1
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Clark DL, Macedonia JM, Neyer EE, Mish AME, Rowe JW, Valle CA. Display Responses of Galápagos Lava Lizards ( Microlophus bivittatus) to Manipulation of Male Shoulder Epaulets on Conspecific-Mimicking Robots. HERPETOLOGICA 2023. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-22-00026] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 03/09/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - John W. Rowe
- Department of Biolog Alma College Alma MI 48801 USA
| | - Carlos A. Valle
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito, Campus Cumbayá Av. Diego de Robles S/N e Interoceánica, Quito, Ecuador
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2
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Vicenzi N, Vicente NS. Headbobing behavior in the high mountain lizard Phymaturus palluma: effects of sex and context. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2023. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-bja10121] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Abstract
Abstract
Headbobbing represents one of the primary sources of communication in Iguanian lizards. Here, we describe and analyze for the first time the form and structure of the headbob display in a species of the Phymaturus genus, and compare it across sexes, social contexts, and with other species of its family. We video-recorded Phymaturus palluma adult lizards, obtained the form and structure of headbobs and evaluated the effect of sex and social context on their performing generalized linear mixed models. We found that in P. palluma, headbob is a complex display composed of several units. Headbob pattern is stereotyped, with less than 35% of variation between individuals, suggesting that it is species-specific. Moreover, units vary among sex and social context, revealing that this display is multicomponent and non-redundant following the multiple-message hypothesis. We also found that the headbob pattern was more complex than in other Liolaemidae lizards, which probably is related to the social systems registered in Phymaturus.
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Affiliation(s)
- Nadia Vicenzi
- Instituto Argentino de Investigaciones de las Zonas Áridas, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Avenida Ruiz Leal s/n, Ciudad de Mendoza 5500, Mendoza, Argentina
- Facultad de Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, Padre Contreras 1300, Ciudad de Mendoza 5500, Mendoza, Argentina
| | - Natalin S. Vicente
- Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, Fundación Miguel Lillo, Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Miguel Lillo 251, San Miguel de Tucumán 4000, Tucumán, Argentina
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3
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Manara V, Ruberto T, Swaney WT, Reddon AR. Subordinate submissive responses are predicted by dominant behaviour in a cooperatively breeding fish. BEHAVIOUR 2022. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-bja10192] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In complex social groups, animals rely on communication to facilitate priority access to resources and minimise the costs of conflict. Animals typically have more aggression signals than submission signals. However, some social species do show multiple submission signals, and the context in which these different signals are used is often not well understood. In the current study, we assessed agonistic interactions within groups of the cooperatively breeding daffodil cichlid fish (Neolamprologus pulcher) to investigate the relationship between the aggressive behaviours of the dominant breeding pair, and the submissive responses of the highest ranked subordinate within the group. Daffodil cichlids may respond to aggression by fleeing or by the production of either a tail quiver display or a head up display. Among the two submission signals, the tail quiver display was used more frequently in response to a threat display, while head up displays were produced approximately equally in response to both threat displays and overt aggression. An exaggerated version of the head up display was given more often in response to overt aggression, suggesting a graded submissive response both within and between the two submission signals. Within fish, the frequency of head up displays, but not tail quiver displays, correlated positively with the frequency of threat displays received. The current study helps us to better understand the use of submission signals in a highly social vertebrate and sheds light on submission as an understudied aspect of communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Veronica Manara
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Tommaso Ruberto
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - William T. Swaney
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Adam R. Reddon
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
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4
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Kenyon HL, Martin PR. Aggressive signaling among competing species of birds. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13431. [PMID: 35722268 PMCID: PMC9202552 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13431] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 04/21/2022] [Indexed: 01/14/2023] Open
Abstract
Aggressive interactions help individuals to gain access to and defend resources, but they can be costly, leading to increased predation risk, injury, or death. Signals involving sounds and color can allow birds to avoid the costs of intraspecific aggressive encounters, but we know less about agonistic signaling between species, where fights can be frequent and just as costly. Here, we review photographic and video evidence of aggressive interactions among species of birds (N = 337 interactions documenting the aggressive signals of 164 different bird species from 120 genera, 50 families, and 24 orders) to document how individuals signal in aggressive encounters among species, and explore whether these visual signals are similar to those used in aggressive encounters with conspecifics. Despite the diversity of birds examined, most aggressively signaling birds displayed weapons (bills, talons, wings) used in fighting and placed these weapons closest to their heterospecific opponent when signaling. Most species oriented their bodies and heads forward with their bills pointing towards their heterospecific opponent, often highlighting their face, throat, mouth, and bill. Many birds also opened their wings and/or tails, increasing their apparent size in displays, consistent with the importance of body size in determining behavioral dominance among species. Aggressive postures were often similar across species and taxonomic families. Exceptions included Accipitridae and Falconidae, which often highlighted their talons in the air, Columbidae, which often highlighted their underwings from the side, and Trochilidae, which often hovered upright in the air and pointed their fanned tail downward. Most species highlighted bright carotenoid-based colors in their signals, but highlighted colors varied across species and often involved multiple colors in combination (e.g., black, white, and carotenoid-based colors). Finally, birds tended to use the same visual signals in aggressive encounters with heterospecifics that they use in aggressive encounters with conspecifics, suggesting that selection from aggressive interactions may act on the same signaling traits regardless of competitor identity.
