1
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Franks VR, Thorogood R, Brekke P. Parental breeding decisions and genetic quality predict social structure of independent offspring. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4898-4910. [PMID: 37395642 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, newly independent juveniles form social associations that influence later fitness, mate choice and gene flow, but little is known about the ontogeny of social environments, particularly in wild populations. Here we test whether associations among young animals form randomly or are influenced by environmental or genetic conditions established by parents. Parents' decisions determine natal birth sites, which could affect who independent young initially encounter; secondly, mate choice determines genetic condition (e.g. inbreeding) of young and the parental care they receive, which can affect sociability. However, genetic and environmental factors are confounded unless related offspring experience different natal environments. Therefore, we used a long-term genetic pedigree, breeding records and social network data from three cohorts of a songbird with high extra-pair paternity (hihi, Notiomystis cincta) to disentangle (1) how nest location and relatedness contribute to association structure once juveniles disperse away from birth sites, and (2) if juvenile and/or parental inbreeding predicts individual sociability. We detected positive spatial autocorrelation: hihi that fledged closer by were more likely to associate even after dispersing, irrespective of genetic relatedness. Juvenile inbreeding did not predict sociability, but those raised by more inbred fathers formed more, stronger, associations, which did not depend on whether that male was the genetic parent or not. These results suggest that the natal environment created by parents, rather than focal genetic condition, establishes the foundation for social associations. Overall, we highlight how social inheritance may play an important role in population dynamics and evolutionary potential in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Franks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
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2
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Thorogood R, Mustonen V, Aleixo A, Aphalo PJ, Asiegbu FO, Cabeza M, Cairns J, Candolin U, Cardoso P, Eronen JT, Hällfors M, Hovatta I, Juslén A, Kovalchuk A, Kulmuni J, Kuula L, Mäkipää R, Ovaskainen O, Pesonen AK, Primmer CR, Saastamoinen M, Schulman AH, Schulman L, Strona G, Vanhatalo J. Understanding and applying biological resilience, from genes to ecosystems. NPJ BIODIVERSITY 2023; 2:16. [PMID: 39242840 PMCID: PMC11332022 DOI: 10.1038/s44185-023-00022-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 08/07/2023] [Indexed: 09/09/2024]
Abstract
The natural world is under unprecedented and accelerating pressure. Much work on understanding resilience to local and global environmental change has, so far, focussed on ecosystems. However, understanding a system's behaviour requires knowledge of its component parts and their interactions. Here we call for increased efforts to understand 'biological resilience', or the processes that enable components across biological levels, from genes to communities, to resist or recover from perturbations. Although ecologists and evolutionary biologists have the tool-boxes to examine form and function, efforts to integrate this knowledge across biological levels and take advantage of big data (e.g. ecological and genomic) are only just beginning. We argue that combining eco-evolutionary knowledge with ecosystem-level concepts of resilience will provide the mechanistic basis necessary to improve management of human, natural and agricultural ecosystems, and outline some of the challenges in achieving an understanding of biological resilience.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland.
