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Author Godin, J.-G.J.; Herdman, E.J.E.; Dugatkin, L.A. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Social influences on female mate choice in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata: generalized and repeatable trait-copying behaviour Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 4 Pages 999-1005  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract In vertebrates, the mating preferences of individual females can be flexible and the probability of a female mating with a particular male can be significantly increased by her having previously observed another conspecific female affiliate and mate with that same male. In theory, such mate-choice-copying behaviour has potentially important consequences for both the genetic and social (`cultural') transmission of female mating preferences. For copying to result in the `cultural inheritance' of mating preferences, individual females must not only copy the mate choice decisions of other females but they also should tend to repeat this type of behaviour (i.e. make similar mating decisions) subsequently and to generalize their socially induced preference for a particular male to other males that share his distinctive characteristics. Here, we show experimentally that individual female guppies, Poecilia reticulata, not only copy the observed mating preferences of other females for particular males, but that the preference now assumed via copying is subsequently repeated and generalized to other males of a similar colour phenotype. These results provide empirical evidence for social enhancement of female preference for particular phenotypic traits of chosen males rather than for the particular males possessing those traits, and thus have important implications for our understanding of the role of social learning in the evolution of female mating preferences and of male epigamic traits.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 490  
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Author Kaminski, J.; Riedel, J.; Call, J.; Tomasello, M. doi  openurl
  Title Domestic goats, Capra hircus, follow gaze direction and use social cues in an object choice task Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 1 Pages 11-18  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract Gaze following is a basic social cognitive skill with many potential benefits for animals that live in social groups. At least five primate species are known to follow the gaze of conspecifics, but there have been no studies on gaze following in other mammals. We investigated whether domestic goats can use the gaze direction of a conspecific as a cue to find food. They were able to do this, at a level comparable to that of primates. In a second experiment, we tested goats' ability to use gaze and other communicative cues given by a human in a so-called object choice situation. An experimenter hid food out of sight of the subject under one of two cups. After baiting the cup the experimenter indicated the location of the food to the subject by using different cues. The goats used communicative cues (touching and pointing) but not gaze by itself. Since domestic dogs are very skilled in this task, whereas wolves are not, one hypothesis is that the use of communicative cues in the object choice task is a side-effect of domestication.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 542  
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Author Nathan J. Emery url  openurl
  Title The Evolution of Social Cognition Type Book Chapter
  Year 2005 Publication The Cognitive Neuroscience of Social BehaviourGarten Abbreviated Journal  
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  Abstract Although this bookis focusedon the cognitive neuroscience ofhuman social behaviour, an

understandingofsocial cognition in non-human animals is critical for unravellingthe neural basis of

social cognition in humans as well as the selective pressures that have shapedthe evolution ofcomplex

social cognition. Thanks to methodological limitations, we know little about the relationships between

certain biochemical andelectrophysiological properties ofthe human brain andhow theycompute the

behaviour andmental states ofother individuals. Traditional techniques for examiningneural function

in humans, such as event-relatedpotentials (ERP),positron emission tomography(PET),and

functional magnetic resonance imaging(fMRI),are constrainedbythe fact that subjects are placed

either into an immoveable scanner with a lot ofbackgroundnoise or wiredup with dozens of

electrodes that are sensitive to slight movements. The possibilityofscanningor recordingbrain waves

from two individuals that are physicallyinteractingsociallyis technicallyimpossible at present

(however, see Montague et al, 2002 for a new methodfor simultaneouslyscanningtwo individuals

interactingvia a computer).

The onlywayto understandthe neurocognitive architecture ofhuman social behaviour is to examine

similar social processes in both human andnon-human animal minds andmake comparisons at the

species level. An additional argument is that traditional human socio-cognitive tasks are dependent on

the use ofstories, cartoons andverbal cues andinstructions (Heberlein & Adolphs, this volume)which

themselves will elicit specific neural responses that have to be eliminatedfrom neural responses

specificallyrelatedto mindreading. Therefore, the development ofnon-verbal tasks wouldprovide a

breakthrough for studies in non-linguistic animals, pre-verbal human infants andhuman cognitive

neuroimaging.
 
