Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology最新文献

{"title":"Research disturbance negatively impacts incubation behaviour of female great tits","authors":"Léanne Clemencin, Emilio Barba, David Diez-Méndez","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03514-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03514-y","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Human-induced disturbance is perceived by avian species as a predation risk. However, the anti-predatory behaviour triggered by these non-lethal events can have negative impacts on reproduction and offspring survival. Research on breeding birds often involves visits to their nests and is likely to disrupt parental behaviour, but nest visits that do not involve direct handling of females have been overlooked as important disturbance events. This study focuses on the impacts of short visits to the nest of incubating Great tit <i>(Parus major</i>) females. We investigated how long they stay away from the nest (off-bout) after a disturbance, their possible compensatory behaviour once they resume incubation (on-bout), and the effects on daily incubation rhythms. We used three years of data from two breeding populations to assess the consequences of disturbances in two scenarios: when the female is present in the nest and flushed, and when the female is absent. We found that after a disturbance, the immediate off-bout was longer when the female was either present or absent, with the magnitude of the disturbance being greater when females were flushed. Females did not compensate with longer on-bouts afterwards, i.e. the research disturbance altered daily incubation behaviour by reducing the total time spent on the nest in relation to the number of daily disturbance events. Females that alter their behaviour in response to perceived predation risk would perform longer incubation periods, resulting in lower hatching rates. These effects of research on female behaviour should be considered when planning field experiments.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Incubating birds react to human activity near their nests by changing their behaviour. This may also apply to basic research activities, but we have no data on how a visit, e.g., to check clutch size, affects them. To find out, we classified data from routine research visits to great tit nests, which are often used for research in the wild, into long and short visits. We also considered whether a female was incubating or foraging outside the nest during the visit. We found that females tended to stay away from the nest longer after they encounter a researcher, and after longer visits. Our results show that even slight research activities in the nest alters female incubation behaviour. They flee and leave the clutch unattended for longer, changing the thermal environment of the nest, which is crucial for proper embryo development.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"10 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142215220","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Injury-dependent wound care behavior in the desert ant Cataglyphis nodus","authors":"Narmin I. Beydizada, Antonia Abels, Patrick Schultheiss, Erik T. Frank","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03511-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03511-1","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Ants often face injuries during foraging, or interspecific competition, elevating infection risk and mortality among the wounded. To avoid this, ants engage in wound care on injured nestmates as a form of social immunity. In this study, we show that <i>Cataglyphis nodus</i> desert ants perform differentiated wound care behavior, depending on wound location and state. Leg-injured ants received significantly more wound care than antenna-injured ants. However, leg wounds with induced infections received barely any wound care from nestmates, leading to similar levels of mortality in isolation and inside the nest. Instead, such leg-infected ants were mainly found outside of the nest. Infections of antennal wounds showed no change in the level of wound care, nor increased mortality. Our results suggest that the level of wound care in ants can be flexibly adjusted to the perceived mortality risk of injuries. Leg injuries pose a greater risk of infection and mortality compared to antennal injuries, likely because of the larger wound area and increased vascular circulation, necessitating intensive prophylactic care to prevent infection. This study is the first to show wound care in <i>Cataglyphis</i> ants, despite their short lifespan, and offers significant insights into social immunity mechanisms.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"8 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142215085","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Maximum diving duration and its influencing factors of diving lizards","authors":"Niujin Shi, Yating Liu, Sanqi Tang, Shuyi Luo, Jiasong He, Zhengjun Wu","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03512-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03512-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Diving behavior is common among lizards for predator avoidance and foraging purposes. Understanding the factors influencing the maximum dive duration of diving lizards is crucial for comprehending their ecological strategies and survival mechanisms. This study aims to investigate the relationship between the maximum dive duration of diving lizards and their life history traits and environmental factors. The study collected diving data from a total of 52 lizard species, employed phylogenetic generalized least squares models, Markov chain Monte Carlo generalized linear mixed models, and phylogenetic path analysis methods. Our findings revealed significant correlations between maximum dive duration and key life history traits, including body weight, snout-vent length, longevity, tail length, and clutch size. Notably, after controlling for snout-vent length, tail length showed a significant negative correlation, while clutch size showed a significant positive correlation with maximum dive duration. In conclusion, our study sheds light on the crucial role of life history traits in shaping the maximum dive duration of diving lizards, offering valuable insights into their ecological adaptations and survival strategies.