Behavioral Ecology

The status of Proboscis Monkeys' ecosystems was assessed inside and outside the protected areas of Sarawak. Assessment variables were based on known habitat use of Proboscis Monkeys. Sampling units were laid out in different categories of habitats for assessment of forest structure, food plants, canopy connectivity and human disturbance. Recording of forest attributes was based on rapid assessment, and ecological and forestry survey techniques. Spatial configuration of landscape in the study sites was assessed using satellite imagery. Observation of behavioural activities and foraging behaviour of the monkeys was undertaken in Bako National Park and Kuching Wetland National Park over a period of at least one year. A one-male group was selected from each study site and was followed continuously during the day for three to four days a week. Each age/gender category from the selected one-male group was followed on different days. Feeding, resting, travelling and "other" a...

Non-random female mating preferences may contribute to the maintenance of phenotypic variation in color polymorphic species. However, the effect of female preference depends on the types of male traits used as signals by receptive females. If preference signals derive from discrete male traits (i.e., morph-specific), female preferences may rapidly fix to a morph. However, female preference signals may also include condition-dependent male traits. In this scenario, female preference may differ depending on the social context (i.e., male morph availability). Male tree lizards (Urosaurus ornatus) exhibit a dewlap color polymorphism that covaries with mating behavior. Blue morph males are aggressive and defend territories, yellow males are less aggressive and defend smaller territories, and orange males are typically nomadic. Female U. ornatus are also polymorphic in dewlap color, but the covariation between dewlap color and female behavior is unknown. We performed an experiment to determine how female mate choice depends on the visual and chemical signals produced by males. We also tested whether female morphs differ in their preferences for these signals. Female preferences involved both male dewlap color and size of the ventral color patch. However, the female morphs responded to these signals differently and depended on the choice between the types of male morphs. Our experiment revealed that females may be capable of distinguishing among the male morphs using chemical signals alone. Yellow females exhibit preferences based on both chemical and visual signals, which may be a strategy to avoid ultra-dominant males. In contrast, orange females may prefer dominant males. We conclude that female U. ornatus morphs differ in mating behavior. Our findings also provide evidence for a chemical polymorphism among male lizards in femoral pore secretions.

Under veterinary and wildlife morphometrics, body condition scoring is one of several techniques for assessing the health of ungulate species. It helps assess and judge the animals' physical appearance condition by visually examining the degree of protuberance of bony processes on the body surface and the condition of the skin. This study is being conducted at Muthangha Wildlife Sanctuary to evaluate the health of three ungulate species using a body condition evaluation technique while keeping a safe distance and causing minimal disturbance to the animals. Then, using a point system based on how their bodies look, Ungulates are rated as having good (0-5), average (6-8), or bad (9-12) body condition. The body condition of all 57 ungulates is assessed, and the results show that the majority (49.12%) are in average condition, followed by good (38.59%) and bad (12.28%). A decrease in body condition appearance may result from the greater quantity of ungulate species in that area, as well as from a shortage of species that provide fodder within the sanctuary. Planting of fodder species inside the sanctuary can help in improving the body appearance of the ungulates and also can minimize the human wildlife conflicts.

The flap-necked chameleon (Chamaeleo dilepis) is a widespread arboreal reptile native to sub-Saharan Africa. Despite its adaptability, it faces numerous ecological threats, including injury from anthropogenic sources and predation by a diverse array of vertebrates. This article provides an overview of the species' biology, summarizes known injury mechanisms and predator interactions, and presents a documented case of trauma and recovery in a wild individual from Usa River,

The high frequency of same-sex sexual behaviors (SSB) in free-ranging animals is an evolutionary puzzle because fitness benefits are often unclear in an evolutionary context. Moreover, the physiological and genetic underpinnings of SSB remain unclear. We exploited an extraordinary natural experiment to examine the impact of environmental factors (local sex ratio [SR]) and testosterone (T) levels on SSB in a dense population of Hermann's tortoises monitored for 7 years. Under the combination of high density and extremely skewed SR (~50 females, >1000 males), males courted and mounted other males more frequently than females. They even exhibited extravagant sexual behaviors, attempting to copulate with dead conspecifics, empty shells, and stones. T levels remained within the species' normal range of variation. SSB was not observed in other populations where SR is not, or less skewed, and where density is lower. This study reports the first natural example of a "prison effect," whereby a high population density combined with female deprivation triggered SSB as a mere outlet of sexual stimulation. More generally, it supports the hypothesis that SSB can be a nonadaptive consequence of unusual proximate factors rather than reflecting physiological disorders.