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  Publisher Psychology Press Place of Publication Editor  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 543  
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Author Digweed, Shannon M.; Fedigan, Linda M.; Rendall, Drew doi  openurl
  Title Variable specificity in the anti-predator vocalizations and behaviour of the white-faced capuchin, Cebus capucinus Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Behaviour Abbreviated Journal Behaviour  
  Volume 142 Issue 8 Pages 997-1021  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract (Accepted: 23 June 2005)

Summary

Much research in animal communication is aimed at understanding the functional design

features of animal vocal signals. Our detailed analyses of the vocalizations and behavioural

responses elicited in white-faced capuchins by predators and other disturbances point to two

call variants that differ modestly in their acoustic structure and that are accompanied by

functionally distinct behavioural responses. The first variant is given exclusively to avian

predators and is almost invariably accompanied by the monkeys immediate descent from

the treetops where it is most vulnerable; therefore, we label this call variant the aerial

predator alarm?. The second variant, that differs only slightly but noticeably from the first,

is given to a wide range of snakes and mammals, including a range of species that represent

no predatory threat to the monkeys. This second call is also associated with more variable

responses from calling monkeys, from delayed retreat from the source of disturbance, to

active approach, inspection, and sometimes mobbing of the animal involved. We therefore

label this variant more generally as an “alerting call”. Although some other primate species

show a more diverse system of anti-predator calls, and the capuchins themselves may yet

be found to produce a greater variety of calls, a system of two call variants with varying

degrees of predator specificity and behavioural response is not uncommon among primates

and appears functionally appropriate for capuchins. The basic structure of the alerting call

allows conspecific listeners to localize the caller and the source of disturbance readily, thereby

allowing listeners to approach and assist in mobbing in cases where the disturbance warrants

it, or to avoid the area in cases where the disturbance is identified as a predatory threat.

Conversely, the aerial predator alarm is inherently less localizable and therefore conveys the
 
