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Law CJ, Tinker MT, Fujii JA, Nicholson T, Staedler M, Tomoleoni JA, Young C, Mehta RS. Tool use increases mechanical foraging success and tooth health in southern sea otters ( Enhydra lutris nereis). Science 2024; 384:798-802. [PMID: 38753790 DOI: 10.1126/science.adj6608] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/09/2023] [Accepted: 04/01/2024] [Indexed: 05/18/2024]
Abstract
Although tool use may enhance resource utilization, its fitness benefits are difficult to measure. By examining longitudinal data from 196 radio-tagged southern sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), we found that tool-using individuals, particularly females, gained access to larger and/or harder-shelled prey. These mechanical advantages translated to reduced tooth damage during food processing. We also found that tool use diminishes trade-offs between access to different prey, tooth condition, and energy intake, all of which are dependent on the relative prey availability in the environment. Tool use allowed individuals to maintain energetic requirements through the processing of alternative prey that are typically inaccessible with biting alone, suggesting that this behavior is a necessity for the survival of some otters in environments where preferred prey are depleted.
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Affiliation(s)
- Chris J Law
- Department of Biology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
- Department of Integrative Biology, University of Texas, Austin, TX, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - M Tim Tinker
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
- Nhydra Ecological Consulting, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | | | | | | | - Joseph A Tomoleoni
- US Geological Survey, Western Ecological Research Center, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Colleen Young
- Marine Wildlife Veterinary Care and Research Center, California Department of Fish and Wildlife, Office of Spill Prevention and Response, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
| | - Rita S Mehta
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, USA
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2
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Small effects of family size on sociality despite strong kin preferences in female bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2023. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2022.10.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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3
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Marfurt SM, Allen SJ, Bizzozzero MR, Willems EP, King SL, Connor RC, Kopps AM, Wild S, Gerber L, Wittwer S, Krützen M. Association patterns and community structure among female bottlenose dolphins: environmental, genetic and cultural factors. Mamm Biol 2022; 102:1373-1387. [PMID: 36998433 PMCID: PMC10040398 DOI: 10.1007/s42991-022-00259-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 05/16/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
AbstractSocial structuring from assortative associations may affect individual fitness, as well as population-level processes. Gaining a broader understanding of social structure can improve our knowledge of social evolution and inform wildlife conservation. We investigated association patterns and community structure of female Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, assessing the role of kinship, shared culturally transmitted foraging techniques, and habitat similarity based on water depth. Our results indicated that associations are influenced by a combination of uni- and biparental relatedness, cultural behaviour and habitat similarity, as these were positively correlated with a measure of dyadic association. These findings were matched in a community level analysis. Members of the same communities overwhelmingly shared the same habitat and foraging techniques, demonstrating a strong homophilic tendency. Both uni- and biparental relatedness between dyads were higher within than between communities. Our results illustrate that intraspecific variation in sociality in bottlenose dolphins is influenced by a complex combination of genetic, cultural, and environmental aspects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Svenja M. Marfurt
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J. Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | - Manuela R. Bizzozzero
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Erik P. Willems
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie L. King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia, Perth, WA 6009 Australia
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, BS8 1TQ UK
| | | | - Anna M. Kopps
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Sonja Wild
- Cognitive and Cultural Ecology Research Group, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour, Am Obstberg 1, 78315 Radolfzell, Germany
- Centre for the Advanced Study of Collective Behaviour, University of Konstanz, Universitätsstrasse 10, 78464 Constance, Germany
| | - Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
| | - Samuel Wittwer
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, 8057 Zurich, Switzerland
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4
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Reproductive timing as an explanation for skewed parentage assignment ratio in a bisexually philopatric population. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2022. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03233-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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5
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6
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Weinpress-Galipeau M, Baker H, Wolf B, Roumillat B, Fair PA. An adaptive bottlenose dolphin foraging tactic, "shipside feeding," using container ships in an urban estuarine environment. MARINE MAMMAL SCIENCE 2021; 37:1159-1165. [PMID: 34456462 PMCID: PMC8386648 DOI: 10.1111/mms.12806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/13/2023]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Hannah Baker
- South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Bethany Wolf
- Departent of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Bill Roumillat
- South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South Carolina
- Marine Resources Research Institute, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, Charleston, South Carolina
| | - Patricia A. Fair
- South Carolina Aquarium, Charleston, South Carolina
- Departent of Public Health Sciences, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina
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7
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Strickland K, Mann J, Foroughirad V, Levengood AL, Frère CH. Maternal effects and fitness consequences of individual variation in bottlenose dolphins' ecological niche. J Anim Ecol 2021; 90:1948-1960. [PMID: 33942312 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.13513] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2021] [Accepted: 04/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The niche describes the ecological and social environment that an organism lives in, as well as the behavioural tactics used to interact with its environment. A species niche is key to both ecological and evolutionary processes, including speciation, and has therefore been a central focus in ecology. Recent evidence, however, points to considerable individual variation in a species' or population's niche use, although how this variation evolves or is maintained remains unclear. We used a large longitudinal dataset to investigate the drivers and maintenance of individual variation in bottlenose dolphins' Tursiops aduncus niche. Specifically, we (a) characterised the extent of individual differences in habitat use, (b) identified whether there were maternal effects associated with this variation and (c) investigated the relationship between habitat use and calving success, a component of reproductive fitness. By examining patterns of habitat use, we provide evidence that individual dolphins vary consistently between one another in their niche. We further show that such individual variation is driven by a strong maternal effect. Finally, habitat use and calving success were not related, suggesting that use of different habitats results in similar fitness outcomes. Niche partitioning, maintained by maternal effects, likely facilitates the coexistence of multiple ecotypes within this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kasha Strickland
