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Tan M, Zhang S, Stevens M, Li D, Tan EJ. Antipredator defences in motion: animals reduce predation risks by concealing or misleading motion signals. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2024; 99:778-796. [PMID: 38174819 DOI: 10.1111/brv.13044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/06/2022] [Revised: 12/13/2023] [Accepted: 12/15/2023] [Indexed: 01/05/2024]
Abstract
Motion is a crucial part of the natural world, yet our understanding of how animals avoid predation whilst moving remains rather limited. Although several theories have been proposed for how antipredator defence may be facilitated during motion, there is often a lack of supporting empirical evidence, or conflicting findings. Furthermore, many studies have shown that motion often 'breaks' camouflage, as sudden movement can be detected even before an individual is recognised. Whilst some static camouflage strategies may conceal moving animals to a certain extent, more emphasis should be given to other modes of camouflage and related defences in the context of motion (e.g. flicker fusion camouflage, active motion camouflage, motion dazzle, and protean motion). Furthermore, when motion is involved, defence strategies are not necessarily limited to concealment. An animal can also rely on motion to mislead predators with regards to its trajectory, location, size, colour pattern, or even identity. In this review, we discuss the various underlying antipredator strategies and the mechanisms through which they may be linked to motion, conceptualising existing empirical and theoretical studies from two perspectives - concealing and misleading effects. We also highlight gaps in our understanding of these antipredator strategies, and suggest possible methodologies for experimental designs/test subjects (i.e. prey and/or predators) and future research directions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
| | - Shichang Zhang
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Penryn, TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Daiqin Li
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Centre for Behavioural Ecology & Evolution, State Key Laboratory of Biocatalysis and Enzyme Engineering, School of Life Sciences, Hubei University, Wuhan, 430062, Hubei, China
| | - Eunice J Tan
- Department of Biological Sciences, National University of Singapore, 14 Science Drive 4, Singapore, 117543, Singapore
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, 16 College Avenue West, Singapore, 138527, Singapore
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2
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Wallisch P, Mackey WE, Karlovich MW, Heeger DJ. The visible gorilla: Unexpected fast-not physically salient-Objects are noticeable. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2023; 120:e2214930120. [PMID: 37216543 PMCID: PMC10235989 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.2214930120] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/31/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2023] [Indexed: 05/24/2023] Open
Abstract
It is widely believed that observers can fail to notice clearly visible unattended objects, even if they are moving. Here, we created parametric tasks to test this belief and report the results of three high-powered experiments (total n = 4,493) indicating that this effect is strongly modulated by the speed of the unattended object. Specifically, fast-but not slow-objects are readily noticeable, whether they are attended or not. These results suggest that fast motion serves as a potent exogenous cue that overrides task-focused attention, showing that fast speeds, not long exposure duration or physical salience, strongly diminish inattentional blindness effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Pascal Wallisch
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY10003
| | - Wayne E. Mackey
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY10003
| | | | - David J. Heeger
- Department of Psychology, New York University, New York, NY10003
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3
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Chukwuka CO, Monks JM, Cree A. Extreme tolerance for nocturnal emergence at low body temperatures in a high-latitude lizard: implications for future climate warming. CONSERVATION PHYSIOLOGY 2023; 11:coac082. [PMID: 36694595 PMCID: PMC9868685 DOI: 10.1093/conphys/coac082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2022] [Revised: 12/09/2022] [Accepted: 12/14/2022] [Indexed: 06/17/2023]
Abstract
High-latitude lizards live in environments where ambient air temperature at night is frequently below retreat temperatures, which likely has implications for nocturnal emergence and activity. However, patterns of lizard activity at night under current temperate climates are poorly understood, a situation that limits our understanding of potential effects of climate change. We investigated patterns of nocturnal emergence and activity in the cold-adapted, viviparous gecko (Woodworthia 'Otago/Southland'). We measured operative environmental temperature (T e) available to geckos that emerged at night and simultaneously assessed nighttime emergence activity using time-lapse trail cameras. Also, we assessed field body temperature (T b) of emerged geckos of various life history groups at night using thermography to understand how current weather conditions affect field T b of emerged geckos. Our results show that Te , nocturnal emergence activity and field-active T b increased with nighttime air temperature. Nocturnal emergence was highest in spring and summer but also occurred in autumn and (unexpectedly) in winter. Geckos were active over a broad range of T b down to 1.4°C (a new record low for lizards) and on rock surfaces typically warmer than air temperature or T b. We conclude that this nocturnal, high-latitude lizard from the temperate zone is capable of activity at low winter temperatures, but that current climate limits emergence and activity at least in autumn and winter. Activity levels for cool-temperate reptiles will probably increase initially as climates warm, but the consequences of increased nocturnal activity under climate change will probably depend on how climate change affects predator populations as well as the focal species' biology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian O Chukwuka
- Corresponding author: Ecology/Biodiversity Unit, Open Spaces, Ashburton District Council, Canterbury 7700, New Zealand.
