scholarly journals Social information use shapes the coevolution of sociality and virulence

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ben Ashby ◽  
Damien R Farine
Keyword(s):  
Group Living ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
Related Information ◽  
Evolution Of Sociality ◽  
Social Information Use ◽  
Parasite Evolution ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Relative Prevalence

AbstractSocial contacts can facilitate the spread of both survival-related information and infectious disease, but little is known about how these processes combine to shape host and parasite evolution. Here, we use a theoretical model that captures both transmission processes to investigate how host sociality and parasite virulence (co)evolve. We show how selection for sociality (and in turn, virulence) depends on both the intrinsic costs and benefits of information and disease as well as their relative prevalence in the population. Specifically, greater sociality and lower virulence evolve when the risk of infection is either low or high and information is neither very common nor too rare. Lower sociality and higher virulence evolve when the prevalence patterns are reversed. When disease and information are both at moderate levels, the direction of selection depends on the relative costs and benefits of being infected or informed. We also show that sociality varies inversely with virulence, and that disease may be unable to constrain the evolution of sociality. Together, these findings provide new insights for our understanding of group living and how apparently opposing ecological processes can influence the evolution of sociality and virulence in a range of ways.

Rhinella icterica and Rhinella ornata (Anura: Bufonidae) tadpoles do not recognise siblings

2021 ◽  
pp. 214-220
Author(s):  
Alexandre Polettini Neto
Keyword(s):  
Environmental Factors ◽  
Laboratory Experiments ◽  
Inclusive Fitness ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Environmental Characteristics ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Aggregation Behaviour ◽  
Rearing Methods

Benefits conferred to animals living in groups may be greater if groups are formed by relatives rather than non-relatives, because cooperating with relatives increases the probability of their own genes being passed on to group offspring (inclusive fitness). Non-social aggregations are formed in response to environmental characteristics, while social aggregations are formed from the attraction among individuals. The attraction or repulsion between individuals is mediated by recognition mechanisms, which mediate important ecological processes and behaviours. Here, we conducted laboratory experiments to test if tadpoles of two sympatric bufonids, Rhinella icterica and R. ornata, are able to recognise siblings. We collected eggs of the two species in the field and raised them in laboratory settings, according to three different methods: siblings and non-siblings reared in separated containers; siblings and non-siblings reared in the same container separated by a plastic net; and eggs from the same spawn reared separately, each one in an individual container. Later, we tested if tadpoles could choose between groups of siblings and non-siblings. The results indicate that tadpoles of neither species were able to discriminate between siblings and non-siblings, regardless of the rearing methods. Therefore, kinship is less important than environmental factors in tadpole aggregation behaviour of these species, and it may be dependent on the balance between costs and benefits. Our results can be used as a start point to better understand tadpole aggregation behaviour and recognition mechanisms in these species.

scholarly journals Induced defenses alter the strength and direction of natural selection on reproductive traits in common milkweed

2016 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ken A. Thompson ◽  
Kaitlin A. Cory ◽  
Marc T. J. Johnson
Keyword(s):  
Natural Selection ◽  
Jasmonic Acid ◽  
Reproductive Traits ◽  
Induced Defenses ◽  
Asclepias Syriaca ◽  
Ecological Processes ◽  
Foliar Damage ◽  
Antiherbivore Defenses ◽  
Selection For ◽  
Generate Plant

AbstractEvolutionary biologists have long sought to understand the ecological processes that generate plant reproductive diversity. Recent evidence indicates that constitutive antiherbivore defenses can alter natural selection on reproductive traits, but it is unclear whether induced defenses will have the same effect and whether reduced foliar damage in defended plants is the cause of this pattern. In a factorial field experiment using common milkweed, Asclepias syriaca, we induced plant defenses using jasmonic acid (JA) and imposed foliar damage using scissors. We found that JA-induced plants experienced selection for more inflorescences that were smaller in size (fewer flowers), while control plants only experienced a trend toward selection for larger inflorescences (more flowers); all effects were independent of foliar damage. Our results demonstrate that induced defenses can alter both the strength and direction of selection on reproductive traits, and suggest that antiherbivore defenses may promote the evolution of plant reproductive diversity.