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5
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Poma-Soto F, Narváez AE, Romero-Carvajal A. Visual Signaling in the Semi-Fossorial Lizard Pholidobolus montium (Gymnophthalmidae). Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113022. [PMID: 34827756 PMCID: PMC8614464 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113022] [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: 08/31/2021] [Revised: 09/19/2021] [Accepted: 09/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Lizards display multiple communication modalities, through chemical, visual, vocal, or tactile signals which mediate sociality, reproduction, territoriality, competition, and other complex interactions among individuals. In some species that dwell on the surface, it has been shown that multimodal communication is possible, for example, visual and chemical communication. It is less known if lizards that dwell in caves or burrows (fossorial) also use visual signals. By studying behavior in a semi-fossorial lizard from the northern Ecuadorian Andes, we have discovered that they can use visual signals like leg movements and body arching to communicate. In this manuscript, we describe these observations and discuss the potential roles of these signals. This is the first description of such behaviors in semi-fossorial lizards. Abstract It has been suggested that gymnophthalmids, like most semi-fossorial lacertoids, rely more in chemical cues to communicate, in comparison to other groups, like Iguanids, on which communication is mostly based on visual signaling. We present the first description of visual signaling in the Andean lizard Pholidobolusmontium (Gymnophthalmidae) and a complete ethogram based on ex situ observations (34 different types of behaviors including positions and simple movements). Through the design of conspecific stimulus experiments, we were able to recognize leg-waving as a visual signal, as it is only displayed in presence of conspecifics or in presence of a mirror and was one of first and most frequent displays in this context. We also detected other visual displays like neck-arching and tail-undulation which may also be relevant as visual signals. Based on our results, we propose that visual signaling is also possible in semi-fossorial lizards; however, further studies regarding chemical signal recognition and color detection are required to confirm our hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franco Poma-Soto
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
| | - Andrea E. Narváez
- Fundacion Great Leaf, De las Azucenas N47-60 y Av. Eloy Alfaro, Quito 170503, Ecuador
| | - Andrés Romero-Carvajal
- Escuela de Ciencias Biológicas, Pontificia Universidad Católica del Ecuador, Quito 170525, Ecuador
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +593-22-991700 (ext. 1280)
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6
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Abstract
Abstract
Aggression is costly, and animals have evolved tactics to mitigate these costs. Submission signals are an underappreciated example of such adaptations. Here we review submissive behaviour, with an emphasis on non-primates. We highlight the design of submission signals and how such signals can reduce costs. Animal societies necessitate frequent social interactions, which can increase the probability of conflict. Where maintaining group proximity is essential, animals cannot avoid aggression by fleeing. Mutual interest between group members may also select for efficient conflict avoidance and resolution mechanisms. As a result, submission signals may be especially well developed among group living species, helping social animals to overcome potential costs of recurring conflict that could otherwise counter the benefits of group living. Therefore, submission signalling can be a crucial aspect of social living and is deserving of specific attention within the broader context of social evolution and communication.