| | - Joanne M Monks
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa New Zealand
- Biodiversity Group, Department of Conservation, Dunedin 9058, Aotearoa New Zealand
| | - Alison Cree
- Department of Zoology, University of Otago, Dunedin 9016, Aotearoa New Zealand
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4
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Summers TC, Ord TJ. Signal detection shapes ornament allometry in functionally convergent Caribbean Anolis and Southeast Asian Draco lizards. J Evol Biol 2022; 35:1508-1523. [PMID: 36177770 PMCID: PMC9828585 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.14102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 07/10/2022] [Accepted: 07/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
Abstract
Visual ornaments have long been assumed to evolve hyper-allometry as an outcome of sexual selection. Yet growing evidence suggests many sexually selected morphologies can exhibit other scaling patterns with body size, including hypo-allometry. The large conspicuous throat fan, or dewlap, of arboreal Caribbean Anolis lizards was one ornament previously thought to conform to the classical expectation of hyper-allometry. We re-evaluated this classic example alongside a second arboreal group of lizards that has also independently evolved a functionally equivalent dewlap, the Southeast Asian Draco lizards. Across multiple closely related species in both genera, the Anolis and Draco dewlaps were either isometric or had hypo-allometric scaling patterns. In the case of the Anolis dewlap, variation in dewlap allometry was predicted by the distance of conspecifics and the light environment in which the dewlap was typically viewed. Signal efficacy, therefore, appears to have driven the evolution of hypo-allometry in what was originally thought to be a sexually selected ornament with hyper-allometry. Our findings suggest that other elaborate morphological structures used in social communication might similarly exhibit isometric or hypo-allometric scaling patterns because of environmental constraints on signal detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas C. Summers
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensingtonNew South WalesAustralia
| | - Terry J. Ord
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental SciencesUniversity of New South WalesKensingtonNew South WalesAustralia
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5
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Martin E, Steinmetz HL, Baek SY, Gilbert FR, Brandley NC. Rapid Shifts in Visible Carolina Grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) Coloration During Flights. Front Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2022.900544] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Some brightly colored structures are only visible when organisms are moving, such as parts of wings that are only visible in flight. For example, the primarily brown Carolina grasshopper (Dissosteira carolina) has contrasting black-and-cream hindwings that appear suddenly when it takes off, then oscillate unpredictably throughout the main flight before disappearing rapidly upon landing. However, the temporal dynamics of hindwing coloration in motion have not previously been investigated, particularly for animals that differ from humans in their temporal vision. To examine how quickly this coloration appears to a variety of non-human observers, we took high-speed videos of D. carolina flights in the field. For each of the best-quality takeoffs and landings, we performed a frame-by-frame analysis on how the relative sizes of the different-colored body parts changed over time. We found that in the first 7.6 ± 1.5 ms of takeoff, the hindwings unfurled to encompass 50% of the visible grasshopper, causing it to roughly double in size. During the main flight, the hindwings transitioned 6.4 ± 0.4 times per second between pauses and periods of active wing-beating (31.4 ± 0.5 Hz), creating an unstable, confusing image. Finally, during landings, the hindwings disappeared in 11.3 ± 3.0 ms, shrinking the grasshopper to 69 ± 9% of its main flight size. Notably, these takeoffs and landings occurred faster than most recorded species are able to sample images, which suggests that they would be near-instantaneous to a variety of different viewers. We therefore suggest that D. carolina uses its hindwings to initially startle predators (deimatic defense) and then confuse them and disrupt their search images (protean defense) before rapidly returning to crypsis.
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Fernández-Rodríguez I, Braña F. Allocation costs of regeneration: tail regeneration constrains body growth under low food availability in juvenile lizards. Oecologia 2022; 198:853-864. [PMID: 34907460 PMCID: PMC9056467 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-021-05084-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2020] [Accepted: 11/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The balance of energy allocated to development and growth of different body compartments may incur allocation conflicts and can thereby entail physiological and evolutionary consequences. Regeneration after autotomy restores the functionality lost after shedding a body part but requires a strong energy investment that may trade-off with other processes, like reproduction or growth. Caudal autotomy is a widespread antipredator strategy in lizards, but regeneration may provoke decreased growth rates in juveniles that could have subsequent consequences. Here, we assessed the growth of intact and regenerating hatchling wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) exposed to different food regimens. Regenerating juveniles presented slightly but significantly lower body growth rates than individuals with intact tails when facing low food availability, but there were no differences when food was supplied ad libitum. Regenerating individuals fed ad libitum increased their ingestion rates compared to intact ones during the period of greatest tail growth, which also reveals a cost of tail regeneration. When resources were scarce, hatchlings invested more in tail regeneration in relation to body growth, rather than delay regeneration to give priority to body growth. We propose that, in juvenile lizards, regeneration could be prioritized even at the expense of body growth to restore the functionality of the lost tail, likely increasing survivorship and the probability to reach reproductive maturity. Our study indicates that food availability is a key factor for the occurrence of trade-offs between regeneration and other growth processes, so that environmental conditions would be determinant for the severity of the costs of regeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Irene Fernández-Rodríguez
- Department of Organisms and Systems Biology (Zoology), University of Oviedo, 33071, Oviedo, Spain.
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, UO/CSIC/PA), University of Oviedo, Mieres, Spain.
| | - Florentino Braña
- Department of Organisms and Systems Biology (Zoology), University of Oviedo, 33071, Oviedo, Spain
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, UO/CSIC/PA), University of Oviedo, Mieres, Spain
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7
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Peters RA, De Jong J, Ramos JA. Movement-based signalling by four species of dragon lizard (family Agamidae) from the Kimberley region of Western Australia. AUST J ZOOL 2022. [DOI: 10.1071/zo21047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Communication signals underpin the social lives of animals, from species recognition to mate selection and territory defense. Animal signals are diverse in structure between and within species, with the diversity reflecting interacting factors of shared evolutionary history, constraints imposed on senders and receivers and the ecological context in which signalling takes place. The dragon lizards of Australia (family Agamidae) are known for their movement-based visual displays and are useful models for how ecology influences behaviour. However, we know little about the communication strategies of many species. Our aim here was to provide new knowledge on some of these species, focusing on the north-west of Western Australia. We filmed within-species pairwise interactions of Diporiphora superba, D. bennetti, D. sobria and Ctenophorus isolepis isolepis. We describe and quantify for the first time push-up displays by D. superba and C. isolepis isolepis and tail waving displays of D. bennetti. Only D. sobria did not generate movement-based visual signals. We have confirmed that more species engage in such behaviour than previously reported, but further work is required to document the full repertoire of these species. The implications of our work are discussed in the context of signal structure, function and environmental context.
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8
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Fernández‐Rodríguez I, Braña F. Short‐term and long‐term consequences of regeneration on the reproductive investment of a multivoltine lizard. J Zool (1987) 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12959] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- I. Fernández‐Rodríguez
- Department of Organisms and Systems Biology (Zoology) University of Oviedo Oviedo Spain
- Biodiversity Research Institute (IMIB, CSIC/UO/PA) University of Oviedo Mieres Spain
| | - F. Braña
- Department of Organisms and Systems Biology (Zoology) University of Oviedo Oviedo Spain
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9
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Properties of an attention-grabbing motion signal: a comparison of tail and body movements in a lizard. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2022; 208:373-385. [PMID: 35113201 PMCID: PMC9123084 DOI: 10.1007/s00359-022-01544-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/17/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Animals signals must be detected by receiver sensory systems, and overcome a variety of local ecological factors that could otherwise affect their transmission and reception. Habitat structure, competition, avoidance of unintended receivers and varying environmental conditions have all been shown to influence how animals signal. Environmental noise is also crucial, and animals modify their behavior in response to it. Animals generating movement-based visual signals have to contend with wind-blown plants that generate motion noise and can affect the detection of salient movements. The lizard Amphibolurus muricatus uses tail flicking at the start of displays to attract attention, and we hypothesized that tail movements are ideally suited to this function. We compared visual amplitudes generated by tail movements with push-ups, which are a key component of the rest of the display. We show that tail movement amplitudes are highly variable over the course of the display but consistently greater than amplitudes generated by push-ups and not constrained by viewing position. We suggest that these features, combined with the tail being a light structure that does not compromise other activities, provide an ideal introductory component for attracting attention in the ecological setting in which they are generated.
