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1.
In mammalian polygynous mating systems, male reproductive effort consists mainly of male–male competition and courting of
females, which entail substantial somatic costs. Males are thus expected to adjust their reproductive effort according to
their age and condition. In this study, we examined how activity budgets of male mountain goats (Oreamnos americanus), a polygynous ungulate, varied with age in a marked population over two periods: (1) summers 1995–2006 and (2) ruts 2004–2006.
We then assessed if the proportions of time spent in male–male competition and courtship behaviors were influenced by age-specific
body mass and social rank during the rut. Males spent most of their time foraging and resting during summer, and rested more
and foraged less with increasing age. During the rut, pronounced shifts in activity budgets occurred as juveniles (1–2 years)
increased time spent foraging, whereas adults (≥3 years) increased standing and time spent in social interactions at the expense
of foraging. At old age, reproductive effort either stabilized or decreased slightly, providing weak support for the ‘mating
strategy–effort’ hypothesis, predicting that courtship behaviors should peak in prime-aged males. Age-specific body mass did
not affect time spent in male–male competition, but was positively related with time spent in courtship behaviors, providing
support for the ‘individual quality’ hypothesis, predicting that males with more resources at the start of the rut should
spend more time in mating-related activities. Age-specific social rank did not affect reproductive effort. Surviving to prime
age while increasing mass each year should thus allow male ungulates to gain greater ability to court estrus females. 相似文献
2.
The mating system of Abdopus aculeatus incorporates sneaker matings, mate guarding, sex-specific body patterns, frequent copulations, and male–male competition
for mates, making it more similar to that of aggregating decapod cephalopods than any previously known octopus social system.
Large male–female A. aculeatus occupy ‘Adjacent’ (GA) dens and copulate frequently in mate-guarding situations over successive days. Nearby individuals copulate in ‘Temporary
guarding’ (GT) and ‘Transient’ (T; non-guarding) situations, the latter of which can involve ‘Sneaker’ (S) mating. In a focal animal study
of these octopuses in the wild (Sulawesi, Indonesia) we addressed the hypotheses that they demonstrate: (1) precopulatory
mate choice, (2) differential copulation rates by individuals employing different mating tactics, and (3) distant sex identification.
We quantified daily copulation rates of A. aculeatus of reproductive size as well as aspects of copulation duration, display, mate-competition, and mate rejection. Mating tactic
correlated with daily copulation rates. ♂GA spent significantly more time copulating than did ♂T, while ♀GA spent more than twice as much time per day in copula than did other females. Sneaker copulations lasted longer than those by males adopting other tactics. Mate-guarding was an
effective and important tactic used by males to temporarily monopolize mating with apparently non-selective females. Males
demonstrated clear pre-copulatory mate choice by guarding and mating repeatedly with large females (typically ♀GA). While foraging alone away from the den, ♂G procured ‘Transient’ copulations with unguarded females. However, mate-guarding
reduced the amount of time ♂G were alone and may impede their ability to seek out new mates. Low-copulation rates by ♀T, the
smallest female tactic on average, may reflect this trade-off between mate preference and mate-searching by males, or non-receptivity
of some females. A male-typical body pattern (black and white stripes) appeared to facilitate distant sex identification.
Although mating and aggression were often initiated before contact between individuals, same-sex copulations and intense male–female
aggression were rare. By contrast frequent male–female copulations and intense male–male aggression were consistent behavioral
components of mating in A. aculeatus at these sites. Because the behavioral and ecological characters conducive to this complex system are not exclusive to A. aculeatus, it is possible that other octopuses exhibit some or all of these behaviors.
Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. 相似文献
3.
Male seahorses (genus Hippocampus) provide all post-fertilization parental care, yet despite high levels of paternal investment, these species have long been
thought to have conventional sex roles, with female mate choice and male–male competition. Recent studies of the pot-bellied
seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) have shown that sex-role reversal occurs in high-density female-biased populations, indicating that male mating preferences
may lead to sexual selection on females in this species. Egg size, egg number, and offspring size all correlate positively
with female body size in Hippocampus, and by choosing large mating partners, male seahorses may increase their reproductive success. While male brood size is
also positively correlated with body size, small H. abdominalis males can carry exceptionally large broods, suggesting that the fecundity benefits of female preference for large partners
may be limited. We investigated the importance of body size in reproductive decisions of H. abdominalis, presenting focal individuals of both sexes with potential mating partners of different sizes. Mating preferences were quantified
in terms of time spent courting each potential partner. Male seahorses were highly active throughout the mate-choice trials
and showed a clear behavioral preference for large partners, while females showed significantly lower levels of activity and
equivocal mating preferences. The strong male preferences for large females demonstrated here suggest that sexual selection
may act strongly on female body size in wild populations of H. abdominalis, consistent with predictions on the importance of female body size for reproductive output in this species.