| | - Ville Mustonen
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Computer Science, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alexandre Aleixo
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pedro J Aphalo
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Fred O Asiegbu
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Mar Cabeza
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- HELSUS Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Johannes Cairns
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Helsinki Institute for Information Technology, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Ulrika Candolin
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Pedro Cardoso
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- CE3C - Centre for Ecology, Evolution and Environmental Changes, CHANGE-Global Change and Sustainability Institute, Faculty of Sciences, University of Lisbon, 1749-016, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Jussi T Eronen
- HELSUS Helsinki Institute of Sustainability Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Ecosystems and Environment, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- BIOS Research Unit, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Maria Hällfors
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Syke Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Iiris Hovatta
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Psychology and Logopedics, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Neuroscience Center, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Aino Juslén
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Syke Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Andriy Kovalchuk
- Department of Forest Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland Ltd, Espoo, Finland
- Onego Bio Ltd, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Jonna Kulmuni
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Evolutionary and Population Biology, Institute for Biodiversity and Ecosystem Dynamics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Liisa Kuula
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Raisa Mäkipää
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Otso Ovaskainen
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Centre for Biodiversity Dynamics, Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
| | - Anu-Katriina Pesonen
- SleepWell Research Program, Faculty of Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Craig R Primmer
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Marjo Saastamoinen
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Alan H Schulman
- Institute of Biotechnology, HiLIFE Helsinki Institute for Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Viikki Plant Science Centre, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), Helsinki, Finland
| | - Leif Schulman
- LUOMUS Finnish Museum of Natural History, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Syke Finnish Environment Institute, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Giovanni Strona
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- European Commission, Joint Research Centre, Directorate D - Sustainable Resources, Ispra, Italy
| | - Jarno Vanhatalo
- Research Programme in Organismal & Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Research Centre for Ecological Change, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Faculty of Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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3
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Greggor AL, Goldenberg SZ. Manipulating animal social interactions to enhance translocation impact. Trends Ecol Evol 2023; 38:316-319. [PMID: 36797166 DOI: 10.1016/j.tree.2023.01.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/29/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/20/2023] [Indexed: 02/17/2023]
Abstract
Species' ecological interactions, evolutionary trajectories, and survival strategies are intertwined with their social relationships. Conservation translocations can disrupt social systems, interrupting the mechanisms driving population and ecosystem trends. We outline a research framework to provide targeted tools for translocation practitioners, where appropriate, while advancing the theoretical understanding of social resiliency.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alison L Greggor
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA.
| | - Shifra Z Goldenberg
- Conservation Science and Wildlife Health, San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance, Escondido, CA 92027, USA
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4
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Crates R, Stojanovic D, Heinsohn R. The phenotypic costs of captivity. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2023; 98:434-449. [PMID: 36341701 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12913] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2022] [Revised: 10/05/2022] [Accepted: 10/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The breeding of threatened species in captivity for release is a central tool in conservation biology. Given gloomy predictions for biodiversity trends in the Anthropocene, captive breeding will play an increasingly important role in preventing future extinctions. Relative to the wild, captive environments drastically alter selection pressures on animals. Phenotypic change in captive animals in response to these altered selection pressures can incur fitness costs post-release, jeopardising their potential contribution to population recovery. We explore the ways in which captive environments can hinder the expression of wild phenotypes. We also stress that the phenotypes of captive-bred animals differ from their wild counterparts in multiple ways that remain poorly understood. We propose five new research questions relating to the impact of captive phenotypes on reintroduction biology. With better use of monitoring and experimental reintroductions, a more robust evidence base should help inform adaptive management and minimise the phenotypic costs of captivity, improving the success of animal reintroductions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ross Crates
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Dejan Stojanovic
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
| | - Robert Heinsohn
- Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University, Linnaeus Way, Acton, Canberra, ACT, 2601, Australia
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5
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Brandlová K, Hejcmanová P. Individual‐based assessment of post‐translocation fitness of ungulates: Lessons from the critically endangered Derby eland conservation programme. CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2022. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12837] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Karolína Brandlová
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
| | - Pavla Hejcmanová
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences Czech University of Life Sciences Prague Prague Czech Republic
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6
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Goldenberg SZ, Chege SM, Mwangi N, Craig I, Daballen D, Douglas-Hamilton I, Lamberski N, Lenaipa M, Lendira R, Lesowapir C, Lokooria LP, Mutinda M, Omengo F, Rowe K, Stacy-Dawes J, Wittemyer G, Owen MA. Social integration of translocated wildlife: a case study of rehabilitated and released elephant calves in northern Kenya. Mamm Biol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00285-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
AbstractConservation translocations have the potential to strengthen populations of threatened and endangered species, but facilitating integration of translocated individuals with resident populations remains a substantial challenge. Developing functional social relationships like cooperative partnerships or establishing clear dominance hierarchies may be critical to integration of released individuals. Developing such relationships has not received much attention in translocation research, especially for long-lived, socially complex animals for which establishment and navigation of social environments is often a lengthy process that requires sustained monitoring to understand. Here, we present a case study of the social associations of African savannah elephant (Loxodonta africana) calves that have been rehabilitated and released into a fenced wildlife sanctuary in northern Kenya with a resident population of elephants. We use focal follows of interactions pre-release and GPS tracking post-release to quantify social associations of calves with each other and with resident elephants at the release site. We demonstrate how this approach supports translocation monitoring by capturing temporal trends in social patterns within and between release cohorts and among released elephants and wild elephants already resident at the site during a transitional soft release period. Our results show that initial post-release social behavior of rehabilitated calves is related to histories of interaction with familiar individuals and cohort membership and that released calves increased their associations with residents over time. This information provides new behavioral insights for guiding elephant release projects, like the strength of relationships within and among release cohorts, the time to integration with the resident population, and the occurrence and increased incidence of societal fission–fusion. Further, this study provides an example of the utility of animal behavior research to achieve and assess progress towards conservation objectives, and to develop monitoring tools for conservation managers.