Alla fine di questi tre anni di lavoro è doveroso ringraziare le persone che a vario titolo mi hanno aiutato in questo periodo. In primo luogo Giorgio Malacarne e Marco Cucco, per avermi permesso di affrontare questo lavoro, et Gérard Leboucher, qui m'a accueilli dans son laboratoire et m'a toujours aidé, lors de mes séjours à Paris et aussi quand j'étais en Italie. Grazie all'università italo-francese, che con la borsa che mi ha messo a disposizione ha permesso il finanziamento dei soggiorni a Parigi. Un sentito grazie va ai miei colleghi (maestri) di laboratorio Stefano e Tiziano, che mi hanno iniziato con le due tesi di laurea alla ricerca e che hanno saputo creare nel laboratorio quell'atmosfera di serenità ed allegria che lo contraddistingue da anni e che ha permesso loro di ottenere tutti i risultati che costellano la loro carriera (spero, in minima parte, di poter raggiungere anche io queste capacità e questi traguardi). Come non ringraziare Irene, che in questi tre anni è sempre stata presente nell'aiutarmi ogni qualvolta avessi bisogno, sia in laboratorio sia in campo, durante le varie analisi che nel tempo si sono rese necessarie. Senza di te questo lavoro sarebbe stato di sicuro molto più difficile e meno divertente. E grazie per aver cercato di insegnarmi qualche cosa di ornitologia, anche se sono stato un pessimo studente. Grazie di cuore a Donata, che con il suo aiuto "tecnico" ha reso possibile la realizzazione dei lavori presentati in questa tesi e che mi ha supportato ed aiutato tantissimo a livello "morale" in ogni momento, anche quando le cose sembravano più difficili. I viaggi per l'allevamento avranno sempre un posto speciale fra i ricordi di questo periodo! Grazie a quelle persone che hanno costituito la parte più importante del periodo di dottorato: i "miei" tesisti Giada, Roberto, Alessandro, Eric, Michele, Alessio, Francesco, Annalisa, Sabrina ed Anna. Siete stati la spina dorsale di questo lavoro di tesi che altrimenti non si sarebbe potuto realizzare; grazie a voi ho imparato molto! Di sicuro siete stati ciò che mi ha reso più orgoglioso in questi anni, la cosa per cui è valsa la pena lavorare e che costituirà il ricordo più bello di questa esperienza. Desidero ringraziare anche le persone che mi hanno insegnato le tecniche ed i protocolli di laboratorio qui presentati: Lorena, Sara, Silvia, Elia e Valeria ed i professori con i quali collaborano, Simonetta Sampò, Elisabetta Carraro e Mauro Patrone. Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale Marco Grenna's PhD Thesis Maternal effects in birds: the role of some environmental stressors on egg quality Ringraziamenti -Remerciement 3 Grazie a Maria Grazia, Gisella, Patrizia, Nadia e Rosanna per gli aiuti burocraticooperativi e per la disponibilità! E grazie alla famiglia De Maria (Fabrizio, Aldo, Natalina, Barbara, Antonella) che mi ha permesso di svolgere i miei esperimenti nella più assoluta libertà, cercando di accontentare ogni mia richiesta (anche la più strana) e facendomi sempre sentire a casa. Grazie di cuore!!! Pour la partie française, ils sont beaucoup les amis à remercier. Merci à Guillaume, pour l'aide et pour les remplacements ! Et aussi pour le grand aide avec le statistiques. Merci à Davy, pour le support au labo (aussi a Chizé), logistique et pour les statistiques ! Merci à Ophélie, pour tous les '' bonjour '' quand personne étais au labo à la matin tôt et pour tous les aides (télé, timbres, etc.). Merci à Wim, pour son amitié et le soirée de CLASSE. Merci à Alba pour les leçons de français et de musique française. Tu m'as tenu beaucoup de compagnie pendant mon séjour hivernal. Merci à Philippe pour le journal tous les jours et pour la compagnie en début de matinée et pour s'occuper avec passion et application des animaux. Les expériences son possible grâce à vous ! Merci à Mathilde et Davy (encore lui), en particulier pour l'organisation des '' soirées film ''! Merci à Ahmed, pour les discussions sur tout et les conseils. Merci à Tudor pour m'avoir permis de travailler avec lui et pour les conseils toujours très utiles. Merci à Morgane, Mathieu et Sébastien pour les discussions sympas dans la cousine. Merci à Josette qui m'a aidé avec tous les papiers, le logement et tous les problèmes bureaucratiques ! Vous avez été très gentille et disponible ! Et merci à tous les autres, Laurent, Nathalie, Frédérique, Dalila, Michel, Eric, Sophie, Joshua, Sylvie et le garçon de l'accueil du bâtiment L, pour l'accueil qu'ils m'ont donné ! Je me suis senti comme à la maison !

L'étude porte sur l'allocation de ressources aux œufs d’oiseaux selon les caractéristiques du male partenaire ou de l’environnement. les données étudiées sont : taille de la ponte et caractéristiques des œufs (masse, masse des constituants, concentration de testostérone, lysozyme, ovotransferrin). les caractéristiques du male prises en compte sont s'il est choisi ou non par la femelle et son statut social. en plus, l’effet du bruit et d’un vaccination couple avec un surproduction des œufs sont pris en compte. Deux expériences ont été menées sur le canari domestique (Serinus canaria) en laboratoire, au sein du LECC de Paris Ouest Nanterre. Deux expériences ont eu lieu en milieu semi-naturel au DiSIT de l’Università degli Studi del Piemonte Orientale (Italie) sur la perdrix grise (Perdix perdix) et rouge (Alectoris rufa).Chez la perdrix grise, nous observons effets positifs de la préférence et du statut social sur la testostérone et sur le taux d’éclosion. cette hormone pe...

Spiders creatively built structures in their shifting environments. Cyclosa spiders make compositions in their webs using fragments of plants and other animals they attach to their woven threads. These compositions range from geometric shapes to sculpted images of large spiders with colors and patterns resembling their own bodies. And though the Cyclosa may make these larger-than-life spider forms in their webs to repel predators or attract prey, there is something else here in their singular self-awareness. Something ineffable is experienced by the Cyclosa in their exclamation of proportion and something in these spider-made colossi calls out to be seen.
Many spiders are solitary and live in burrows in the ground sheltering under leaves. When their habitats have been flooded, different species of spiders form a collective of builders using threads emitted from their bodies to create massive webs of up to 500 meters suspended across tops of shrubs and trees. This carpet of threads creates a temporary safe space for millions of spiders and other insects until the flooding subsides and they return to their solitary lives on the ground. Their display of cooperative building without any sign of aggressive between predator and prey jolts the mind to think through ways human communities could learn to respond to the growing onslaught of climate disasters.
As individuals and collectives, both Cyclosa and ground-dwelling spiders are conscious builders of complex sculptural and architectural forms crisscrossed with practical and aesthetic brilliance. To respect their agency, is it best to embrace Jacob von Uexküll’s detached micro-attentive description of animal phenomenology in the hermeneutically sealed umwelt, or are there other ways to see, talk, and write about animal architects that embrace an open dialogue of crossed and shared boundaries?