Goal Relevance and Desirability of Virtuous Behavior in Satisfying Affiliative and Pathogen Avoidance Needs

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mitch Brown
Keyword(s):  
Group Living ◽  
Self Control ◽  
Evolutionary Perspective ◽  
Costs And Benefits ◽  
Behavioral Repertoire ◽  
Fundamental Nature ◽  
Virtuous Behavior ◽  
Goal Relevance ◽  
Effective Group ◽  
Pathogen Avoidance

Recent findings suggest that behavioral repertoires frequently conceptualized as virtuous possess a fundamental nature that implicates virtues as highly desirable in facilitating group living through factors of caring, self-control, and inquisitiveness. Although much of this desirability has previously demonstrated in mating domains, it could be possible their benefits extend to affiliative and pathogen-avoidant domains. Two studies (N=285) sought to determine the potential costs and benefits of associating with virtuous individuals (Study 1) and how these affordances could shape subsequent interpersonal preferences (Study 2). In Study 1, participants inferred a caring behavioral repertoire as particularly effective at facilitating both affiliative and pathogen-avoidant goals, whereas inquisitiveness was perceived as threatening to pathogen-avoidant goals. Study 2 provides evidence dispositionally heightened affiliative interests heightened preferences for caring, but pathogen-avoidant motives did not influence preferences. I frame results from an evolutionary perspective and synthesize it with recent findings demonstrating how virtue shapes effective group living.

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.

Larger lizards live longer in the group-living Egernia stokesii

2016 ◽  
Vol 64 (3) ◽  
pp. 182 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. K. Pearson ◽  
S. S. Godfrey ◽  
C. M. Bull ◽  
M. G. Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Space Use ◽  
Limited Attention ◽  
Field Surveys ◽  
Evolution Of Sociality ◽  
Short Period ◽  
Recent Attention ◽  
Egernia Stokesii

Animal space use has implications for gene flow, disease dynamics, mating systems and the evolution of sociality. Given recent attention to sociality in reptiles, lizards are an important group for expanding our understanding of animal space use. Lizard space use is commonly investigated within one population over a short period and limited attention has been given to potential predictors of site fidelity. This study evaluated site fidelity in three populations of group-living Egernia stokesii (gidgee skink) between two field surveys separated by almost a decade. Of 43 recaptured lizards, 28 (65%) occupied their original space, and 15 (36%) of those shared their space with the same other lizard or lizards in both surveys. This confirmed long-term site and social bond fidelity in E. stokesii. We found that larger lizards were more likely to be recaptured. Neither body size, individual genetic heterozygosity, nor the availability of refuges strongly predicted whether lizards were recaptured in the same or a different place. The reasons why some lizards stayed in the same space while others moved are yet to be resolved.

scholarly journals Social relationships and reproductive performance in group-living arctic blue foxes

1994 ◽  
Vol 3 (1) ◽  
pp. 49-58 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannu Korhonen ◽  
Sakari Alasuutari
Keyword(s):  
Social Relationships ◽  
Breeding Season ◽  
Group Composition ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Reproductive Behaviour ◽  
Genetic Origin ◽  
Social Contacts ◽  
The Social ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Blue Fox

The aim of the present work was to study social relationships and reproductivity in captive arctic blue fox groups of different genetic origin. The social status of the individuals among groups remained constant during autumn and early winter. Males typically dominated over females in the groups. Males also had higher body weights and more social contacts than females. The locomotor activity of the animals increased during the breeding season, especially in the case of males. Urinary marking had a significant importance during the breeding season, being most pronounced in dominant males. No synchronization was observed in the heat development of females despite some kinship. Behaviours such as escape attempts, bitings and increased aggressiveness occurred in March-April as a result of increasing social tension combined with reproductive behaviour. Whelping success varied depending on group composition. Some of the non-breeding and breeding females were observed to act as communal nursing helpers.

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