An erratum to this article can be found at 相似文献
4.
Kevin J. Delaney J. Andrew Roberts George W. Uetz 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,62(1):67-75
Male signaling behaviors are often studied in a single context but may serve multiple functions (e.g., in male–male competition
and female mate choice). We examined the issue of dual function male signals in a wolf spider species Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz) that displays the same species-specific signaling behaviors in both male–male and male–female contexts. These signaling
behaviors have been described as either aggression or courtship according to the context observed. We tested the possibility
of dual functions by comparing the relationship between behaviors and outcome of male–male contests (winner/loser) and male–female
mating encounters (mating success). Frequency, rate, and mean duration of signaling behaviors did not vary with outcome of
male–male contests, which appears instead to be based upon relative size and body mass. Winners of contests had significantly
greater body mass than losers, and greater mass relative to opponents was significantly associated with probability of winning.
Overall, signaling rates were much higher in male–female interactions than in male–male contests and were higher for males
that successfully mated than for those that did not mate. Mean duration of some male displays was also greater for males that
successfully mated. However, male size was not associated with probability of mating. Taken together, results suggest an intersexual
selection context for the current function of male signals in these wolf spiders and that increased display vigor is associated
with male mating success. 相似文献
5.
Palestina Guevara-Fiore Jessica Stapley Penelope J. Watt 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2010,64(10):1665-1672
Males vary in the degree to which they invest in mating. Several factors can explain this variation, including differences
in males’ individual condition and the fact that males allocate their energy depending on the context they face in each mating
attempt. Particularly, female quality affects male reproductive success. Here, we studied whether male guppies (Poecilia reticulata) strategically allocated more mating effort, in terms of mating behaviour and male–male competition, when they were matched
with a receptive (R) female than a non-receptive one. In accordance with our prediction, we found that males increased their
mating behaviour when they were with a receptive female. Even though male guppies can inseminate non-receptive females, we
only found high levels of courtship between males that were with a receptive female rather than a non-receptive one. Although
there was little affect of female receptivity on male–male competition, we found that males chased and interrupted courtships
more with receptive females than with non-receptive females regardless of odour. Finally, we also studied whether the sexual
pheromone produced by receptive female guppies is a cue that males use in order to increase their mating effort. We found
that males were more attracted to a female when they perceived the sexual pheromone, but only increased their mating and aggressive
behaviours when females showed receptive behaviour. This strategic increase in mating effort could result in higher male reproductive
success because mating attempts towards receptive females are likely to be less costly and males could have a greater probability
of fertilisation. 相似文献
6.
Animal social networks: an introduction 总被引:1,自引:1,他引:0
Network analysis has a long history in the mathematical and social sciences and the aim of this introduction is to provide
a brief overview of the potential that it holds for the study of animal behaviour. One of the most attractive features of
the network paradigm is that it provides a single conceptual framework with which we can study the social organisation of
animals at all levels (individual, dyad, group, population) and for all types of interaction (aggressive, cooperative, sexual
etc.). Graphical tools allow a visual inspection of networks which often helps inspire ideas for testable hypotheses. Network
analysis itself provides a multitude of novel statistical tools that can be used to characterise social patterns in animal
populations. Among the important insights that networks have facilitated is that indirect social connections matter. Interactions
between individuals generate a social environment at the population level which in turn selects for behavioural strategies
at the individual level. A social network is often a perfect means by which to represent heterogeneous relationships in a
population. Probing the biological drivers for these heterogeneities, often as a function of time, forms the basis of many
of the current uses of network analysis in the behavioural sciences. This special issue on social networks brings together
a diverse group of practitioners whose study systems range from social insects over reptiles to birds, cetaceans, ungulates
and primates in order to illustrate the wide-ranging applications of network analysis.
This contribution is part of the special issue “Social Networks: new perspectives” (Guest Editors: J. Krause, D. Lusseau and
R. James). 相似文献
7.
