scholarly journals Diverse societies are more productive: a lesson from ants

2012 ◽  
Vol 279 (1736) ◽  
pp. 2142-2150 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andreas P. Modlmeier ◽  
Julia E. Liebmann ◽  
Susanne Foitzik
Keyword(s):  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Brood Care ◽  
Behavioural Syndromes ◽  
Temnothorax Longispinosus ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
Novel Objects ◽  
Group Members ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Animal Personalities ◽  
Over Time

The fitness consequences of animal personalities (also known as behavioural syndromes) have recently been studied in several solitary species. However, the adaptive significance of collective personalities in social insects and especially of behavioural variation among group members remains largely unexplored. Although intracolonial behavioural variation is an important component of division of labour, and as such a key feature for the success of societies, empirical links between behavioural variation and fitness are scarce. We investigated aggression, exploration and brood care behaviour in Temnothorax longispinosus ant colonies. We focused on two distinct aspects: intercolonial variability and its consistency across time and contexts, and intracolonial variability and its influence on productivity. Aggressiveness was consistent over four to five months with a new generation of workers emerging in between trial series. Other behaviours were not consistent over time. Exploration of novel environments responded to the sequence of assays: colonies were faster in discovering when workers previously encountered opponents in aggression experiments. Suites of correlated behaviours (e.g. aggression–exploration syndrome) present in the first series did not persist over time. Finally, colonies with more intracolonial behavioural variation in brood care and exploration of novel objects were more productive under standardized conditions than colonies with less variation.

scholarly journals Fitness costs of worker specialization for ant societies

2016 ◽  
Vol 283 (1822) ◽  
pp. 20152572 ◽  
Author(s):  
Evelien Jongepier ◽  
Susanne Foitzik
Keyword(s):  
Dynamic Environments ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Fitness Costs ◽  
Individual Specialization ◽  
Behavioural Responses ◽  
Temnothorax Longispinosus ◽  
Fitness Consequences ◽  
The Social ◽  
Slave Raids ◽  
Colony Level

Division of labour is of fundamental importance for the success of societies, yet little is known about how individual specialization affects the fitness of the group as a whole. While specialized workers may be more efficient in the tasks they perform than generalists, they may also lack the flexibility to respond to rapid shifts in task needs. Such rigidity could impose fitness costs when societies face dynamic and unpredictable events, such as an attack by socially parasitic slavemakers. Here, we experimentally assess the colony-level fitness consequences of behavioural specialization in Temnothorax longispinosus ants that are attacked by the slavemaker ant T. americanus . We manipulated the social organization of 102 T. longispinosus colonies, based on the behavioural responses of all 3842 workers. We find that strict specialization is disadvantageous for a colony's annual reproduction and growth during slave raids. These fitness costs may favour generalist strategies in dynamic environments, as we also demonstrate that societies exposed to slavemakers in the field show a lower degree of specialization than those originating from slavemaker-free populations. Our findings provide an explanation for the ubiquity of generalists and highlight their importance for the flexibility and functional robustness of entire societies.

scholarly journals Proactive prosociality in a cooperatively breeding corvid, the azure-winged magpie ( Cyanopica cyana )

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (10) ◽  
pp. 20160649 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa Horn ◽  
Clara Scheer ◽  
Thomas Bugnyar ◽  
Jorg J. M. Massen
Keyword(s):  
Cooperative Breeding ◽  
Cooperatively Breeding ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Over Time

One of the contemporary hypotheses concerning the evolution of human altruism is the cooperative breeding hypothesis (CBH) which has recently been tested in non-human primates. Using a similar paradigm, we investigated prosociality in a cooperatively breeding corvid, the azure-winged magpie. We found that the magpies delivered food to their group members at high rates, and unlike other corvids, they did so without any cues provided by others. In two control conditions, the magpies stopped participating over time, indicating that they learned to discriminate prosocial tests from controls. Azure-winged magpies are thus the first birds that experimentally show proactive prosociality. Our findings are in line with the CBH; however, additional corvid species need to be tested in this promising paradigm.

Behavioural syndromes and their fitness consequences in a socially polymorphic spider, Anelosimus studiosus

2008 ◽  
Vol 76 (3) ◽  
pp. 871-879 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jonathan N. Pruitt ◽  
Susan E. Riechert ◽  
Thomas C. Jones
Keyword(s):  
Behavioural Syndromes ◽  
Fitness Consequences

The Fall of Balmaceda and Public Finance in Chile: New Data for an Old Debate

1982 ◽  
Vol 24 (4) ◽  
pp. 421-460 ◽  
Author(s):  
John R. Bowman ◽  
Michael Wallerstein
Keyword(s):  
Public Finance ◽  
Economic Development ◽  
Latin America ◽  
Discrete Event ◽  
Political Stability ◽  
Parliamentary System ◽  
Presidential System ◽  
The Subject ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Over Time