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10
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Wilgers DJ, Colton Watts J, Hebets EA. Habitat complexity and complex signal function – exploring the role of ornamentation. Behav Ecol 2021. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arab144] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Animals often communicate in complex, heterogeneous environments, leading to hypothesized selection for increased detectability or discriminability in signaling traits. The extent to which secondary sexual ornaments have evolved to overcome the challenges of signaling in complex environments, however, remains understudied, especially in comparison to their role as indicator traits. This study tested the hypothesis that the condition-dependent secondary sexual ornamentation in the wolf spider Rabidosa rabida functions to increase detectability/discriminability in visually complex environments. We predicted that male ornamentation would interact with the complexity of the signaling environment to affect male mating success. In particular, we expected ornaments to confer a greater mating advantage when males courted in visually complex environments. To test this, we artificially manipulated male foreleg ornamentation (present/absent) and ran repeated-measures mating trials across laboratory microcosms that represented simple versus complex visual signaling environments. Microcosm visual complexity differed in their background pattern, grass stem color, and grass stem placement. We found that ornamented males mated more often and more quickly than unornamented males across both environments, but we found no support for an ornament-by-environment interaction. Male courtship rate, however, did interact with the signaling environment. Despite achieving the same level of mating success across signaling environments, ornamented males courted less rapidly in complex versus simple environments, although environmental complexity had no influence on unornamented male courtship rates. Our results suggest that the visual complexity of the signaling environment influences the interactive influence of ornamentation and dynamic visual courtship on female mate choice.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dustin J Wilgers
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
- Department of Natural Sciences, McPherson College, McPherson, KS, USA
| | - J Colton Watts
- Department of Biology, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, USA
| | - Eileen A Hebets
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, NE, USA
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11
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Ramos JA, Peters RA. Territorial Displays of the Ctenophorus decresii Complex: A Story of Local Adaptations. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2021.731705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Closely related species make for interesting model systems to study the evolution of signaling behavior because they share evolutionary history but have also diverged to the point of reproductive isolation. This means that while they may have some behavioral traits in common, courtesy of a common ancestor, they are also likely to show local adaptations. The Ctenophorus decresii complex is such a system, and comprises six closely related agamid lizard species from Australia: C. decresii, C. fionni, C. mirrityana, C. modestus, C. tjanjalka, and C. vadnappa. In this study, we analyze the motion displays of five members of the C. decresii complex in the context of their respective habitats by comparing signal structure, habitat characteristics and signal contrast between all species. Motor pattern use and the temporal sequence of motor patterns did not differ greatly, but the motion speed distributions generated during the displays were different for all species. There was also variation in the extent to which signals contrasted with plant motion, with C. vadnappa performing better than the other species at all habitats. Overall, this study provides evidence that members of the C. decresii complex exhibit local adaptations in signaling behavior to their respective habitat, but they also maintain some morphological and behavioral traits in common, which is likely a consequence from the ancestral state.
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12
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Predictive Factors of Chemical and Visual Sensory Organ Size: The Roles of Sex, Environment, and Evolution. Evol Biol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s11692-021-09554-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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13
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Tan EJ, Elgar MA. Motion: enhancing signals and concealing cues. Biol Open 2021; 10:271863. [PMID: 34414408 PMCID: PMC8411570 DOI: 10.1242/bio.058762] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/02/2021] [Indexed: 01/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Animal colour patterns remain a lively focus of evolutionary and behavioural ecology, despite the considerable conceptual and technical developments over the last four decades. Nevertheless, our current understanding of the function and efficacy of animal colour patterns remains largely shaped by a focus on stationary animals, typically in a static background. Yet, this rarely reflects the natural world: most animals are mobile in their search for food and mates, and their surrounding environment is usually dynamic. Thus, visual signalling involves not only animal colour patterns, but also the patterns of animal motion and behaviour, often in the context of a potentially dynamic background. While motion can reveal information about the signaller by attracting attention or revealing signaller attributes, motion can also be a means of concealing cues, by reducing the likelihood of detection (motion camouflage, motion masquerade and flicker-fusion effect) or the likelihood of capture following detection (motion dazzle and confusion effect). The interaction between the colour patterns of the animal and its local environment is further affected by the behaviour of the individual. Our review details how motion is intricately linked to signalling and suggests some avenues for future research. This Review has an associated Future Leader to Watch interview with the first author. Summary: While motion can reveal information about the signaller, motion can also be a means of concealing cues by reducing the likelihood of detection or the likelihood of capture following detection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eunice J Tan
- Division of Science, Yale-NUS College, Singapore 138527, Singapore
| | - Mark A Elgar
- School of BioSciences, University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Victoria 3010, Australia
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14
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Attwell JR, Ioannou CC, Reid CR, Herbert-Read JE. Fish Avoid Visually Noisy Environments Where Prey Targeting Is Reduced. Am Nat 2021; 198:421-432. [PMID: 34403312 DOI: 10.1086/715434] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
AbstractThe environment contains different forms of ecological noise that can reduce the ability of animals to detect information. Here, we ask whether animals adapt their behavior to either exploit or avoid areas of their environment with increased dynamic visual noise. Three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) were immersed in environments with a simulated form of naturally occurring visual noise-moving light bands that form on underwater substrates caused by the refraction of light through surface waves. We tested whether this form of visual noise affected fish's habitat selection, movements, and prey-targeting behavior. Fish avoided areas of the environment with increased visual noise and achieved this by increasing their activity as a function of the locally perceived noise level. Fish were less likely to respond to virtual prey in environments with increased visual noise, highlighting a potential impact that visual noise has on their perceptual abilities. Fish did not increase or decrease their refuge use in environments with increased visual noise, providing no evidence that visual noise increased either exploratory or risk-aversive behavior. Our results indicate that animals can use simple behavioral strategies to avoid visually noisy environments, thereby mitigating the impacts that these environments appear to have on their perceptual abilities.