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Affiliation(s)
- Adam R. Reddon
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
| | - Tommaso Ruberto
- School of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Liverpool John Moores University, Liverpool, UK
| | - Simon M. Reader
- Department of Biology, McGill University, Montreal, Quebec, Canada
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7
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Unraveling the content of tail displays in an Asian agamid lizard. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03062-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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8
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Macedonia JM, Clark DL, Fonley MR. Analysis of Bobbing Displays in the Grahami Series Anoles from Jamaica and Grand Cayman. HERPETOLOGICAL MONOGRAPHS 2021. [DOI: 10.1655/herpmonographs-d-20-00007] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
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9
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Scali S, Mangiacotti M, Sacchi R, Coladonato AJ, Falaschi M, Saviano L, Rampoldi MG, Crozi M, Perotti C, Zucca F, Gozzo E, Zuffi MAL. Close encounters of the three morphs: Does color affect aggression in a polymorphic lizard? Aggress Behav 2021; 47:430-438. [PMID: 33682154 DOI: 10.1002/ab.21961] [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: 07/03/2020] [Revised: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/23/2021] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Color polymorphism is genetically controlled, and the process generating and maintaining morphs can affect speciation/extinction rates. Color badges are useful signals in intraspecific communication because they convey information about alternative strategies and can potentially decrease unnecessary conflicts among different color morphs. Competition and aggressive interactions among color morphs can contribute to polymorphism maintenance. This could lead to an uneven spatial distribution of morphs in a population because the local frequency of each morph establishes the intensity of the competition and the fitness of each male. We used a polymorphic lizard, Podarcis muralis, to assess if aggression varies among morphs under two contrasting hypotheses: a heteromorphic versus homomorphic aggression. We used laboratory mirror tests after lizard color manipulation, and we verified the consistency of results with an analysis of the spatial distribution of morphs in a wild population. Both the experiments confirmed that aggression is more common during homomorphic than heteromorphic contests. The adoption of alternative behavioral strategies that minimize risks and costs could facilitate the stable coexistence of the phenotypes and reduce competition. A bias in aggression would advantage rarer morph, which would suffer less harassment by common morphs obtaining a fitness advantage. This process would be negatively-frequency-dependent and would stabilize polymorphism, possibly contributing to sympatric speciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefano Scali
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology Natural History Museum of Milan Milano Italy
| | - Marco Mangiacotti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Roberto Sacchi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | | | - Mattia Falaschi
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy University of Milan Milano Italy
| | - Luca Saviano
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology Natural History Museum of Milan Milano Italy
| | | | - Matteo Crozi
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Cesare Perotti
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Francesco Zucca
- Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences University of Pavia Pavia Italy
| | - Elisabetta Gozzo
- Department of Vertebrate Zoology Natural History Museum of Milan Milano Italy
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10
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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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11
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Head up displays are a submission signal in the group-living daffodil cichlid. Behav Processes 2020; 181:104271. [PMID: 33053419 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2020.104271] [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] [Received: 07/27/2020] [Revised: 09/22/2020] [Accepted: 10/04/2020] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dominance hierarchies can reduce conflict within social groups and agonistic signals can help to establish and maintain these hierarchies. Behaviours produced by subordinates in response to aggression are often assumed to function as signals of submission, however, these behaviours may serve other purposes, for example, defence or escape. For a behaviour to act as a submission signal, the receiver must respond by reducing their likelihood of further aggression towards the signaller. In the current study, we examine the receiver response to a putative signal of submission, the head up display, within established social groups of the cooperatively breeding fish, the daffodil cichlid (Neolamprologus pulcher). We found that when subordinate signallers produce the head up display in response to aggression from the breeder male, he exhibited a longer latency to behave aggressively towards that individual again. We also report that head up displays are rarely produced without being elicited by aggression, and the number of head up displays correlates with the amount of aggression received. Our results demonstrate that the head up display is used as a signal of submission in the daffodil cichlid and provide insight into intragroup communication in an emerging model system for the study of social behaviour.
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12
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Fischer A, Goh XH, Varney JLS, Blake AJ, Takács S, Gries G. Multimodal and multifunctional signaling? - Web reduction courtship behavior in a North American population of the false black widow spider. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0228988. [PMID: 32101544 PMCID: PMC7043733 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0228988] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Males of widow spiders courting on the web of females engage in web-reduction behavior which entails excising a section of the web, bundling it up, and wrapping it with their silk. Males of the false black widow spider, Steatoda grossa, in European populations also produce stridulatory courtship sound which has not yet been studied in their invaded North American range. Working with a North American population of S. grossa, we tested the hypotheses that (1) web reduction by males renders webs less attractive to rival males; (2) deposition of silk by courting males has an inter-sexual (male-female) signal function that enhances their likelihood of copulation; and (3) stridulatory sound is a courtship signal of males. Testing anemotactic attraction of males in Y-tube olfactometer experiments revealed that reduced webs (indicative of a mated female) and intact webs (indicative of a virgin female) were equally attractive to males. Recording courtship behavior of males with either functional (silk-releasing) spinnerets or spinnerets experimentally occluded on the web of virgin females showed that males with functional spinnerets were more likely to copulate with the female they courted. Although males possess the stridulatory apparatus to produce courtship sound, they did not stridulate when courting or copulating on the web of females. Our data support the conclusion that web-reduction behavior of S. grossa males in their invaded North American range has no long-range effect on mate seeking males. Instead, web-reduction behavior has an inter-sexual signaling function that seems to be linked to functional spinnerets of the courting male. The signal produced by a male likely entails a volatile silk-borne pheromone, but may also embody a gauge of his endurance (the amount of time he engages in web reduction causing web vibrations).