Female choice and male–male aggression are two modes of sexual selection that can lead to elaboration of male morphological
and behavioral traits. In lek-mating species, male mating success is often strongly skewed, and it is puzzling why variation
in male traits is still observed given directional female choice. If male traits correlated with reproductive success are
honest signals of male quality, there may be survival costs associated with the expression of those traits. In this study,
we examined whether morphological, behavioral, and territorial traits are correlated with male mating success and survival
in the lek-mating greater prairie-chicken (Tympanuchus cupido). We introduce a novel application of multinomial discrete choice models for analysis of female mate choice behavior. We
found that behavioral and territorial attributes showed 6.5 times more variability among males than morphological traits.
Both display and aggressive behaviors were strong predictors of male mating success, suggesting that both female choice and
male–male aggression were important in determining mating success among male greater prairie-chickens. Moreover, annual survival
of male prairie-chickens was independent of mating success and male traits. Females appear to be choosing males based on behavioral
traits where large variation exists between males (coefficient of variation >30%). Behavioral traits were the most important
factor in determining mating success of male prairie-chickens, but the mechanism underlying this relationship is unknown.
In the future, experimental manipulations of male hormones or parasite loads could bridge the proximate mechanisms and ultimate
consequences of factors mediating male mating success in lek-mating grouse. 相似文献
8.
Charlyn Partridge Ingrid Ahnesjö Charlotta Kvarnemo Kenyon B. Mobley Anders Berglund Adam G. Jones 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(3):345-354
The last several decades of research in behavioral ecology have resulted in a deeper appreciation of post-mating processes
and sexual conflict in sexual selection. One of the most controversial aspects of sexual selection is cryptic mate choice.
Here, we take advantage of male pregnancy in a sex-role-reversed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle) to quantify cryptic choice based on perceived parasite load and other sources of variance in female fitness. Studies have
shown that S. typhle males preferentially mate with females with lower parasite loads and that a male’s perception of female parasite load can
be altered by tattooing females. We manipulated the apparent parasite load of females in controlled mating experiments to
test the hypothesis that post-copulatory sexual selection is dependent on a male’s perception of female parasite load in pipefish.
Our results provided no evidence for cryptic male choice based on perceived female parasite load. However, we found evidence
that eggs from larger females were more likely to result in viable offspring than eggs from smaller females and that the first
female to mate with a male transferred more eggs per copulation on average. Overall, our results show that potential for post-copulatory
sexual selection does exist in pipefish, but the male’s perception of female parasite load does not play a major role in this
process. 相似文献
9.
Michael J. Young Leigh W. Simmons Jonathan P. Evans 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2010,64(6):915-925
Sexual selection can act through female choice and male–male competition. Although both processes can act simultaneously,
they are typically studied independently. Here, we adopt a more integrated approach to studying sexual selection by incorporating
measures of both processes using the western rainbowfish Melanotaenia australis, a freshwater fish endemic to northwestern Australia. We assessed male–male competition and female choice separately while
measuring the performance of individual males under both processes and used paternity analyses to estimate male reproductive
success. We then related the performance of males during each of these stages to their phenotype, which was described using
linear measures of size and color pattern traits, and spectrographic measures of the reflectance of color patches. We found
that female choice favored relatively large males and that these preferences were consistent within individual females and
repeatable between different females. Larger males were also more dominant in the competition trials and sired the majority
of offspring produced when females spawned. There was little evidence to suggest that sexual selection acted on male color
patterns either via female choice or male contest competition or during subsequent post-mating episodes of sexual selection.
We conclude, therefore, that male–male competition and female choice act concordantly to favor relatively large males and
that these patterns of mating success are reflected during post-mating episodes of sexual selection. 相似文献
10.
Sjouke A. Kingma István Szentirmai Tamás Székely Veronika Bókony Maarten Bleeker András Liker Jan Komdeur 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2008,62(8):1277-1288
Melanin-based ornaments are often involved in signaling aggression and dominance, and their role in sexual selection is increasingly
recognized. We investigated the functions of a melanin-based plumage ornament (facial ‘mask’) in male Eurasian penduline tits
Remiz pendulinus in the contexts of male–male aggression, mating success, and parental care. The penduline tit is a passerine bird with a
unique mating system in which both sexes may mate with several mates in a breeding season, and one (or both) parent deserts
the clutch. Our study revealed that mask size of males is more likely an honest signal used by females in their mate choice
decisions than a trait involved in male–male competition. First, mask size increased with both age and body condition, indicating
that the mask may signal male quality. Second, males with larger masks paired more quickly and had more mates over the breeding
season than males with smaller masks. Third, we found no evidence that male mask size signals male–male aggression or dominance
during competitive encounters. The increased mating success of large-masked males, however, did not translate into higher
reproductive success, as nestling survival decreased with mask size. Therefore, we conclude that there is either no directional
selection on male mask size or males with larger masks receive indirect, long-term benefits. 相似文献
11.