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7
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Kluen E, Rönkä K, Thorogood R. Prior experience of captivity affects behavioural responses to 'novel' environments. PeerJ 2022; 10:e13905. [PMID: 36061744 PMCID: PMC9438767 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.13905] [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: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/27/2022] [Indexed: 01/26/2023] Open
Abstract
Information ecology theory predicts that prior experience influences current behaviour, even if the information is acquired under a different context. However, when individuals are tested to quantify personality, cognition, or stress, we usually assume that the novelty of the test is consistent among individuals. Surprisingly, this 'gambit of prior experience' has rarely been explored. Therefore, here we make use of a wild population of great tits (Parus major) to test if prior experience of handling and captivity influences common measures of exploration (open field tests in two novel contexts: room and cage arenas), social response (simulated using a mirror), and behavioural stress (breathing rate). We found that birds with prior experience of captivity (caught previously for unrelated learning and foraging experiments) were more exploratory, but this depended on age: exploration and captivity experience (in terms of both absolute binary experience and the length of time spent in captivity) were associated more strongly in young (first-winter) birds than in adults. However, there was no association of prior experience of captivity with social response and breathing rate, and nor did the measures of exploration correlate. Together our results suggest that re-testing of individuals requires careful consideration, particularly for younger birds, and previous experiences can carry over and affect behaviours differently.
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Affiliation(s)
- Edward Kluen
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Katja Rönkä
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Rose Thorogood
- HiLIFE Helsinki Institute of Life Science, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland,Research Programme in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
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8
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Andrews CE, Anderson SH, van der Walt K, Thorogood R, Ewen JG. Evaluating the success of functional restoration after reintroduction of a lost avian pollinator. CONSERVATION BIOLOGY : THE JOURNAL OF THE SOCIETY FOR CONSERVATION BIOLOGY 2022; 36:e13892. [PMID: 35171538 PMCID: PMC9545379 DOI: 10.1111/cobi.13892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/27/2021] [Revised: 11/19/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2022] [Indexed: 06/14/2023]
Abstract
Conservation translocation is a common method for species recovery, for which one increasingly frequent objective is restoring lost ecological functions to promote ecosystem recovery. However, few conservation translocation programs explicitly state or monitor function as an objective, limiting the ability to test assumptions, learn from past efforts, and improve management. We evaluated whether translocations of hihi (Notiomystis cincta), a threatened New Zealand passerine, achieved their implicit objective of restoring lost pollination function. Through a pollinator-exclusion experiment, we quantified, with log response ratios (lnR), the effects of birds on fruit set and seed quality in hangehange (Geniostoma ligustrifolium), a native flowering shrub. We isolated the contributions of hihi by making comparisons across sites with and without hihi. Birds improved fruit set more at sites without hihi (lnR = 1.27) than sites with hihi (lnR = 0.50), suggesting other avian pollinators compensated for and even exceeded hihi contributions to fruit set. Although birds improved seed germination only at hihi sites (lnR = 0.22-0.41), plants at sites without hihi had germination rates similar to hihi sites because they produced 26% more filled seeds, regardless of pollination condition. Therefore, although our results showed hihi improved seed quality, they also highlighted the complexity of ecological functions. When an important species is lost, ecosystems may be able to achieve similar function through different means. Our results underscore the importance of stating and monitoring the ecological benefits of conservation translocations when functional restoration is a motivation to ensure these programs are achieving their objectives.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Andrews
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
| | | | - Karin van der Walt
- Ōtari Native Botanic Garden and Wilton's Bush ReserveWellingtonNew Zealand
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Department of ZoologyUniversity of CambridgeCambridgeUK
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE)University of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
- Research Program in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental SciencesUniversity of HelsinkiHelsinkiFinland
| | - John G. Ewen
- Institute of ZoologyZoological Society of LondonLondonUK
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9
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Hämäläinen L, M. Rowland H, Mappes J, Thorogood R. Social information use by predators: expanding the information ecology of prey defences. OIKOS 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/oik.08743] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah M. Rowland
