acta ethologica最新文献

{"title":"Integrating video and acoustic non-invasive techniques to monitor coastal fish communities: A literature review with implications for MPA management","authors":"Noelia Ríos Ruiz","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00494-2","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00494-2","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>The ocean plays a crucial role in regulating climate, supporting biodiversity, and providing resources to coastal communities. However, human activities such as overfishing, pollution, and climate change are increasingly threatening marine ecosystems. Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) are essential for conservation, but their effectiveness depends on continuous, adaptive monitoring to track both ecological and behavioural changes in marine life. This review examines how different non-invasive monitoring techniques, and their combination, including Underwater Visual Census (UVC), Baited Remote Underwater Video Systems (BRUVS), and Passive Acoustic Monitoring (PAM) offer opportunities to survey fish community distribution and phenology. Sound is highlighted as a fundamental component of marine ecosystems, shaping species communication, habitat selection, and behavioural dynamics. Here, we discuss the comparison of ecological and ecoacoustic indices, such as acoustic complexity, richness, and evenness, to improve our understanding of acoustic behavioural patterns in fishes, with direct relevance for monitoring marine ecosystems. We further discuss how monitoring strategies can be refined to capture not only species presence and abundance, but also behaviour, ecosystem function, and the impacts of human activities, supporting more effective and adaptive MPA management.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-026-00494-2.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148466213","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparative study of rapid visual categorization in domestic chicks (Gallus gallus domesticus), zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) and pigeons (Columba livia)","authors":"Ekaterina A. Diffine,&nbsp;Vyacheslav S. Korzinin,&nbsp;Elizaveta N. Lebedeva,&nbsp;Matvey A. Puzik,&nbsp;Darya K. Epova,&nbsp;Anna A. Tiunova","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00501-6","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00501-6","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>One of the major tasks in experimental ethology is the development of behavioral paradigms that take into account ecological characteristics of behavior and at the same time have broad cross-species validity. Categorization is a widespread fundamental cognitive process that enables animals to generalize sensory information and make decisions under conditions of environmental stimuli variability. Here, we describe a single-session visual categorization task - the “bead floor” model, adapted for several avian model species. This paradigm was originally developed for newly hatched domestic chicks in standardized laboratory conditions. Here we adapted it for adult songbirds (zebra finches). Further, the behavioral and ethological relevance of the model was demonstrated in adult wild non-songbirds (pigeons) in their natural habitat. Across all three species, birds showed a rapid decrease in pecking responses toward non-edible beads over the course of a single training session. In zebra finches, this behavioral change was accompanied by transfer to beads of novel size and colors, providing stronger support for the interpretation that birds may group visually similar non-edible objects into a common perceptual category. Thus, the paradigm exhibits reproducibility both under strictly controlled settings and in wild birds in their natural habitat, which confirms its high behavioral and ethological validity.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Species-specific landscapes of fear in rural landscapes: Multiple behavioural responses of three sympatric ungulates to anthropogenic disturbance","authors":"Takashi Ikeda","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00499-x","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00499-x","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Understanding how wildlife responds behaviourally to anthropogenic disturbances is central to managing human–wildlife conflicts in rural landscapes. The <i>landscape of fear</i> framework recognises humans as <i>super-predators</i> that impose high, spatiotemporal heterogeneous risks on wildlife. However, empirical studies integrating multiple behavioural indicators across sympatric species remain limited, particularly in Japanese rural landscapes. This study aimed to evaluate the behavioural responses of three sympatric ungulates—sika deer (<i>Cervus nippon</i>), wild boar (<i>Sus scrofa</i>), and Japanese serow (<i>Capricornis crispus</i>)—along a gradient represented by the distance from farmland, which was used as a proxy for anthropogenic disturbances but may also reflect variation in resource availability, in Gifu Prefecture, central Japan. Using camera-trap data, three behavioural indicators were quantified—staying time, nocturnality, and photographic frequency—to evaluate how these responses vary with proximity to farmland. The results revealed species-specific patterns. Sika deer and wild boars showed a significant increase in nocturnality near farmland, whereas photographic frequency showed no significant relationship with distance from farmland. These results suggest that these ungulates primarily respond to anthropogenic disturbance through temporal adjustment rather than changes in overall site use. Japanese serows exhibited a higher photographic frequency far from the farmland, suggesting a stronger association with forested areas away from anthropogenic disturbance. No significant relationship between staying time and distance from farmland was detected for any of the three species, indicating that this composite behavioural metric was less sensitive to the disturbance gradient than spatiotemporal indicators. Overall, these results demonstrate that responses to anthropogenic disturbances are multidimensional and species-specific rather than uniform avoidance. These findings highlight the importance of integrating multiple behavioural indicators and species-specific perspectives when applying the <i>landscape of fear</i> framework to wildlife management in rural landscapes, while recognising that behavioural responses near farmland may reflect both anthropogenic risk and resource availability.