Behavioral decisions during periods of vulnerability to predation risk, such as migrations during the juvenile life-history stage, may strongly affect the probability of survival. Habitats through which animals migrate are heterogeneous, and risk-reducing behaviors may be more important in some habitats than others. Using biotelemetry data, diurnal and seasonal riverine migration patterns of >3800 juvenile salmon across 4 species, 12 watersheds, and 5 years were quantified to evaluate possible effects of migration timing on survival from lower river reaches to coastal waters. In small, clear rivers most salmon avoided migrating during daylight hours and average survival of fish migrating at night (55%; 95% confidence limits 50-61%) was twice that of fish migrating in daylight (24%; CL 17-31%). Conversely, in the large, heavily silted Fraser River neither preference for nocturnal travel nor effects of diurnal timing on survival were observed. Early ocean survival was also influenced by the timing of ocean entry, but in opposite directions for fish from the Fraser River and smaller rivers. In the Fraser River, average survival for later migrants (69%; CL 60-77%) was nearly twice that of earlier migrants (38%; CL 33-44%), likely related to seasonal increases in river flow. In contrast, in smaller rivers, average survival for earlier migrants (70%; CL 65-74%) was 3-fold greater than survival for later migrants (19%; 95% CL 14-25%). Together, these results demonstrate that timing decisions affecting survival of juvenile salmon during their migration are likely mediated by landscape characteristics that plausibly influence the risk of predation.

Behavioral decisions during periods of vulnerability to predation risk, such as migrations during the juvenile life-history stage, may strongly affect the probability of survival. Habitats through which animals migrate are heterogeneous, and risk-reducing behaviors may be more important in some habitats than others. Using biotelemetry data, diurnal and seasonal riverine migration patterns of >3800 juvenile salmon across 4 species, 12 watersheds, and 5 years were quantified to evaluate possible effects of migration timing on survival from lower river reaches to coastal waters. In small, clear rivers most salmon avoided migrating during daylight hours and average survival of fish migrating at night (55%; 95% confidence limits 50-61%) was twice that of fish migrating in daylight (24%; CL 17-31%). Conversely, in the large, heavily silted Fraser River neither preference for nocturnal travel nor effects of diurnal timing on survival were observed. Early ocean survival was also influenced by the timing of ocean entry, but in opposite directions for fish from the Fraser River and smaller rivers. In the Fraser River, average survival for later migrants (69%; CL 60-77%) was nearly twice that of earlier migrants (38%; CL 33-44%), likely related to seasonal increases in river flow. In contrast, in smaller rivers, average survival for earlier migrants (70%; CL 65-74%) was 3-fold greater than survival for later migrants (19%; 95% CL 14-25%). Together, these results demonstrate that timing decisions affecting survival of juvenile salmon during their migration are likely mediated by landscape characteristics that plausibly influence the risk of predation.

Competition among mammalian siblings for scarce resources can be severe. Whereas research to date has focused on competition for the mother's milk, the young of many (particularly altricial) species might also be expected to compete for thermally favorable positions within the nest, den, or litter huddle. We investigated this in newborn pups of the European rabbit Oryctolagus cuniculus, a species in which the altricial young are not brooded by the mother, and in which competition for milk is severe. In eight unculled litters (N=86 pups) of a domestic chinchilla strain, we calculated huddling indexes for individual pups on postnatal days 2-5 as a measure of the degree of insulation they received from littermates. Pups maintained almost constant physical contact with the litter huddle. They performed brief but frequent rooting and climbing behaviors, which usually improved their huddling index, interspersed with longer periods of quiescence during which their huddling index declined. As expected, we found a significant positive relation between pups' mean huddling index and body temperature. Unexpectedly, however, we did not find a relation between huddling index and pups' birth weight, survival, milk intake, or efficiency of converting milk to body mass. We conclude that rather than competing for thermally advantageous positions within the huddle newborn rabbits share out thermally advantageous positions as they move in a continual dynamic flow through it. Thus, in newborn rabbits, competition for the mother's milk exists alongside mutual "cooperative" benefits of littermate presence.

This article introduces the Central Dogma of Socio-Ecological Evolution (CD), a conceptual framework linking stress-response, energy–work–information dynamics, and Functional Information (FI) in human and ecological systems. Historical and contemporary cases—including the Sahara, Australia, Easter Island, and urbanized regions—illustrate the probabilistic nature of socio-ecological adaptation, the role of Functional Information in enhancing carrying capacity, and the consequences of accelerated urbanization. The study integrates Educational Thermodynamics, behavioral neuroscience, and complex systems theory to highlight how culture stabilizes energy flows through informational and social relations networks. Implications for modern society, including digital communication revolutions and AI emergence, are discussed in the context of adaptive stress-response and behavioral diversity, emphasizing the delicate balance between prolonged absence of stress and societal collapse

We examined the relationship between habitat structure and alarm call characteristics in six colonies of Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni) near Flagstaff, Arizona, before and after a mid-summer vegetation change. We found significant differences in alarm call characteristics between colonies, confirming the existence of alarm call dialects. Differences in frequency components but not temporal components of calls were associated with differences in habitat structure. Playback experiments revealed that differences in alarm call structure affected acoustic transmission of calls through the local habitat. Thus, we identify habitat structure as one factor that may contribute to alarm call differences between colonies of Gunnison's prairie dogs. Relationships between call characteristics and habitat structure changed over seasons. Playback experiments suggested that this changing relationship could reflect a change in the purpose of the alarm call between early and late summer. Some components of alarm calls seem tailored for attenuation over short distances in the early summer but for long-distance transmission at summer's end. These differences might arise because pups stay close to their natal burrows in the early summer and disperse throughout a colony in late summer. Alternatively, these differences in alarm call transmission between seasons could be caused by the increase in vegetation in the mid-summer. At the end of the summer prairie dogs could be more dependent on longdistance antipredator calls to offset the loss of visibility caused by the increase in vegetation in the late summer.