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15
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Dynamic visual noise promotes social attraction, but does not affect group size preference, in a shoaling fish. Anim Behav 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.04.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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16
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Ord TJ, Klomp DA, Summers TC, Diesmos A, Ahmad N, Das I. Deep-time convergent evolution in animal communication presented by shared adaptations for coping with noise in lizards and other animals. Ecol Lett 2021; 24:1750-1761. [PMID: 34196091 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13773] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2020] [Revised: 04/15/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Convergence in communication appears rare compared with other forms of adaptation. This is puzzling, given communication is acutely dependent on the environment and expected to converge in form when animals communicate in similar habitats. We uncover deep-time convergence in territorial communication between two groups of tropical lizards separated by over 140 million years of evolution: the Southeast Asian Draco and Caribbean Anolis. These groups have repeatedly converged in multiple aspects of display along common environmental gradients. Robot playbacks to free-ranging lizards confirmed that the most prominent convergence in display is adaptive, as it improves signal detection. We then provide evidence from a sample of the literature to further show that convergent adaptation among highly divergent animal groups is almost certainly widespread in nature. Signal evolution is therefore curbed towards the same set of adaptive solutions, especially when animals are challenged with the problem of communicating effectively in noisy environments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Terry J Ord
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Danielle A Klomp
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Thomas C Summers
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and the School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Arvin Diesmos
- Herpetology Section, Zoology Division, National Museum of the Philippines, Manila, Philippines
| | - Norhayati Ahmad
- Department of Biological Sciences and Biotechnology, Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, Bangi, Malaysia
| | - Indraneil Das
- Institute of Biodiversity and Environmental Conservation, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak, Kota Samarahan, Malaysia
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17
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Zhu X, Qiu X, Tang X, Qi Y. Tail display is regulated by anaerobic metabolism in an Asian agamid lizard. Integr Zool 2021; 16:729-740. [PMID: 33733614 DOI: 10.1111/1749-4877.12536] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Understanding the mechanism underlying signal variation is an important goal in the study of animal communication. Several potential causes have been proposed for signal variation, including environmental noise (e.g. wind, sound), energy limitation, and predation risk, among others, but the physiological control of many signals are often unclear. Here, we examined the correlation between tail display signal variation and energy metabolic activity using an Asian agamid lizard Phrynocephalus vlangalii. Individual tail display signals were observed in the field, and blood lactate concentration as well as 2 energy metabolic enzymes was assayed. Our results showed that average tail coil speed was positively associated with blood lactate concentration, while tail coil duration was negatively associated with LDH activity. We also found that average tail lash speed was positively associated with blood lactate concentration, suggesting that the tail display behavior of P. vlangalii was regulated by anaerobic metabolism. Furthermore, the correlation between tail display behavior and energy metabolism was not sex-dependent. Taken together, our research provides insight into the physiological mechanisms underlying tail display variation in lizards, and suggests that tail display variation likely transmits important information on individual body condition and resource holding potential.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinxin Zhu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xia Qiu
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China.,University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, China
| | - Xiaolong Tang
- Institute of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, School of Life Sciences, Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, China
| | - Yin Qi
- Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese academy of sciences, Chengdu, China
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18
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Bian X, Pinilla A, Chandler T, Peters R. Simulations with Australian dragon lizards suggest movement-based signal effectiveness is dependent on display structure and environmental conditions. Sci Rep 2021; 11:6383. [PMID: 33737677 PMCID: PMC7973430 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-85793-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2020] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Habitat-specific characteristics can affect signal transmission such that different habitats dictate the optimal signal. One way to examine how the environment influences signals is by comparing changes in signal effectiveness in different habitats. Examinations of signal effectiveness between different habitats has helped to explain signal divergence/convergence between populations and species using acoustic and colour signals. Although previous research has provided evidence for local adaptations and signal divergence in many species of lizards, comparative studies in movement-based signals are rare due to technical difficulties in quantifying movements in nature and ethical restrictions in translocating animals between habitats. We demonstrate herein that these issues can be addressed using 3D animations, and compared the relative performance of the displays of four Australian lizard species in the habitats of each species under varying environmental conditions. Our simulations show that habitats differentially affect signal performance, and an interaction between display and habitat structure. Interestingly, our results are consistent with the hypothesis that the signal adapted to the noisier environment does not show an advantage in signal effectiveness, but the noisy habitat was detrimental to the performance of all displays. Our study is one of the first studies for movement-based signals that directly compares signal performance in multiple habitats, and our approach has laid the foundation for future investigations in motion ecology that have been intractable to conventional research methods.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bian
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
| | - Angela Pinilla
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Caulfield East, VIC, Australia
| | - Tom Chandler
- Faculty of Information Technology, Monash University, Caulfield East, VIC, Australia
| | - Richard Peters
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution, La Trobe University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia.
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Pita D, Fernández-Juricic E. Zebrafish Neighbor Distance Changes Relative to Conspecific Size, Position in the Water Column, and the Horizon: A Video-Playback Experiment. Front Ecol Evol 2021. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2020.568752] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Many fish form schools and maintain visual contact with their neighbors in a three-dimensional environment. In this study, we assessed whether zebrafish modified their spacing and interaction time in an additive or multiplicative way relative to multiple sources of social information using computer animations. We simultaneously manipulated: (a) the size of the virtual conspecific (as a proxy of social cue magnitude), (b) the position of the virtual conspecific in the water column (as a proxy of the level of perceived risk), and (c) the absence/presence of the visual horizon (as a proxy of depth perception). We found that the size of the virtual conspecific independently affected spacing behavior (zebrafish increased their separation distance as conspecific size increased). However, some of these factors interacted significantly, such that their effects on social behavior depended on each other. For instance, zebrafish increased their separation distance under high risk conditions when the virtual conspecific was larger, but this risk effect disappeared when the conspecific was the same size or smaller, likely to avoid aggression. Also, zebrafish increased their separation distance when depth perception was enhanced under low risk conditions, but the effect of depth perception disappeared under high risk conditions. Overall, we found that certain dimensions of the visual social environment affected zebrafish spacing behavior in different ways, but they did not affect social interaction time. We discuss the implications of these findings for the spatial organization of fish schools.