R. Terry Bowyer Janet L. Rachlow Kelley M. Stewart Victor Van Ballenberghe 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2011,65(12):2251-2260
Evidence of female fomentation of male–male aggression as a mechanism of mate choice is rare, especially in mammals. Female
choice of mates in polygynous species may be masked by intense male competition or by males attempting to restrict female
choice. We studied protest moans of female Alaskan moose Alces alces gigas in interior Alaska, USA, from 1987 to 1990, to determine if moans incited male–male aggression. Alaskan moose exhibit a mating
system in which one dominant male (the harem master) herds, defends, courts, and attempts to mate with females in his harem.
Protest moans were given by females only in response to courtship. We hypothesized that if protest moans were related to females
reducing harassment and exercising mate choice, females should give protest moans more frequently when courted by small males
and less often when courted by large males, and that rates of male–male aggression would be elevated following protest moans.
Harems were composed of one large male, with a mean of 4.4 females (median = 3 females); 10% of 132 harems included ≥10 females.
The temporal pattern of protest moans from late August through November was associated with, but tended to lag behind, mating
behavior. The rate of protest moans given by females decreased with increasing size of males courting them. Male–male aggression
was significantly less during periods without protest moans than during periods in which protest moans occurred. These results
indicate that female moose gave protest moans to reduce harassment by smaller males, and assure a mating opportunity with
the most dominant male. Such a subtle mechanism of indirect mate choice by females may occur in other vertebrates in which
choice is limited by a mating system in which male–male combat and male dominance over females reduces opportunities for female
choice. The importance of female choice may be undervalued in studies of sexual selection in mammals. 相似文献
12.
Martin Plath Katja Kromuszczynski Ralph Tiedemann 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(3):381-390
Males often face strong mating competition by neighboring males in their social environment. A recent study by Plath et al.
(Anim Behav 75:21–29, 2008a) has demonstrated that the visual presence of a male competitor (i.e., an audience male) affects
the expression of male mating preferences in a poeciliid fish (Poecilia mexicana) with a weaker expression of mating preferences when an audience male observed the focal male. This may be a tactic to reduce
sperm competition, since surrounding males likely share intrinsic preferences for female traits or copy mate choice decisions.
Here, we examined the hypothesis that a same-sex audience would affect female mate preferences less than male mating preferences. Our hypothesis was based on the assumptions that (1) competition for
mates in a fashion that would be comparable in strength to sperm competition or overt male–male aggression is absent among
Poecilia females, and (2) P. mexicana females typically form female-biased shoals, such that almost any female mate choice in nature occurs in front of a female
audience. Poecilia females (P. mexicana, surface and cave form, and the closely related gynogenetic Poecilia formosa) were given a choice between a large and a small male, and the tests were repeated while a conspecific, a heterospecific,
or no audience female (control) was presented. Females spent more time in the neutral zone and, thus, less time near the males
during the second part of a trial when an audience was presented, but—consistent with predictions—females showed only slightly
weaker expression of mate preferences during the second part of the tests. This decline was not specific to the treatment
involving an audience and was significantly weaker than the effect seen in the male sex. 相似文献
13.
Dhruba Naug 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(7):1023-1028
Social interactions are critical to the organization of worker activities in insect colonies and their consequent ecological
success. The structure of this interaction network is therefore crucial to our understanding of colony organization and functioning.
In this paper, I study the properties of the interaction network in the colonies of the social wasp Ropalidia marginata. I find that the network is characterized by a uniform connectivity among individuals with increasing heterogeneity as colonies
become larger. Important network parameters are found to be correlated with colony size and I investigate how this is reflected
in the organization of work in colonies of different sizes. Finally, I test the resilience of these interaction networks by
experimental removal of individuals from the colony and discuss the structural properties of the network that are related
to resilience in a social network.
This contribution is part of the special issue “Social Networks: new perspectives” (Guest Editors: J. Krause, D. Lusseau,
and R. James). 相似文献
14.