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"180 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142215086","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Large and interactive pipefish females display ornaments for longer with many males around","authors":"Anna Waffender, Jonathan M. Henshaw, Ingrid Ahnesjö, Charlotta Kvarnemo","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03509-9","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03509-9","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Why do animals display sexual ornaments – to attract mates, to compete for access to them, or both? In the broad-nosed pipefish (<i>Syngnathus typhle</i>), ornamented females commonly compete for access to males, whereas choosy males provide uniparental care. During courtship, females show a dynamic ornament, consisting of a row of dark B-shaped signs along the sides of their trunk. Here, we focus on the social context of female ornamentation and mating success (egg transfer) under experimentally female and male biased adult sex ratios. We found that the duration of female B-sign displays was not explained by adult sex ratios alone, but rather by sex ratios in combination with female body length and the number of female interactions. In detail, duration of B-sign display increased more steeply with the number of female-female interactions under the male biased adult sex ratio: that is, when more mating opportunities were available. Similarly, display duration increased with female body length, but only under the male biased adult sex ratio. In addition, successful egg transfer occurred more often in the male biased treatment and correlated significantly with female display duration in the same treatment. Taken together, these results suggest that in the context of the broad-nosed pipefish, the ornamental B-signs in females primarily serve as a sexually selected attractive signal. Our results highlight the importance of an interactive mating environment, male availability, and female size.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"13 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-24","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142215084","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"In situ predator exposure creates some persistent anti-predator behaviours: insights from a common environment experiment","authors":"Katherine E. Moseby, Daniel T. Blumstein, Mike Letnic, Baillie Trenwith, Leanne K. Van der Weyde","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03491-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03491-2","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Prey naiveté has been implicated in the global decline and reintroduction failure of many threatened species. A number of tools have been developed to combat prey naiveté including in situ predator exposure using live predators. However, determining the effectiveness and persistence of these interventions can be difficult, and requires comparisons of individual responses from predator-naïve and predator-trained populations. Even when this occurs, interpreting behavioural responses can be challenging because of the constraints of experimental design in large scale population manipulations. We used a common environment experiment and placed burrowing bettongs (<i>Bettongia lesueur</i>) from predator-free and predator-exposed populations together in an 8 ha fenced paddock. The predator-exposed population had been previously exposed to feral cats (<i>Felis catus</i>) under controlled wild conditions for up to six years and initial work suggested this exposure had led to physical and behavioural changes. Within our common environment experiment we compared a range of anti-predator behaviours including trap and feeding behaviour and response to predator scent and models. We found evidence for persistent trait changes up to 7 months, the latest time behaviours were tested, after bettongs were moved to the predator-free common environment and isolated from predators. These behaviours include reduced alarm rates, preference for open areas, and responses to predator scent and model stimuli. Additionally, high risk predator cues were more likely to elicit anti-predator responses than passive measures of anti-predator behaviour. Our design shows that predator exposure leads to persistent shifts in some, but not all, anti-predator behaviours. Identifying the proximate basis of anti-predator traits is important to develop successful tools to combat prey naiveté.