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20
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Galloway JAM, Green SD, Stevens M, Kelley LA. Finding a signal hidden among noise: how can predators overcome camouflage strategies? Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2020; 375:20190478. [PMID: 32420842 PMCID: PMC7331011 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2019.0478] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
Substantial progress has been made in the past 15 years regarding how prey use a variety of visual camouflage types to exploit both predator visual processing and cognition, including background matching, disruptive coloration, countershading and masquerade. By contrast, much less attention has been paid to how predators might overcome these defences. Such strategies include the evolution of more acute senses, the co-opting of other senses not targeted by camouflage, changes in cognition such as forming search images, and using behaviours that change the relationship between the cryptic individual and the environment or disturb prey and cause movement. Here, we evaluate the methods through which visual camouflage prevents detection and recognition, and discuss if and how predators might evolve, develop or learn counter-adaptations to overcome these. This article is part of the theme issue ‘Signal detection theory in recognition systems: from evolving models to experimental tests'.
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Affiliation(s)
- James A M Galloway
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Samuel D Green
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Martin Stevens
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
| | - Laura A Kelley
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter (Penryn Campus), Cornwall TR10 9FE, UK
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21
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Pembury Smith MQR, Ruxton GD. Camouflage in predators. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:1325-1340. [DOI: 10.1111/brv.12612] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2020] [Revised: 04/24/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2020] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Graeme D. Ruxton
- School of Biology University of St Andrews, Dyers Brae House, St Andrews Fife KY16 9TH U.K
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22
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Matchette SR, Cuthill IC, Cheney KL, Marshall NJ, Scott-Samuel NE. Underwater caustics disrupt prey detection by a reef fish. Proc Biol Sci 2020; 287:20192453. [PMID: 32228405 PMCID: PMC7209061 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.2453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Natural habitats contain dynamic elements, such as varying local illumination. Can such features mitigate the salience of organism movement? Dynamic illumination is particularly prevalent in coral reefs, where patterns known as 'water caustics' play chaotically in the shallows. In behavioural experiments with a wild-caught reef fish, the Picasso triggerfish (Rhinecanthus aculeatus), we demonstrate that the presence of dynamic water caustics negatively affects the detection of moving prey items, as measured by attack latency, relative to static water caustic controls. Manipulating two further features of water caustics (sharpness and scale) implies that the masking effect should be most effective in shallow water: scenes with fine scale and sharp water caustics induce the longest attack latencies. Due to the direct impact upon foraging efficiency, we expect the presence of dynamic water caustics to influence decisions about habitat choice and foraging by wild prey and predators.
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Affiliation(s)
- S R Matchette
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK.,School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TN, UK
| | - I C Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Tyndall Avenue, Bristol BS8 1TQ, UK
| | - K L Cheney
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - N J Marshall
- Queensland Brain Institute, University of Queensland, Brisbane, Queensland 4072, Australia
| | - N E Scott-Samuel
- School of Psychological Science, University of Bristol, Woodland Road, Bristol BS8 1TN, UK
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23
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Wilson BC, Ramos JA, Peters RA. Intraspecific variation in behaviour and ecology in a territorial agamid, Ctenophorus fionni. AUST J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1071/zo20091] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Intraspecific variation as a way to explore factors affecting the evolution of species traits in natural environments is well documented, and also important in the context of preserving biodiversity. In this study, we investigated the extent of behavioural, morphological and ecological variation in the peninsula dragon (Ctenophorus fionni), an endemic Australian agamid that displays extensive variation in colour across three allopatric populations. The aims of the study were to quantify variation across the different populations in terms of the environment, morphometric characteristics and behaviour. We found population level differences in habitat structure and encounter rates. Adult body size of C. fionni, as well as a range of morphometric traits, differed between populations, as well as the frequency of social interactions, which appears to be related to population density and abundance. Analysis of communicative signals showed differences between the southern and central populations, which appear consistent with variations in response to environmental differences between study sites. The findings of the present study, coupled with previous work examining colour variation in this species, show that the three populations of C. fionni have likely undergone substantial differentiation, and would make an interesting study system to explore trait variation in more detail.
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24
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniela M. Perez
- Research School of Biology The Australian National University Canberra ACT Australia
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25
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Tadrist L, Saudreau M, Hémon P, Amandolese X, Marquier A, Leclercq T, de Langre E. Foliage motion under wind, from leaf flutter to branch buffeting. J R Soc Interface 2019; 15:rsif.2018.0010. [PMID: 29743271 DOI: 10.1098/rsif.2018.0010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
The wind-induced motion of the foliage in a tree is an important phenomenon both for biological issues (photosynthesis, pathogens development or herbivory) and for more subtle effects such as on wi-fi transmission or animal communication. Such foliage motion results from a combination of the motion of the branches that support the leaves, and of the motion of the leaves relative to the branches. Individual leaf dynamics relative to the branch, and branch dynamics have usually been studied separately. Here, in an experimental study on a whole tree in a large-scale wind tunnel, we present the first empirical evidence that foliage motion is actually dominated by individual leaf flutter at low wind velocities, and by branch turbulence buffeting responses at higher velocities. The transition between the two regimes is related to a weak dependence of leaf flutter on wind velocity, while branch turbulent buffeting is strongly dependent on it. Quantitative comparisons with existing engineering-based models of leaf and branch motion confirm the prevalence of these two mechanisms. Simultaneous measurements of the wind-induced drag on the tree and of the light interception by the foliage show the role of an additional mechanism, reconfiguration, whereby leaves bend and overlap, limiting individual leaf flutter. We then discuss the consequences of these findings on the role of wind-mediated phenomena.