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia.,Department of Aquaculture and Fish Biology, Hólar University, Sauðárkrókur, Iceland
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology and Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Vivienne Foroughirad
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC, USA.,Division of Marine Science and Conservation, Duke University Marine Laboratory, Beaufort, NC, USA
| | - Alexis L Levengood
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia
| | - Céline H Frère
- Global Change Ecology Research Group, University of Sunshine Coast, Sippy Downs, Qld, Australia
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8
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Cabrera-Álvarez MJ, Clayton NS. Neural Processes Underlying Tool Use in Humans, Macaques, and Corvids. Front Psychol 2020; 11:560669. [PMID: 33117228 PMCID: PMC7561402 DOI: 10.3389/fpsyg.2020.560669] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/09/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
It was thought that tool use in animals is an adaptive specialization. Recent studies, however, have shown that some non-tool-users, such as rooks and jays, can use and manufacture tools in laboratory settings. Despite the abundant evidence of tool use in corvids, little is known about the neural mechanisms underlying tool use in this family of birds. This review summarizes the current knowledge on the neural processes underlying tool use in humans, macaques and corvids. We suggest a possible neural network for tool use in macaques and hope this might inspire research to discover a similar brain network in corvids. We hope to establish a framework to elucidate the neural mechanisms that supported the convergent evolution of tool use in birds and mammals.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
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Affiliation(s)
- Aiming Zhou
- Hubei Insect Resources Utilization and Sustainable Pest Management Key Laboratory College of Plant Science and Technology Huazhong Agricultural University Wuhan China
| | - Yuzhe Du
- National Biological Control Laboratory Biological Control of Pest Research Unit USDA‐ARS Stoneville MS USA
| | - Jian Chen
- National Biological Control Laboratory Biological Control of Pest Research Unit USDA‐ARS Stoneville MS USA
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10
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Integrating Genetic, Environmental, and Social Networks to Reveal Transmission Pathways of a Dolphin Foraging Innovation. Curr Biol 2020; 30:3024-3030.e4. [PMID: 32589911 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2020.05.069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2020] [Revised: 04/02/2020] [Accepted: 05/20/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Cultural behavior, which is transmitted among conspecifics through social learning [1], is found across various taxa [2-6]. Vertical social transmission from parent to offspring [7] is thought to be adaptive because of the parental generation being more skilled than maturing individuals. It is found throughout the animal kingdom, particularly in species with prolonged parental care, e.g., [8, 9]. Social learning can also occur among members of the same generation [4, 10, 11] or between older, non-parental individuals and younger generations [7] via horizontal or oblique transmission, respectively. Extensive work on primate culture has shown that horizontal transmission of foraging behavior is biased toward species with broad cultural repertoires [12] and those with increased levels of social tolerance [13, 14], such as great apes. Vertical social transmission has been established as the primary transmission mechanism of foraging behaviors in the Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population of Shark Bay, Western Australia [6, 9, 15, 16]. Here, we investigated the spread of another foraging strategy, "shelling" [17], whereby some dolphins in this population feed on prey trapped inside large marine gastropod shells. Using a multi-network version of "network-based diffusion analysis" (NBDA), we show that shelling behavior spreads primarily through non-vertical social transmission. By statistically accounting for both environmental and genetic influences, our findings thus represent the first evidence of non-vertical transmission of a foraging tactic in toothed whales. This research suggests there are multiple transmission pathways of foraging behaviors in dolphins, highlighting the similarities between cetaceans and great apes in the nature of the transmission of cultural behaviors. VIDEO ABSTRACT.
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11
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O'Brien O, Allen S, Krützen M, Connor R. Alliance-specific habitat selection by male Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.03.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
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12
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Wild S, Allen SJ, Krützen M, King SL, Gerber L, Hoppitt WJE. Multi-network-based diffusion analysis reveals vertical cultural transmission of sponge tool use within dolphin matrilines. Biol Lett 2019; 15:20190227. [PMID: 31311483 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2019.0227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Behavioural differences among social groups can arise from differing ecological conditions, genetic predispositions and/or social learning. In the past, social learning has typically been inferred as responsible for the spread of behaviour by the exclusion of ecological and genetic factors. This 'method of exclusion' was used to infer that 'sponging', a foraging behaviour involving tool use in the bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops aduncus) population in Shark Bay, Western Australia, was socially transmitted. However, previous studies were limited in that they never fully accounted for alternative factors, and that social learning, ecology and genetics are not mutually exclusive in causing behavioural variation. Here, we quantified the importance of social learning on the diffusion of sponging, for the first time explicitly accounting for ecological and genetic factors, using a multi-network version of 'network-based diffusion analysis'. Our results provide compelling support for previous findings that sponging is vertically socially transmitted from mother to (primarily female) offspring. This research illustrates the utility of social network analysis in elucidating the explanatory mechanisms behind the transmission of behaviour in wild animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sonja Wild
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Simon J Allen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.,School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Stephanie L King