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-19","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142215087","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Strategic ejaculate allocation in the mostly monandrous moth Lobesia botrana: female size, male size, and their interaction effects","authors":"Luis M. Torres-Vila","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03507-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03507-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Experimental research and theoretical models question the Darwin-Bateman paradigm that male reproductive success is just limited by the number of mates. Males have evolved tactics to tailor ejaculates among their mates to maximise fitness. Males are expected to be choosy and to bias ejaculate investment depending on the perceived quality of females (cryptic male choice) and/or the reproductive social context. We investigated ejaculate allocation strategy in <i>Lobesia botrana</i>, a mostly monandrous moth, depending on male size, female size, and their interaction, the latter effect being usually overlooked in most studies. The explained variables were absolute ejaculate size (spermatophore volume) and relative ejaculate size (ejaculate size to lifetime ejaculate expenditure ratio). Absolute ejaculate allocation analysis showed that: (1) ejaculate expenditure increases with male size; (2) males tailor greater ejaculates to larger than smaller females; and (3) there was no interaction between male size and female size, so small and large males tailored equivalent increases in ejaculate volume per female weight unit. Quite differently, relative ejaculate allocation analysis showed that: (1) small males invest comparatively more than large males in females of similar size; and (2) there was an interaction between female size and male size, so small males invest comparatively more than large males when mated with large females. Results are discussed in the framework of strategic ejaculate allocation from an evolutionary perspective, as ecological variables, including the current climate change scenario, may promote coexistence in the field of quite different-sized adults in this moth species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"59 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-14","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142215168","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Long-term effects of litter characteristics on reproduction in female cavies (Cavia aperea)","authors":"Sabine Kraus, Fritz Trillmich, Anja Guenther","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03508-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03508-w","url":null,"abstract":"<p>In mammals, birth mass is an important predictor of early growth and survival. Within litters, heavier siblings are usually able to outcompete smaller siblings and gain more resources, thereby often permanently shaping phenotypic development. Early body size and growth are particularly important for later fitness. Only few studies investigated if and how differences within the early family environment contribute to long-term variation in fitness among individuals. We quantified if initial differences in size translate to size differences in adulthood and whether birth mass, relative size within the litter, litter size or the litter sex-ratio affect maturation and reproductive output of female wild cavies (<i>Cavia aperea</i>). Initial differences in mass were maintained until animals reached maximum adult mass at two years of age. Heavier sisters matured earlier and invested more into their first litter than smaller sisters, presumably because smaller sisters invested more into their own growth during the first pregnancy. Growing up in mixed-sexed litters in comparison to female-only litters slowed down maturation in smaller but not the heaviest female within a litter and had no effect on female reproductive effort. Variation in reproduction of multiparous females was to a lesser extent explained by the initial relative size of siblings. Offspring survival to independence was high but slightly lower when mothers had been born as smaller sisters. Our results demonstrate that factors of the early family environment not only affect immediate offspring development but lead to long-term fitness consequences.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"9 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-12","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141945008","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Social interactions throughout life impair longevity and age-specific mating success in male parasitoids","authors":"Blandine Charrat, Dominique Allainé, Jean-François Lemaître, Nelly Burlet, Camille Mermet-Bouvier, Christophe Bressac, Isabelle Amat, Emmanuel Desouhant","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03506-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03506-y","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Social interactions among individuals within a species profoundly influence behavioural and life history traits, impacting fitness. While extensively studied in cooperative and eusocial species, the effects of social environment on fitness in non-social species, particularly insects, remain less explored. Our study investigates the impact of social environment, specifically male density, on fitness-related traits in the hymenopteran parasitoid <i>Venturia canescens</i>. The research focuses on longevity, reproductive behaviours (latency before mating, mating probability and duration), and offspring production capacity. Through a lifespan study, males were exposed to either isolation or regular encounters with conspecific males, alternating with periods of female presence or absence. Results show a trend of reduced longevity in socially exposed males and a significant decline in mating success with age in the social context. However, reproductive behaviours and offspring produced by males remain unaffected. This study sheds light on the intricate interplay between social environment, ageing, and reproductive strategies in non-social insect species, emphasizing the need for further exploration of social effects on male behaviour and notably potential influences of interactions between male and females but also between females.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance Statement</h3><p>Impacts of social interactions on individuals were largely explored in social species, but remain little studied in non-social ones. This study aims at testing the impact of male-male interactions before the encounter of a female (past social interactions) on male reproductive behaviours and longevity in a non-social parasitoid wasp. We show that longevity is negatively affected by the past social interactions in this wasp. Those interactions also impose a decline in male mating probability with age (senescence pattern) or mating experience (number of matings). Latency before mating, mating duration and offspring production are not influenced by social environment. On the other hand, offspring production increases with mating experience.