Mating system characterizations have been hindered by difficulties in accurately assigning parentage to offspring. We investigated the relationship between social assemblages and mating relationships in a territorial harem polygynous mammal, the Gunnison's prairie dog, using a combination of behavioral and molecular analyses. We demonstrate multiple paternity and an extraordinarily high incidence of extraterritorial fertilizations (i.e., 61% of all progeny), in combination with the existence of female kin groups. On this basis, we conclude that social assemblages alone provide a poor description of the Gunnison's prairie dog mating system, and suggest several potential reasons for the maintenance of territoriality in this species.

Researchers have identified a variety of cross-site differences in the foraging behavior of free-ranging great apes, most notably among chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and more recently orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), that are not due to obvious genetic or ecological differences. These differences are often referred to as "traditions." What is not known is whether this high level of interpopulation variation in behavior is limited to hominoids. In this study, we use long-term data from three Costa Rican field sites that are geographically close and similar ecologically to identify potential foraging traditions in white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus). Foraging traditions are predicted in Cebus because of many behavioral and morphological convergences between this genus and the great apes.

Capuchins exhibit considerable cross-site variation in domains such as foraging strategy, vocal communication and social interaction. We report interactions between white-faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus) and other species. We present comparative data for 11 groups from 3 sites in Costa Rica that are ecologically similar and geographically close, thus reducing the likelihood that differences are due solely to genetic or ecological differences. Our aim is to document both the range of variation and common elements across sites and situations. We also consider factors that contribute to the variation or consistency or both, including social learning, local ecology, and temperament. We consider 4 categories of allospecifics: (1) vertebrate prey, (2) potential predators, (3) feeding competitors, and (4) neutral species. Although we cannot rule out local differences in ecology, our data suggest that social learning may account for at least some cross-site differences in behavior toward allospecifics.

Ten researchers collaborated in a long-term study of social conventions in wild white-faced capuchin monkeys, involving examination of a 19,000-hour combined data set collected on 13 social groups at four study sites in Costa Rica over a 13-year period. Five behavior patterns qualified as social traditions, according to the study's criteria: handsniffing, sucking of body parts, and three types of "games." Some conventions were independently invented in virtually identical form at multiple sites. The extinction of several conventions was observed during the course of the study; it appears that they rarely last longer than ten years. It is hypothesized that the monkeys are using these group-or cliquespecific social conventions to test the quality of their social relationships.

Researchers have identified a variety of cross‐site differences in the foraging behavior of free‐ranging great apes, most notably among chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and more recently orangutans (Pongo pygmaeus), that are not due to obvious genetic or ecological differences. These differences are often referred to as “traditions.” What is not known is whether this high level of interpopulation variation in behavior is limited to hominoids. In this study, we use long‐term data from three Costa Rican field sites that are geographically close and similar ecologically to identify potential foraging traditions in white‐faced capuchins (Cebus capucinus). Foraging traditions are predicted in Cebus because of many behavioral and morphological convergences between this genus and the great apes. The processing techniques used for the same food species were compared across sites, and all differences found were classified as present, habitual, or customary. Proximity data were also analyzed to ...

Dingemanse • Contemporary behavioral ecology , and the selective harvesting of animal populations by humans . The more novel of these findings examine the effects of among-individual trait variance, although new studies are showing effects of within-individual trait variance (Ioannou and Dall 2016). I am not confident that these studies would have been designed without the animal personality movement. Beekman and Jordan's (2017) examples concerning the sparrow morphs and queen versus worker comparisons continue to focus on differences in trait means and discrete polymorphisms, which is what behavioral ecology has classically done. The effects of trait variance were what fueled the original novelty of animal personality. Beekman and Jordan's (2017) piece either misses or ignores this point. Beekman and Jordan (2017) argue that animal personality has generated no insights. Yet, the insights gleaned are obvious: hundreds of trait-performance associations have been documented, new theoretical models have been produced, powerful statistical methods have spread more broadly within behavior, new links with general ecology have been forged, and much attention from the public has been gleaned for animal behavior. Beekman and Jordan's (2017) paper trivializes or ignores these products, but on what grounds? Beekman and Jordan's (2017) habit is to merely note various hypotheses from the personality literature, then assert that they offer no insights, and pivot into a statement of how a mechanistic understanding of behavior could provide insights. The authors never even define what constitutes an "insight" in their view. This renders the article nebulous and generates a playground for bias. Whenever the field approaches what Beekman and Jordan (2017) might deem to be an insight, they quickly conclude that the research is not really animal personality research. Have the entrepreneurial leanings of a few scientists enchanted a clutter of old ideas into a magical pumpkin carriage-thereby tricking countless young scientists, editors, and reviewers? If so, then this might be the clock strike midnight for animal personality. I would bet not. Beekman and Jordan's (2017) article is mostly biased towards mechanism and lovably semantic. We simply cannot let ourselves overlook strong research, useful tools, interesting patterns, or new movements because we take umbrage with terminology. As Humpty Dumpty warns, one cannot allow oneself to become a slave to mere words.

Complex signals present 2 outstanding questions: why do they exist and how are they interpreted? Multiple signals can be beneficial for the increased diversity or redundancy of information they convey; however, it is not clear how receivers use this additional information. I investigated a lekking Malawi cichlid fish that builds polymorphic bowers; some males build their sand spawning craters on rock platforms, rather than the sand floor, resulting in increased overall height and reduced construction, maintenance, and competition costs. This suggests that rock bowers are an unreliable signal of male investment. Using field observations and in situ bower manipulations I tested fitness costs, female preferences for bower type, bower height, and male displays, and mechanisms for the maintenance of bower polymorphism. In contrast to predictions, observational and experimental data confirmed that females were more likely to visit rock bowers but did not ultimately lay more eggs there. This indicates that females responded to potentially deceptive rock bower males by advancing to the next stage of courtship but were not ultimately fooled by these deceptive signals. Assessing additional signals during the next courtship stage may allow females to counteract initial sensory exploitation or females may be intentionally increasing their investment in mate assessment in response to deceptive signals. Male bower polymorphism may be maintained by the limited availability of rock platforms; there was no evidence for significant variation in individual female preferences or male bower-building strategies.

