Identity signaling, identity reception and the evolution of social recognition in a Neotropical frog

Animals recognize familiar individuals to perform a variety of important social behaviors. Social recognition is often mediated by communication between signalers who produce signals that contain identity information and receivers who categorize these signals based on previous experience. We tested two hypotheses about adaptations in signalers and receivers that enable the evolution of social recognition using two species of closely related territorial poison frogs. Male golden rocket frogs (Anomaloglossus beebei) recognize the advertisement calls of conspecific territory neighbors and display a "dear enemy effect" by responding less aggressively to neighbors than strangers, while male Kai rocket frogs (A. kaiei) do not. Our results did not support the identity signaling hypothesis: both species produced advertisement calls that contain similar amounts of identity information. Our results did support the identity reception hypothesis: both species exhibited habituation of aggression to playbacks simulating the arrival of a new neighbor, but only golden rocket frogs showed renewed aggression when they subsequently heard calls from a different male. These results suggest that an ancestral mechanism of plasticity in aggression common among frogs has been modified through natural selection to be specific to calls of individual males in golden rocket frogs, enabling a social recognition system.

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Differential attack by a cichlid fish on resident and non-resident fish of another cichlid species

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/156853912x629139 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 149 (1) ◽

pp. 99-109 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Satoshi Awata ◽

Masanori Kohda ◽

Haruki Ochi

Keyword(s):

Field Experiment ◽

Lake Tanganyika ◽

Cichlid Fish ◽

Previous Experience ◽

Alternative Mechanism ◽

Differential Attack ◽

Dear Enemy ◽

Resident Fish ◽

Cichlid Species ◽

Dear Enemy Effect

AbstractAn algivorous cichlid, Variabilichromis moorii( Vm), defends permanent territories in Lake Tanganyika, Africa. A zoobenthivorous cichlid, Neolamprologus mustax( Nm), spends 60% of daylight hours foraging in Vmterritories, from which other zoobenthivorous fishes are chased out and consequently which are much richer in prey animals than areas outside of Vmterritories. We conducted a field experiment to examine whether Nmresidents and non-residents received different degrees of attacks from Vm. Nmfish were caught in their territories, released at a point distant from these territories, and followed to observe interactions with Vmfish. The frequency of attacks received by the displaced Nmfish was greater than attacks received by Nmresidents, indicating that Nmresidents had easier access to Vmterritories than non-residents did. A possible mechanism for this is reduced aggression of Vmtowards Nmresidents, as a result of the ‘dear enemy’ effect that has been reported in territorial contests between rivals. An alternative mechanism is that tolerance towards Nmdiffers among Vmfish and Nmresidents selectively visit more tolerant Vmfish due to previous experience while non-residents randomly approach both tolerant and hostile Vmfish. The ability of Vmto discriminate between Nmresidents and non-residents is essential to the former mechanism but not to the latter. To more specifically examine which mechanism works in the Vm– Nmcommensal system, we will need to follow individually identified Vmfish interacting with Nmresidents and non-residents.

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Ecological and social drivers of neighbor recognition and the dear enemy effect in a poison frog

10.1101/2020.04.10.036269 ◽

2020 ◽

Author(s):

James P. Tumulty ◽

Mark A. Bee

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Reproductive Ecology ◽

Species Difference ◽

Social Recognition ◽

Phenotypic Characteristics ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Dear Enemy ◽

Neighbor Recognition ◽

Selection For ◽

Dear Enemy Effect

ABSTRACTNavigating social relationships frequently rests on the ability to recognize familiar individuals using phenotypic characteristics. Across diverse taxa, animals vary in their capacities for social recognition but the ecological and social sources of selection for recognition are often unclear. In a comparative study of two closely related species of poison frogs, we identified a species difference in social recognition of territory neighbors and investigated potential sources of selection underlying this difference. In response to acoustic playbacks, male golden rocket frogs (Anomaloglossus beebei) recognized the calls of neighbors and displayed a “dear enemy effect” by responding less aggressively to neighbors’ calls than strangers’ calls. In contrast, male Kai rocket frogs (Anomaloglossus kaiei) were equally aggressive to the calls of neighbors and strangers. This species difference in behavior was associated with key differences in reproductive ecology and characteristics of territories. Golden rocket frogs defended reproductive resources in the form of bromeliads, which is expected to create a threat asymmetry between neighbors and strangers favoring decreased aggression to neighbors. In contrast, Kai rocket frogs did not defend reproductive resources. Further, compared with Kai rocket frog territories, golden rocket frog territories occurred at higher densities and were defended for longer periods of time, creating a more complex social environment with more opportunities for repeated but unnecessary aggression between neighbors, which should favor the ability to recognize and exhibit less aggression towards neighbors. These results suggest that differences in reproductive ecology can drive changes in social structure that select for social recognition.

