests that many prey animals should live in a solitary, dispersed distribution unless they lack repellent defences such as toxins, venoms and stings. Chemically defended prey may, by contrast, benefit substantially from aggregation because spatial localization may cause rapid predator satiation on prey toxins, protecting many individuals from attack. If repellent defences promote aggregation of prey, they also provide opportunities for new social interactions; hence the consequences of defence may be far reaching for the behavioural biology of the animal species. There is an absence of field data to support predictions about the relative costs and benefits of aggregation. We show here for the first time using wild predators that edible, undefended artificial prey do indeed suffer heightened death rates if they are aggregated; whereas chemically defended prey may benefit substantially by grouping. We argue that since many chemical defences are costly to prey, aggregation may be favoured because it makes expensive defences much more effective, and perhaps allows grouped individuals to invest less in chemical defences.

scholarly journals Social networks strongly predict the gut microbiota of wild mice

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aura Raulo ◽  
Bryony Allen ◽  
Tanya Troitsky ◽  
Arild Husby ◽  
Josh A Firth ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Network ◽  
Gut Microbiota ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Tracking System ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Social Contact ◽  
Spatial Proximity ◽  
Activity Data ◽  
Wild Mice ◽  
Passive Tracking

AbstractThe mammalian gut teems with beneficial microbes, yet how hosts acquire these symbionts remains poorly understood. Research in primates suggests that microbes can be picked up via social contact, but the role of social interactions in non-group-living species remains unexplored. Here, we use a passive tracking system to collect high resolution spatiotemporal activity data from wild mice (Apodemus sylvaticus). Social network analysis revealed social association strength to be the strongest predictor of microbiota similarity among individuals, controlling for factors including spatial proximity and kinship, which had far smaller or nonsignificant effects. This social effect was limited to interactions involving males (male-male and male-female), implicating sex-dependent behaviours as driving processes. Social network position also predicted microbiota richness, with well-connected hub individuals having the most diverse microbiotas. Overall, these findings suggest social contact provides a key transmission pathway for gut symbionts even in relatively asocial mammals, that strongly shapes the adult gut microbiota. This work underlines the potential for individuals to pick up beneficial symbionts as well as pathogens from social interactions.

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