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"84 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-07","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141945211","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Active facilitation of helper dispersal by parents and siblings in the cooperatively breeding acorn woodpecker","authors":"Natasha D. G. Hagemeyer, Walter D. Koenig, Eric L. Walters","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03505-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03505-z","url":null,"abstract":"<h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Abstract</h3><p>Offspring that delay dispersal in cooperatively breeding species have been hypothesized to gain direct fitness benefits via parental facilitation—being passively tolerated on their natal territory by their parents—thereby enjoying enhanced survival and increased probability of acquiring a breeding position in the population. Here we describe active facilitation in the acorn woodpecker (<i>Melanerpes formicivorus</i>) by parents and siblings assisting the dispersal of helpers in their social group. Helpers in this species compete for reproductive opportunities in “power struggles” that take place when all breeders of one sex die or disappear, creating a reproductive vacancy. Individuals compete at power struggles in coalitions of relatives, in which larger coalitions are more likely to be victorious. Based on observations of banded birds, we found that an estimated 26% of individuals competing as part of a winning coalition at a power struggle returned to their home territory at its conclusion, suggesting that they were facilitating the dispersal of kin (generally parents or siblings) that stayed to become breeders on the new territory. In at least one group, sibling facilitation was reciprocated; that is, a bird that was helped at a power struggle by a sibling joined that same sibling as part of a coalition at a subsequent power struggle. Dispersal facilitation is a novel means by which parents can nepotistically enhance the direct fitness of offspring and siblings can enhance each other’s inclusive fitness in this highly social species.</p><h3 data-test=\"abstract-sub-heading\">Significance statement</h3><p>Parental facilitation—being passively tolerated on the natal territory—may provide significant direct fitness benefits to helpers in cooperatively breeding species. We describe active facilitation of helper dispersal in the acorn woodpecker, where helpers compete in coalitions for reproductive opportunities at “power struggles” following the death or disappearance of all breeders of one sex. About one-fourth of individuals—including both parents and siblings—competing at power struggles were apparently facilitators who assisted related helpers by participating in the power struggle but then returned to their home territory rather than stay to breed on the new territory. In at least one group, dispersal facilitation was reciprocated; that is, a bird that was helped at a power struggle by a relative later joined that same relative as part of a coalition at a subsequent power struggle. Active dispersal facilitation by parents and siblings is an important, previously unrecognized, form of nepotistic behavior in this highly social species.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"373 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-06","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141945052","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Food abundance and group size influence the phenology of reproduction in communally breeding Octodon degus","authors":"M. Matchinske, S. Abades, L. A. Ebensperger, L. A. Correa, L. D. Hayes","doi":"10.1007/s00265-024-03504-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-024-03504-0","url":null,"abstract":"<p>Socioecological conditions are expected to influence the timing, or phenology, of when adult females give birth to offspring. Females may time reproduction such that offspring are born to maximize the length of the period that offspring have to forage during the growing season. In communal breeders, females may alter reproductive phenology to maximize benefits of group-living through synchronizing reproduction and improve offspring survival. We used an 11-year dataset on a population of communally breeding degus (<i>Octodon degus</i>) to test whether the (i) reproductive phenology was influenced by the abundance of food, social conditions, and the degree of masculinization of females and (ii) reproductive synchrony was influenced by similar access to food and degree of masculinization among females and communal litter size, in multi-female groups. The phenology of litter parturition (parturition day) was negatively associated with the abundance of food at burrow systems during winter (but not during spring) and was negatively associated with the number of adult females per social unit in the spring. Synchrony of litter production within communal groups increased in years with less available food. Our study suggests that degu females timed reproduction based the socioecological conditions likely to be experienced by their dependent offspring.</p>","PeriodicalId":8881,"journal":{"name":"Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology","volume":"142 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":2.3,"publicationDate":"2024-08-03","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"141882445","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}