- Max Planck Inst. for Chemical Ecology Jena Germany
- Dept of Zoology, Univ. of Cambridge Cambridge UK
| | - Johanna Mappes
- Research Programme in Organismal&Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- Dept of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Jyväskylä Jyväskylä Finland
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Research Programme in Organismal&Evolutionary Biology, Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, Univ. of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
- HiLIFE Helsinki Inst. of Life Science, Univ. of Helsinki Helsinki Finland
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10
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Gartland LA, Firth JA, Laskowski KL, Jeanson R, Ioannou CC. Sociability as a personality trait in animals: methods, causes and consequences. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2021; 97:802-816. [PMID: 34894041 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12823] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2021] [Revised: 11/27/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Within animal populations there is variation among individuals in their tendency to be social, where more sociable individuals associate more with other individuals. Consistent inter-individual variation in 'sociability' is considered one of the major axes of personality variation in animals along with aggressiveness, activity, exploration and boldness. Not only is variation in sociability important in terms of animal personalities, but it holds particular significance for, and can be informed by, two other topics of major interest: social networks and collective behaviour. Further, knowledge of what generates inter-individual variation in social behaviour also holds applied implications, such as understanding disorders of social behaviour in humans. In turn, research using non-human animals in the genetics, neuroscience and physiology of these disorders can inform our understanding of sociability. For the first time, this review brings together insights across these areas of research, across animal taxa from primates to invertebrates, and across studies from both the laboratory and field. We show there are mixed results in whether and how sociability correlates with other major behavioural traits. Whether and in what direction these correlations are observed may differ with individual traits such as sex and body condition, as well as ecological conditions. A large body of evidence provides the proximate mechanisms for why individuals vary in their social tendency. Evidence exists for the importance of genes and their expression, chemical messengers, social interactions and the environment in determining an individual's social tendency, although the specifics vary with species and other variables such as age, and interactions amongst these proximate factors. Less well understood is how evolution can maintain consistent variation in social tendencies within populations. Shifts in the benefits and costs of social tendencies over time, as well as the social niche hypothesis, are currently the best supported theories for how variation in sociability can evolve and be maintained in populations. Increased exposure to infectious diseases is the best documented cost of a greater social tendency, and benefits include greater access to socially transmitted information. We also highlight that direct evidence for more sociable individuals being safer from predators is lacking. Variation in sociability is likely to have broad ecological consequences, but beyond its importance in the spread of infectious diseases, direct evidence is limited to a few examples related to dispersal and invasive species biology. Overall, our knowledge of inter-individual variation in sociability is highly skewed towards the proximate mechanisms. Our review also demonstrates, however, that considering research from social networks and collective behaviour greatly enriches our understanding of sociability, highlighting the need for greater integration of these approaches into future animal personality research to address the imbalance in our understanding of sociability as a personality trait.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lizzy A Gartland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K
| | - Josh A Firth
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3SZ, U.K
| | - Kate L Laskowski
- Department of Evolution and Ecology, University of California Davis, Davis, CA, 95616, U.S.A
| | - Raphael Jeanson
- Centre de Recherches sur la Cognition Animale (UMR5169), Centre de Biologie Intégrative, CNRS, UPS, Université de Toulouse, 31062, Toulouse, France
| | - Christos C Ioannou
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ, U.K
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11
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Onley IR, Austin JJ, Mitchell KJ, Moseby KE. Understanding dispersal patterns can inform future translocation strategies: A case study of the threatened greater stick‐nest rat (
Leporillus conditor
). AUSTRAL ECOL 2021. [DOI: 10.1111/aec.13100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Isabelle R. Onley
- School of Biological Sciences Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia 5005Australia
| | - Jeremy J. Austin
- School of Biological Sciences Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia 5005Australia
| | - Kieren J. Mitchell