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Affiliation(s)
- Loïc Tadrist
- Laboratoire d'hydrodynamique, CNRS, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France .,INRA, Physique et physiologie intégratives de l'arbre fruitier et forestier, 63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Marc Saudreau
- INRA, Physique et physiologie intégratives de l'arbre fruitier et forestier, 63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Pascal Hémon
- Laboratoire d'hydrodynamique, CNRS, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Xavier Amandolese
- Laboratoire d'hydrodynamique, CNRS, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - André Marquier
- INRA, Physique et physiologie intégratives de l'arbre fruitier et forestier, 63100 Clermont-Ferrand, France
| | - Tristan Leclercq
- Laboratoire d'hydrodynamique, CNRS, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
| | - Emmanuel de Langre
- Laboratoire d'hydrodynamique, CNRS, École Polytechnique, 91128 Palaiseau, France
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26
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Matchette SR, Cuthill IC, Scott-Samuel NE. Dappled light disrupts prey detection by masking movement. Anim Behav 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2019.07.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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27
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de Langre E. Plant vibrations at all scales: a review. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BOTANY 2019; 70:3521-3531. [PMID: 31063546 DOI: 10.1093/jxb/erz209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2018] [Accepted: 04/26/2019] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Plant vibrations is a wide subject that covers topics ranging from the swaying of trees under wind to elastic waves made by an insect on a leaf to communicate with its neighbors. For this reason, the state of the art is somehow fragmented over several communities. This review aims at giving a general overview of the main results and challenges in plant vibrations. Several scales are considered, from the very small and local, in leaves or fruits, to large canopies of many plants.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emmanuel de Langre
- Département de Mécanique, LadHyX, CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, Institut Polytechnique de Paris, Palaiseau, France
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28
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Affiliation(s)
- I. C. Cuthill
- School of Biological Sciences University of Bristol Bristol UK
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29
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Bian X, Chandler T, Pinilla A, Peters RA. Now You See Me, Now You Don't: Environmental Conditions, Signaler Behavior, and Receiver Response Thresholds Interact to Determine the Efficacy of a Movement-Based Animal Signal. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00130] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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30
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Steele EP, Laidre ME. Leaf me alone: visual constraints on the ecology of social group formation. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2662-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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31
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Matchette SR, Cuthill IC, Scott-Samuel NE. Concealment in a dynamic world: dappled light and caustics mask movement. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
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32
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Gontijo ASB, Garcia CS, Righi AF, Galdino CAB. To warm on the rocks, to cool in the wind: Thermal relations of a small-sized lizard from a mountain environment. J Therm Biol 2018; 76:52-57. [PMID: 30143297 DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2018.07.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/07/2017] [Revised: 07/05/2018] [Accepted: 07/09/2018] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
Rising temperatures accompanying global climate change are expected to affect mountain lizards. Therefore, basic information on how these ectotherms deal with their thermal environment is important for further management. We conducted a field study to evaluate how body temperature of the small-sized mountain lizard Eurolophosaurus nanuzae relates to the thermal environment. After capture, the body temperature of the lizards was measured immediately, quickly followed by the substrate and air temperatures, wind intensity, and solar radiation at the capture locations. Linear relationships showed that the body temperature of individuals was positively related to rocky substrate temperatures but negatively related to wind speed. However, air temperature and solar radiation were unrelated to body temperature. Although the substrate is an important heat source for E. nanuzae, in an open environment it can reach temperatures up to 10 °C above the maximum body temperatures of lizards, and can thus be a low-quality thermal substrate. However, individuals seemed to use wind as a cooling source to counterbalance the risks of overheating from high substrate temperatures. As the montane environment that E. nanuzae inhabits seems to have hotter temperatures than those preferred by the species, lizards should benefit from the cooling winds to keep their body temperature at appropriate levels. Different to previous studies that evaluated wind effects on body temperatures of lizards, our results showed that winds seemed to promote thermoregulation for E. nanuzae.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Sofia Buza Gontijo
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500, Coração Eucarístico, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Camila Santos Garcia
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500, Coração Eucarístico, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Alexandre Ferreira Righi
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500, Coração Eucarístico, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil
| | - Conrado A B Galdino
- Programa de Pós-graduação em Biologia de Vertebrados, Pontifícia Universidade Católica de Minas Gerais, Av. Dom José Gaspar, 500, Coração Eucarístico, 30535-901 Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil.
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33
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Dufour CMS, Herrel A, Losos JB. The effect of recent competition between the native Anolis oculatus and the invasive A. cristatellus on display behavior. PeerJ 2018; 6:e4888. [PMID: 29922509 PMCID: PMC6005165 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.4888] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2018] [Accepted: 05/13/2018] [Indexed: 01/28/2023] Open
Abstract
Invasive species are a global threat to biodiversity. Cases where the invasion has been tracked since its beginning are rare, however, such that the first interactions between invasive and native species remain poorly understood. Communication behavior is an integral part of species identity and is subject to selection. Consequently, resource use and direct interference competition between native and invasive species may drive its evolution. Here, we tested the role of interactions between the recently introduced invasive lizard Anolis cristatellus and the native Anolis oculatus on variation in behavior and communication in Calibishie (Dominica). From May to June 2016, we filmed 122 adult males of both species displaying in banana farms under two contexts (allopatry and sympatry). We then recorded (i) the proportion of time spent displaying and (ii) the relative frequency of dewlap vs. push-up displays. To control for habitat variation, we measured and compared the habitat characteristics (canopy openness and habitat openness) of 228 males in allopatry and sympatry. While the habitat characteristics and total display-time did not differ between the contexts for the two species, the proportion of display-time spent dewlapping by A. cristatellus decreased in sympatry. The display of A. oculatus did not differ between the contexts, however. Shifts in microhabitat use, predation pressure, or interspecific interference are potential factors which might explain the behavioral changes in display observed in A. cristatellus. This study highlights the role of behavioral traits as a first response of an invasive species to recent competition with a closely related native species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Claire M S Dufour