- School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Perth, Australia
| | - Livia Gerber
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - William J E Hoppitt
- School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK.,School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway, University of London, London, UK
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13
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Rendell L, Cantor M, Gero S, Whitehead H, Mann J. Causes and consequences of female centrality in cetacean societies. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 374:20180066. [PMID: 31303160 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2018.0066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Cetaceans are fully aquatic predatory mammals that have successfully colonized virtually all marine habitats. Their adaptation to these habitats, so radically different from those of their terrestrial ancestors, can give us comparative insights into the evolution of female roles and kinship in mammalian societies. We provide a review of the diversity of such roles across the Cetacea, which are unified by some key and apparently invariable life-history features. Mothers are uniparous, while paternal care is completely absent as far as we currently know. Maternal input is extensive, lasting months to many years. Hence, female reproductive rates are low, every cetacean calf is a significant investment, and offspring care is central to female fitness. Here strategies diverge, especially between toothed and baleen whales, in terms of mother-calf association and related social structures, which range from ephemeral grouping patterns to stable, multi-level, societies in which social groups are strongly organized around female kinship. Some species exhibit social and/or spatial philopatry in both sexes, a rare phenomenon in vertebrates. Communal care can be vital, especially among deep-diving species, and can be supported by female kinship. Female-based sociality, in its diverse forms, is therefore a prevailing feature of cetacean societies. Beyond the key role in offspring survival, it provides the substrate for significant vertical and horizontal cultural transmission, as well as the only definitive non-human examples of menopause. This article is part of the theme issue 'The evolution of female-biased kinship in humans and other mammals'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luke Rendell
- 1 Sea Mammal Research Unit, School of Biology, University of St Andrews , St Andrews KY16 9TH , UK
| | - Mauricio Cantor
- 2 Departamento de Ecologia e Zoologia, Universidade Federal de Santa Catarina , Florianópolis 88040-970 , Brazil.,3 Centro de Estudos do Mar, Universidade Federal do Paraná , Pontal do Paraná 83255-000 , Brazil.,4 School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand , Johannesburg-Braamfontein , South Africa
| | - Shane Gero
- 5 Department of Zoophysiology, Institute for Bioscience, Aarhus University , Aarhus 8000 , Denmark
| | - Hal Whitehead
- 6 Department of Biology, Dalhousie University , Halifax , Canada B3H 4J1
| | - Janet Mann
- 7 Department of Biology, Georgetown University , Washington, DC 20057 , USA
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Smolla M, Rosher C, Gilman RT, Shultz S. Reproductive skew affects social information use. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2019; 6:182084. [PMID: 31417699 PMCID: PMC6689588 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.182084] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2018] [Accepted: 06/06/2019] [Indexed: 05/28/2023]
Abstract
Individuals vary in their propensity to use social learning, the engine of cultural evolution, to acquire information about their environment. The causes of those differences, however, remain largely unclear. Using an agent-based model, we tested the hypothesis that as a result of reproductive skew differences in energetic requirements for reproduction affect the value of social information. We found that social learning is associated with lower variance in yield and is more likely to evolve in risk-averse low-skew populations than in high-skew populations. Reproductive skew may also result in sex differences in social information use, as empirical data suggest that females are often more risk-averse than males. To explore how risk may affect sex differences in learning strategies, we simulated learning in sexually reproducing populations where one sex experiences more reproductive skew than the other. When both sexes compete for the same resources, they tend to adopt extreme strategies: the sex with greater reproductive skew approaches pure individual learning and the other approaches pure social learning. These results provide insight into the conditions that promote individual and species level variation in social learning and so may affect cultural evolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marco Smolla
- Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Charlotte Rosher
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
- Department of Ecology & Genetics, Uppsala University, Uppsala, Sweden
| | - R. Tucker Gilman
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
| | - Susanne Shultz
- School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science and Engineering, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK
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15
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Food-provisioning negatively affects calf survival and female reproductive success in bottlenose dolphins. Sci Rep 2019; 9:8981. [PMID: 31222088 PMCID: PMC6586622 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-45395-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2018] [Accepted: 06/03/2019] [Indexed: 11/08/2022] Open
Abstract
Food-provisioning of wildlife can facilitate reliable up-close encounters desirable by tourists and, consequently, tour operators. Food-provisioning can alter the natural behavior of an animal, encouraging adverse behavior (e.g. begging for food handouts), and affect the reproductive success and the viability of a population. Studies linking food-provisioning to reproductive success are limited due to the lack of long-term datasets available, especially for long-lived species such as marine mammals. In Bunbury, Western Australia, a state-licensed food-provisioning program offers fish handouts to a limited number of free-ranging bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus). Coupled with long-term historical data, this small (<200 individuals), resident dolphin population has been extensively studied for over ten years, offering an opportunity to examine the effect of food-provisioning on the reproductive success of females (ntotal = 63; nprovisioned females = 8). Female reproductive success was estimated as the number of weaned calves produced per reproductive years and calf survival at year one and three years old was investigated. The mean reproductive success of provisioned and non-provisioned females was compared using Bayes factor. We also used generalized linear models (GLMs) to examine female reproductive success in relation to the occurrence of food-provisioning, begging behavior and location (within the study area). Furthermore, we examined the influence of these variables and birth order and climatic fluctuations (e.g. El Niño Southern Oscillation) on calf survival. Bayes factor analyses (Bayes factor = 6.12) and results from the best fitting GLMs showed that female reproductive success and calf survival were negatively influenced by food-provisioning. The negative effects of food-provisioning, although only affecting a small proportion of the adult females’ population (13.2%), are of concern, especially given previous work showing that this population is declining.
