Records |
Author |
Scheffer, M.; van Nes, E.H. |
Title |
Self-organized similarity, the evolutionary emergence of groups of similar species |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
Volume |
103 |
Issue |
16 |
Pages |
6230-6235 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Competitive Behavior; *Ecosystem; *Evolution; *Models, Biological |
Abstract |
Ecologists have long been puzzled by the fact that there are so many similar species in nature. Here we show that self-organized clusters of look-a-likes may emerge spontaneously from coevolution of competitors. The explanation is that there are two alternative ways to survive together: being sufficiently different or being sufficiently similar. Using a model based on classical competition theory, we demonstrate a tendency for evolutionary emergence of regularly spaced lumps of similar species along a niche axis. Indeed, such lumpy patterns are commonly observed in size distributions of organisms ranging from algae, zooplankton, and beetles to birds and mammals, and could not be well explained by earlier theory. Our results suggest that these patterns may represent self-constructed niches emerging from competitive interactions. A corollary of our findings is that, whereas in species-poor communities sympatric speciation and invasion of open niches is possible, species-saturated communities may be characterized by convergent evolution and invasion by look-a-likes. |
Address |
Aquatic Ecology and Water Quality Management Group, Department of Environmental Sciences, Wageningen University, P.O. Box 8080, 6700 DD, Wageningen, The Netherlands. marten.scheffer@wur.nl |
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ISSN |
0027-8424 |
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Notes |
PMID:16585519 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
510 |
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Author |
Mettke-Hofmann, C.; Gwinner, E. |
Title |
Long-term memory for a life on the move |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
Volume |
100 |
Issue |
10 |
Pages |
5863-5866 |
Keywords |
Animals; Germany; Israel; Memory/*physiology; Models, Biological; Periodicity; Songbirds/*physiology |
Abstract |
Evidence is accumulating that cognitive abilities are shaped by the specific ecological conditions to which animals are exposed. Long-distance migratory birds may provide a striking example of this. Field observations have shown that, at least in some species, a substantial proportion of individuals return to the same breeding, wintering, and stopover sites in successive years. This observation suggests that migrants have evolved special cognitive abilities that enable them to accomplish these feats. Here we show that memory of a particular feeding site persisted for at least 12 months in a long-distance migrant, whereas a closely related nonmigrant could remember such a site for only 2 weeks. Thus, it seems that the migratory lifestyle has influenced the learning and memorizing capacities of migratory birds. These results build a bridge between field observations suggesting special memorization feats of migratory birds and previous neuroanatomical results from the same two species indicating an increase in relative hippocampal size from the first to the second year of life in the migrant but not in the nonmigrant. |
Address |
Max Planck Research Centre for Ornithology, Department of Biological Rhythms and Behaviour, Von-der-Tann-Strasse 7, 82346 Andechs, Germany. mettke-hofmann@erl.ornithol.mpg.de |
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0027-8424 |
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Notes |
PMID:12719527 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
511 |
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Author |
Deuel, N.R.; Lawrence, L.M. |
Title |
Laterality in the gallop gait of horses |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
1987 |
Publication |
Journal of biomechanics |
Abbreviated Journal |
J Biomech |
Volume |
20 |
Issue |
6 |
Pages |
645-649 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Functional Laterality; *Gait; Horses/*physiology; Kinesis |
Abstract |
Bilateral asymmetry in gallop stride limb contact patterns of four Quarter Horse fillies was documented by high-speed cinematography. Horses were filmed with rider by two cameras simultaneously while galloping along a straightaway. Even though signaled for each gallop lead an equivalent number of times, horses frequently switched leads, selecting the left lead nearly twice as often as the right. Velocities and stride lengths were greater for the left lead than the right, but stride frequencies did not differ between leads. Velocity effects were partitioned out in limb contact data analysis to enable the determination of persistent gallop stride asymmetries. The contact duration for the trailing (right) fore limb on the left lead exceeded the contact duration for the trailing (left) fore limb on the right lead. Selecting the right fore limb as the trailing fore limb may have allowed horses to use it to withstand the greater stresses and caused them to preferentially gallop with the left fore limb leading. Laterality may have an important influence on equine gallop motion patterns and thereby influence athletic performance. |
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ISSN |
0021-9290 |
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Notes |
PMID:3611140 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
528 |
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Author |