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Ecological and social drivers of neighbor recognition and the dear enemy effect in a poison frog

Behavioral Ecology ◽

10.1093/beheco/araa113 ◽

2020 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

James P Tumulty ◽

Mark A Bee

Keyword(s):

Social Relationships ◽

Reproductive Ecology ◽

Species Difference ◽

Social Recognition ◽

Phenotypic Characteristics ◽

Closely Related Species ◽

Dear Enemy ◽

Neighbor Recognition ◽

Selection For ◽

Dear Enemy Effect

Abstract Navigating social relationships frequently rests on the ability to recognize familiar individuals using phenotypic characteristics. Across diverse taxa, animals vary in their capacities for social recognition, but the ecological and social sources of selection for recognition are often unclear. In a comparative study of two closely related species of poison frogs, we identified a species difference in social recognition of territory neighbors and investigated potential sources of selection underlying this difference. In response to acoustic playbacks, male golden rocket frogs (Anomaloglossus beebei) recognized the calls of neighbors and displayed a “dear enemy effect” by responding less aggressively to neighbors’ calls than strangers’ calls. In contrast, male Kai rocket frogs (Anomaloglossus kaiei) were equally aggressive to the calls of neighbors and strangers. This species difference in behavior is associated with key differences in reproductive ecology and characteristics of territories. Golden rocket frogs defend reproductive resources in the form of bromeliads, which is expected to create a threat asymmetry between neighbors and strangers favoring decreased aggression to neighbors. In contrast, Kai rocket frogs do not defend reproductive resources. Further, compared with Kai rocket frog territories, golden rocket frog territories occur at higher densities and are defended for longer periods of time, creating a more complex social environment with more opportunities for repeated but unnecessary aggression between neighbors, which should favor the ability to recognize and exhibit less aggression toward neighbors. These results suggest that differences in reproductive ecology can drive changes in social structure that select for social recognition.

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INDIVIDUAL AND STATUS RECOGNITION IN THE CRAYFISH, ORCONECTES RUSTICUS: THE EFFECTS OF URINE RELEASE ON FIGHT DYNAMICS

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/15685390151074348 ◽

2001 ◽

Vol 138 (2) ◽

pp. 137-153 ◽

Cited By ~ 95

Author(s):

Robert Huber ◽

Rebecca A. Zulandt Schneider ◽

Paul Moore

Keyword(s):

Chemical Cues ◽

Social Recognition ◽

Previous Experience ◽

Behavioral Characteristics ◽

Behavioral State ◽

Dyadic Interactions ◽

Agonistic Interactions ◽

Present Communication ◽

Status Recognition

AbstractThis study examined individual and status recognition in dyadic interactions between crayfish and determines how blocking the release of urine, a known source of chemical cues, may influence recognition. Behavioral characteristics of agonistic interactions were compared between crayfish pairs that fought each other previously (familiar) and pairs derived from individuals with past status history but no previous experience with one another (unfamiliar). To address the role of urine born chemical cues in recognition, fight dynamics were examined in urine blocked and non-blocked familiar and unfamiliar pairs. Our results indicate the existence of status recognition in crayfish as first fights were longer than second fights and the statistical interaction between fight number and familiar/unfamiliar treatment was similar. Urine cues play a role in social recognition in that fights are longer and more intense when urine cues are absent than when urine cues are present. Communication of behavioral state through urine appears to play an important role in the agonistic interactions of crayfish.

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Aggression towards unfamiliar intruders by male lizards Eurolophosaurus nanuzae depends on contestant’s body traits: a test of the dear enemy effect

Behaviour ◽

10.1163/1568539x-00003438 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 154 (6) ◽

pp. 693-708 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Eduardo C. Quintana ◽

Conrado A.B. Galdino

Keyword(s):

Saving Energy ◽

Potential Threat ◽

Dear Enemy ◽

Holding Power ◽

Resource Holding Power ◽

Dear Enemy Phenomenon ◽

Dear Enemy Effect ◽

Tail Condition

A reduction of territory owners’ aggression towards their neighbours in relation to the intrusion of strangers characterises the dear enemy phenomenon. Supposedly, the disparity in aggression levels of territory owners is due to a higher threat imposed by strangers compared to the threat imposed by neighbours. To evaluate the occurrence of the phenomenon in males of the small-sized lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae we performed a field manipulative study. We considered three models to run intrusions in males’ territories: neighbour, tailed stranger (unfamiliar) and tailless stranger intruders. Our results lend support to the presence of dear enemy for this species as residents acted more aggressively towards strangers than to neighbours. In addition, the information we provide supports the relative threat hypothesis as territory owners were more aggressive towards tailed stranger intruders than to tailless stranger intruders. In this sense, tail condition can represent a trait that signals the ‘resource holding power’ (RHP) of a lizard. Therefore, we show that beyond neighbourhood recognition, residents are able to evaluate the potential threat of stranger intruders in general, thereby extending the evolutionary gains of the dear enemy by saving energy even in the context they are expected to acts with higher costs.

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