| Records |
| Author |
Plotnik, J.M.; de Waal, F.B.M.; Reiss, D. |
| Title |
Self-recognition in an Asian elephant |
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 |
45 |
Pages |
17053-17057 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Asia; *Behavior, Animal; Cognition; Elephants/*psychology; Female; Photic Stimulation |
| Abstract |
Considered an indicator of self-awareness, mirror self-recognition (MSR) has long seemed limited to humans and apes. In both phylogeny and human ontogeny, MSR is thought to correlate with higher forms of empathy and altruistic behavior. Apart from humans and apes, dolphins and elephants are also known for such capacities. After the recent discovery of MSR in dolphins (Tursiops truncatus), elephants thus were the next logical candidate species. We exposed three Asian elephants (Elephas maximus) to a large mirror to investigate their responses. Animals that possess MSR typically progress through four stages of behavior when facing a mirror: (i) social responses, (ii) physical inspection (e.g., looking behind the mirror), (iii) repetitive mirror-testing behavior, and (iv) realization of seeing themselves. Visible marks and invisible sham-marks were applied to the elephants' heads to test whether they would pass the litmus “mark test” for MSR in which an individual spontaneously uses a mirror to touch an otherwise imperceptible mark on its own body. Here, we report a successful MSR elephant study and report striking parallels in the progression of responses to mirrors among apes, dolphins, and elephants. These parallels suggest convergent cognitive evolution most likely related to complex sociality and cooperation. |
| Address |
Living Links, Yerkes National Primate Research Center, and Department of Psychology, Emory University, 532 North Kligo Circle, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA |
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0027-8424 |
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| Notes |
PMID:17075063 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
408 |
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| 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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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 |
Amé, J.-M.; Halloy, J.; Rivault, C.; Detrain, C.; Deneubourg, J.L. |
| Title |
Collegial decision making based on social amplification leads to optimal group formation |
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 |
15 |
Pages |
5835-5840 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Blattellidae/*physiology; Choice Behavior; Decision Making; Leadership; *Social Behavior |
| Abstract |
Group-living animals are often faced with choosing between one or more alternative resource sites. A central question in such collective decision making includes determining which individuals induce the decision and when. This experimental and theoretical study of shelter selection by cockroach groups demonstrates that choices can emerge through nonlinear interaction dynamics between equal individuals without perfect knowledge or leadership. We identify a simple mechanism whereby a decision is taken on the move with limited information and signaling and without comparison of available opportunities. This mechanism leads to optimal mean benefit for group individuals. Our model points to a generic self-organized collective decision-making process independent of animal species. |
| Address |
Service d'Ecologie Sociale CP231, Universite Libre de Bruxelles, Avenue F. D. Roosevelt 50, B-1050 Brussels, Belgium |
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English |
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0027-8424 |
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| Notes |
PMID:16581903 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2042 |
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| Author |
de Waal, F.B.M.; Dindo, M.; Freeman, C.A.; Hall, M.J. |
| Title |
The monkey in the mirror: hardly a stranger |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
102 |
Issue |
32 |
Pages |
11140-11147 |
| Keywords |
Analysis of Variance; Animals; Cebus/*physiology; *Discrimination (Psychology); Empathy; Female; Male; Observation; *Recognition (Psychology); *Self Concept; Sex Factors |
| Abstract |
It is widely assumed that monkeys see a stranger in the mirror, whereas apes and humans recognize themselves. In this study, we question the former assumption by using a detailed comparison of how monkeys respond to mirrors versus live individuals. Eight adult female and six adult male brown capuchin monkeys (Cebus apella) were exposed twice to three conditions: (i) a familiar same-sex partner, (ii) an unfamiliar same-sex partner, and (iii) a mirror. Females showed more eye contact and friendly behavior and fewer signs of anxiety in front of a mirror than they did when exposed to an unfamiliar partner. Males showed greater ambiguity, but they too reacted differently to mirrors and strangers. Discrimination between conditions was immediate, and blind coders were able to tell the difference between monkeys under the three conditions. Capuchins thus seem to recognize their reflection in the mirror as special, and they may not confuse it with an actual conspecific. Possibly, they reach a level of self-other distinction intermediate between seeing their mirror image as other and recognizing it as self. |
| Address |
Living Links Center, Emory University, Atlanta, GA 30322, USA. dewaal@emory.edu |
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0027-8424 |
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| Notes |
PMID:16055557 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
164 |
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| Author |
Hoy, R. |
| Title |
Animal awareness: The (un)binding of multisensory cues in decision making by animals |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
102 |
Issue |
7 |
Pages |
2267-2268 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Anura/physiology; *Awareness; *Behavior, Animal; Decision Making; Female; Male; Perception; Sensation |
| Abstract |
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| Address |
Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, 215 Mudd Hall, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14850, USA. rrh3@cornell.edu |
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English |
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0027-8424 |
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| Notes |
PMID:15703288 |
Approved |
no |
| Call Number |
Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
2821 |
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| Author |
Krützen, M.; Mann, J.; Heithaus, M.R.; Connor, R.C.; Bejder, L.; Sherwin, W.B. |
| Title |
Cultural transmission of tool use in bottlenose dolphins |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
102 |
Issue |
25 |
Pages |
8939-8943 |
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| Abstract |