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 547  
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Author Griffin, A.S.; Galef, J., Bennett G. doi  openurl
  Title Social learning about predators: does timing matter? Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Animal Behaviour. Abbreviated Journal Anim. Behav.  
  Volume 69 Issue 3 Pages 669-678  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract In Pavlovian conditioning, animals acquire a response to a previously neutral stimulus (conditioned stimulus, CS), such as a light, if that stimulus predicts a biologically important event (unconditioned stimulus, US), such as delivery of food. Learning typically occurs when the CS precedes the US (forward conditioning), and not when the CS follows the US (backward conditioning). In social learning about predators, the predator stimulus is considered to be the CS to which observers acquire avoidance responses after the stimulus has been presented in contiguity with an alarmed demonstrator, the US. We tested the prediction that social learning of response to a predator would occur even if the social alarm cues (the US) appeared before the predatory stimulus (the CS). Carib grackles, Quiscalus lugubris, responded to a familiar predator presented at close range by suppressing alarm calls. Presentation of an unfamiliar avian model (black-and-yellow pigeon) also decreased calling, and this inhibition of calling was enhanced following a training session in which the model stimulus was presented in association with grackle alarm calls. Acquired inhibition of calling was independent of the order of presentation of the model and an alarm chorus. These are the first results to indicate that social acquisition of predator avoidance is not dependent upon a particular temporal relationship between predators and social alarm cues. Evolution may have modified some properties of Pavlovian conditioning to accommodate social learning about potentially dangerous stimuli.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 572  
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Author Miklosi, A.; Pongracz, P.; Lakatos, G.; Topal, J.; Csanyi, V. doi  openurl
  Title A Comparative Study of the Use of Visual Communicative Signals in Interactions Between Dogs (Canis familiaris) and Humans and Cats (Felis catus) and Humans Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Journal of Comparative Psychology Abbreviated Journal J. Comp. Psychol.  
  Volume 119 Issue 2 Pages 179-186  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract Dogs' (Canis familiaris) and cats' (Felis catus) interspecific communicative behavior toward humans was investigated. In Experiment 1, the ability of dogs and cats to use human pointing gestures in an object-choice task was compared using 4 types of pointing cues differing in distance between the signaled object and the end of the fingertip and in visibility duration of the given signal. Using these gestures, both dogs and cats were able to find the hidden food; there was no significant difference in their performance. In Experiment 2, the hidden food was made inaccessible to the subjects to determine whether they could indicate the place of the hidden food to a naive owner. Cats lacked some components of attention-getting behavior compared with dogs. The results suggest that individual familiarization with pointing gestures ensures high-level performance in the presence of such gestures; however, species-specific differences could cause differences in signaling toward the human.  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 599  
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Author Kavaliers, M.; Colwell, D.D.; Choleris, E. doi  openurl
  Title Kinship, familiarity and social status modulate social learning about “micropredators” (biting flies) in deer mice Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Abbreviated Journal Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol.  
  Volume 58 Issue 1 Pages 60-71  
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  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 710  
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Author Cant, M.A.; Field, J. doi  openurl
  Title Helping effort in a dominance hierarchy Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Behavioral Ecology Abbreviated Journal Behav. Ecol.  
  Volume 16 Issue 4 Pages 708-715  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract In many cooperatively breeding species, group members form a dominance hierarchy or queue to inherit the position of breeder. Models aimed at understanding individual variation in helping behavior, however, rarely take into account the effect of dominance rank on expected future reproductive success and thus the potential direct fitness costs of helping. Here we develop a kin-selection model of helping behavior in multimember groups in which only the highest ranking individual breeds. Each group member can invest in the dominant's offspring at a cost to its own survivorship. The model predicts that lower ranked subordinates, who have a smaller probability of inheriting the group, should work harder than higher ranked subordinates. This prediction holds regardless of whether the intrinsic mortality rate of subordinates increases or decreases with rank. The prediction does not necessarily hold, however, where the costs of helping are higher for lower ranked individuals: a situation that may be common in vertebrates. The model makes two further testable predictions: that the helping effort of an individual of given rank should be lower in larger groups, and the reproductive success of dominants should be greater where group members are more closely related. Empirical evidence for these predictions is discussed. We argue that the effects of rank on stable helping effort may explain why attempts to correlate individual helping effort with relatedness in cooperatively breeding species have met with limited success.  
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  Notes 10.1093/beheco/ari051 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 760  
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Author Vahl, W.K.; Lok, T.; van der Meer, J.; Piersma, T.; Weissing, F.J. url  doi
openurl 
  Title Spatial clumping of food and social dominance affect interference competition among ruddy turnstones Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Behavioral Ecology Abbreviated Journal Behav. Ecol.  
  Volume 16 Issue 5 Pages 834-844  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract In studying the success of foraging animals, studies of interference competition have put emphasis on effects of competitor density, whereas studies of resource defense have focused on the effects of the spatial distribution of food within patches. Very few studies have looked at both factors simultaneously, that is, determined whether the effects of competitor density on foraging success depend on the spatial distribution of food. We studied the behavior and the foraging success of ruddy turnstones (Arenaria interpres) using an experiment in which we varied both the presence of a competitor and the food distribution. Because turnstones may differ strongly in their relative dominance status, we also experimentally varied the foragers' relative dominance status. We found that the presence of a competitor only reduced the foraging success of subordinate birds foraging at the clumped food distribution. At this condition, dominant and subordinate birds differed markedly in their foraging success. Contrary to our expectations, we did not observe more agonistic behavior at the clumped food distribution. This indicates that the amount of agonistic behavior observed may be a bad indicator of interference effects. These findings have specific implications for models of interference competition. Most notably they show that the effects of competitor density on agonistic behavior and foraging success may well depend on the spatial distribution of food and the foragers' relative dominance status. Additionally, our results suggest that social dominance will not be fully understood without considering long-term processes such as the formation and maintenance of social dominance hierarchies.  
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  Notes 10.1093/beheco/ari067 Approved no  
  Call Number refbase @ user @ Serial 761  
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Author Dall, S.R.X.; Giraldeau, L.-A.; Olsson, O.; McNamara, J.M.; Stephens, D.W. doi  openurl
  Title Information and its use by animals in evolutionary ecology Type Journal Article
  Year 2005 Publication Trends in Ecology & Evolution (Personal Edition) Abbreviated Journal Trends Ecol Evol  
  Volume 20 Issue 4 Pages 187-193  
  Keywords (up)  
  Abstract Information is a crucial currency for animals from both a behavioural and evolutionary perspective. Adaptive behaviour relies upon accurate estimation of relevant ecological parameters; the better informed an individual, the better it can develop and adjust its behaviour to meet the demands of a variable world. Here, we focus on the burgeoning interest in the impact of ecological uncertainty on adaptation, and the means by which it can be reduced by gathering information, from both 'passive' and 'responsive' sources. Our overview demonstrates the value of adopting an explicitly informational approach, and highlights the components that one needs to develop useful approaches to studying information use by animals. We propose a quantitative framework, based on statistical decision theory, for analysing animal information use in evolutionary ecology. Our purpose is to promote an integrative approach to studying information use by animals, which is itself integral to adaptive animal behaviour and organismal biology.  
  Address Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter in Cornwall, Tremough Campus, Penryn, UK, TR10 9EZ. sashadall@iname.com  
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  ISSN 0169-5347 ISBN Medium  
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  Notes PMID:16701367 Approved no  
  Call Number Serial 2128  
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