The Social Organisation of the Dusky Moorhen, Gallinula tenebrosa Gould (Aves : Rallidae)

1980 ◽  
Vol 7 (1) ◽  
pp. 103 ◽  
Author(s):  
ST Garnett
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
The Social ◽  
Free Ranging

A population of dusky moorhens was studied between October 1974 and December 1976. Moorhens were present in the study area throughout the year, existing predominantly in free-ranging flocks in May and June and tending to form territorial groups of from two to seven birds from July to April. In a group there were from one to three males per female; all males copulated with all females. Groups formed in July were predominantly of experienced adults and did not cease territoriality until April; those formed later, in September, were predominantly of immatures and tended to cease territoriality in March. The former had larger territories with more reeds, less sexual behaviour although more frequent successful coition, and a higher productivity than the latter. Productivity did not increase with group size although those with more than four birds lost twice as many eggs as smaller groups. It is unlikely that members of a group are related. The most frequent group size was four and it is postulated that groups of this size produce the most young. The skewed ratio in groups may result from the scarcity of nest sites, which limits the number of females per group.

The social organisation and mating system of an Australian subalpine rodent, the broad-toothed rat, Mastacomys fuscus Thomas

1993 ◽  
Vol 20 (4) ◽  
pp. 405 ◽  
Author(s):  
TM Bubela ◽  
DCD Happold
Keyword(s):  
Mating System ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
Home Ranges ◽  
Spatial Organisation ◽  
Nest Sites ◽  
Alpine Regions ◽  
The Social ◽  
Eastern Australia ◽  
The World ◽  
Males And Females

Mastacomys fuscus is a grass-eating rodent of south-eastern Australia that lives mainly in subalpine habitats where snow covers the ground for about four months of the year. Radiotelemetry revealed that in summer the females were territorial. Home ranges of males were larger than those of females and overlapped extensively with the home ranges of other males and with the home ranges of up to three females. In winter, males and females huddled together in communal nests. The locations of nest sites, cover, water and grass also determined the spatial organisation of individuals. The evidence suggests that M. fuscus is not monogamous, but there were insufficient data to determine whether polygyny or promiscuity is the preferred mating system. The social organisation of this species, solitary in summer and communal in winter, is a response to the cold snowy winters and the limited time for reproduction in summer. The social organisation of M, fuscus is different from that of the other conilurine rodents of Australia, but similar to that of rodents that live in other alpine regions of the world.

Minimising disruption of piglets at weaning

1987 ◽  
Vol 1987 ◽  
pp. 18-18
Author(s):  
L E Wheatley
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
The Social ◽  
High Level

Pigs at weaning are usually regrouped to form batches of individuals similar in weight, and consequently of a similar potential for growth. This has the effect of disrupting the social organisation present amongst pigs sucking a sow. Re-establishing social order involves fighting and stress, both antagonistic to a high level of performance. The aim of the study was to observe the effect on performance of group size and of mixing pigs at weaning.

Using fine-scale spatial analysis to study behavioural strategies prevalence in wild groups of drift-feeding fish

2019 ◽  
Vol 76 (10) ◽  
pp. 1854-1861
Author(s):  
Aurélien Vivancos ◽  
Gerry Closs
Keyword(s):  
Spatial Analysis ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Social Contexts ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
Drift Feeding ◽  
The Social ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
Free Ranging

Key aspects of the social behaviour of groups of drift-feeding fish can be inferred by the way space is shared between group members, because they inhabit a very dynamic and complex environment where spatial positions have a direct impact on fitness-related traits. Therefore, the spatial analysis of such a system can reveal important insights into behavioural ecology of fish, but so far, technical constraints limited this approach to only large salmonids. We used a digital imaging technique to monitor movements and behaviour of free-ranging groups of juvenile galaxiids (Galaxias anomalus) facing two contrasting physical and social contexts. We described the spatial structure of these groups and studied individual space use in relation to their social behaviour. We found that prevalence of territorial behaviour differs greatly between sites, which suggests that groups were displaying different social organisation. This study showed that detailed spatial analysis of space use and behaviour of drift-feeding fish could provide new insights into the social organisation of group-living animals.

The first assessment of social organisation of the Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea) along the south coast of South Africa

2019 ◽  
Vol 97 (10) ◽  
pp. 855-865
Author(s):  
Thibaut Bouveroux ◽  
Stephen P. Kirkman ◽  
Danielle Conry ◽  
O. Alejandra Vargas-Fonseca ◽  
Pierre A. Pistorius
Keyword(s):  
South Africa ◽  
Indian Ocean ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Organisation ◽  
South Coast ◽  
The South ◽  
Mammal Species ◽  
Network Analyses ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Indian Ocean

The Indian Ocean humpback dolphin (Sousa plumbea (G. Cuvier, 1829)) is the most endangered marine mammal species in South Africa, and the overall decline of its abundance and group size may affect the social organisation of the species, potentially accentuating its vulnerability. Understanding the social organisation is therefore particularly relevant to conservation efforts. From photo-identification surveys along the south coast of South Africa from March 2014 to June 2015, we quantified association patterns and investigated the social organisation of Indian Ocean humpback dolphins using the half-weight index, social cluster, and network analyses. During the 101 surveys conducted and 553 h of survey effort, 98 sightings of dolphins were recorded and 65 individuals identified. Using individuals seen at least three times, this study reveals that the social network is well differentiated, as strong social divisions exist between individuals that seem to be split into four distinctive social clusters. Network strength was low; approximately half of the associations were low to moderate, whereas some individuals were strongly associated, especially between four pairs of individuals. Although this study is based on a limited number of individuals, our study nevertheless suggests that the atypical strong social bonds recorded here could result from behavioural responses following the decline in group size and abundance.

