1
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Zhu LS, Lai C, Zhou CW, Chen HY, Liu ZQ, Guo Z, Man H, Du HY, Lu Y, Hu F, Chen Z, Shu K, Zhu LQ, Liu D. Postsynaptic lncRNA Sera/Pkm2 pathway orchestrates the transition from social competition to rank by remodeling the neural ensemble in mPFC. Cell Discov 2024; 10:87. [PMID: 39160208 PMCID: PMC11333582 DOI: 10.1038/s41421-024-00706-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/21/2024] Open
Abstract
Individuals' continuous success in competitive interactions with conspecifics strongly affects their social hierarchy. Medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) is the key brain region mediating both social competition and hierarchy. However, the molecular regulatory mechanisms underlying the neural ensemble in the mPFC remains unclear. Here, we demonstrate that in excitatory neurons of prelimbic cortex (PL), lncRNA Sera remodels the utilization of Pkm Exon9 and Exon10, resulting in a decrease in the Pkm1/2 ratio in highly competitive mice. By employing a tet-on/off system, we disrupt or rebuild the normal Pkm1/2 ratio by controlling the expression of Pkm2 in PL excitatory neurons. We find that long-term Pkm2 modulation induces timely competition alteration and hysteretic rank change, through phosphorylating the Ser845 site of GluA1. Together, this study uncovers a crucial role of lncRNA Sera/Pkm2 pathway in the transition of social competition to rank by remodeling neural ensemble in mPFC.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ling-Shuang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chuan Lai
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Chao-Wen Zhou
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Hui-Yang Chen
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhi-Qiang Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Ziyuan Guo
- Center for Stem Cell and Organoid Medicine (CuSTOM), Division of Developmental Biology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Hengye Man
- Department of Biology, Boston University, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Hui-Yun Du
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Youming Lu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Feng Hu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Zhiye Chen
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China
| | - Kai Shu
- Department of Neurosurgery, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Ling-Qiang Zhu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
| | - Dan Liu
- Department of Pathophysiology, Key Lab of Neurological Disorder of Education Ministry, School of Basic Medicine, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei, China.
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2
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Liao CC, Magrath RD, Manser MB, Farine DR. The relative contribution of acoustic signals versus movement cues in group coordination and collective decision-making. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2024; 379:20230184. [PMID: 38768199 PMCID: PMC11391321 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2023.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2023] [Revised: 01/30/2024] [Accepted: 03/04/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024] Open
Abstract
To benefit from group living, individuals need to maintain cohesion and coordinate their activities. Effective communication thus becomes critical, facilitating rapid coordination of behaviours and reducing consensus costs when group members have differing needs and information. In many bird and mammal species, collective decisions rely on acoustic signals in some contexts but on movement cues in others. Yet, to date, there is no clear conceptual framework that predicts when decisions should evolve to be based on acoustic signals versus movement cues. Here, we first review how acoustic signals and movement cues are used for coordinating activities. We then outline how information masking, discrimination ability (Weber's Law) and encoding limitations, as well as trade-offs between these, can identify which types of collective behaviours likely rely on acoustic signals or movement cues. Specifically, our framework proposes that behaviours involving the timing of events or expression of specific actions should rely more on acoustic signals, whereas decisions involving complex choices with multiple options (e.g. direction and destination) should generally use movement cues because sounds are more vulnerable to information masking and Weber's Law effects. We then discuss potential future avenues of enquiry, including multimodal communication and collective decision-making by mixed-species animal groups. This article is part of the theme issue 'The power of sound: unravelling how acoustic communication shapes group dynamic'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chun-Chieh Liao
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT , 2600, Australia
| | - Robert D Magrath
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT , 2600, Australia
| | - Marta B Manser
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Zürich , 8057, Switzerland
| | - Damien R Farine
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, Australian National University , Canberra, ACT , 2600, Australia
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich , Zürich , 8057, Switzerland