Amdam, G.V.; Csondes, A.; Fondrk, M.K.; Page, R.E.J. |
Title |
Complex social behaviour derived from maternal reproductive traits |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2006 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
Volume |
439 |
Issue |
7072 |
Pages |
76-78 |
Keywords |
Aging/physiology; Animals; Bees/*physiology; *Evolution; Feeding Behavior/*physiology; Female; Infertility, Female; Maternal Behavior/*physiology; Ovary/physiology; Pollen/metabolism; Reproduction/*physiology; *Social Behavior |
Abstract |
A fundamental goal of sociobiology is to explain how complex social behaviour evolves, especially in social insects, the exemplars of social living. Although still the subject of much controversy, recent theoretical explanations have focused on the evolutionary origins of worker behaviour (assistance from daughters that remain in the nest and help their mother to reproduce) through expression of maternal care behaviour towards siblings. A key prediction of this evolutionary model is that traits involved in maternal care have been co-opted through heterochronous expression of maternal genes to result in sib-care, the hallmark of highly evolved social life in insects. A coupling of maternal behaviour to reproductive status evolved in solitary insects, and was a ready substrate for the evolution of worker-containing societies. Here we show that division of foraging labour among worker honey bees (Apis mellifera) is linked to the reproductive status of facultatively sterile females. We thereby identify the evolutionary origin of a widely expressed social-insect behavioural syndrome, and provide a direct demonstration of how variation in maternal reproductive traits gives rise to complex social behaviour in non-reproductive helpers. |
Address |
Arizona State University, School of Life Sciences, Tempe, Arizona 85287, USA. Gro.Amdam@asu.edu |
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ISSN |
1476-4687 |
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Notes |
PMID:16397498 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
531 |
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Author |
Proudman, C.; Pinchbeck, G.; Clegg, P.; French, N. |
Title |
Equine welfare: risk of horses falling in the Grand National |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Nature |
Abbreviated Journal |
Nature |
Volume |
428 |
Issue |
6981 |
Pages |
385-386 |
Keywords |
Accidental Falls/prevention & control/*statistics & numerical data; Animal Welfare; Animals; Great Britain; Horse Diseases/prevention & control; Horses/*physiology; Odds Ratio; Risk Assessment; *Sports |
Abstract |
As in other competitive sports, the famous Grand National steeplechase, which is held at Aintree in the United Kingdom and is watched by 600 million people worldwide, sometimes results in injury. By analysing data from the past 15 Grand National races (consisting of 560 starts by horses), we are able to identify several factors that are significantly associated with failure to complete the race: no previous experience of the course and its unique obstacles, unfavourable ground conditions (too soft or too hard), a large number of runners, and the length of the odds ('starting price'). We also find that there is an increased risk of falling at the first fence and at the jump known as Becher's Brook, which has a ditch on the landing side. Our findings indicate ways in which the Grand National could be made safer for horses and illustrate how epidemiological analysis might contribute to preventing injury in competitive sport. |
Address |
Epidemiology Group, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst, Neston, Wirral CH64 7TE, UK. c.j.proudman@liverpool.ac.uk |
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1476-4687 |
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Notes |
PMID:15042079 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
535 |
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Author |
Hare, B.; Tomasello, M. |
Title |
Human-like social skills in dogs? |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Trends in Cognitive Sciences |
Abbreviated Journal |
Trends. Cognit. Sci. |
Volume |
9 |
Issue |
9 |
Pages |
439-444 |
Keywords |
*Animal Communication; Animals; *Behavior, Animal; Cognition/*physiology; Dogs; *Evolution; Humans; *Social Behavior |
Abstract |
Domestic dogs are unusually skilled at reading human social and communicative behavior--even more so than our nearest primate relatives. For example, they use human social and communicative behavior (e.g. a pointing gesture) to find hidden food, and they know what the human can and cannot see in various situations. Recent comparisons between canid species suggest that these unusual social skills have a heritable component and initially evolved during domestication as a result of selection on systems mediating fear and aggression towards humans. Differences in chimpanzee and human temperament suggest that a similar process may have been an important catalyst leading to the evolution of unusual social skills in our own species. The study of convergent evolution provides an exciting opportunity to gain further insights into the evolutionary processes leading to human-like forms of cooperation and communication. |
Address |
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, Leipzig, Germany. hare@eva.mpg.de |
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ISSN |
1364-6613 |
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Notes |
PMID:16061417 |