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148465093","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An evaluation of Jarman’s hypothesis using grouping behaviour of three sympatric forest-dwelling ungulates in a subtropical cloud forest in Taiwan","authors":"Hayato Takada,&nbsp;Yu‑Jen Liang,&nbsp;Nick Ching‑Min Sun,&nbsp;Hikaru Naruse,&nbsp;Kurtis Jai‑Chyi Pei","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00500-7","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00500-7","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Jarman’s hypothesis maintains that larger-bodied grazers that feed mainly on grass-like graminoids tend to form large groups, and smaller-bodied browsers that feed mainly on non-graminoids tend to be solitary. Whether this hypothesis held true for forest-dwelling ungulates in subtropical zones had not been investigated. We evaluate Jarman’s hypothesis by investigating grouping behaviour of three sympatric subtropical forest-dwelling ungulates—sambar (a larger-bodied grazer), and Reeves’ muntjac and Formosan serow (smaller-bodied browsers)—in Yushan National Park, central Taiwan. We found no differences in group size among these species, with each being mainly solitary throughout the year. This suggest that grazer-like diets and large body size do not promote increased group size in this forest habitat. Subtropical cloud forests provide many opportunities for animals to conceal themselves, rendering antipredator benefits associated with being in groups of limited value. Female groups—the presumed foundation of gregarious societies—occurred only in sambar, suggesting that a grazer-like diet and large body size provide the basis for group formation. Highly productive and uniformly distributed graminoids—the staple food of sambar, and thought to mitigate intraspecific food competition—possibly explain why female group formation occurred only in sambars. These findings suggest that the direct selective pressure for increased group size in open habitat where places for animals to conceal themselves are few is predation, rather than the need to mitigate intraspecific competition for food resources.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-07-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-026-00500-7.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148380316","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Thesis reviews – an initiative from acta ethologica and SPE","authors":"Peter K. McGregor","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00495-1","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00495-1","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148323942","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"On aims and methods of teaching ethology","authors":"Katharina Hirschenhauser,&nbsp;Elisabeth Nowak","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00498-y","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00498-y","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>This paper is a claim for the potential benefits of teaching ethology to achieve educational benchmarks such as scientific and evolutionary literacy. It might be of interest for ethologists to merge their knowledge with the insights of science education. Ethology may potentially contribute to a broad biological literacy, which has potentials for efficient training of biological skills (doing biology), understanding the nature of science (learning about biology), as well as learning biological content (learning biology). In fact, human and animal behaviour may be regarded as an opportunity for teaching and training evolutionary thinking in biology education. However, behaviour and evolution are still viewed as a complex matter by teachers at secondary schools. For example, ‘Tinbergen’s four whys’ are a seminal and seemingly basic content, yet a complex teaching subject. We aim at revealing the conceptual and methodological potentials of teaching ethology in the frame of biology education, pinpointing some common misunderstandings of teachers and students, potential pitfalls, as well as historical misunderstandings and ideological influences in the early days of ethology. Educators are encouraged to communicate the history and nature of science at school, and to emphasize ethological contents. To do so, teachers need to be well informed, and scientists are invited to think about how to communicate the core concepts of ethology.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 3","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-026-00498-y.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148261727","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"From passive defense to multimodal deterrence: novel antipredator behavior in the javelin sand boa Eryx jaculus Linnaeus, 1758 (Squamata: Boidae)","authors":"Apostolos Christopoulos,&nbsp;Taxiarchis Danelis,&nbsp;Christos Kotselis,&nbsp;Yiannis G. Zevgolis","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00496-0","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00496-0","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Dorsolateral flattening is a defensive behavior observed in several snake taxa, typically involving lateral expansion of the body to increase apparent size and deter predators. Although this behavior has been documented in other snake families, its occurrence in boid snakes remains poorly understood. Here, we present the first confirmed field observations of full-body dorsolateral flattening in <i>Eryx jaculus</i>, a boid species native to southeastern Europe. The behavior was recorded under natural conditions during close approach, attempted capture, or brief handling and involved coordinated lateral expansion along the entire body trunk. In several cases, flattening was accompanied by mock strikes, mainly expressed during attempted capture. These observations indicate a multi-modal defensive strategy that combines visual and behavioral deterrents. This expands the known behavioral repertoire of Boidae and supports the hypothesis that full-body flattening may represent a convergent trait evolved independently across phylogenetically distant lineages. We discuss the anatomical basis, ecological context, and potential adaptive significance of these behaviors, contributing new insights into snake defensive strategies within European species assemblages. More broadly, this study provides new insight into the defensive ecology of a poorly documented European boid and highlights the importance of opportunistic field observations for detecting rare or context-dependent antipredator behaviors.