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Bizzozzero MR, Allen SJ, Gerber L, Wild S, King SL, Connor RC, Friedman WR, Wittwer S, Krützen M. Tool use and social homophily among male bottlenose dolphins. Proc Biol Sci 2019; 286:20190898. [PMID: 31185859 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2019.0898] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Homophilous behaviour plays a central role in the formation of human friendships. Individuals form social ties with others that show similar phenotypic traits, independently of relatedness. Evidence of such homophily can be found in bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops aduncus) in Shark Bay, Western Australia, where females that use marine sponges as foraging tools often associate with other females that use sponges. 'Sponging' is a socially learned, time-consuming behaviour, transmitted from mother to calf. Previous research illustrated a strong female bias in adopting this technique. The lower propensity for males to engage in sponging may be due to its incompatibility with adult male-specific behaviours, particularly the formation of multi-level alliances. However, the link between sponging and male behaviour has never been formally tested. Here, we show that male spongers associated significantly more often with other male spongers irrespective of their level of relatedness. Male spongers spent significantly more time foraging, and less time resting and travelling, than did male non-spongers. Interestingly, we found no difference in time spent socializing. Our study provides novel insights into the relationship between tool use and activity budgets of male dolphins, and indicates social homophily in the second-order alliance composition of tool-using bottlenose dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- M R Bizzozzero
- 1 Evolutionary Genetics Groups, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - S J Allen
- 1 Evolutionary Genetics Groups, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland.,2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia , Perth, Western Australia 6009 , Australia.,3 School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ , UK
| | - L Gerber
- 1 Evolutionary Genetics Groups, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - S Wild
- 1 Evolutionary Genetics Groups, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland.,4 School of Biology, University of Leeds , Leeds LS2 9JT , UK
| | - S L King
- 2 School of Biological Sciences, University of Western Australia , Perth, Western Australia 6009 , Australia.,3 School of Biological Sciences, University of Bristol , Bristol BS8 1TQ , UK
| | - R C Connor
- 5 Biology Department, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth , North Dartmouth, MA 02747 , USA
| | - W R Friedman
- 6 Department of Cognitive Science, University of California San Diego , La Jolla, CA 92093 , USA.,7 National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis, University of California Santa Barbara , Santa Barbara, CA , USA
| | - S Wittwer
- 1 Evolutionary Genetics Groups, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland
| | - M Krützen
- 1 Evolutionary Genetics Groups, Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich , 8057 Zurich , Switzerland
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17
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Karniski C, Krzyszczyk E, Mann J. Senescence impacts reproduction and maternal investment in bottlenose dolphins. Proc Biol Sci 2018; 285:20181123. [PMID: 30051841 PMCID: PMC6083244 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2018.1123] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/21/2018] [Accepted: 06/22/2018] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Reproductive senescence is evident across many mammalian species. An emerging perspective considers components of reproductive senescence as evolutionarily distinct phenomena: fertility senescence and maternal-effect senescence. While fertility senescence is regarded as the ageing of reproductive physiology, maternal-effect senescence pertains to the declining capacity to provision and rear surviving offspring due to age. Both contribute to reproductive failure in utero making it difficult to differentiate between the two prenatally in the wild. We investigated both components in a long-lived mammal with prolonged maternal care through three parameters: calf survival, interbirth interval (IBI) and lactation period. We provide clear evidence for reproductive senescence in a wild population of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops aduncus) using 34+ years of longitudinal data on 229 adult females and 562 calves. Calf survival decreased with maternal age, and calves with older mothers had lower survival than predicted by birth order, suggesting maternal-effect senescence. Both lactation period and IBIs increased with maternal age, and IBIs increased regardless of calf mortality, indicating interactions between fertility and maternal-effect senescence. Of calves that survived to weaning, last-born calves weaned later than earlier-born calves, evidence of terminal investment, a mitigating strategy given reduced reproductive value caused by either components of reproductive senescence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Caitlin Karniski
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Ewa Krzyszczyk
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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18
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Miketa M, Patterson E, Krzyszczyk E, Foroughirad V, Mann J. Calf age and sex affect maternal diving behaviour in Shark Bay bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.12.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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19
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Galezo AA, Krzyszczyk E, Mann J. Sexual segregation in Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins is driven by female avoidance of males. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Allison A Galezo
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, NW, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Ewa Krzyszczyk
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, NW, Washington, DC, USA
| | - Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, NW, Washington, DC, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, NW, Washington, DC, USA
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Allen SJ, King SL, Krützen M, Brown AM. Multi-modal sexual displays in Australian humpback dolphins. Sci Rep 2017; 7:13644. [PMID: 29057901 PMCID: PMC5651929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-13898-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2017] [Accepted: 10/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual displays enriched by object carrying serve to increase individual male fitness, yet are uncommon phenomena in the animal kingdom. While they have been documented in a variety of taxa, primarily birds, they are rare outside non-human mammals. Here, we document marine sponge presenting associated with visual and acoustic posturing found in several, geographically widespread populations of Australian humpback dolphins (Sousa sahulensis) over ten years of observation. Only adult males presented marine sponges, typically doing so in the presence of sexually mature females, although social groups predominantly consisted of mixed age and sex classes. Male humpback dolphins appear to be using sponges for signalling purposes in multi-modal sexual displays. Further, based on limited behavioural and genetic data, we hypothesise that pairs of adult male Sousa form at least temporary coalitions or alliances. The use of objects in sexual displays by non-human mammals is rare and, moreover, cooperation between males in the pursuit of an indivisible resource is an evolutionary hurdle relatively few species have overcome. These findings suggest a hitherto unrecognised level of social complexity in humpback dolphins.