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Fischer
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Xiang Hao Goh
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | | | - Adam J. Blake
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Stephen Takács
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
| | - Gerhard Gries
- Department of Biological Sciences, Simon Fraser University, Burnaby, BC, Canada
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13
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Clark DL, Macedonia JM, Rowe JW, Austin MR, Centurione IM, Valle CA. Galápagos lava lizards (Microlophus bivittatus) respond dynamically to displays from interactive conspecific robots. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-019-2732-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
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14
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Moran IG, Doucet SM, Newman AEM, Ryan Norris D, Mennill DJ. Quiet violence: Savannah Sparrows respond to playback-simulated rivals using low-amplitude songs as aggressive signals. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12805] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ines G. Moran
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Stéphanie M. Doucet
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario Canada
| | - Amy E. M. Newman
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - D. Ryan Norris
- Department of Integrative Biology; University of Guelph; Guelph Ontario Canada
| | - Daniel J. Mennill
- Department of Biological Sciences; University of Windsor; Windsor Ontario Canada
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15
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Vicente NS. Headbob displays signal sex, social context and species identity in a Liolaemus lizard. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-17000163] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Animal communication has a key role in animals and identifying the signals’ function is crucial. Most lizards communicate with each other through visual signals with headbob displays, which are up-and-down movements of the head or the anterior part of the body. In the present work, I described and analysed the headbob displays of Liolaemus pacha lizards in their natural habitat. Specifically, the objectives were to describe the form of headbobs, to analyse their structure and to compare between sexes and social contexts. Adult lizards were video-recorded, registering the sex and the social context, classified as broadcast, same-sex and female-male interactions. The form and structure of sequences and headbobs were obtained. To evaluate the effect of sex and social context on the structure of headbob sequences and on headbob bouts, generalized linear mixed models were made. Intersexual differences were found in headbob display frequency and in the structure of headbob sequences. Lizards in same-sex context made sequences with more bouts, shorter intervals, headbob bouts of longer duration and higher amplitude than broadcast and female-male context. Presence of concurring behaviour such as lateral compression, gular expansion, and back arching occurred simultaneously with headbobs in same-sex context. Liolaemus pacha made four different headbob bout forms, and males were characterised by using bouts A and B, whereas females used bouts D more frequent. Sex and social context influenced only the structure of bouts A and B. The results showed that bouts A and B might be multi-component signals and non-redundant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Natalin S. Vicente
- Instituto de Herpetología, Unidad Ejecutora Lillo, Fundación Miguel Lillo, CONICET. San Miguel de Tucumán, Tucumán, Argentina
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16
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Hardy EJ, Bumm LA, Schlupp I. Social function of a variable lateral stripe inXiphophorus hellerii? Ethology 2017. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12664] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Lloyd A. Bumm
- Homer L. Dodge Department of Physics and Astronomy; University of Oklahoma; Norman OK USA
| | - Ingo Schlupp
- Department of Biology; University of Oklahoma; Norman OK USA
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17
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Three-dimensional computer graphic animations for studying social approach behaviour in medaka fish: Effects of systematic manipulation of morphological and motion cues. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0175059. [PMID: 28399163 PMCID: PMC5388324 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0175059] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/04/2016] [Accepted: 03/20/2017] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
We studied social approach behaviour in medaka fish using three-dimensional computer graphic (3DCG) animations based on the morphological features and motion characteristics obtained from real fish. This is the first study which used 3DCG animations and examined the relative effects of morphological and motion cues on social approach behaviour in medaka. Various visual stimuli, e.g., lack of motion, lack of colour, alternation in shape, lack of locomotion, lack of body motion, and normal virtual fish in which all four features (colour, shape, locomotion, and body motion) were reconstructed, were created and presented to fish using a computer display. Medaka fish presented with normal virtual fish spent a long time in proximity to the display, whereas time spent near the display was decreased in other groups when compared with normal virtual medaka group. The results suggested that the naturalness of visual cues contributes to the induction of social approach behaviour. Differential effects between body motion and locomotion were also detected. 3DCG animations can be a useful tool to study the mechanisms of visual processing and social behaviour in medaka.