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-026-00496-0.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236898","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Sex differences in bird ornamentation: female plasticity, ecological and physiological constraints","authors":"Sandra Trigo","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00497-z","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00497-z","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Sexual dimorphism in bird ornamentation is well-documented, with male traits often emphasized in sexual selection studies, while female ornamentation remains understudied. Investigating European serins (<i>Serinus serinus</i>) and common waxbills (<i>Estrilda astrild</i>), I summarize experimental evidence revealing that sex differences in ornamentation arise from sex-specific ecological and physiological constraints, particularly affecting females. In European serins, female ornamentation does not function as a sexual or dominance signal, contrasting with males. In common waxbills, female bill colouration is highly plastic and sensitive to ecological conditions and oestradiol levels, leading to context-dependent sexual dichromatism that can be reduced or eliminated under favourable conditions. Together, these results challenge the view that sexual dichromatism is predominantly genetically fixed and male driven, highlighting female colouration plasticity as a key source of variation in ornamentation and social signalling. These findings underscore the need to integrate female colour variation for understanding the evolution of sexual and social signals.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-10","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-026-00497-z.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236895","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Mate choice: the biggest decision of all","authors":"Ingo Schlupp","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00493-3","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00493-3","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Mate choice is among the most consequential decisions organisms make, with profound implications for individual fitness, population dynamics, and evolutionary trajectories. Since Darwin’s foundational work on sexual selection, research on mate choice has expanded enormously, yet some conceptual, empirical, and methodological challenges remain. In this review, I synthesize key themes in the contemporary study of mate choice, with particular emphasis on female and male choice, mutual selection, and the dynamic interplay between the sexes. I highlight a few persistent biases in the literature, including strong taxonomic skew, and a focus on sensory modalities and experimental designs that are intuitive to humans but may poorly reflect the perceptual worlds of other organisms. I discuss the costs and benefits of mate choice and emphasize the importance of social information and environmental context in shaping mating decisions. Methodological approaches, especially binary choice tests, are critically evaluated with respect to their strengths, limitations, and biological realism. I further explore the broader consequences of mate choice, including its roles in reproductive isolation, hybridization, and speciation. Finally, I identify key open questions and promising future directions, ranging from the integration of neurobiology, genomics, and cognition to the impacts of environmental change and the potential roles of deception and individual variation. Together, this review argues for a more integrative approach to mate choice, recognizing it as a dynamic process embedded in complex ecological and social systems.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148236480","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A note on the effects of classical music as environmental enrichment for white-lipped peccaries (Tayassu pecari)","authors":"Selene Siqueira da Cunha Nogueira,&nbsp;Juliete dos Santos Silva,&nbsp;Sérgio Luiz Gama Nogueira-Filho","doi":"10.1007/s10211-026-00492-4","DOIUrl":"10.1007/s10211-026-00492-4","url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Several authors have proposed that using music as sensory stimulation can positively impact animal welfare. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the impact of classical music as environmental enrichment on the behavior of 25 white-lipped peccaries (<i>Tayassu pecari</i>) using an ABA design (A1/A2: control; B: enrichment). Over 63 h of focal animal observation (5 min/individual) during five-day phases, we recorded affiliative, agonistic, inactive, and exploratory behaviors. Our results indicate that classical music significantly increased exploratory behaviors (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) and decreased inactivity (<i>P</i> &lt; 0.05) in peccaries, suggesting a positive welfare effect. As opposed to our initial expectations, affiliative behaviors were unaffected by the auditory enrichment. Likewise, we found no immediate reduction in agonistic interactions; rather, these behaviors seemed to intensify alongside heightened exploratory activity, indicating a potential relationship between the two. These findings contribute to the ongoing debate regarding music as enrichment and highlight the need for further comprehensive research into the effects of auditory stimuli on this species.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":6879,"journal":{"name":"acta ethologica","volume":"29 2","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":1.3,"publicationDate":"2026-06-04","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/s10211-026-00492-4.pdf","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"148172390","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}