Infant bystanders modulate the influence of ovarian hormones on female socio-sexual behaviour in free-ranging rhesus macaques

Behaviour ◽  
2011 ◽  
Vol 148 (9-10) ◽  
pp. 1137-1155 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tara M. Mandalaywala ◽  
James P. Higham ◽  
Michael Heistermann ◽  
Dario Maestripieri
Keyword(s):  
Puerto Rico ◽  
Social Relationships ◽  
Sexual Behaviour ◽  
Rhesus Macaques ◽  
Mating Behaviour ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Non Invasive ◽  
The Social ◽  
Close Proximity ◽  
Free Ranging

AbstractIt has long been established that one of the driving factors underlying changes in female socio-sexual behaviour across the ovarian cycle is variation in the hormones oestrogen and progesterone. However, the effect that the social environment, and specifically con-specific bystanders, exerts on social relationships is far less clear. Here we explore the modulating effects of infant bystanders on relationships between female ovarian cycling and socio-sexual behaviour in free-ranging rhesus macaques during the 6-month mating season on Cayo Santiago, Puerto Rico. We used non-invasive hormone assessment to time ovulation in females, and analysed measures of social and sexual behaviour with respect to a 2-day ovulation window. Rates of copulation and ejaculation varied relative to ovulation, with female–male sexual interactions peaking around ovulation. Moreover, the presence of an infant bystander affected these rates, with fewer sexual interactions occurring for a given day with respect to ovulation when infant bystanders were more frequently in close proximity to the female. Other bystander categories (adult females, adult males, and adult female & infant groupings) did not have the same effect on female mating behaviour. These results suggest that mother–offspring conflict might manifest not only as direct interactions between mother and infant (e.g., weaning or carrying conflict), but also through indirect interactions.

scholarly journals The Function of Mounts in Free-Ranging Barbary Macaques (Macaca sylvanus)

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Simone Anzá ◽  
Bonaventura Majolo ◽  
Federica Amici
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Sexual Behaviors ◽  
Agonistic Behavior ◽  
Social Bond ◽  
Macaca Sylvanus ◽  
Barbary Macaques ◽  
The Social ◽  
Rank Difference ◽  
Free Ranging ◽  
The Relationship

AbstractGenerally, nonreproductive sex is thought to act as “social grease,” facilitating peaceful coexistence between subjects that lack close genetic ties. However, specifc nonreproductive sexual behaviors may fulfill different functions. With this study, we aimed to test whether nonreproductive mounts in Barbary macaques are used to 1) assert dominance, 2) reinforce social relationships, and/or 3) solve conflicts. We analyzed nonreproductive mounts (N = 236) and postmount behavior in both aggressive and nonaggressive contexts, in 118 individuals belonging to two semi-free-ranging groups at La Montagne des Singes (France). As predicted by the dominance assertion hypothesis, the probability to be the mounter increased with rank difference, especially in aggressive contexts (increasing from 0.066 to 0.797 in nonaggressive contexts, and from 0.011 to 0.969 in aggressive contexts, when the rank difference was minimal vs. maximal). The strength of the social bond did not significantly predict the proportion of mounts across dyads in nonaggressive contexts, providing no support for the relationship reinforcement hypothesis. Finally, in support of the conflict resolution hypothesis, when individuals engaged in postconflict mounts, 1) the probability of being involved in further aggression decreased from 0.825 to 0.517, while 2) the probability of being involved in grooming interactions with each other increased from 0.119 to 0.606. The strength of the social bond between former opponents had no significant effect on grooming occurrence and agonistic behavior after postconflict mounts. Overall, our findings suggest that nonreproductive mounts in Barbary macaques have different functions that are not affected by the strength of the social bond.

scholarly journals Social environment influences the relationship between genotype and gene expression in wild baboons

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1618) ◽  
pp. 20120345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Runcie ◽  
Ralph T. Wiedmann ◽  
Elizabeth A. Archie ◽  
Jeanne Altmann ◽  
Gregory A. Wray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wild Baboons

Variation in the social environment can have profound effects on survival and reproduction in wild social mammals. However, we know little about the degree to which these effects are influenced by genetic differences among individuals, and conversely, the degree to which social environmental variation mediates genetic reaction norms. To better understand these relationships, we investigated the potential for dominance rank, social connectedness and group size to modify the effects of genetic variation on gene expression in the wild baboons of the Amboseli basin. We found evidence for a number of gene–environment interactions (GEIs) associated with variation in the social environment, encompassing social environments experienced in adulthood as well as persistent effects of early life social environment. Social connectedness, maternal dominance rank and group size all interacted with genotype to influence gene expression in at least one sex, and either in early life or in adulthood. These results suggest that social and behavioural variation, akin to other factors such as age and sex, can impact the genotype–phenotype relationship. We conclude that GEIs mediated by the social environment are important in the evolution and maintenance of individual differences in wild social mammals, including individual differences in responses to social stressors.

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