The standard model of population growth and regulation is critiqued. It is argued that any model of population growth and regulation must accommodate ten propositions, and a multitrajectory model that does so is described. This model identifies competition between groups, individual choice in reproductive behavior, the scale for spatial and temporal variation in resource abundance, and the social unit for resource access and ownership as important components of population behavior.

Asymmetrical rates of cladogenesis and extinction abound in the tree of life, resulting in numerous minute clades that are dwarfed by larger sister groups. Such taxa are commonly regarded as phylogenetic relicts or “living fossils” when they exhibit an ancient first appearance in the fossil record and prolonged external morphological stasis, particularly in comparison to their more diversified sister groups. Due to their special status, various phylogenetic relicts tend to be well-studied and prioritized for conservation. A notable exception to this trend is found within Amblypygi (“whip spiders”), a visually striking order of functionally hexapodous arachnids that are notable for their antenniform first walking leg pair (the eponymous “whips”). Paleoamblypygi, the putative sister group to the remaining Amblypygi, is known from Late Carboniferous and Eocene deposits but is survived by a single living species, Paracharon caecus Hansen (1921), that was last collected in 1899. Due to the absence of genomic sequence-grade tissue for this vital taxon, there is no global molecular phylogeny for Amblypygi to date, nor a fossil-calibrated estimation of divergences within the group. Here, we report a previously unknown species of Paleoamblypygi from a cave site in Colombia. Capitalizing upon this discovery, we generated the first molecular phylogeny of Amblypygi, integrating ultraconserved element sequencing with legacy Sanger datasets and including described extant genera. To quantify the impact of sampling Paleoamblypygi on divergence time estimation, we performed in silico experiments with pruning of Paracharon. We demonstrate that the omission of relicts has a significant impact on the accuracy of node dating approaches that outweighs the impact of excluding ingroup fossils, which bears upon the ancestral range reconstruction for the group. Our results underscore the imperative for biodiversity discovery efforts in elucidating the phylogenetic relationships of “dark taxa,” and especially phylogenetic relicts in tropical and subtropical habitats. The lack of reciprocal monophyly for Charontidae and Charinidae leads us to subsume them into one family, Charontidae, new synonymy.

Male orchid bees (Euglossini) collect fragrances from flowers and other natural sources, a behaviour that has shaped the euglossine pollination syndrome. Males store such chemicals in hind leg pouches and later expose them during courtship display. In the present study, we show that complex bouquets of two sympatric species of Eulaema, E. meriana and E. bombiformis, are chemically distinct. When exposed during bioassays at display perches individual hind leg extracts rapidly and consistently attracted other males of the correct species, even if derived from males of disparate localities (French Guiana and Panama). Conspecific males as well as females of E. bombiformis arrived at natural perch sites only from downwind, and two copulations were observed. Our findings demonstrate that acquired odours mediate exclusive attraction within species and support the idea that such fragrances are pheromone analogues. Their role in acquiring matings and during male-male interaction is discussed.

Ultraviolet (UV) reflective and absorbent markings on wings of male Hebomoia glaucippe sulphurea butterflies are important visual markers used in mating to differentiate them from other species. The objective of our study was to determine whether these markings deteriorate in museum collections over time. We first characterized quantitatively the UV reflective and UV absorbent wing markings from fresh and naturally aged male H. glaucippe sulphurea using UV reflectance microphotography, which was calibrated with handmade reflectance standards. The results of calibrated UV reflectance photography were then compared qualitatively with the same markings using visible light photography, transmitted and reflected visible light microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). A UV-converted Nikon D200 with a Baader Ultraviolet Venus lens filter was used to record UV reflective and UV absorbent wing markings of the specimens. The handmade reflectance standards were prepared using magnesium oxide, plaster, and carbon, photographed alongside the specimens, and used to calibrate the photographs. The easily and affordably produced handmade reflectance standards were effective in calibrating the UV reflectance digital photographs, which allowed for each pixel of the digital photographs to be used for optical densitometry measurements. Quantitative data from calibrated UV reflectance photography demonstrated little evidence of deterioration in the UV reflective markings, although there was clear deterioration in the UV absorbent markings. This quantitative data, along with the calibrated UV photographs themselves, offered complementary documentation to visible light microscopy and SEM images. Results show that both visible-spectrum and UV markings fade in naturally aging museum specimens. We conclude that by using calibrated UV reflectance photography, a relatively inexpensive technique, a baseline and eventual degradation of Lepidoptera wing markings may be quantified and may provide valuable data to clarify the mechanisms behind this degradation. With the rate of change quantified, and the mechanisms of fading understood, it is hoped that preventative measures can be taken in the future to remedy this loss of valuable data in collections.

We summarize the social organization and mating system of the prairie vole Microtus ochrogaster as determined from an extensive field study in east-central Illinois, USA. The fundamental social organization of M. ochrogaster consists of communal groups formed from an original male-female pair or single female (usually a survivor of a male-female pair) by addition of philopatric offspring and unrelated adults. Philopatric offspring comprise 70 % of additions to the original breeding unit. In addition, most (80%) unrelated adults do not join a family group until at least two philopatric offspring have reached adult age . Thus, formation of communal groups is based on a high level of philopatry. Male-female pairs display traits associated with behavioral monogamy, including sharing a nest and home range , mate-guarding by the male, and paternal behavior (grooming, huddling, and retrieval of young). Members of communal groups also defend the group territory [Acta Zoologica Sinica 51 (2): 178 -186, 2005J.