Julie E. Elie Nicolas Mathevon Clémentine Vignal 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2011,65(12):2197-2208
Same-sex sexual behaviors are well documented in both captive and wild animals. In monogamous species, these behaviors are
often exclusive, each individual having only one same-sex partner. A bias in sex ratio has been proposed as a social context
yielding same-sex pair-bonding, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. Focusing on a life-long pair-bonding songbird,
the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata, we tested whether same-sex pairing results from a shortage of individuals of the opposite sex. By experimentally skewing
the sex ratio towards members of one sex, we observed a greater proportion of same-sex pair-bonds of that sex. Moreover, we
assessed whether the quality and stability of social interactions were equivalent in same-sex and male–female pairs. Male–male
and female–female same-sex bonds display the same behavioral characteristics as male–female ones: they are intense, highly
selective, and stable affinitive relationships involving the same behavioral displays already described in wild birds. Moreover,
same-sex male bonds were sufficiently strong not to split up when individuals were given the opportunity to reproduce with
females. Because the pair-bond in socially monogamous species represents a partnership that may give advantages for survival
(e.g., resources defense, fighting against predators, etc.), we propose that same-sex pairing in the zebra finch may result
from the pressure to find a social partner. 相似文献
15.
Matteo Griggio Lorenzo Serra Davide Licheri Alessia Monti Andrea Pilastro 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2007,61(3):423-433
Females often base their mating preferences on male sexual secondary traits that are used to settle contests among males. Such traits are likely to be honest indicators of male quality if they are constantly used during costly male–male agonistic interactions. Carotenoid signals have been shown to work as a handicap because they are costly to produce. However, the role of carotenoids as “honest” signals during male contests is less clear, and it is not known whether a carotenoid-based trait can serve in both male–male competition and female choice. In this study, we studied the dual function of a carotenoid feather ornament in the rock sparrow (Petronia petronia), a bird species in which both sexes have a yellow throat patch whose size positively correlates with phenotypic measures. First, we investigated, in a field study, whether the size of a male’s yellow patch correlates with his ability to acquire a territory. Second, we tested the signal function of the yellow patch in two male–male interaction in captivity experiments. Finally, we measured female preference for males differing in throat patch size in a mate choice experiment. Our experiments revealed that the size of a male’s throat patch positively correlated with the number of nest boxes he was able to defend. Moreover, in controlled conditions, males with relatively large yellow patches had earlier access to food than those with small patches. Also, in an experiment in which a dummy rock sparrow with an experimentally manipulated yellow patch was positioned near a feeder, latency to feed by focal birds positively correlated with dummy patch size. Lastly, in a dichotomous mate choice experiment, females showed a proximity preference for males whose patch was experimentally enlarged. Taken together, these results suggest that the same carotenoid feather signal may be used in both male–male competition and female choice in this passerine bird. 相似文献
16.
Joanna P. Y. Chan Pei Rong Lau Ai Jie Tham Daiqin Li 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2008,62(5):639-646
In experiments that comprised of three phases (fight, choice, and mating) under “seen” and “unseen” conditions, we examined
the effects of the outcomes of male–male contests and female eavesdropping on female mate choice and male mating success in
the fighting spider, Thiania bhamoensis (Salticidae). The results revealed female eavesdropping on agonistic interactions. Females that had watched an aggressive
interaction showed no distinctive preference for the winner over the loser, but they preferred the loser when they had not
observed a fight. Winners, however, achieved a greater mating success than did losers during the mating phase. Gaining access
to females was based on the insistence of the winners in courtship in terms of the number of quivers, rather than on the fighting
behavior of the males. Hence, the outcome of male–male contests may not be an important determinant of a male’s mating success
in T. bhamoensis. Instead, courtship display plays an important role in determining the success of male mating in this species. This study
also suggests that female mate preference may not be a good indicator of eventual female mate choice and male mating success.
Thus, a causal relationship between female mate preference and male mating success cannot be inferred.
Joanna P. Y. Chan, Pei Rong Lau, and Ai Jie Tham contributed equally. 相似文献
17.