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior , Radolfzell , 78315, Germany
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3
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Streiff C, Herrera A, Voelkl B, Palme R, Würbel H, Novak J. The impact of cage dividers on mouse aggression, dominance and hormone levels. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0297358. [PMID: 38324564 PMCID: PMC10849263 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0297358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/01/2023] [Accepted: 01/02/2024] [Indexed: 02/09/2024] Open
Abstract
Home cage aggression in group-housed male mice is a major welfare concern and may compromise animal research. Conventional cages prevent flight or retreat from sight, increasing the risk that agonistic encounters will result in injury. Moreover, depending on social rank, mice vary in their phenotype, and these effects seem highly variable and dependent on the social context. Interventions that reduce aggression, therefore, may reduce not only injuries and stress, but also variability between cage mates. Here we housed male mice (Balb/c and SWISS, group sizes of three and five) with or without partial cage dividers for two months. Mice were inspected for wounding weekly and home cages were recorded during housing and after 6h isolation housing, to assess aggression and assign individual social ranks. Fecal boli and fur were collected to quantify steroid levels. We found no evidence that the provision of cage dividers improves the welfare of group housed male mice; The prevalence of injuries and steroid levels was similar between the two housing conditions and aggression was reduced only in Balb/c strain. However, mice housed with cage dividers developed less despotic hierarchies and had more stable social ranks. We also found a relationship between hormone levels and social rank depending on housing type. Therefore, addition of cage dividers may play a role in stabilizing social ranks and modulating the activation of hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) and hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axes, thus reducing phenotypic variability between mice of different ranks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christina Streiff
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Adrian Herrera
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Bernhard Voelkl
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology, and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
| | - Hanno Würbel
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Janja Novak
- Animal Welfare Division, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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4
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Papageorgiou D, Nyaguthii B, Farine DR. Compromise or choose: shared movement decisions in wild vulturine guineafowl. Commun Biol 2024; 7:95. [PMID: 38218910 PMCID: PMC10787764 DOI: 10.1038/s42003-024-05782-w] [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: 05/31/2023] [Accepted: 01/04/2024] [Indexed: 01/15/2024] Open
Abstract
Shared-decision making is beneficial for the maintenance of group-living. However, little is known about whether consensus decision-making follows similar processes across different species. Addressing this question requires robust quantification of how individuals move relative to each other. Here we use high-resolution GPS-tracking of two vulturine guineafowl (Acryllium vulturinum) groups to test the predictions from a classic theoretical model of collective motion. We show that, in both groups, all individuals can successfully initiate directional movements, although males are more likely to be followed than females. When multiple group members initiate simultaneously, follower decisions depend on directional agreement, with followers compromising directions if the difference between them is small or choosing the majority direction if the difference is large. By aligning with model predictions and replicating the findings of a previous field study on olive baboons (Papio anubis), our results suggest that a common process governs collective decision-making in moving animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Danai Papageorgiou
- University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- University of Konstanz, Department of Biology, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- Kenya Wildlife Service, P.O. Box 40241-001000, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin, College for Life Sciences, Wallotstrasse 19, Berlin, 14193, Germany.
| | - Brendah Nyaguthii
- University of Eldoret, School of Natural Resource Management, Department of Wildlife, 1125-30100, Eldoret, Kenya
- Mpala Research Centre, P.O. Box 92, Nanyuki, 10400, Kenya
- National Museums of Kenya, Department of Ornithology, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Damien R Farine
- University of Zurich, Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zurich, Switzerland.
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Department of Collective Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78457, Germany.
- National Museums of Kenya, Department of Ornithology, P.O. Box 40658-001000, Nairobi, Kenya.
- Australian National University, Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology, 46 Sullivans Creek Road, Canberra, ACT, 2600, Australia.