Reduction of predation risk represents the most likely explanation for the evolution of group-living among the anthropoid primates. Obligate sociality leads to increased competition for resources, meaning that animals may face a trade-off between safe positions within the troop and increased foraging efficiency. Dominance has been proposed to be a major factor influencing spatial position within primate troops, but it is also possible that animals can improve their spatial position using social strategies, such as grooming. In many species, dominance rank and social preference (as expressed through grooming) are confounded. In our study population of vervet monkeys, however, dominance does not underpin social preference, enabling us to test whether 1) more sociable vervets experience reduced exposure to predation risk, as indexed by vigilance, and 2) that dominant animals accepted increased risk in order to forage at the front of the troop. We collected spatially explicit data on the individual locations of members of 2 troops at predetermined times over a 4-month period. We constructed bounded Voronoi tessellations for each temporal snapshot, with the area of each animal's "tile" identifying its "domain of danger." We also collected data on time spent vigilant and foraging, dominance rank, and grooming behavior. We found no effect of dominance, but animals with larger grooming networks were less exposed to predation risk, from which they benefitted through both reduced vigilance and increased foraging time. We interpret these results in the light of current debates about the ways in which sociality affects fitness.

Pinnipeds are ecologically and socially diverse, attributes that are reflected in their systems of communication. The purpose of this investigation was to document the vocal repertoire and annual cycle of vocal activity in the harp seal (Pagophilus groenlandicus), a species that communicates mainly under water, but whose social and communicative systems outside the breeding season are poorly known. The repertoire comprised 18 vocal classes, or call types; 7 that had not been described previously are described here. Vocal activity varied seasonally and with time of day. Calls of low frequency and with few pulse repetitions were predominantly used outside the breeding season, and calls of high frequency and with a high number of pulse repetitions predominated in the breeding season. The new vocalizations described here differed in several ways from those described previously. First, calls were relatively brief, with an average duration of 1.75 s (except call types 22 and 23, which averaged >2 s in duration). Second, some calls differed in mean fundamental frequency, the average being 677 Hz. Call types 22 and 23 differed the most, with an average of 838 Hz. The vocal repertoire described previously comprise calls with a fundamental frequency of approximately 400–500 Hz. Third, call types 22 and 25 differed from the rest of the vocalizations. The mean maximum frequency of call types 22 and 25 was 3.4 kHz, while the mean maximum frequency of the other call types is around 7.7 kHz.

Odor-based communication between animals is widespread and both the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) and microbiota have been implicated in governing chemical cues relevant for social communication. A proposed sequence of links, defined succinctly in the commentary by Milinski ( ), proceeds as MHC-microbiota-odor signal. Our review ) aims to summarize the existing evidence for the involvement of microbiota in generating odors that could be used for social communication and the potential involvement of the MHC in governing microbiota. Reiterated in commentaries on our review (Leclaire 2021; Milinski 2021), we emphasize that the existence as well as the underlying mechanism of the proposed pathway have yet to be settled by research, therefore a key component of our review is suggesting ways to thoroughly test the MHC-microbiota-odor signal sequence. We appreciate the unique perspectives of the commentaries of our review, respond to points of contention and

A termite colony is usually founded by a pair of alates, the primary reproductives, which produce all the nestmates. In some species, secondary reproductives appear to either replace the primaries or supplement colony reproduction. In termites, secondary reproductives are generally ergatoids derived from workers or nymphoids derived from nymphs. Silvestritermes euamignathus is a termite species that forms multiple nymphoid reproductives, and to date it was hypothesized that these secondary reproductives were the progeny of the primary founding reproductives. We developed markers for 12 microsatellite loci and used COI mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) to genotype 59 nymphoid neotenics found in a colony of S. euamignathus to test this hypothesis. Our results showed that nymphoids of S. euamignathus are not all siblings. The microsatellite analysis suggests that the secondary reproductives derived from a minimum of four different pairs of reproductives belonging to at least two different matrilines. This is the first record of non-sibling secondary reproductives occupying the same nest in a higher termite. These unrelated reproductives might be the result of either pleometrotic colony foundation or colony fusion.

Some non-human primates produce acoustically distinct alarm calls to different predators, such as eagles or leopards. Recipients respond to these calls as if they have seen the actual predator, which has led to the notion of functionally referential alarm calls. However, in a previous study with free-ranging putty-nosed monkeys (Cercopithecus nictitans martini), we demonstrated that callers produced two acoustically distinct alarm calls to eagle shrieks and leopard growls, but both alarm calls were given to both predators. We can think of two basic explanations for this surprising result, a methodological and theoretical one. Firstly, acoustic predator models may not always be suitable to test alarm call behaviour in primates, sometimes causing uncharacteristic behaviour. Secondly, referential alarm calling may not be a universal feature of primate alarm call systems. Considering the methodological and theoretical importance of these possibilities, we conducted a follow-up study using life-sized leopard, eagle, and human models on the same population and compared the resulting vocal responses to those given to acoustic predator models. We compared the alarm call series given to each of these predator model types and found a considerable degree of con-sistency suggesting that the mode of presentation did not affect anti-predator calling strategies. However, evidence for audience effects on calling behaviour was inconclusive. While it appears that predator class is reliably encoded by different call series types irrespective of the mode of presentation, observations of these same call series given in non-predatory contexts indicate that predator class is unlikely to be the relevant organising principle underlying the alarm-calling behaviour in this species. We conclude by offering an alternative, non-referential, account of the alarmcalling system exhibited by this species.

Marriage payments: a fundamental reconsideration Abstract This paper is a constructive critique of the well-known book by Jack Goody andThis paper is a constructive critique of the well-known book by Jack Goody and Stanley Tambiah (1973), Bridewealth and Dowry. Given the general acceptance of Goody’s framework in contemporary studies of marriage and marriage payments, it is essential that we refer to this framework as we advance new theoretical concepts of marriage-related socioeconomic processes. As some reviews of this paper have observed, this critique is certainly

Free-ranging dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are integral to urban ecosystems, exhibiting complex social dynamics shaped by conspecific relationships and human interactions. This study presents a five-year longitudinal observation of a multi-generational street dog family in an urban neighborhood, documenting lineage patterns, dominance hierarchies, affiliative behaviors, and contrasting personality traits. From the adoption of an orphaned female pup (Soni) by an injured male to the emergence of inbreeding-related lineage, this research explores how individual temperament and learned behaviors influence group structure and adaptation. Notably, one pup (Kana) displayed persistent neophobia and anxiety despite growing up in a stable social setting, suggesting innate personality differences rather than trauma-induced fear. Hierarchical influence was observed in resource guarding, while collective behaviors such as territorial barking reflected social facilitation and learning. These findings underscore the behavioral flexibility and adaptive strategies of urban street dogs, offering insights into welfare approaches, urban coexistence, and behavioral ecology in anthropogenic landscapes.