Structure of the social network and its influence on transmission dynamics in a honeybee colony 总被引:4,自引:3,他引:1
Dhruba Naug 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2008,62(11):1719-1725
Infectious processes in a social group are driven by a network of contacts that is generally structured by the organization
arising from behavioral and spatial heterogeneities within the group. Although theoretical models of transmission dynamics
have placed an overwhelming emphasis on the importance of understanding the network structure in a social group, empirical
data regarding such contact structures are rare. In this paper, I analyze the network structure and the correlated transmission
dynamics within a honeybee colony as determined by food transfer interactions and the changes produced in it by an experimental
manipulation. The study demonstrates that widespread transmission in the colony is correlated to a lower clustering coefficient
and higher robustness of the social network. I also show that the social network in the colony is determined by the spatial
distribution of various age classes, and the resulting organizational structure provides some amount of immunity to the young
individuals. The results of this study demonstrates how, using the honeybee colony as a model system, concepts in network
theory can be combined with those in behavioral ecology to gain a better understanding of social transmission processes, especially
those related to disease dynamics. 相似文献
18.
David Bierbach Claudia Kronmarck Carmen Hennige-Schulz Stefan Stadler Martin Plath 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2011,65(9):1699-1707
Mate choice copying was mostly described as a strategy employed by females to assess the quality of potential mates, but also
males can copy other males’ mate choice. An open question in this context is whether and how copying males evaluate sperm
competition risk, as mating with a female that has already copulated with another male obviously sets the stage for intense
sperm competition (i.e., in species with internal fertilization). Using the livebearing Atlantic molly (Poecilia mexicana) as a model, we asked (a) whether males of that species indeed copy other males’ choices, and if they do so, (b) whether
copying males strategically adjust their behavior to sperm competition risk. We used an approach where focal males could first
choose to associate with a large or a small stimulus female. Mate choice tests were then repeated after an “observation phase”
during which either no model male was present (treatment 1, control) or the previously non-preferred female could be seen
associating (treatment 2) or physically interacting (treatment 3) with a model male. We found that, after the observation
phase, males spent considerably more time with the previously non-preferred female in treatment (2), i.e., they copied the
model male’s choice. This effect was much weaker during treatment (3) where sexual interactions between the model male and
the formerly non-preferred female were allowed. Males, therefore, seem to adjust their copying behavior strategically to the
perceived risk of sperm competition. 相似文献
19.
Gabriel Ramos-Fernández Denis Boyer Filippo Aureli Laura G. Vick 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(7):999-1013
We use two novel techniques to analyze association patterns in a group of wild spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) studied continuously for 8 years. Permutation tests identified association rates higher or lower than chance expectation,
indicating active processes of companionship and avoidance as opposed to passive aggregation. Network graphs represented individual
adults as nodes and their association rates as weighted edges. Strength and eigenvector centrality (a measure of how strongly
linked an individual is to other strongly linked individuals) were used to quantify the particular role of individuals in
determining the network's structure. Female–female dyads showed higher association rates than any other type of dyad, but
permutation tests revealed that these associations cannot be distinguished from random aggregation. Females formed tightly
linked clusters that were stable over time, with the exception of immigrant females who showed little association with any
adult in the group. Eigenvector centrality was higher for females than for males. Adult males were associated mostly among
them, and although their strength of association with others was lower than that of females, their association rates revealed
a process of active companionship. Female–male bonds were weaker than those between same-sex pairs, with the exception of
those involving young male adults, who by virtue of their strong connections both with female and male adults, appear as temporary
brokers between the female and male clusters of the network. This analytical framework can serve to develop a more complete
explanation of social structure in species with high levels of fission–fusion dynamics.
This contribution is part of the special issue “Social Networks: new perspectives” (Guest Editors: J. Krause, D. Lusseau and
R. James) 相似文献
20.
Studying the structure of social interactions is fundamental in behavioral ecology as social behavior often influences fitness and thus natural selection. However, social structure is often complex, and determining the most appropriate measures of variation in social behavior among individuals can be difficult. Social network analysis generates numerous, but often correlated, measures of individual connectedness derived from a network of interactions. We used measures of individual connectedness in networks of affiliative and agonistic interactions in yellow-bellied marmots, Marmota flaviventris, to first determine how variance was structured among network measures. Principal component analysis reduced our set of network measures to four “social attributes” (unweighted connectedness, affiliation strength, victimization, and bullying), which revealed differences between patterns of affiliative and agonistic interactions. We then used these extracted social attributes to examine the relationship between an individual’s social attributes and several performance measures: annual reproductive success, parasite infection, and basal stress. In male marmots, bullying was positively associated with annual reproductive success, while in females, affiliation strength was negatively associated with annual reproductive success. No other social attributes were significantly associated with any performance measures. Our study highlights the utility of considering multiple dimensions when measuring the structure and functional consequences of social behavior. 相似文献