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA
| | - Anthony Herrel
- Département 'Adaptations du vivant', UMR 7179 C.N.R.S/M.N.H.N, Museum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Paris, France
| | - Jonathan B Losos
- Department of Organismic and Evolutionary Biology, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA.,Department of Biology, Washington University, St Louis, MO, USA
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34
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Cummings ME, Endler JA. 25 Years of sensory drive: the evidence and its watery bias. Curr Zool 2018; 64:471-484. [PMID: 30108628 PMCID: PMC6084598 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoy043] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/19/2018] [Accepted: 05/18/2018] [Indexed: 12/27/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been 25 years since the formalization of the Sensory Drive hypothesis was published in the American Naturalist (1992). Since then, there has been an explosion of research identifying its utility in contributing to our understanding of inter- and intra-specific variation in sensory systems and signaling properties. The main tenet of Sensory Drive is that environmental characteristics will influence the evolutionary trajectory of both sensory (detecting capabilities) and signaling (detectable features and behaviors) traits in predictable directions. We review the accumulating evidence in 154 studies addressing these questions and categorized their approach in terms of testing for environmental influence on sensory tuning, signal characteristics, or both. For the subset of studies that examined sensory tuning, there was greater support for Sensory Drive processes shaping visual than auditory tuning, and it was more prevalent in aquatic than terrestrial habitats. Terrestrial habitats and visual traits were the prevalent habitat and sensory modality in the 104 studies showing support for environmental influence on signaling properties. An additional 19 studies that found no supporting evidence for environmental influence on signaling traits were all based in terrestrial ecosystems and almost exclusively involved auditory signals. Only 29 studies examined the complete coevolutionary process between sensory and signaling traits and were dominated by fish visual communication. We discuss biophysical factors that may contribute to the visual and aquatic bias for Sensory Drive evidence, as well as biotic factors that may contribute to the lack of Sensory Drive processes in terrestrial acoustic signaling systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Molly E Cummings
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
| | - John A Endler
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, VIC, Australia
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35
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Woo KL, Rieucau G, Burke D. Computer-animated stimuli to measure motion sensitivity: constraints on signal design in the Jacky dragon. Curr Zool 2018; 63:75-84. [PMID: 29491965 PMCID: PMC5804146 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow074] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2016] [Accepted: 06/20/2016] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Identifying perceptual thresholds is critical for understanding the mechanisms that underlie signal evolution. Using computer-animated stimuli, we examined visual speed sensitivity in the Jacky dragon Amphibolurus muricatus, a species that makes extensive use of rapid motor patterns in social communication. First, focal lizards were tested in discrimination trials using random-dot kinematograms displaying combinations of speed, coherence, and direction. Second, we measured subject lizards’ ability to predict the appearance of a secondary reinforcer (1 of 3 different computer-generated animations of invertebrates: cricket, spider, and mite) based on the direction of movement of a field of drifting dots by following a set of behavioural responses (e.g., orienting response, latency to respond) to our virtual stimuli. We found an effect of both speed and coherence, as well as an interaction between these 2 factors on the perception of moving stimuli. Overall, our results showed that Jacky dragons have acute sensitivity to high speeds. We then employed an optic flow analysis to match the performance to ecologically relevant motion. Our results suggest that the Jacky dragon visual system may have been shaped to detect fast motion. This pre-existing sensitivity may have constrained the evolution of conspecific displays. In contrast, Jacky dragons may have difficulty in detecting the movement of ambush predators, such as snakes and of some invertebrate prey. Our study also demonstrates the potential of the computer-animated stimuli technique for conducting nonintrusive tests to explore motion range and sensitivity in a visually mediated species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kevin L Woo
- SUNY Empire State College, Metropolitan Center, 325 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013-1005, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 Northeast 151 St, North Miami, FL 33181, USA,School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, 10 Chittaway Road, Ourimbah, New South Wales, 2258, Australia
| | - Guillaume Rieucau
- SUNY Empire State College, Metropolitan Center, 325 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013-1005, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 Northeast 151 St, North Miami, FL 33181, USA,School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, 10 Chittaway Road, Ourimbah, New South Wales, 2258, Australia
| | - Darren Burke
- SUNY Empire State College, Metropolitan Center, 325 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013-1005, USADepartment of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 Northeast 151 St, North Miami, FL 33181, USA,School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, 10 Chittaway Road, Ourimbah, New South Wales, 2258, Australia
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36
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Brumm H, Zollinger SA. Vocal plasticity in a reptile. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 284:rspb.2017.0451. [PMID: 28539517 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2017.0451] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2017] [Accepted: 04/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sophisticated vocal communication systems of birds and mammals, including human speech, are characterized by a high degree of plasticity in which signals are individually adjusted in response to changes in the environment. Here, we present, to our knowledge, the first evidence for vocal plasticity in a reptile. Like birds and mammals, tokay geckos (Gekko gecko) increased the duration of brief call notes in the presence of broadcast noise compared to quiet conditions, a behaviour that facilitates signal detection by receivers. By contrast, they did not adjust the amplitudes of their call syllables in noise (the Lombard effect), which is in line with the hypothesis that the Lombard effect has evolved independently in birds and mammals. However, the geckos used a different strategy to increase signal-to-noise ratios: instead of increasing the amplitude of a given call type when exposed to noise, the subjects produced more high-amplitude syllable types from their repertoire. Our findings demonstrate that reptile vocalizations are much more flexible than previously thought, including elaborate vocal plasticity that is also important for the complex signalling systems of birds and mammals. We suggest that signal detection constraints are one of the major forces driving the evolution of animal communication systems across different taxa.