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Affiliation(s)
- S J Allen
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia. .,Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland. .,Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.
| | - S L King
- School of Biological Sciences and Oceans Institute, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Western Australia, 6009, Australia
| | - M Krützen
- Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, CH-8057, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - A M Brown
- Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, Murdoch, Western Australia, 6150, Australia.,Hartley Anderson Ltd, 36 Regent Quay, Aberdeen, AB11 5BE, United Kingdom
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Brando S, Broom DM, Acasuso-Rivero C, Clark F. Optimal marine mammal welfare under human care: Current efforts and future directions. Behav Processes 2017; 156:16-36. [PMID: 28927965 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2016] [Revised: 09/01/2017] [Accepted: 09/15/2017] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Marine mammals include cetaceans, pinnipeds, sirenians, sea otters and polar bears, many of which are charismatic and popular species commonly kept under human care in zoos and aquaria. However, in comparison with their fully terrestrial counterparts their welfare has been less intensively studied, and their partial or full reliance on the aquatic environment leads to unique welfare challenges. In this paper we attempt to collate and review the research undertaken thus far on marine mammal welfare, and identify the most important gaps in knowledge. We use 'best practice case studies' to highlight examples of research promoting optimal welfare, include suggestions for future directions of research efforts, and make recommendations to strive for optimal welfare, where it is currently lacking, above and beyond minimum legislation and guidelines. Our review of the current literature shows that recently there have been positive forward strides in marine mammal welfare assessment, but fundamental research is still required to validate positive and negative indicators of welfare in marine mammals. Across all marine mammals, more research is required on the dimensions and complexity of pools and land areas necessary for optimal welfare, and the impact of staff absence for most of the 24-h day, as standard working hours are usually between 0900 and 1700.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Brando
- WAZA Executive Office IUCN Conservation Centre, Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland.
| | - Donald M Broom
- Centre for Animal Welfare and Anthrozoology, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
| | - Cristina Acasuso-Rivero
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Cambridge, Madingley Road, Cambridge CB3 0ES, UK.
| | - Fay Clark
- Bristol Zoological Society, c/o Bristol Zoo Gardens, Clifton, Bristol BS8 3HA, UK,.
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22
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Fujii JA, Ralls K, Tinker MT. Food abundance, prey morphology, and diet specialization influence individual sea otter tool use. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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23
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Krzyszczyk E, Patterson EM, Stanton MA, Mann J. The transition to independence: sex differences in social and behavioural development of wild bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.04.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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24
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Estienne V, Stephens C, Boesch C. Extraction of honey from underground bee nests by central African chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes troglodytes) in Loango National Park, Gabon: Techniques and individual differences. Am J Primatol 2017; 79. [PMID: 28464365 DOI: 10.1002/ajp.22672] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2017] [Revised: 04/07/2017] [Accepted: 04/07/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
A detailed analysis of tool use behaviors can disclose the underlying cognitive traits of the users. We investigated the technique used by wild chimpanzees to extract the underground nests of stingless bees (Meliplebeia lendliana), which represent a hard-to-reach resource given their highly undetectable location. Using remote-sensor camera trap footage, we analyzed 151 visits to 50 different bee nests by 18 adult chimpanzees of both sexes. We quantified the degree of complexity and flexibility of this technique by looking at the behavioral repertoire and at its structural organization. We used Generalized Linear Mixed Models to test whether individuals differed in their action repertoire sizes and in their action sequencing patterns, as well as in their preferences of use of different behavioral elements (namely, actions, and grip types). We found that subjects showed non-randomly organized sequences of actions and that the occurrence of certain actions was predicted by the type of the previous action in the sequences. Subjects did not differ in their repertoire sizes, and all used extractive actions involving tools more often than manual digging. As for the type of grip employed, the grip involving the coordinated use of hands and feet together was most frequently used by all subjects when perforating, and we detected significant individual preferences in this domain. Overall, we describe a highly complex and flexible extractive technique, and propose the existence of inter-individual variation in it. We discuss our results in the light of the evolution of higher cognitive abilities in the human lineage.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vittoria Estienne
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Colleen Stephens
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Christophe Boesch
- Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
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25
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McDonald TL, Hornsby FE, Speakman TR, Zolman ES, Mullin KD, Sinclair C, Rosel PE, Thomas L, Schwacke LH. Survival, density, and abundance of common bottlenose dolphins in Barataria Bay (USA) following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2017. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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26
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Moreno K, Acevedo-Gutiérrez A. The social structure of Golfo Dulce bottlenose dolphins ( Tursiops truncatus) and the influence of behavioural state. ROYAL SOCIETY OPEN SCIENCE 2016; 3:160010. [PMID: 27853584 PMCID: PMC5108934 DOI: 10.1098/rsos.160010] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/06/2016] [Accepted: 07/29/2016] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Ecological factors such as habitat and food availability affect the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops spp.). Here, we describe the social structure of bottlenose dolphins (T. truncatus) in Golfo Dulce, Costa Rica, a semi-enclosed, fjord-like tropical embayment resembling a pelagic system. We also examine behaviour-linked social strategies by comparing social structure relative to behavioural state: feeding versus non-feeding. We analysed 333 sightings over 210 days from boat-based surveys. Despite the uniqueness of the area, the 47 analysed adults had a social structure similar to other populations: a well-differentiated fission-fusion society with sex-specific patterns of associations and aggression. These results indicate that differences in social structure relative to other populations were a matter of degree. Association strength of dyads was highly correlated across behavioural states, indicating constraints on social fluidity. Males displayed a marked difference in lagged association rate and females displayed a small difference in association homogeneity between states. We suggest this difference in population-wide social connections between behavioural states, particularly for males, was due to mating strategies, a pressure which is strongest during non-feeding behaviour and relaxed during feeding. This finding highlights the importance of considering behavioural state when examining individual bonds and the behavioural plasticity for which the bottlenose dolphin is well known.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelsey Moreno
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9160, USA
| | - Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez
- Department of Biology, Western Washington University, 516 High Street, Bellingham, WA 98225-9160, USA
- Marine Mammal Research Program, Texas A&M University at Galveston, Galveston, TX 77551, USA
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28
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29