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5
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Strauss ED. Demographic turnover can be a leading driver of hierarchy dynamics, and social inheritance modifies its effects. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2023; 378:20220308. [PMID: 37381857 PMCID: PMC10291429 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2022.0308] [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: 01/31/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 06/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Individuals and societies are linked through a feedback loop of mutual influence. Demographic turnover shapes group composition and structure by adding and removing individuals, and social inheritance shapes social structure through the transmission of social traits from parents to offspring. Here I examine how these drivers of social structure feedback to influence individual outcomes. I explore these society-to-individual effects in systems with social inheritance of hierarchy position, as occur in many primates and spotted hyenas. Applying Markov chain models to empirical and simulated data reveals how demography and social inheritance interact to strongly shape individual hierarchy positions. In hyena societies, demographic processes-not status seeking-account for the majority of hierarchy dynamics and cause an on-average lifetime decline in social hierarchy position. Simulated societies clarify how social inheritance alters demographic effects-demographic processes cause hierarchy position to regress to the mean, but the addition of social inheritance modifies this pattern. Notably, the combination of social inheritance and rank-related reproductive success causes individuals to decline in rank over their lifespans, as seen in the hyena data. Further analyses explore how 'queens' escape this pattern of decline, and how variation in social inheritance generates variability in reproductive inequality. This article is part of the theme issue 'Evolutionary ecology of inequality'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Baden-Württemberg, 78464, Germany
- Ecology of Animal Societies Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Collective Behavior Department, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Radolfzell, Baden-Württemberg, 78315, Germany
- Integrative Biology Department, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan, 48824, USA
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6
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Catitti B, Kormann UG, van Bergen VS, Grüebler MU. Turning tables: food availability shapes dynamic aggressive behaviour among asynchronously hatching siblings in red kites Milvus milvus. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2023; 10:230328. [PMID: 37476514 PMCID: PMC10354486 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.230328] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/27/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023]
Abstract
Aggression represents the backbone of dominance acquisition in several animal societies, where the decision to interact is dictated by its relative cost. Among siblings, such costs are weighted in the light of inclusive fitness, but how this translates to aggression patterns in response to changing external and internal conditions remains unclear. Using a null-model-based approach, we investigate how day-to-day changes in food provisioning affect aggression networks and food allocation in growing red kite (Milvus milvus) nestlings, whose dominance rank is largely dictated by age. We show that older siblings, irrespective of age, change from targeting only close-aged peers (close-competitor pattern) when food provisioning is low, to uniformly attacking all other peers (downward heuristic pattern) as food conditions improve. While food allocation was generally skewed towards the older siblings, the youngest sibling in the nest increased its probability of accessing food as more was provisioned and as downward heuristic patterns became more prominent, suggesting that different aggression patterns allow for catch-up growth after periods of low food. Our results indicate that dynamic aggression patterns within the nest modulate environmental effects on juvenile development by influencing the process of dominance acquisition and potentially impacting the fledging body condition, with far-reaching fitness consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benedetta Catitti
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Urs G. Kormann
- Swiss Ornithological Institute, Seerose 1, 6204 Sempach, Switzerland
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7
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He P, Klarevas‐Irby JA, Papageorgiou D, Christensen C, Strauss ED, Farine DR. A guide to sampling design for
GPS
‐based studies of animal societies. Methods Ecol Evol 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/2041-210x.13999] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Peng He
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - James A. Klarevas‐Irby
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Biology University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Department of Migration Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Radolfzell Germany
- Mpala Research Centre Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Danai Papageorgiou
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Charlotte Christensen
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Mpala Research Centre Nanyuki Kenya
| | - Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour University of Konstanz Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
| | - Damien R. Farine
- Department of Collective Behaviour Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior Constance Germany