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Affiliation(s)
- Henrik Brumm
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Sue Anne Zollinger
- Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Eberhard-Gwinner-Straße, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
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37
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Bian X, Chandler T, Laird W, Pinilla A, Peters R. Integrating evolutionary biology with digital arts to quantify ecological constraints on vision‐based behaviour. Methods Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.12912] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Xue Bian
- Animal Behaviour Group Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Melbourne VIC Australia
| | - Tom Chandler
- Faculty of Information Technology Monash University Caulfield East VIC Australia
| | - Warwick Laird
- Faculty of Information Technology Monash University Caulfield East VIC Australia
| | - Angela Pinilla
- Faculty of Information Technology Monash University Caulfield East VIC Australia
| | - Richard Peters
- Animal Behaviour Group Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution La Trobe University Melbourne VIC Australia
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38
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Echeverri SA, Morehouse NI, Zurek DB. Control of signaling alignment during the dynamic courtship display of a jumping spider. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx107] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sebastian A Echeverri
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
| | - Nathan I Morehouse
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 7148 Edwards One, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
| | - Daniel B Zurek
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, 4249 5th Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260, USA
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, 7148 Edwards One, Cincinnati, OH 45221, USA
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Cuthill IC, Allen WL, Arbuckle K, Caspers B, Chaplin G, Hauber ME, Hill GE, Jablonski NG, Jiggins CD, Kelber A, Mappes J, Marshall J, Merrill R, Osorio D, Prum R, Roberts NW, Roulin A, Rowland HM, Sherratt TN, Skelhorn J, Speed MP, Stevens M, Stoddard MC, Stuart-Fox D, Talas L, Tibbetts E, Caro T. The biology of color. Science 2017; 357:357/6350/eaan0221. [DOI: 10.1126/science.aan0221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 353] [Impact Index Per Article: 50.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
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Motion-based signaling in sympatric species of Australian agamid lizards. J Comp Physiol A Neuroethol Sens Neural Behav Physiol 2017; 203:661-671. [DOI: 10.1007/s00359-017-1185-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2017] [Revised: 05/19/2017] [Accepted: 05/23/2017] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Ramos JA, Peters RA. Habitat-dependent variation in motion signal structure between allopatric populations of lizards. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.01.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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Lee N, Ward JL, Vélez A, Micheyl C, Bee MA. Frogs Exploit Statistical Regularities in Noisy Acoustic Scenes to Solve Cocktail-Party-like Problems. Curr Biol 2017; 27:743-750. [PMID: 28238657 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2017.01.031] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2016] [Revised: 01/13/2017] [Accepted: 01/18/2017] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Noise is a ubiquitous source of errors in all forms of communication [1]. Noise-induced errors in speech communication, for example, make it difficult for humans to converse in noisy social settings, a challenge aptly named the "cocktail party problem" [2]. Many nonhuman animals also communicate acoustically in noisy social groups and thus face biologically analogous problems [3]. However, we know little about how the perceptual systems of receivers are evolutionarily adapted to avoid the costs of noise-induced errors in communication. In this study of Cope's gray treefrog (Hyla chrysoscelis; Hylidae), we investigated whether receivers exploit a potential statistical regularity present in noisy acoustic scenes to reduce errors in signal recognition and discrimination. We developed an anatomical/physiological model of the peripheral auditory system to show that temporal correlation in amplitude fluctuations across the frequency spectrum ("comodulation") [4-6] is a feature of the noise generated by large breeding choruses of sexually advertising males. In four psychophysical experiments, we investigated whether females exploit comodulation in background noise to mitigate noise-induced errors in evolutionarily critical mate-choice decisions. Subjects experienced fewer errors in recognizing conspecific calls and in selecting the calls of high-quality mates in the presence of simulated chorus noise that was comodulated. These data show unequivocally, and for the first time, that exploiting statistical regularities present in noisy acoustic scenes is an important biological strategy for solving cocktail-party-like problems in nonhuman animal communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Norman Lee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA.
| | - Jessica L Ward
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Department of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Biology, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Alejandro Vélez
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Christophe Micheyl
- Department of Psychology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Mark A Bee
- Department of Ecology, Evolution, and Behavior, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA; Graduate Program in Neuroscience, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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44
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Roberts AI, Roberts SGB. Gestural Communication and Mating Tactics in Wild Chimpanzees. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0139683. [PMID: 26536467 PMCID: PMC4633128 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0139683] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2015] [Accepted: 09/16/2015] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
The extent to which primates can flexibly adjust the production of gestural communication according to the presence and visual attention of the audience provides key insights into the social cognition underpinning gestural communication, such as an understanding of third party relationships. Gestures given in a mating context provide an ideal area for examining this flexibility, as frequently the interests of a male signaller, a female recipient and a rival male bystander conflict. Dominant chimpanzee males seek to monopolize matings, but subordinate males may use gestural communication flexibly to achieve matings despite their low rank. Here we show that the production of mating gestures in wild male East African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweunfurthii) was influenced by a conflict of interest with females, which in turn was influenced by the presence and visual attention of rival males. When the conflict of interest was low (the rival male was present and looking away), chimpanzees used visual/ tactile gestures over auditory gestures. However, when the conflict of interest was high (the rival male was absent, or was present and looking at the signaller) chimpanzees used auditory gestures over visual/ tactile gestures. Further, the production of mating gestures was more common when the number of oestrous and non-oestrus females in the party increased, when the female was visually perceptive and when there was no wind. Females played an active role in mating behaviour, approaching for copulations more often when the number of oestrus females in the party increased and when the rival male was absent, or was present and looking away. Examining how social and ecological factors affect mating tactics in primates may thus contribute to understanding the previously unexplained reproductive success of subordinate male chimpanzees.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna Ilona Roberts
- Department of Psychology, University of Chester, Chester, Parkgate Road, Chester, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
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45
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Ramos JA, Peters RA. Dragon wars: Movement-based signalling by Australian agamid lizards in relation to species ecology. AUSTRAL ECOL 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.12312] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- José Antonio Ramos
- Animal Behaviour Group; Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution; La Trobe University; Bundoora Victoria 3083 Australia
| | - Richard Anthony Peters
- Animal Behaviour Group; Department of Ecology, Environment and Evolution; La Trobe University; Bundoora Victoria 3083 Australia
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Ord TJ, Klomp DA, Garcia-Porta J, Hagman M. Repeated evolution of exaggerated dewlaps and other throat morphology in lizards. J Evol Biol 2015; 28:1948-64. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12709] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2015] [Revised: 07/15/2015] [Accepted: 07/29/2015] [Indexed: 01/16/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- T. J. Ord
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of New South Wales; Kensington NSW Australia
| | - D. A. Klomp
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of New South Wales; Kensington NSW Australia
| | - J. Garcia-Porta
- Institute of Evolutionary Biology (CSIC-Universitat Pompeu Fabra); Barcelona Spain
| | - M. Hagman
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre; School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences; The University of New South Wales; Kensington NSW Australia
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Bian X, Elgar MA, Peters RA. The swaying behavior ofExtatosoma tiaratum: motion camouflage in a stick insect? Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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The importance of syntax in a dynamic visual signal: recognition of jacky dragon displays depends upon sequence. Acta Ethol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-014-0209-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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McGowan MM, Patel PD, Stroh JD, Blumstein DT. The Effect of Human Presence and Human Activity on Risk Assessment and Flight Initiation Distance in Skinks. Ethology 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Marilyn M. McGowan
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Priya D. Patel
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Jolie D. Stroh
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA USA
| | - Daniel T. Blumstein
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Los Angeles CA USA
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