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Klump BC, van der Wal JEM, St Clair JJH, Rutz C. Context-dependent 'safekeeping' of foraging tools in New Caledonian crows. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:20150278. [PMID: 25994674 PMCID: PMC4455803 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Several animal species use tools for foraging, such as sticks to extract embedded arthropods and honey, or stones to crack open nuts and eggs. While providing access to nutritious foods, these behaviours may incur significant costs, such as the time and energy spent searching for, manufacturing and transporting tools. These costs can be reduced by re-using tools, keeping them safe when not needed. We experimentally investigated what New Caledonian crows do with their tools between successive prey extractions, and whether they express tool ‘safekeeping’ behaviours more often when the costs (foraging at height), or likelihood (handling of demanding prey), of tool loss are high. Birds generally took care of their tools (84% of 176 prey extractions, nine subjects), either trapping them underfoot (74%) or storing them in holes (26%)—behaviours we also observed in the wild (19 cases, four subjects). Moreover, tool-handling behaviour was context-dependent, with subjects: keeping their tools safe significantly more often when foraging at height; and storing tools significantly more often in holes when extracting more demanding prey (under these conditions, foot-trapping proved challenging). In arboreal environments, safekeeping can prevent costly tool losses, removing a potentially important constraint on the evolution of habitual and complex tool behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Barbara C Klump
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Jessica E M van der Wal
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - James J H St Clair
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
| | - Christian Rutz
- Centre for Biological Diversity, School of Biology, University of St Andrews, Sir Harold Mitchell Building, St Andrews KY16 9TH, UK
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30
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Zefferman MR. Mothers teach daughters because daughters teach granddaughters: the evolution of sex-biased transmission. Behav Ecol 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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31
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Brough TE, Henderson S, Guerra M, Dawson SM. Factors influencing heterogeneity in female reproductive success in a Critically Endangered population of bottlenose dolphins. ENDANGER SPECIES RES 2016. [DOI: 10.3354/esr00715] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
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32
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Patterson EM, Krzyszczyk E, Mann J. Age-specific foraging performance and reproduction in tool-using wild bottlenose dolphins. Behav Ecol 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv164] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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35
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Fujii JA, Ralls K, Tinker MT. Ecological drivers of variation in tool-use frequency across sea otter populations. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru220] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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36
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Krützen M, Kreicker S, MacLeod CD, Learmonth J, Kopps AM, Walsham P, Allen SJ. Cultural transmission of tool use by Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) provides access to a novel foraging niche. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20140374. [PMID: 24759862 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0374] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Culturally transmitted tool use has important ecological and evolutionary consequences and has been proposed as a significant driver of human evolution. Such evidence is still scarce in other animals. In cetaceans, tool use has been inferred using indirect evidence in one population of Indo-Pacific bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.), where particular dolphins ('spongers') use marine sponges during foraging. To date, evidence of whether this foraging tactic actually provides access to novel food items is lacking. We used fatty acid (FA) signature analysis to identify dietary differences between spongers and non-spongers, analysing data from 11 spongers and 27 non-spongers from two different study sites. Both univariate and multivariate analyses revealed significant differences in FA profiles between spongers and non-spongers between and within study sites. Moreover, FA profiles differed significantly between spongers and non-spongers foraging within the same deep channel habitat, whereas the profiles of non-spongers from deep channel and shallow habitats at this site could not be distinguished. Our results indicate that sponge use by bottlenose dolphins is linked to significant differences in diet. It appears that cultural transmission of tool use in dolphins, as in humans, allows the exploitation of an otherwise unused niche.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael Krützen
- Evolutionary Genetics Group, Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, , Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland, Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, , Aberdeen, UK, Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth, and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, , Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia, Marine Scotland Science, Marine Laboratory, , PO Box 101, 375 Victoria Road, Aberdeen AB11 9DB, UK, Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, , Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, , Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
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37
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Kopps AM, Ackermann CY, Sherwin WB, Allen SJ, Bejder L, Krützen M. Cultural transmission of tool use combined with habitat specializations leads to fine-scale genetic structure in bottlenose dolphins. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20133245. [PMID: 24648223 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2013.3245] [Citation(s) in RCA: 63] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Socially learned behaviours leading to genetic population structure have rarely been described outside humans. Here, we provide evidence of fine-scale genetic structure that has probably arisen based on socially transmitted behaviours in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) in western Shark Bay, Western Australia. We argue that vertical social transmission in different habitats has led to significant geographical genetic structure of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) haplotypes. Dolphins with mtDNA haplotypes E or F are found predominantly in deep (more than 10 m) channel habitat, while dolphins with a third haplotype (H) are found predominantly in shallow habitat (less than 10 m), indicating a strong haplotype-habitat correlation. Some dolphins in the deep habitat engage in a foraging strategy using tools. These 'sponging' dolphins are members of one matriline, carrying haplotype E. This pattern is consistent with what had been demonstrated previously at another research site in Shark Bay, where vertical social transmission of sponging had been shown using multiple lines of evidence. Using an individual-based model, we found support that in western Shark Bay, socially transmitted specializations may have led to the observed genetic structure. The reported genetic structure appears to present an example of cultural hitchhiking of mtDNA haplotypes on socially transmitted foraging strategies, suggesting that, as in humans, genetic structure can be shaped through cultural transmission.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anna M Kopps
- Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, , Sydney, New South Wales 2052, Australia, Evolutionary Genetics Group, Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zurich, , Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich 8057, Switzerland, Murdoch University Cetacean Research Unit, Centre for Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Ecosystems Research, School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, , South Street, Murdoch, Western Australia 6150, Australia