The 1891 civil war that led to the downfall of President José Manuel Balmaceda is without doubt one of the most visible episodes of Chilean history. Already the subject of a voluminous bibliography by 1894 (Echeverría y Reyes, 1894), the “revolution's” importance to historians of Chile actually increased over time as a new generation of scholars came to view it not merely as a discrete event of limited intrinsic interest but as an important key to understanding Chile's subsequent political and economic development. In retrospect, the conflict came to be seen as a “crucial watershed” in Chilean history (Blakemore, 1974: 243), marking the replacement of a presidential system—1833-1891—notable in nineteenth-century Latin America for political stability, by a parliamentary system—1891-1924—notorious for political and monetary disorder.

scholarly journals Major Evolutionary Transitions in Social Insects, the Importance of Worker Sterility and Life History Trade-Offs

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Abel Bernadou ◽  
Boris H. Kramer ◽  
Judith Korb
Keyword(s):  
Life History ◽  
Social Insects ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Individual Level ◽  
Individual Fitness ◽  
Trade Offs ◽  
Group Members ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Worker Sterility

The evolution of eusociality in social insects, such as termites, ants, and some bees and wasps, has been regarded as a major evolutionary transition (MET). Yet, there is some debate whether all species qualify. Here, we argue that worker sterility is a decisive criterion to determine whether species have passed a MET (= superorganisms), or not. When workers are sterile, reproductive interests align among group members as individual fitness is transferred to the colony level. Division of labour among cooperating units is a major driver that favours the evolution of METs across all biological scales. Many METs are characterised by a differentiation into reproductive versus maintenance functions. In social insects, the queen specialises on reproduction while workers take over maintenance functions such as food provisioning. Such division of labour allows specialisation and it reshapes life history trade-offs among cooperating units. For instance, individuals within colonies of social insects can overcome the omnipresent fecundity/longevity trade-off, which limits reproductive success in organisms, when increased fecundity shortens lifespan. Social insect queens (particularly in superorganismal species) can reach adult lifespans of several decades and are among the most fecund terrestrial animals. The resulting enormous reproductive output may contribute to explain why some genera of social insects became so successful. Indeed, superorganismal ant lineages have more species than those that have not passed a MET. We conclude that the release from life history constraints at the individual level is a important, yet understudied, factor across METs to explain their evolutionary success.

scholarly journals The crossroads of contemporary sociology and the crisis of its subject and vocational identity

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (2) ◽  
pp. 245-266
Author(s):  
Ljubiša Mitrović
Keyword(s):  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Vocational Identity ◽  
Methodological Principle ◽  
Technical Improvement ◽  
Contemporary Sociology ◽  
Positive Identity ◽  
Theoretical Synthesis ◽  
Global World ◽  
New Generation ◽  
The Universe

Contemporary sociology is at a fateful crossroads. The paper points to some aspects of its crisis as a science and vocation, the forms of its cognitive pathology and the erosion of positive identity in the universe of sciences and the modern professional division of labour. Indicating the causes and consequences of this crisis, the author concludes that it cannot be overcome only by technical improvement of the methodology of empirical research, but requires profound efforts of the new generation of sociologists, and new answers. Otherwise, Peter Berger's pessimistic predictions about the obsolescence and bankruptcy of sociologists and sociologists might come true. The conclusions we reached in our problematization of this issue can be summarized as follows: 1) the need to redefine contemporary sociology in the spirit of globalization of its subject as a multicomplex science of the laws of structure and dynamics of the global world system and the theoretical-empirical study of phenomena and processes at all levels of social organization. macro, meso, micro) from the perspective of the methodological principle of dialectical concrete totality; 2) building a new theoretical synthesis in the form of a multidisciplinary integrated paradigm; 3) opening sociology through multidisciplinary and transdisciplinary research towards new challenging fields of the future that has begun; 4) redefining its vocation identity in the Mils-Bourdieu key as a martial discipline, radical-critical, reflexive-engaged, emancipatory and actionist sociology.

scholarly journals Artificial mass loading disrupts stable social order in pigeon dominance hierarchies

2020 ◽  
Vol 16 (8) ◽  
pp. 20200468
Author(s):  
Steven J. Portugal ◽  
James R. Usherwood ◽  
Craig R. White ◽  
Daniel W. E. Sankey ◽  
Alan M. Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Body Mass ◽  
Social Order ◽  
Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Mass Loading ◽  
Direct Link ◽  
Dominance Hierarchies ◽  
Closed Population ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Linear Dominance Hierarchy ◽  
Over Time

Dominance hierarchies confer benefits to group members by decreasing the incidences of physical conflict, but may result in certain lower ranked individuals consistently missing out on access to resources. Here, we report a linear dominance hierarchy remaining stable over time in a closed population of birds. We show that this stability can be disrupted, however, by the artificial mass loading of birds that typically comprise the bottom 50% of the hierarchy. Mass loading causes these low-ranked birds to immediately become more aggressive and rise-up the dominance hierarchy; however, this effect was only evident in males and was absent in females. Removal of the artificial mass causes the hierarchy to return to its previous structure. This interruption of a stable hierarchy implies a strong direct link between body mass and social behaviour and suggests that an individual's personality can be altered by the artificial manipulation of body mass.