In Shark Bay, wild bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops sp.) apparently use marine sponges as foraging tools. We demonstrate that genetic and ecological explanations for this behavior are inadequate; thus, “sponging” classifies as the first case of an existing material culture in a marine mammal species. Using mitochondrial DNA analyses, we show that sponging shows an almost exclusive vertical social transmission within a single matriline from mother to female offspring. Moreover, significant genetic relatedness among all adult spongers at the nuclear level indicates very recent coancestry, suggesting that all spongers are descendents of one recent “Sponging Eve.” Unlike in apes, tool use in this population is almost exclusively limited to a single matriline that is part of a large albeit open social network of frequently interacting individuals, adding a new dimension to charting cultural phenomena among animals. |
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| Notes |
10.1073/pnas.0500232102 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5916 |
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Sol, D.; Duncan, R.P.; Blackburn, T.M.; Cassey, P.; Lefebvre, L. |
| Title |
Big brains, enhanced cognition, and response of birds to novel environments |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2005 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
102 |
Issue |
15 |
Pages |
5460-5465 |
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| Abstract |
The widely held hypothesis that enlarged brains have evolved as an adaptation to cope with novel or altered environmental conditions lacks firm empirical support. Here, we test this hypothesis for a major animal group (birds) by examining whether large-brained species show higher survival than small-brained species when introduced to nonnative locations. Using a global database documenting the outcome of >600 introduction events, we confirm that avian species with larger brains, relative to their body mass, tend to be more successful at establishing themselves in novel environments. Moreover, we provide evidence that larger brains help birds respond to novel conditions by enhancing their innovation propensity rather than indirectly through noncognitive mechanisms. These findings provide strong evidence for the hypothesis that enlarged brains function, and hence may have evolved, to deal with changes in the environment. |
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10.1073/pnas.0408145102 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
4739 |
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Uzawa, T.; Akiyama, S.; Kimura, T.; Takahashi, S.; Ishimori, K.; Morishima, I.; Fujisawa, T. |
| Title |
Collapse and search dynamics of apomyoglobin folding revealed by submillisecond observations of alpha-helical content and compactness |
Type |
Journal Article |
| Year |
2004 |
Publication |
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America |
Abbreviated Journal |
Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. |
| Volume |
101 |
Issue |
5 |
Pages |
1171-1176 |
| Keywords |
Animals; Apoproteins/*chemistry; Circular Dichroism; Cytochromes c/chemistry; Horses; Myoglobin/*chemistry; *Protein Folding; *Protein Structure, Secondary; Scattering, Radiation |
| Abstract |
The characterization of protein folding dynamics in terms of secondary and tertiary structures is important in elucidating the features of intraprotein interactions that lead to specific folded structures. Apomyoglobin (apoMb), possessing seven helices termed A-E, G, and H in the native state, has a folding intermediate composed of the A, G, and H helices, whose formation in the submillisecond time domain has not been clearly characterized. In this study, we used a rapid-mixing device combined with circular dichroism and small-angle x-ray scattering to observe the submillisecond folding dynamics of apoMb in terms of helical content (f(H)) and radius of gyration (R(g)), respectively. The folding of apoMb from the acid-unfolded state at pH 2.2 was initiated by a pH jump to 6.0. A significant collapse, corresponding to approximately 50% of the overall change in R(g) from the unfolded to native conformation, was observed within 300 micros after the pH jump. The collapsed intermediate has a f(H) of 33% and a globular shape that involves >80% of all its atoms. Subsequently, a stepwise helix formation was detected, which was interpreted to be associated with a conformational search for the correct tertiary contacts. The characterized folding dynamics of apoMb indicates the importance of the initial collapse event, which is suggested to facilitate the subsequent conformational search and the helix formation leading to the native structure. |
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Department of Molecular Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Kyoto University, Nishikyo, Kyoto 615-8510, Japan |
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0027-8424 |
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| Notes |
PMID:14711991 |
Approved |
no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
3779 |
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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 |
Approved |
no |
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refbase @ user @ |
Serial |
511 |
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| Author |
Lee, R.D. |
| Title |
Rethinking the evolutionary theory of aging: transfers, not births, shape senescence in social species |
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 |
16 |
Pages |
9637-9642 |
| Keywords |
Adaptation, Physiological; *Aging; Animals; *Biological Evolution; Demography; Economics; Environment; Fertility; Humans; Life Expectancy; Longevity; Models, Theoretical; Parturition; Population Dynamics; Population Growth; Reproduction |
| Abstract |
The classic evolutionary theory of aging explains why mortality rises with age: as individuals grow older, less lifetime fertility remains, so continued survival contributes less to reproductive fitness. However, successful reproduction often involves intergenerational transfers as well as fertility. In the formal theory offered here, age-specific selective pressure on mortality depends on a weighted average of remaining fertility (the classic effect) and remaining intergenerational transfers to be made to others. For species at the optimal quantity-investment tradeoff for offspring, only the transfer effect shapes mortality, explaining postreproductive survival and why juvenile mortality declines with age. It also explains the evolution of lower fertility, longer life, and increased investments in offspring. |
| Address |
Department of Demography, University of California, 2232 Piedmont Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94720-2120, USA. rlee@demog.berkeley.edu |
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0027-8424 |
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| Notes |
PMID:12878733 |
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no |
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Equine Behaviour @ team @ |
Serial |
5465 |
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