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Science University of Zurich Zurich Switzerland
- Division of Ecology and Evolution, Research School of Biology Australian National University Canberra Australia
- Department of Ornithology National Museums of Kenya Nairobi Kenya
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8
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Hamilton IM, Benincasa MD. Emergence of size-structured dominance hierarchies through size-dependent feedback. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200449. [PMID: 35000447 PMCID: PMC8743889 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Size-based dominance hierarchies influence fitness, group size and population dynamics and link dominance structure to evolutionary and ecological outcomes. While larger individuals often gain dominance, social status may influence growth and size in return, resulting in feedbacks among status, growth and size. Here, we present two models evaluating how these feedbacks influence the emergence of size structure in a dominance hierarchy. In the first, size influences competition for food and investment in suppressing growth of groupmates. Stable size differences emerged when suppression was greatest for similarly sized individuals and size had little effect on competition for food. The model predicted size divergence when size strongly affected competition for food. In the second model, we used a dynamic game to solve for optimal investment in growth suppression as a function of size structure. Investment in growth suppression was favoured only when dominants and subordinates were similar in size, generating size ratios different than those expected by chance. Variation in the feedbacks among growth, size and status can explain variation in emergent size structure of dominance hierarchies and its consequences for conflict within groups. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ian M. Hamilton
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
- Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, 318 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Macie D. Benincasa
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, 318 W 12th Avenue, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
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9
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Redhead D, Power EA. Social hierarchies and social networks in humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200440. [PMID: 35000451 PMCID: PMC8743884 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0440] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2021] [Accepted: 08/04/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023] Open
Abstract
Across species, social hierarchies are often governed by dominance relations. In humans, where there are multiple culturally valued axes of distinction, social hierarchies can take a variety of forms and need not rest on dominance relations. Consequently, humans navigate multiple domains of status, i.e. relative standing. Importantly, while these hierarchies may be constructed from dyadic interactions, they are often more fundamentally guided by subjective peer evaluations and group perceptions. Researchers have typically focused on the distinct elements that shape individuals' relative standing, with some emphasizing individual-level attributes and others outlining emergent macro-level structural outcomes. Here, we synthesize work across the social sciences to suggest that the dynamic interplay between individual-level and meso-level properties of the social networks in which individuals are embedded are crucial for understanding the diverse processes of status differentiation across groups. More specifically, we observe that humans not only navigate multiple social hierarchies at any given time but also simultaneously operate within multiple, overlapping social networks. There are important dynamic feedbacks between social hierarchies and the characteristics of social networks, as the types of social relationships, their structural properties, and the relative position of individuals within them both influence and are influenced by status differentiation. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Redhead
- Department of Human Behaviour, Ecology and Culture, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, 04103 Leipzig, Germany
| | - Eleanor A. Power
- Department of Methodology, London School of Economics and Political Science, London WC2A 2AE, UK
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10
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Knoch S, Whiteside MA, Madden JR, Rose PE, Fawcett TW. Hot-headed peckers: thermographic changes during aggression among juvenile pheasants ( Phasianus colchicus). Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200442. [PMID: 35000453 PMCID: PMC8743885 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/23/2021] [Accepted: 10/28/2021] [Indexed: 12/16/2022] Open
Abstract
In group-living vertebrates, dominance status often covaries with physiological measurements (e.g. glucocorticoid levels), but it is unclear how dominance is linked to dynamic changes in physiological state over a shorter, behavioural timescale. In this observational study, we recorded spontaneous aggression among captive juvenile pheasants (Phasianus colchicus) alongside infrared thermographic measurements of their external temperature, a non-invasive technique previously used to examine stress responses in non-social contexts, where peripheral blood is redirected towards the body core. We found low but highly significant repeatability in maximum head temperature, suggesting individually consistent thermal profiles, and some indication of lower head temperatures in more active behavioural states (e.g. walking compared to resting). These individual differences were partly associated with sex, females being cooler on average than males, but unrelated to body size. During pairwise aggressive encounters, we observed a non-monotonic temperature change, with head temperature dropping rapidly immediately prior to an attack and increasing rapidly afterwards, before returning to baseline levels. This nonlinear pattern was similar for birds in aggressor and recipient roles, but aggressors were slightly hotter on average. Our findings show that aggressive interactions induce rapid temperature changes in dominants and subordinates alike, and highlight infrared thermography as a promising tool for investigating the physiological basis of pecking orders in galliforms. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sophia Knoch