scholarly journals Linking silvicultural aspects of pro-poor leasehold forestry for socio-economic benefits to the poor and vulnerable communities

2018 ◽  
pp. 113-119
Author(s):  
K. K. Yadav ◽  
G. P. Kafley ◽  
K. P. Yadav
Keyword(s):  
Community Forestry ◽  
Economic Benefits ◽  
Environmental Conservation ◽  
The Poor ◽  
Silvicultural Practices ◽  
User Groups ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Forest User Groups ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Forest User

Government of Nepal has adopted different models like community forestry, leasehold forestry, collaborative forestry, buffer zone community forestry and public land agroforestry for management of forest resources. Poor focused leasehold forestry is only the approach adopted since early 1990 that has two major objectives: livelihood improvement and environmental conservation. Forest user groups of 5–15 households (HHs) are provided with part of national forests for a period of initial lease of 40 years. Leased forests are managed mainly with forestry crops, forage and non-timber forest products (NTFPs) to meet the dual objectives. Past studies and researches have indicated that leasehold forests are better than the hand over time however they are inadequate in dealing with silvicultural aspects in leasehold forestry (LF). This research paper has highlighted the significance of silvicultural aspects of leasehold forestry for overall socio-economic benefits to the poor and vulnerable forest users. Review of the existing policy and legal documents, studies and progress reports of the leasehold forestry projects implemented during the last two decades, consultation with leasehold forest user groups from five districts (Tehrathum, Makawanpur, Tanahun, Pyuthan and Doti) formed the main source of data for this article. Further, author’s own experiences in the sector were taken as supporting reliable information for the study. The study found that silvicultural practices, except plantations and weeding, were not adopted in leasehold forest but there was great potential for such practices to maximize the socio-economic benefits. Proper use of silvicultural practices might have increased contribution to currently realized benefits like (i) increased income of members i.e. poorest families (having less than 3 months secured foods) were reduced over years, (ii) group members had increased access to different networks and cooperatives, (iii) participation of women, poor and indigenous people increased in the decision-making process, and (iv) forest coverage was increased with respect to the hand over time. Some issues on silviculture aspects included proper guidelines for silvicultural methods, capacity of staff and leasehold forest user group members, smaller sizes of leasehold forests, and promotion of appropriate species. Banko JanakariA Journal of Forestry Information for Nepal Special Issue No. 4, 2018, Page: 113-119 

Pathosformel as grammar

2019 ◽  
Vol 68 (1) ◽  
pp. 100-135
Author(s):  
Edward H. Wouk
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Visual Arts ◽  
Theory And Practice ◽  
Northern Europe ◽  
Artistic Creation ◽  
Visual Material ◽  
And Function ◽  
New Generation ◽  
Over Time

The artist and polymath Lambert Lombard of Liège developed a radical outlook on the theory and practice of artistic creation that he sought to illustrate in a ‘grammar’ of formal studies. Devised during a period of intense crisis for image-making in northern Europe, this ‘grammar’ offered a means to restore authority to the visual arts by recovering a canon of forms that had been perfected in antiquity yet became diluted over time. The present article examines the development and function of Lombard’s ‘grammar’, focusing on its role in the instruction he provided to a new generation of Netherlandish artists. It explores similarities between Lombard’s project and Aby Warburg’s celebrated Mnemosyne Atlas, compiled between 1924 and 1929. This comparison provides new insights into the visual, material and conceptual strategies through which Lombard’s ‘grammar’ illuminated the entwined properties of motion and emotion that he defined as the essence of perfect art.

A Formal Theory of Reflected Appraisals in the Evolution of Power

2011 ◽  
Vol 56 (4) ◽  
pp. 501-529 ◽  
Author(s):  
Noah E. Friedkin
Keyword(s):  
Formal Theory ◽  
State Transitions ◽  
Relative Power ◽  
Social Psychological ◽  
Interpersonal Influences ◽  
Reflected Appraisals ◽  
Power And Control ◽  
Group Members ◽  
And Control ◽  
Over Time

This article investigates the evolution of power with a formal theory that focuses on the influence network through which control of a group’s outcomes emerges via direct and indirect interpersonal influences on group members’ positions on a series of issues over time. Power evolves when individuals’ openness or closure to interpersonal influences correspond with their prior relative control over the group’s issue outcomes. In groups with members who are appraising the relative power of their members over the outcomes of prior issues, a mechanism of “reflected appraisals” will elevate and dampen members’ self-appraisals of their relative power and the amount of influence they accord to others. Across a series of issues over time, this mechanism suffices to generate state transitions of a group’s influence network. The result is an evolution of the group’s influence network such that, with rare exceptions, power becomes concentrated and the preferences of a single leader control the group’s outcomes via intermediaries. A laboratory experiment and a simulation provide support for the theory. The analysis suggests that the evolution of the influence network toward concentrated forms of power and control is generated by fundamental social psychological responses to power and may occur in all enduring social groups whose members are dealing with a lengthy sequence of issues, independent of the conditions of bureaucratic organizations.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document