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no |
Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
546 |
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Author |
Dunbar, R. |
Title |
Evolution of the social brain |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2003 |
Publication |
Science |
Abbreviated Journal |
Science |
Volume |
302 |
Issue |
5648 |
Pages |
1160-1161 |
Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Wild; *Cognition; Endorphins/physiology; *Evolution; Female; Grooming; Hierarchy, Social; Language; Neocortex/anatomy & histology/physiology; Papio/physiology/*psychology; *Reproduction; *Social Behavior; Social Dominance; Social Support; Vocalization, Animal |
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Address |
School of Biological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Liverpool L69 7ZB, UK. rimd@liv.ac.uk |
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1095-9203 |
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PMID:14615522 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
548 |
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Author |
Janik, V.M. |
Title |
Whistle matching in wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2000 |
Publication |
Science (New York, N.Y.) |
Abbreviated Journal |
Science |
Volume |
289 |
Issue |
5483 |
Pages |
1355-1357 |
Keywords |
Animals; Animals, Wild/physiology; Dolphins/*physiology; *Imitative Behavior; *Learning; *Social Behavior; *Vocalization, Animal |
Abstract |
Dolphin communication is suspected to be complex, on the basis of their call repertoires, cognitive abilities, and ability to modify signals through vocal learning. Because of the difficulties involved in observing and recording individual cetaceans, very little is known about how they use their calls. This report shows that wild, unrestrained bottlenose dolphins use their learned whistles in matching interactions, in which an individual responds to a whistle of a conspecific by emitting the same whistle type. Vocal matching occurred over distances of up to 580 meters and is indicative of animals addressing each other individually. |
Address |
School of Biology, University of St. Andrews, Bute Building, Fife KY16 9TS, UK |
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0036-8075 |
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PMID:10958783 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
550 |
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Author |
Moehlman, P.D. |
Title |
Endangered wild equids |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Scientific American |
Abbreviated Journal |
Sci Am |
Volume |
292 |
Issue |
3 |
Pages |
74-81 |
Keywords |
Africa; Americas; Animals; *Animals, Wild/physiology; Asia; *Conservation of Energy Resources; Environment; *Equidae/physiology; Food Chain; Humans; Male; Reproduction |
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Address |
IUCN-The World Conservation Union/Species Survival Commission Equid Specialist Group |
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0036-8733 |
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PMID:15859216 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
551 |
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Author |
Viscido, S.V.; Miller, M.; Wethey, D.S. |
Title |
The dilemma of the selfish herd: the search for a realistic movement rule |
Type |
Journal Article |
Year |
2002 |
Publication |
Journal of theoretical biology |
Abbreviated Journal |
J. Theor. Biol. |
Volume |
217 |
Issue |
2 |
Pages |
183-194 |
Keywords |
Animals; *Behavior, Animal; *Mass Behavior; Models, Biological; *Motor Activity; Predatory Behavior |
Abstract |
The selfish herd hypothesis predicts that aggregations form because individuals move toward one another to minimize their own predation risk. The “dilemma of the selfish herd” is that movement rules that are easy for individuals to follow, fail to produce true aggregations, while rules that produce aggregations require individual behavior so complex that one may doubt most animals can follow them. If natural selection at the individual level is responsible for herding behavior, a solution to the dilemma must exist. Using computer simulations, we examined four different movement rules. Relative predation risk was different for all four movement rules (p<0.05). We defined three criteria for measuring the quality of a movement rule. A good movement rule should (a) be statistically likely to benefit an individual that follows it, (b) be something we can imagine most animals are capable of following, and (c) result in a centrally compact flock. The local crowded horizon rule, which allowed individuals to take the positions of many flock-mates into account, but decreased the influence of flock-mates with distance, best satisfied these criteria. The local crowded horizon rule was very sensitive to the animal's perceptive ability. Therefore, the animal's ability to detect its neighbors is an important factor in the dynamics of group formation. |
Address |
Department of Biological Sciences, University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, 29208, USA. viscido@u.washington.edu |
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0022-5193 |
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PMID:12202112 |
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no |
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refbase @ user @ |
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554 |
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