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18
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Chouinard-Thuly L, Gierszewski S, Rosenthal GG, Reader SM, Rieucau G, Woo KL, Gerlai R, Tedore C, Ingley SJ, Stowers JR, Frommen JG, Dolins FL, Witte K. Technical and conceptual considerations for using animated stimuli in studies of animal behavior. Curr Zool 2017; 63:5-19. [PMID: 29491958 PMCID: PMC5804155 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/02/2016] [Accepted: 10/12/2016] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Rapid technical advances in the field of computer animation (CA) and virtual reality (VR) have opened new avenues in animal behavior research. Animated stimuli are powerful tools as they offer standardization, repeatability, and complete control over the stimulus presented, thereby "reducing" and "replacing" the animals used, and "refining" the experimental design in line with the 3Rs. However, appropriate use of these technologies raises conceptual and technical questions. In this review, we offer guidelines for common technical and conceptual considerations related to the use of animated stimuli in animal behavior research. Following the steps required to create an animated stimulus, we discuss (I) the creation, (II) the presentation, and (III) the validation of CAs and VRs. Although our review is geared toward computer-graphically designed stimuli, considerations on presentation and validation also apply to video playbacks. CA and VR allow both new behavioral questions to be addressed and existing questions to be addressed in new ways, thus we expect a rich future for these methods in both ultimate and proximate studies of animal behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laura Chouinard-Thuly
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Stefanie Gierszewski
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, Siegen 57068, Germany
| | - Gil G. Rosenthal
- Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, Texas A&M University, 3258 TAMU College Station, TX 77843, USA
- Centro de Investigaciones Científicas de las Huastecas “Aguazarca”, Calnali, Hidalgo, México
| | - Simon M. Reader
- Department of Biology, McGill University, 1205 Docteur Penfield, Montréal, Quebec, Canada H3A 1B1
| | - Guillaume Rieucau
- Department of Biological Sciences, Florida International University, 3000 Northeast 151 Street, North Miami, FL 33181, USA
| | - Kevin L. Woo
- SUNY Empire State College, Metropolitan Center, 325 Hudson Street, New York, NY 10013-1005, USA
| | - Robert Gerlai
- Department of Psychology, University of Toronto Mississauga, 3359 Mississauga Road, Mississauga, Ontario, Canada L5L 1C6
| | - Cynthia Tedore
- Lund Vision Group, Department of Biology, Lund University, Sölvegatan 35, Lund 22362, Sweden
| | - Spencer J. Ingley
- Department of Biology, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, CB#3280, Coker Hall, Chapel Hill, NC 27599, USA
| | - John R. Stowers
- Research Institute of Molecular Pathology IMP, Vienna Biocenter VBC, Dr. Bohr-Gasse 7, Vienna 1030, Austria
- loopbio gmbh, Hauptstrasse 93, Kritzendorf 3420, Austria
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, Hinterkappelen 3032, Switzerland
| | - Francine L. Dolins
- Department of Behavioral Sciences, University of Michigan-Dearborn, 4901 Evergreen Road, Dearborn, MI 48128, USA
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein Str. 2, Siegen 57068, Germany
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19
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Gierszewski S, Müller K, Smielik I, Hütwohl JM, Kuhnert KD, Witte K. The virtual lover: variable and easily guided 3D fish animations as an innovative tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies-II. Validation. Curr Zool 2017; 63:65-74. [PMID: 29491964 PMCID: PMC5804156 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 10/24/2016] [Indexed: 01/30/2023] Open
Abstract
The use of computer animation in behavioral research is a state-of-the-art method for designing and presenting animated animals to live test animals. The major advantages of computer animations are: (1) the creation of animated animal stimuli with high variability of morphology and even behavior; (2) animated stimuli provide highly standardized, controlled and repeatable testing procedures; and (3) they allow a reduction in the number of live test animals regarding the 3Rs principle. But the use of animated animals should be attended by a thorough validation for each test species to verify that behavior measured with live animals toward virtual animals can also be expected with natural stimuli. Here we present results on the validation of a custom-made simulation for animated 3D sailfin mollies Poecilia latipinna and show that responses of live test females were as strong to an animated fish as to a video or a live male fish. Movement of an animated stimulus was important but female response was stronger toward a swimming 3D fish stimulus than to a "swimming" box. Moreover, male test fish were able to discriminate between animated male and female stimuli; hence, rendering the animated 3D fish a useful tool in mate-choice experiments with sailfin mollies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefanie Gierszewski
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
| | - Klaus Müller
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Ievgen Smielik
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Jan-Marco Hütwohl
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Klaus-Dieter Kuhnert
- Institute of Real-Time Learning Systems, Department of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science, University of Siegen, Hölderlinstraße 3, Siegen, 57076, Germany
| | - Klaudia Witte
- Research Group of Ecology and Behavioral Biology, Institute of Biology, University of Siegen, Adolf-Reichwein-Straße 2, Siegen, 57068, Germany
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20