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- Institute of Psychology, University of Freiburg, Engelbergerstr. 41, 79085 Freiburg, Germany
| | - Mark A. Whiteside
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
- School of Biological and Marine Sciences, University of Plymouth, Drake Circus, Plymouth PL4 8AA, UK
| | - Joah R. Madden
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Paul E. Rose
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
| | - Tim W. Fawcett
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour (CRAB), Washington Singer Laboratories, University of Exeter, Exeter EX4 4QG, UK
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11
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Strauss ED, DeCasien AR, Galindo G, Hobson EA, Shizuka D, Curley JP. DomArchive: a century of published dominance data. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200436. [PMID: 35000444 PMCID: PMC8743893 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0436] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/31/2021] [Accepted: 10/21/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Dominance behaviours have been collected for many groups of animals since 1922 and serve as a foundation for research on social behaviour and social structure. Despite a wealth of data from the last century of research on dominance hierarchies, these data are only rarely used for comparative insight. Here, we aim to facilitate comparative studies of the structure and function of dominance hierarchies by compiling published dominance interaction datasets from the last 100 years of work. This compiled archive includes 436 datasets from 190 studies of 367 unique groups (mean group size 13.8, s.d. = 13.4) of 135 different species, totalling over 243 000 interactions. These data are presented in an R package alongside relevant metadata and a tool for subsetting the archive based on biological or methodological criteria. In this paper, we explain how to use the archive, discuss potential limitations of the data, and reflect on best practices in publishing dominance data based on our experience in assembling this dataset. This archive will serve as an important resource for future comparative studies and will promote the development of general unifying theories of dominance in behavioural ecology that can be grounded in testing with empirical data. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, 78464 Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0118 USA
| | - Alex R. DeCasien
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
- New York Consortium in Evolutionary Primatology, New York, NY, USA
- Section on Developmental Neurogenomics, National Institute of Mental Health, Bethesda, MA, USA
| | - Gabriela Galindo
- Department of Anthropology, New York University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, 68588-0118 USA
| | - James P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
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12
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Tibbetts EA, Pardo-Sanchez J, Weise C. The establishment and maintenance of dominance hierarchies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200450. [PMID: 35000449 PMCID: PMC8743888 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0450] [Citation(s) in RCA: 57] [Impact Index Per Article: 28.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/22/2021] [Accepted: 10/17/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal groups are often organized hierarchically, with dominant individuals gaining priority access to resources and reproduction over subordinate individuals. Initial dominance hierarchy formation may be influenced by multiple interacting factors, including an animal's individual attributes, conventions and self-organizing social dynamics. After establishment, hierarchies are typically maintained over the long-term because individuals save time, energy and reduce the risk of injury by recognizing and abiding by established dominance relationships. A separate set of behaviours are used to maintain dominance relationships within groups, including behaviours that stabilize ranks (punishment, threats, behavioural asymmetry), as well as signals that provide information about dominance rank (individual identity signals, signals of dominance). In this review, we describe the behaviours used to establish and maintain dominance hierarchies across different taxa and types of societies. We also review opportunities for future research including: testing how self-organizing behavioural dynamics interact with other factors to mediate dominance hierarchy formation, measuring the long-term stability of social hierarchies and the factors that disrupt hierarchy stability, incorporating phenotypic plasticity into our understanding of the behavioural dynamics of hierarchies and considering how cognition coevolves with the behaviours used to establish and maintain hierarchies. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Chloe Weise
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