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Meulman EJM, Seed AM, Mann J. If at first you don't succeed... Studies of ontogeny shed light on the cognitive demands of habitual tool use. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20130050. [PMID: 24101632 PMCID: PMC4027412 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2013.0050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many species use tools, but the mechanisms underpinning the behaviour differ between species and even among individuals within species, depending on the variants performed. When considering tool use 'as adaptation', an important first step is to understand the contribution made by fixed phenotypes as compared to flexible mechanisms, for instance learning. Social learning of tool use is sometimes inferred based on variation between populations of the same species but this approach is questionable. Specifically, alternative explanations cannot be ruled out because population differences are also driven by genetic and/or environmental factors. To better understand the mechanisms underlying routine but non-universal (i.e. habitual) tool use, we suggest focusing on the ontogeny of tool use and individual variation within populations. For example, if tool-using competence emerges late during ontogeny and improves with practice or varies with exposure to social cues, then a role for learning can be inferred. Experimental studies help identify the cognitive and developmental mechanisms used when tools are used to solve problems. The mechanisms underlying the route to tool-use acquisition have important consequences for our understanding of the accumulation in technological skill complexity over the life course of an individual, across generations and over evolutionary time.
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Affiliation(s)
- E. J. M. Meulman
- Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland
| | - A. M. Seed
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, Fife KY16 9JP, St Andrews, UK
| | - J. Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
- Department of Psychology, Georgetown University, Washington, DC 20057, USA
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Abstract
Tool-use research has focused primarily on land-based animals, with less consideration given to aquatic animals and the environmental challenges and conditions they face. Here, we review aquatic tool use and examine the contributing ecological, physiological, cognitive and social factors. Tool use among aquatic animals is rare but taxonomically diverse, occurring in fish, cephalopods, mammals, crabs, urchins and possibly gastropods. While additional research is required, the scarcity of tool use can likely be attributable to the characteristics of aquatic habitats, which are generally not conducive to tool use. Nonetheless, studying tool use by aquatic animals provides insights into the conditions that promote and inhibit tool-use behaviour across biomes. Like land-based tool users, aquatic animals tend to find tools on the substrate and use tools during foraging. However, unlike on land, tool users in water often use other animals (and their products) and water itself as a tool. Among sea otters and dolphins, the two aquatic tool users studied in greatest detail, some individuals specialize in tool use, which is vertically socially transmitted possibly because of their long dependency periods. In all, the contrasts between aquatic- and land-based tool users enlighten our understanding of the adaptive value of tool-use behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, , Washington DC, 20057-1229, USA
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40
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Abstract
Tool use is a vital component of the human behavioural repertoire. The benefits of tool use have often been assumed to be self-evident: by extending control over our environment, we have increased energetic returns and buffered ourselves from potentially harmful influences. In recent decades, however, the study of tool use in both humans and non-human animals has expanded the way we think about the role of tools in the natural world. This Theme Issue is aimed at bringing together this developing body of knowledge, gathered across multiple species and from multiple research perspectives, to chart the wider evolutionary context of this phylogenetically rare behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, , Oxford, UK
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41
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Manger P. Questioning the interpretations of behavioral observations of cetaceans: Is there really support for a special intellectual status for this mammalian order? Neuroscience 2013; 250:664-96. [DOI: 10.1016/j.neuroscience.2013.07.041] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/24/2013] [Accepted: 07/17/2013] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Clark FE, Davies SL, Madigan AW, Warner AJ, Kuczaj SA. Cognitive enrichment for bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus): evaluation of a novel underwater maze device. Zoo Biol 2013; 32:608-19. [PMID: 24018985 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21096] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/20/2013] [Revised: 07/22/2013] [Accepted: 08/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Cognitive enrichment is gaining popularity as a tool to enhance captive animal well-being, but research on captive cetaceans is lacking. Dolphin cognition has been studied intensively since the 1950s, and several hundred bottlenose dolphins are housed in major zoos and aquaria worldwide, but most dolphin enrichment consists of simple floating objects. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a novel, underwater maze device (UMD) was cognitively enriching for one group of male and one group of female dolphins at Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, CA. The dolphin's task was to navigate a rubber ball through a maze of pipes, towards an exit pipe. We also tested a modification where an edible gelatine ball fell into the pool once the UMD was solved. The UMD was provided to each group between 8 and 11 times over a 4-week period. Male dolphins used the UMD without prior training, whereas females did not use the UMD at all. Two male dolphins solved the UMD 17 times, using a variety of problem-solving strategies. The UMD had no significant effect on circular (repetitive) swimming patterns, but males spent significantly more time underwater when the UMD was present. Males used the UMD significantly more when it contained the rubber ball, but the gelatine ball stimulated social play. The UMD is a safe and practical device for captive dolphins. It now requires further testing on other dolphins, particularly females, to in order to examine whether the sex differences we observed are a general phenomenon.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fay E Clark
- Centre for Animal Welfare, Royal Veterinary College, Hawkshead Lane, Hertfordshire, United Kingdom; Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, United Kingdom
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43
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Koops K, McGrew WC, Matsuzawa T. Ecology of culture: do environmental factors influence foraging tool use in wild chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes verus? Anim Behav 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.10.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
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44
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Modelling the emergence and stability of a vertically transmitted cultural trait in bottlenose dolphins. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.08.029] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Mann J, Stanton MA, Patterson EM, Bienenstock EJ, Singh LO. Social networks reveal cultural behaviour in tool-using [corrected] dolphins. Nat Commun 2012; 3:980. [PMID: 22864573 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms1983] [Citation(s) in RCA: 92] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2011] [Accepted: 07/02/2012] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal tool use is of inherent interest given its relationship to intelligence, innovation and cultural behaviour. Here we investigate whether Shark Bay bottlenose dolphins that use marine sponges as hunting tools (spongers) are culturally distinct from other dolphins in the population based on the criteria that sponging is both socially learned and distinguishes between groups. We use social network analysis to determine social preferences among 36 spongers and 69 non-spongers sampled over a 22-year period while controlling for location, sex and matrilineal relatedness. Homophily (the tendency to associate with similar others) based on tool-using status was evident in every analysis, although maternal kinship, sex and location also contributed to social preference. Female spongers were more cliquish and preferentially associated with other spongers over non-spongers. Like humans who preferentially associate with others who share their subculture, tool-using dolphins prefer others like themselves, strongly suggesting that sponge tool-use is a cultural behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Janet Mann
- Department of Biology, Georgetown University, Washington, District of Columbia 20057, USA.