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Balzarini V, Taborsky M, Villa F, Frommen JG. Computer animations of color markings reveal the function of visual threat signals in Neolamprologus pulcher. Curr Zool 2017; 63:45-54. [PMID: 29491962 PMCID: PMC5804153 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow086] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2016] [Accepted: 07/19/2016] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Visual signals, including changes in coloration and color patterns, are frequently used by animals to convey information. During contests, body coloration and its changes can be used to assess an opponent's state or motivation. Communication of aggressive propensity is particularly important in group-living animals with a stable dominance hierarchy, as the outcome of aggressive interactions determines the social rank of group members. Neolamprologus pulcher is a cooperatively breeding cichlid showing frequent within-group aggression. Both sexes exhibit two vertical black stripes on the operculum that vary naturally in shape and darkness. During frontal threat displays these patterns are actively exposed to the opponent, suggesting a signaling function. To investigate the role of operculum stripes during contests we manipulated their darkness in computer animated pictures of the fish. We recorded the responses in behavior and stripe darkness of test subjects to which these animated pictures were presented. Individuals with initially darker stripes were more aggressive against the animations and showed more operculum threat displays. Operculum stripes of test subjects became darker after exposure to an animation exhibiting a pale operculum than after exposure to a dark operculum animation, highlighting the role of the darkness of this color pattern in opponent assessment. We conclude that (i) the black stripes on the operculum of N. pulcher are a reliable signal of aggression and dominance, (ii) these markings play an important role in opponent assessment, and (iii) 2D computer animations are well suited to elicit biologically meaningful short-term aggressive responses in this widely used model system of social evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Valentina Balzarini
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Fabienne Villa
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Institute of Ecology and Evolution, Behavioral Ecology Division, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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21
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Frýdlová P, Šimková O, Janovská V, Velenský P, Frynta D. Offenders tend to be heavier: experimental encounters in mangrove-dwelling monitor lizards (Varanus indicus). Acta Ethol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-016-0246-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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22
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To breathe or fight? Siamese fighting fish differ when facing a real opponent or mirror image. Behav Processes 2016; 129:11-17. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2016.05.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2016] [Revised: 05/20/2016] [Accepted: 05/23/2016] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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23
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Ware ELR, Saunders DR, Troje NF. Social interactivity in pigeon courtship behavior. Curr Zool 2016; 63:85-95. [PMID: 29491966 PMCID: PMC5804144 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zow066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/09/2016] [Revised: 02/09/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/15/2022] Open
Abstract
A closed-loop teleprompter system was used to isolate and manipulate social interactivity in the natural courtship interactions of pigeons Columbia livia. In Experiment 1, a live face-to-face real-time interaction between 2 courting pigeons (Live) was compared to a played back version of the video stimulus recorded during the pairs Live interaction. We found that pigeons were behaving interactively; their behavior depended on the relationships between their own signals and those of their partner. In Experiment 2, we tested whether social interactivity relies on spatial cues present in the facing direction of a partner’s display. By moving the teleprompter camera 90° away from its original location, the partner’s display was manipulated to appear as if it is directed 90° away from the subject. We found no effect of spatial offset on the pigeon’s behavioral response. In Experiment 3, 3 time delays, 1 s, 3 s, and 9 s, a Live condition, and a playback condition were chosen to investigate the importance of temporal contiguity in social interactivity. Furthermore, both opposite-sex (courtship) and same-sex (rivalry) pairs were studied to investigate whether social-context affects social interactivity sensitivity. Our results showed that pigeon courtship behavior is sensitive to temporal contiguity. Behavior declined in the 9 s and Playback conditions as compared to Live condition and the shorter time delays. For males only, courtship behavior also increased in the 3-s delay condition. The effect of social interactivity and time delay was not observed in rivalry interactions, suggesting that social interactivity may be specific to courtship.
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Affiliation(s)
- Emma L R Ware
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, CanadaCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, CanadaWellesley Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 3B, CanadaCentre for Brain/Mind Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, andDepartment of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Daniel R Saunders
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, CanadaCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, CanadaWellesley Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 3B, CanadaCentre for Brain/Mind Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, andDepartment of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
| | - Nikolaus F Troje
- Department of Psychology, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, CanadaCentre for Neuroscience Studies, Queen's University, Kingston, Ontario, K7L 3N6, CanadaWellesley Institute, Toronto, Ontario, M4V 3B, CanadaCentre for Brain/Mind Sciences, University of Trento, Trento, Italy, andDepartment of Biology, Queen's University, Kingston, K7L 3N6, Canada
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24
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King SL. You talkin' to me? Interactive playback is a powerful yet underused tool in animal communication research. Biol Lett 2016; 11:rsbl.2015.0403. [PMID: 26136047 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2015.0403] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Over the years, playback experiments have helped further our understanding of the wonderful world of animal communication. They have provided fundamental insights into animal behaviour and the function of communicative signals in numerous taxa. As important as these experiments are, however, there is strong evidence to suggest that the information conveyed in a signal may only have value when presented interactively. By their very nature, signalling exchanges are interactive and therefore, an interactive playback design is a powerful tool for examining the function of such exchanges. While researchers working on frog and songbird vocal interactions have long championed interactive playback, it remains surprisingly underused across other taxa. The interactive playback approach is not limited to studies of acoustic signalling, but can be applied to other sensory modalities, including visual, chemical and electrical communication. Here, I discuss interactive playback as a potent yet underused technique in the field of animal behaviour. I present a concise review of studies that have used interactive playback thus far, describe how it can be applied, and discuss its limitations and challenges. My hope is that this review will result in more scientists applying this innovative technique to their own study subjects, as a means of furthering our understanding of the function of signalling interactions in animal communication systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie L King