Michael Tomasello and others have adopted the notion of collective intentionality from the debate on social ontology and put it to use in the context of human cultural evolution. I argue that Tomasello’s application of the notion offers something that is, so far, absent in the social ontology literature: a genuine, non-mysterious form of ‘top-down’ influence of group-level processes on the individuals that collectively make up the entities to which collective intentionality is attributed. Collective intentionality, as described by Tomasello and colleagues, implicitly involves suprapersonal, transgenerational self-organizing cycles of socialization that set individuals up as functioning group members who, in turn, will socialize their offspring in a similar fashion. These cycles can, as I will argue, best be explained in terms of cultural group selection. While social ontologists take care to avoid group-to-individual top-down determination in order to avoid either a mysterious ‘hive-mind’ or objectionable historical teleology, I will argue that cultural group selection of self-organizing cycles of socialization is metaphysically bona fide.

"Published in the special issue of the Hacettepe Journal of Biology and Chemistry, which is dedicated to Charles Darwin who changed te direction of modern thought by establishing the basis of evolutionary biology. To see this issue, please visit the following website: http://www.hjbc.hacettepe.edu.tr/issue/38/3 Note from Guest Editor, Dr. Ergi Deniz ÖZSOY, on this article: "Size does matter much in the evolution of the organisms, affecting the mating behavior and success, desiccation resistance, efficient use of the food and the locomotion, not to mention the widely established correlation of size with the geographical-temperature gradients, known as the Bergman’s rule. Indeed, evolutionary analyzes of body size have shown that size and shape are targets of natural selection in which size traits can be used effectively to infer the presence of selection along a thermal or spatial cline. In our closing article, two young and productive mammalian scientists, Hakan and Mutlu ...

Many anthropologists and economists contend that humans are characterized by strong, universal, other-regarding equality preferences with deep evolutionary roots. Certain contemporary forager groups are indeed characterized by endemic foodsharing and proscriptions against resource monopolization. Some view these “egalitarian” practices as the consequence
of an intrinsic desire for fairness. The present study tests this using a one-player “give-or-take” experiment that better emulates the realities of forager sharing ecologies than previous giving experiments. We asked 117 Hadza participants in private to redistribute food resources between themselves and another camp member in response to both advantageous
and disadvantageous endowments. Although few participants were wholly self-interested, most did not seek equitable distributions. Instead, most participants tolerated inequality when it benefited them but were intolerant of inequality when it benefited others. Even when given advantageous endowments, only a minority (40.9%) chose to give, while a substantial fraction (30%) exacerbated inequality by taking more. Moreover, when given disadvantageous endowments, many participants took more than was necessary to achieve equality. The modal decision across tasks was to take
everything. We also observed sex and age differences, with men and younger individuals being more likely to share advantageous endowments. These results suggest that intrinsic, private other-regarding fairness preferences need not underlie widespread forager food-sharing, which could be maintained by self-interest enforced by others (i.e., “demand
sharing”) or by extrinsically maintained norms of fairness. Further, we find that individuals with greater exposure to cultures outside Hadzaland were more tolerant of unfavourable inequality, suggesting that marketization might promote not only greater material inequality but also stronger norms of tolerance toward disadvantageous inequality.

The number of mates, their fecundity, and the number of extra-pair fertilizations can all affect male reproductive success in biparental species. Extra-pair mating in birds has been of particular interest, because it could generate strong levels of sexual selection even when a species is socially monogamous. We examined how extra-pair fertilizations affect the opportunity for selection in the sexually dimorphic common yellowthroat (Geothlypis trichas) and the sexually monomorphic house wren (Troglodytes aedon). We were able to identify sires for at least 95% of all nestlings, and, thus, we were able to make a nearly complete accounting of male reproductive success. Although extra-pair fertilizations were common in yellowthroats (26% of young) it contributed little (21%) to the total variance in male reproductive success. Most of the variance in reproductive success (58%) was attributable to the male's within-pair success, which was influenced primarily by the number of young produced by each mate and the proportion of within-pair young sired. Despite a moderate level of extra-pair fertilizations (10% of young) in house wrens, almost all of the variance in male reproductive success (97%) was attributable to within-pair success, particularly the number of social mates. Although extra-pair fertilizations generally increase the variance in male reproductive success, withinpair reproductive success may be the major source of variation in male reproductive success. Thus, sexual dimorphism in monogamous birds may be influenced more by the number of mates and their fecundity than by extra-pair matings.

Native noble crayfish (Astacus astacus) populations in Europe are declining mainly based on the crayfish plague (Aphanomyces astaci). Stocking and establishment of uninfected populations within isolated waterbodies like gravel pit lakes constitutes one of the promising strategies to conserve this highly endangered species. Such management actions require adequate monitoring to detect crayfish populations and to validate stocking success which is commonly done using baited traps. Type of bait and positioning of traps within a water body may significantly influence monitoring outcomes. Littoral structures, substrate density, depth and temperature are known to influence capture success of American crayfish. However, less research has been done on European species. Within three artificial gravel pit lakes in northern Germany where noble crayfish have been stocked in the past, we repeatedly investigated trapping success of different bait types (pellet, salmon meat, and no bait) and their influence on detection rates. Further, microhabitat specific data were collected for each trap and analysed for their impact on catch rates using generalized mixed models. All models best predicting crayfish detection included bait type, temperature, depth, lake ID, and the consecutive fishing day where capture success increased with traps using salmon as bait at warmer waters in shallow areas during the second of three consecutive fishing days. The surrounding microhabitat, soil hardness and trap success of neighboring traps were of less importance for prediction of capture success. Former stocking was successful in two of three pit lakes with a low but self-reproducing population density (total CPUE < 0.2) in one lake and a high population density (total CPUE > 1) in the second lake. The third lake was free of crayfish although intense stocking occurred in the past. Suitability of all three waterbodies was evaluated using a suitability index and did not differ considerably between the lakes apart from predator abundancies. My findings show that salmon meat is a superior bait and that temperature / depth selection positively impacts noble crayfish detection in artificial waterbodies and should be considered when establishing species monitoring plans.

