Records |
Author |
Grosenick, L.; Clement, T.S.; Fernald, R.D. |
Title |
Fish can infer social rank by observation alone |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2007 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
Volume |
445 |
Issue |
7126 |
Pages |
429-432 |
Keywords |
Aggression/physiology; Animals; Cognition/*physiology; Female; Fishes/*physiology; Learning/*physiology; Male; Models, Biological; *Social Dominance; Territoriality |
Abstract |
Transitive inference (TI) involves using known relationships to deduce unknown ones (for example, using A > B and B > C to infer A > C), and is thus essential to logical reasoning. First described as a developmental milestone in children, TI has since been reported in nonhuman primates, rats and birds. Still, how animals acquire and represent transitive relationships and why such abilities might have evolved remain open problems. Here we show that male fish (Astatotilapia burtoni) can successfully make inferences on a hierarchy implied by pairwise fights between rival males. These fish learned the implied hierarchy vicariously (as 'bystanders'), by watching fights between rivals arranged around them in separate tank units. Our findings show that fish use TI when trained on socially relevant stimuli, and that they can make such inferences by using indirect information alone. Further, these bystanders seem to have both spatial and featural representations related to rival abilities, which they can use to make correct inferences depending on what kind of information is available to them. Beyond extending TI to fish and experimentally demonstrating indirect TI learning in animals, these results indicate that a universal mechanism underlying TI is unlikely. Rather, animals probably use multiple domain-specific representations adapted to different social and ecological pressures that they encounter during the course of their natural lives. |
Address |
Department of Biological Sciences, Stanford University, Stanford, California, 94305, USA. logang@stanford.edu |
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Language |
English |
Summary Language |
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Original Title |
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Series Editor |
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Abbreviated Series Title |
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Series Volume |
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Series Issue |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
1476-4687 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:17251980 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
600 |
Permanent link to this record |
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Author |
Peake, T.M.; Terry, A.M.R.; McGregor, P.K.; Dabelsteen, T. |
Title |
Do great tits assess rivals by combining direct experience with information gathered by eavesdropping? |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Proceedings. Biological sciences / The Royal Society |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc Biol Sci |
Volume |
269 |
Issue |
1503 |
Pages |
1925-1929 |
Keywords |
Aggression; *Animal Communication; Animals; Male; Songbirds/*physiology; Territoriality; *Vocalization, Animal |
Abstract |
Animals frequently use signals that travel further than the spacing between individuals. For every intended recipient of a given signal there are likely to be many other individuals that receive information. Eavesdropping on signalling interactions between other individuals provides a relatively cost-free method of assessing future opponents or mates. Male great tits (Parus major) extract relative information from such interactions between individuals unknown to them. Here, we show that male great tits can take information gathering a stage further and obtain more information about a previously unencountered intruder, by the hitherto unknown capability of combining information gathered by eavesdropping with that derived from their own direct interaction with an individual. Prior experience with an intruder (A) was achieved by subjecting a focal male to different levels of intrusion simulated using interactive playback. This intruder (A) then took part in a simulated interaction with an unknown male (B) outside the territorial boundary of the focal males. In response to subsequent intrusion by the second male (B), focal males showed low song output in response to males that had lost to a male that the subject was able to beat. Males of known high quality, or those about which information was ambiguous, elicited a high level of song output by focal males. We discuss the implications of this finding for the evolution of communication and social behaviour. |
Address |
Department of Animal Behaviour, Zoological Institute, Copenhagen University, Tagensvej 16, DK 2200 Copenhagen N, Denmark. tmpeake@zi.ku.uk |
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English |
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Series Editor |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0962-8452 |
ISBN |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:12350255 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
501 |
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Author |
de Waal, F.B.; Aureli, F.; Judge, P.G. |
Title |
Coping with crowding |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2000 |
Publication |
Scientific American |
Abbreviated Journal |
Sci Am |
Volume |
282 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
76-81 |
Keywords |
*Adaptation, Psychological; Animals; Behavior, Animal; Emotions; Female; Grooming; Homicide; Humans; Macaca mulatta; Male; Pan troglodytes; *Population Density; Primates; Rodentia; Rural Population; Territoriality; Urban Population; Violence |
Abstract |
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Address |
Living Links Center, Yerkes Regional Primate Research Center, Atlanta, USA |
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English |
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Edition |
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ISSN |
0036-8733 |
ISBN |
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Medium |
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Area |
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Conference |
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Notes |
PMID:11056991 |
Approved |
no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
184 |
Permanent link to this record |