- School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife KY16 8LB, UK
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25
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Lourenco SF, Bonny JW, Schwartz BL. Children and Adults Use Physical Size and Numerical Alliances in Third-Party Judgments of Dominance. Front Psychol 2016; 6:2050. [PMID: 26793158 PMCID: PMC4710889 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2015.02050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2015] [Accepted: 12/23/2015] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Humans and other social animals interact regularly with conspecifics as part of affiliative groups. Many of these interactions are cooperative, but many others involve competition for resources. Competitive exchanges are often resolved on the basis of dominance relationships, with higher-ranking individuals receiving priority access to desired goods. Although no single cue can establish permanent dominance relationships, there are some cues that predict dominance fairly reliably across context. In the present study, we focused on two such cues relevant to competing groups: (i) the physical sizes of individual members, and (ii) their relative number. Using a social competition task, we examined whether, and how, preschool-aged children and adults used differences in physical size and numerical alliances to judge which of two groups should prevail in a competitive exchange for a desired object. These judgments were made when either physical size or number differed between groups (Experiment 1), and when both were available but pitted against each other (Experiments 1 and 2). Our findings revealed that by 3 years of age, humans use multiple perceptible cues in third-party judgments of dominance. Our findings also revealed that 3-year-olds, like adults, weighted these cues flexibly according to the additional factor of overall group size, with the physical sizes of individuals determining dominance in smaller groups (e.g., 2 vs. 4 characters) and the relative number of individuals determining dominance in larger groups (e.g., 15 vs. 30 characters). Taken together, our findings suggest that a basic formula for determining dominance in competitive exchanges, which weights physical size of individuals and numerical alliances as a function of overall group size, is available to young children and appears fairly stable through to adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Justin W. Bonny
- Department of Psychology, California State University, San Bernardino, San BernardinoCA, USA
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26
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Macedonia JM, Clark DL, Brown ZN, Gensterblum S, McNabb L, Myrberg AB, Myrberg BD, Petroche MF, Karson A. Responses of Anolis grahami Males to Manipulations of Species Identity and Components of Displays in Lizard Robots. HERPETOLOGICA 2015. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-14-00044] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - David L. Clark
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | - Z. Nicholas Brown
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33801, USA
| | | | - Lauren McNabb
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
| | - Ashley B. Myrberg
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33801, USA
| | - Brooke D. Myrberg
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33801, USA
| | - Maria F. Petroche
- Department of Biology, Florida Southern College, Lakeland, FL 33801, USA
| | - Adam Karson
- Department of Biology, Alma College, Alma, MI 48801, USA
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27
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Fresnillo B, Belliure J, Cuervo JJ. Red coloration in juvenile spiny-footed lizards, Acanthodactylus erythrurus, reduces adult aggression. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.01.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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28
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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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29
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Elwood RW, Stoilova V, McDonnell A, Earley RL, Arnott G. Do mirrors reflect reality in agonistic encounters? A test of mutual cooperation in displays. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.07.028] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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30
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Tibbetts EA. The evolution of honest communication: integrating social and physiological costs of ornamentation. Integr Comp Biol 2014; 54:578-90. [PMID: 24944118 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icu083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Much research on animal communication has addressed how costs such as social costs or physiological costs favor the accuracy of signals. Previous work has largely considered these costs separately, but we may be missing essential connections by studying costs in isolation. After all, social interactions produce rapid changes in hormone titers which can then affect individual behavior and physiology. As a result, social costs are likely to have widespread physiological consequences. Here, I present a new perspective on the factors that maintain honest signals by describing how the interplay between social costs and physiological costs may maintain an accurate link between an animal's abilities and ornament elaboration. I outline three specific mechanisms by which the interaction between social behavior and hormones could favor honest signals and present specific predictions for each of the three models. Then, I review how ornaments alter agonistic behavior, agonistic behavior influences hormones, and how these hormonal effects influence fitness. I also describe the few previous studies that have directly tested how ornaments influence hormones. Finally, opportunities for future work are discussed. Considering the interaction between social behavior and physiology may address some challenges associated with both social and physiological models of costs. Understanding the dynamic feedbacks between physiology and social costs has potential to transform our understanding of the stability of animals' communication systems.