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Strauss ED, Curley JP, Shizuka D, Hobson EA. The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2022; 377:20200432. [PMID: 35000437 PMCID: PMC8743894 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2020.0432] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2021] [Accepted: 12/03/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
A century ago, foundational work by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe described a 'pecking order' in chicken societies, where individuals could be ordered according to their ability to exert their influence over their group-mates. Now known as dominance hierarchies, these structures have been shown to influence a plethora of individual characteristics and outcomes, situating dominance research as a pillar of the study of modern social ecology and evolution. Here, we first review some of the major questions that have been answered about dominance hierarchies in the last 100 years. Next, we introduce the contributions to this theme issue and summarize how they provide ongoing insight in the epistemology, physiology and neurobiology, hierarchical structure, and dynamics of dominance. These contributions employ the full range of research approaches available to modern biologists. Cross-cutting themes emerging from these contributions include a focus on cognitive underpinnings of dominance, the application of network-analytical approaches, and the utility of experimental rank manipulations for revealing causal relationships. Reflection on the last 100 years of dominance research reveals how Schjelderup-Ebbe's early ideas and the subsequent research helped drive a shift from an essentialist view of species characteristics to the modern recognition of rich inter-individual variation in social, behavioural and physiological phenotypes. This article is part of the theme issue 'The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eli D. Strauss
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - James P. Curley
- Department of Psychology, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Nebraska Lincoln, Lincoln, NE, USA
| | - Elizabeth A. Hobson
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, OH, USA
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Dehnen T, Arbon JJ, Farine DR, Boogert NJ. How feedback and feed-forward mechanisms link determinants of social dominance. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2022; 97:1210-1230. [PMID: 35150197 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12838] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/20/2021] [Revised: 01/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/28/2022] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In many animal societies, individuals differ consistently in their ability to win agonistic interactions, resulting in dominance hierarchies. These differences arise due to a range of factors that can influence individuals' abilities to win agonistic interactions, spanning from genetically driven traits through to individuals' recent interaction history. Yet, despite a century of study since Schjelderup-Ebbe's seminal paper on social dominance, we still lack a general understanding of how these different factors work together to determine individuals' positions in hierarchies. Here, we first outline five widely studied factors that can influence interaction outcomes: intrinsic attributes, resource value asymmetry, winner-loser effects, dyadic interaction-outcome history and third-party support. A review of the evidence shows that a variety of factors are likely important to interaction outcomes, and thereby individuals' positions in dominance hierarchies, in diverse species. We propose that such factors are unlikely to determine dominance outcomes independently, but rather form part of feedback loops whereby the outcomes of previous agonistic interactions (e.g. access to food) impact factors that might be important in subsequent interactions (e.g. body condition). We provide a conceptual framework that illustrates the multitude potential routes through which such feedbacks can occur, and how the factors that determine the outcomes of dominance interactions are highly intertwined and thus rarely act independently of one another. Further, we generalise our framework to include multi-generational feed-forward mechanisms: how interaction outcomes in one generation can influence the factors determining interaction outcomes in the next generation via a range of parental effects. This general framework describes how interaction outcomes and the factors determining them are linked within generations via feedback loops, and between generations via feed-forward mechanisms. We then highlight methodological approaches that will facilitate the study of feedback loops and dominance dynamics. Lastly, we discuss how our framework could shape future research, including: how feedbacks generate variation in the factors discussed, and how this might be studied experimentally; how the relative importance of different feedback mechanisms varies across timescales; the role of social structure in modulating the effect of feedbacks on hierarchy structure and stability; and the routes of parental influence on the dominance status of offspring. Ultimately, by considering dominance interactions as part of a dynamic feedback system that also feeds forward into subsequent generations, we will understand better the factors that structure dominance hierarchies in animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tobit Dehnen
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland
| | - Josh J Arbon
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany.,Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zürich, 8057, Switzerland.,Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstraße 10, Konstanz, 78464, Germany
| | - Neeltje J Boogert
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn Campus, Treliever Road, Penryn, TR10 9FE, U.K
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