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46
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Dungan S, Hung S, Wang J, White B. Two social communities in the Pearl River Estuary population of Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis). CAN J ZOOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1139/z2012-071] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
The way human activities impact animal populations can depend on social structure, which is important to understand in social species such as cetaceans. We investigated association patterns in Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins ( Sousa chinensis (Osbeck, 1765)) inhabiting the Pearl River Estuary near Lantau Island, Hong Kong, using a 10-year data set for 88 individuals. Our analyses revealed two social communities. Each had its own region of core use, to the north and to the west of the island, but their overall ranges partially overlapped northwest of Lantau. The northern community had a fission–fusion structure characterized by short-term associations, while the western community had more long-term associations. Mixed-community groups included calves more often than exclusive groups, so between-community associations may arise from common habitat usage, by females especially, in the overlap area. Recent range extensions by the northern community into the west are likely a response to habitat destruction north of Lantau. This suggests ease of movement between the north and the west is necessary for northern-community dolphins to access suitable habitat, and gives new concern to construction projects planned for the region. We emphasize our study as an example of how sociobiological information can be important in understanding human impacts on animal populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- S.Z. Dungan
- Department of Biology, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - S.K. Hung
- Hong Kong Cetacean Research Project, Flat C, 22/F, Block 13, Sceneway Garden, Lam Tin, Kowloon, Hong Kong
| | - J.Y. Wang
- FormosaCetus Research and Conservation Group, 310-7250 Yonge Street, Thornhill, ON L4J 7X1, Canada
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre, Department of Biology, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
| | - B.N. White
- Natural Resources DNA Profiling and Forensic Centre, Department of Biology, Trent University, 2140 East Bank Drive, Peterborough, ON K9J 7B8, Canada
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Stone tool use in wild bearded capuchin monkeys, Cebus libidinosus. Is it a strategy to overcome food scarcity? Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.03.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 115] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Spontaneous tool-use: An observation of a dingo (Canis dingo) using a table to access an out-of-reach food reward. Behav Processes 2012; 89:219-24. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2011.11.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Rutz C, St Clair JJ. The evolutionary origins and ecological context of tool use in New Caledonian crows. Behav Processes 2012; 89:153-65. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2011.11.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 90] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2011] [Revised: 11/30/2011] [Accepted: 11/30/2011] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
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Bonduriansky R, Crean AJ, Day T. The implications of nongenetic inheritance for evolution in changing environments. Evol Appl 2011; 5:192-201. [PMID: 25568041 PMCID: PMC3353344 DOI: 10.1111/j.1752-4571.2011.00213.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 197] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/29/2011] [Accepted: 10/06/2011] [Indexed: 11/28/2022] Open
Abstract
Nongenetic inheritance is a potentially important but poorly understood factor in population responses to rapid environmental change. Accumulating evidence indicates that nongenetic inheritance influences a diverse array of traits in all organisms and can allow for the transmission of environmentally induced phenotypic changes ('acquired traits'), as well as spontaneously arising and highly mutable variants. We review models of adaptation to changing environments under the assumption of a broadened model of inheritance that incorporates nongenetic mechanisms of transmission, and survey relevant empirical examples. Theory suggests that nongenetic inheritance can increase the rate of both phenotypic and genetic change and, in some cases, alter the direction of change. Empirical evidence shows that a diversity of phenotypes - spanning a continuum from adaptive to pathological - can be transmitted nongenetically. The presence of nongenetic inheritance therefore complicates our understanding of evolutionary responses to environmental change. We outline a research program encompassing experimental studies that test for transgenerational effects of a range of environmental factors, followed by theoretical and empirical studies on the population-level consequences of such effects.
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell Bonduriansky
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Angela J Crean
- Evolution & Ecology Research Centre and School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales Sydney, NSW, Australia
| | - Troy Day
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, Queen's University Kingston, ON, Canada ; Department of Biology, Queen's University Kingston, ON, Canada
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