- School of Biological Sciences Australian Centre for Ancient DNA (ACAD) University of Adelaide Adelaide South Australia 5005Australia
- School of Biological Sciences ARC Centre of Excellence for Australian Biodiversity and Heritage (CABAH) University of Adelaide Adelaide South AustraliaAustralia
| | - Katherine E. Moseby
- Centre for Ecosystem Sciences, Earth and Environmental Sciences University of New South Wales Sydney New South Wales Australia
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12
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Lewton J, Rose PE. Social networks research in ex situ populations: Patterns, trends, and future directions for conservation-focused behavioral research. Zoo Biol 2021; 40:493-502. [PMID: 34227153 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21638] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2020] [Revised: 05/30/2021] [Accepted: 06/25/2021] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
Abstract
Social networks research using non-human animals has grown over the past decade, utilizing a wide range of species to answer an array of pure and applied questions. Network approaches have relevance to conservation, evaluating social influences on fecundity, health, fitness and longevity. While the application of network approaches to in situ populations with conservation concern appears in published literature, the degree to which ex situ and zoo-housed populations are the focus of "social networks for conservation research" is limited. Captive environments provide scientists with an ability to understand the social behavior of species that may be hard to observe consistently in the wild. This paper evaluates the scope of network research involving ex situ populations, analyzing output from 2010 to 2019 to determine trends in questions and subjects using ex situ populations. We show that only 8.2% of ex situ social network analysis (SNA) implications are of conservation-focus, apparent in papers relating to birds, carnivores, bats, primates, reptiles, and ungulates. Husbandry and welfare questions predominate in ex situ network research, but over half of these papers have nonpractical application (basic science). The chance of a citation for a basic science paper was 95.4% more than for a conservation-based paper. For taxonomic groups, primate-focused papers had the most citations. The focus of ex situ conservation-based networks research may be driven by the needs of conservation programs (e.g., population recovery outcomes) or by a need to evaluate the efficacy of ex situ conservation goals. We evaluate our findings considering the IUCN's One Plan Approach to conservation to show how in situ and ex situ network research is applicable to global conservation efforts. We have identified that there is a lack of application and evaluation of SNA to wildlife conservation. We highlight future areas of research in zoos and hope to stimulate discussion and collaboration between relevant parties.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jack Lewton
- Department of Life Sciences, Imperial College London, Silwood Park Campus, Ascot, UK
| | - Paul E Rose
- Centre for Research in Animal Behaviour, College of Life & Environmental Science, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK.,WWT Slimbridge Wetland Centre, Slimbridge, UK
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13
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McKee RK, Buhlmann KA, Moore CT, Hepinstall‐Cymerman J, Tuberville TD. Waif Gopher Tortoise Survival and Site Fidelity Following Translocation. J Wildl Manage 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/jwmg.21998] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Rebecca K. McKee
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Kurt A. Buhlmann
- University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory P.O. Drawer E Aiken SC 29802 USA
| | - Clinton T. Moore
- U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Jeffrey Hepinstall‐Cymerman
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources University of Georgia 180 E Green Street Athens GA 30602 USA
| | - Tracey D. Tuberville
- University of Georgia's Savannah River Ecology Laboratory P.O. Drawer E, Aiken SC 29802 USA
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14
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Andrews CE, Ewen JG, Thorogood R. Enhancing dietary specialization metrics in observational studies of wild animal populations. Ecosphere 2020. [DOI: 10.1002/ecs2.3255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin E. Andrews
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street CambridgeCB2 3EJUK
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent’s Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
| | - John G. Ewen
- Institute of Zoology Zoological Society of London Regent’s Park LondonNW1 4RYUK
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Department of Zoology University of Cambridge Downing Street CambridgeCB2 3EJUK
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE) University of Helsinki Helsinki00014Finland
- Research Program in Organismal and Evolutionary Biology Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Helsinki Helsinki00014Finland
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Franks VR, Ewen JG, McCready M, Rowcliffe JM, Smith D, Thorogood R. Analysing age structure, residency and relatedness uncovers social network structure in aggregations of young birds. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.06.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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