Coerced copulations cause sexual conflict: they enhance male fitness at a potential cost to female fitness. In contrast, male display allows female mate choice and stimulates cooperation, and so is thought to be an alternative to coercion. Here, we investigate the evolutionary relationship between coercion and display in Gambusia, a genus of poeciliid fish. We used a novel Markov chain method to quantify the transition rate from a male display to a copulatory thrust (the display-to-thrust [DT] rate), which we use to measure the importance of male display to copulation. We assess the potential for male coercion and the female response to coercion based on morphology. We found positive relationships between DT rate and 2 morphologies that are indicative of coercion: male gonopodium shape and the male morphological mating advantage (the ratio of gonopodium shape to female papilla size scores). We suggest that male display can cause the evolution of traits involved in sexually antagonistic coevolution, or conversely that display can evolve as a byproduct of sexual antagonism.

I observed dutch size and body size of resulting offspring for the parasitoid Laethis pedatus (Say) (Hymenoptera: Bethylidae) on hosts of different sizes. Results were compared with the predictions of offspring size-number models and clutch-size models. Larger clutches were laid on larger hosts. However, even after females had adjusted dutch size to the size of the host, offspring size was larger in larger broods. The variance in offspring size between broods decreased with increasing dutch size as expected, but the decrease was smaller than predicted by Charaov and Downhower's trade-off invariant rule. Theory predicts such trends when the shape of the trade-off between per capita investment and per capita offspring fitness depends on dutch size or host size. By observing how this assumption might apply to bethylid wasps, I generate a number of testable hypotheses to explain the observed trends.

Geographic variation in some aspects of chimpanzee behavior has been interpreted as evidence for culture. Here we document similar geographic variation in orangutan behaviors. Moreover, as expected under a cultural interpretation, we find a correlation between geographic distance and cultural difference, a correlation between the abundance of opportunities for social learning and the size of the local cultural repertoire, and no effect of habitat on the content of culture. Hence, great-ape cultures exist, and may have done so for at least 14 million years.

Effective amphibian conservation requires knowledge of both the aquatic and terrestrial phases of life. As extinction probabilities are a function of population size, it is crucial not only to understand the habitat requirement of the species but also to estimate its population size. In this work, we studied the endangered fire salamander, Salamandra infraimmaculata, and analyzed the population size at a total of 14 sites-eight temporary and six permanent. For identifying the local and landscape scales factors predicting S. infraimmaculata's breeding sites we monitored 54 aquatic sites. We found that permanent sites support larger populations of adult salamanders. The breeding site characteristics analyses revealed that at the local scale water depth and shade were the most important factors and two regional variables were found to be important: proximity to another breeding site and elevation. This work provides two clear conservation implications permanent breeding sites will support much larger populations compared to temporary sites, particularly if close to other potential breeding sites, and both terrestrial and aquatic features are important for a site to be suitable for breeding.

The spatial distribution of individuals fits an ideal despotic distribution (IDD) model when some individuals prevent others from settling in a high-quality habitat, so that the last group of individuals is forced to use lower-quality habitats in which their fitness is lower. A critical assumption of the IDD model is that individuals using the lower-quality habitats must have attempted to settle first in the better habitats, but this has seldom been demonstrated. We tested key assumptions of the IDD model by using long-term data on choice of breeding sites by greater flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber) in southern Spain, where these birds breed at Fuente de Piedra lake (FP) and the Guadalquivir marshes (GM). Based on the accessibility of terrestrial predators to breeding sites, the FP colony was of better quality than the GM colony. As expected from an IDD model, the flamingos settled first at FP than at GM. The order of settlement was probably not affected by differences in season, when many birds had already settled in this colony. The same individuals were subsequently recorded breeding in the same season in GM, indicating that they had previous information on the availability of sites on which to breed. A third assumption of the IDD model is that as the density increases in a given habitat, the fitness of individuals should decrease. In accordance with this, we found a strong effect of bird density on egg losses. The individuals that were recorded prospecting for sites in FP and that later bred in GM were younger than flamingos that were breeding in FP. We suggest that agerelated behavioral dominance may be a mechanism responsible for this despotic distribution. Colony choice • Breeding success • Density effects • Age-related dominance • Greater flamingo food availability between sites, since in most years, the flamingos breeding in FP obtained food in GM during the chick-rearing period, once the FP lake dried up. Furthermore, breeding success was much higher at FP than at GM. Another assumption of the model is that individuals are omniscient and that they should try to settle first in the best site. We recorded 18 individually marked flamingos prospecting for nest sites in FP in a Communicated by J.L. Dickinson

Strand-feeding as a predatory strategy was first observed in bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, inhabiting waters of Spartina marshes of South Carolina and Georgia, United States. While a substantial body of documented observations exists for many regions of the world, current evidences and photo-documentation of these types of foraging behaviors by bottlenose dolphins in the Pacific coast of South America are scarce. To the best of our knowledge, behaviors resembling strand-feeding by bottlenose dolphins have been described very briefly without supporting photos in the inner estuary of the Gulf of Guayaquil. As a part of a long-term field study (2001-2011) on photo-identification, population ecology and monitoring of the bottlenose dolphin in the El Morro Mangrove and Wildlife Refuge, we provide some insights on its conservation, and photo-documented the occurrence of strand-feeding as a recurrent behavioral foraging tactic in this region of South America.