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31
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Ligon RA. Defeated chameleons darken dynamically during dyadic disputes to decrease danger from dominants. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1713-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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32
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Mirror, mirror on the wall: the predictive value of mirror tests for measuring aggression in fish. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-014-1698-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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Preininger D, Boeckle M, Sztatecsny M, Hödl W. Divergent receiver responses to components of multimodal signals in two foot-flagging frog species. PLoS One 2013; 8:e55367. [PMID: 23383168 PMCID: PMC3558420 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0055367] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2012] [Accepted: 12/21/2012] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Multimodal communication of acoustic and visual signals serves a vital role in the mating system of anuran amphibians. To understand signal evolution and function in multimodal signal design it is critical to test receiver responses to unimodal signal components versus multimodal composite signals. We investigated two anuran species displaying a conspicuous foot-flagging behavior in addition to or in combination with advertisement calls while announcing their signaling sites to conspecifics. To investigate the conspicuousness of the foot-flagging signals, we measured and compared spectral reflectance of foot webbings of Micrixalus saxicola and Staurois parvus using a spectrophotometer. We performed behavioral field experiments using a model frog including an extendable leg combined with acoustic playbacks to test receiver responses to acoustic, visual and combined audio-visual stimuli. Our results indicated that the foot webbings of S. parvus achieved a 13 times higher contrast against their visual background than feet of M. saxicola. The main response to all experimental stimuli in S. parvus was foot flagging, whereas M. saxicola responded primarily with calls but never foot flagged. Together these across-species differences suggest that in S. parvus foot-flagging behavior is applied as a salient and frequently used communicative signal during agonistic behavior, whereas we propose it constitutes an evolutionary nascent state in ritualization of the current fighting behavior in M. saxicola.
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Affiliation(s)
- Doris Preininger
- Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
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35
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Woo K, Rieucau G. Efficiency of aggressive and submissive visual displays against environmental motion noise in Jacky dragon (Amphibolurus muricatus). ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/03949370.2012.711370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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36
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Baker TM, Wilson DR, Mennill DJ. Vocal signals predict attack during aggressive interactions in black-capped chickadees. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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37
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Picture-object recognition in the tortoise Chelonoidis carbonaria. Anim Cogn 2012; 16:99-107. [PMID: 22945433 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0555-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2012] [Revised: 08/07/2012] [Accepted: 08/21/2012] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
Abstract
To recognize that a picture is a representation of a real-life object is a cognitively demanding task. It requires an organism to mentally represent the concrete object (the picture) and abstract its relation to the item that it represents. This form of representational insight has been shown in a small number of mammal and bird species. However, it has not previously been studied in reptiles. This study examined picture-object recognition in the red-footed tortoise (Chelonoidis carbonaria). In Experiment 1, five red-footed tortoises were trained to distinguish between food and non-food objects using a two-alternative forced choice procedure. After reaching criterion, they were presented with test trials in which the real objects were replaced with color photographs of those objects. There was no difference in performance between training and test trials, suggesting that the tortoises did see some correspondence between the real object and its photographic representation. Experiment 2 examined the nature of this correspondence by presenting the tortoises with a choice between the real food object and a photograph of it. The findings revealed that the tortoises confused the photograph with the real-life object. This suggests that they process real items and photographic representations of these items in the same way and, in this context, do not exhibit representational insight.
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38
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Woo KL, Rieucau G. From dummies to animations: a review of computer-animated stimuli used in animal behavior studies. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2011. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-011-1226-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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39
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On the function of an enigmatic ornament: wattles increase the conspicuousness of visual displays in male fowl. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2009.07.034] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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40
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Marsh AA, Yu HH, Schechter JC, Blair RJR. Larger than life: humans' nonverbal status cues alter perceived size. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5707. [PMID: 19479082 PMCID: PMC2682645 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005707] [Citation(s) in RCA: 42] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2009] [Accepted: 04/27/2009] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Social dominance and physical size are closely linked. Nonverbal dominance displays in many non-human species are known to increase the displayer's apparent size. Humans also employ a variety of nonverbal cues that increase apparent status, but it is not yet known whether these cues function via a similar mechanism: by increasing the displayer's apparent size. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDING We generated stimuli in which actors displayed high status, neutral, or low status cues that were drawn from the findings of a recent meta-analysis. We then conducted four studies that indicated that nonverbal cues that increase apparent status do so by increasing the perceived size of the displayer. Experiment 1 demonstrated that nonverbal status cues affect perceivers' judgments of physical size. The results of Experiment 2 showed that altering simple perceptual cues can affect judgments of both size and perceived status. Experiment 3 used objective measurements to demonstrate that status cues change targets' apparent size in the two-dimensional plane visible to a perceiver, and Experiment 4 showed that changes in perceived size mediate changes in perceived status, and that the cue most associated with this phenomenon is postural openness. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We conclude that nonverbal cues associated with social dominance also affect the perceived size of the displayer. This suggests that certain nonverbal dominance cues in humans may function as they do in other species: by creating the appearance of changes in physical size.
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Affiliation(s)
- Abigail A Marsh
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, United States of America.
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