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Mrosovsky, N., & Shettleworth, S. J. (1968). Wavelength preferences and brightness cues in the water finding behaviour of sea turtles. Behaviour, 32(4), 211–257.
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Ramseyer, A., Petit, O., & Thierry, B. (2009). Decision-making in group departures of female domestic geese. Behaviour, 146, 351–371.
Abstract: Group-living animals have to make trade-offs to reach consensus and travel together. We investigated the recruitment processes underpinning decision-making at departure in a group of 20 female domestic geese (Anser domesticus) kept in semi-free-range conditions. Two observers continuously videotaped the behaviours of the birds. Data were analyzed using multiple regression analyses. We found that decision-making was a continuous and distributed process. Departure was preceded by an increase in the arousal state of group members and their initial orientation influenced recruitment. Patterns of group movement could be predicted from the behaviours of individuals before departure. Individuals' locations, moves and signals could act as passive or communicative cues. A higher number of vocalisations and arousal behaviours led to a larger number of individuals recruited. Some individuals were more efficient than others in recruiting followers but any geese could initiate a movement. First movers recruited a higher number of mates when they had a greater number of neighbours. Not only the first mover but also the behaviours of the second and third movers prompted further individuals to follow. There was no evidence that geese were able to intentionally recruit others, rather they synchronized and adjusted each other's motives until reaching a consensus.
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Robbins, M. M., Robbins, A. M., Gerald-Steklis, N., & Steklis, H. D. (2005). Long-term dominance relationships in female mountain gorillas: strength, stability and determinants of rank. Behaviour, 142(6), 779–809.
Abstract: A common practice in studies of social animals is to rank individuals according to dominance status, which has been shown to influence access to limited resources and stability of social relationships, and may in turn correlate with reproductive success. According to the socioecological model for primates, most female dominance relationships are either nepotistic or virtually undetectable (egalitarian), with nepotistic species being philopatric, and dispersing females being egalitarian. Female mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei) disperse, and they have been characterized as being egalitarian, but previous studies have not examined their dominance relationships from a long-term perspective. We evaluated 15 matrices of displacement/supplantation interactions that spanned 30 years of observations in the Virunga Volcanoes region, and included 51 female mountain gorillas in six groups. Only 4% of displacements were directed against higher ranking females, and when matrices had less than 5% unknown dyads, linearity indices were consistently greater than 0.95. Therefore, previous results suggesting undetectable dominance relationships may have reflected an insufficient quantity of data for this species, rather than actual nonlinearity in its hierarchies. Dominance depended on age and group tenure rather than nepotism, yet some females maintained a high ranking for most of adulthood (15-25 years). Most rank shifts occurred through changes in group composition, rather than switches in established relationships. These results fit within growing evidence for linear individualistic hierarchies in some primates, often coupled with dispersal, as commonly found in ungulates. In light of these results, we propose that the dominance relationships of female mountain gorilla are best characterized as “Dispersal-Individualistic” instead of the previously suggested “Dispersal-Egalitarian”.
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Robbins, R. L., & McCreery, E. K. (2003). African wild dog pup vocalizations with special reference to Morton's model. Behaviour, 140(3), 333–351.
Abstract: African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) pup vocalizations were studied in Hwange National Park, Zimbabwe for weeks 3 through 7 of the socialization period. Here we present the vocal repertoire, including the use of repetitive and mixed sounds, and investigate the extent to which the emerging sound system of Lycaon conforms to predicted design features of Morton's (MS) motivation-structural rules. Features of the pup sound system are highlighted by comparison with adults and other social canids.TAGSTARTBRTAGEND Data were collected at three den sites (litter sizes: 8, 8, and 9) of two study packs. A total of 1903 vocalizations were classified, and eight vocal classes and seven subclasses were identified. Although all sounds identified persist into adulthood, observations indicate a delayed onset in some vocal classes, including both the lowest (i.e. rumbles) and highest (i.e. twitters) frequency sounds. As predicted by the (MS) model, pups invested heavily in high frequency, harmonic care/social soliciting sounds (91%, N = 1586 unmixed vocalizations), however, no clear association between acoustic structure and sound repetition was found. Significantly more repetition was heard in all vocal classes with the exception of moans and barks. Intra-pack aggression is generally muted in this obligate social carnivore suggesting that repetition may be a low cost strategy to induce social outcomes and obtain food. The patterning of mixed vocalizations (N = 317) was consistent with the (MS) model. Given the high degree of cooperation necessary for individual survival, the predominant use of cross-mixed sounds may serve to minimize conflict as pups begin to form relationships with littermates and adults. Noisy/noisy sounds were exceptionally rare. Comparative data suggest a relationship between the early patterning of mixed sounds and species-specific social organization in canids.
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Salzen, E. A., & Cornell, J. M. (1968). Self-perception and species recognition in birds. Behaviour, 30(1), 44–65.
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Sato, S., Sako, S., & Maeda, A. (1991). Social licking patterns in cattle (<em>Bos taurus</em>): influence of environmental and social factors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 32(1), 3–12.
Abstract: To investigate the functions of social licking in cattle, four calves (one heifer and one steer in each of two herds), known to exhibit frequent social licking were observed continuously for 2 h before sunset for 13 days, using the focal animal sampling method. Calves were observed under various environmental conditions. Social licking significantly decreased on rainy days and tended to increase in a dirty barn and when food was restricted. Solicitation for social licking occurred not only from dominant animals of pairs but also from subordinates. Of the licking interactions, 31% occurred following solicitation, and these accounted for 39% of the total time spent licking. Following solicitation, 78% of social licking was oriented to the head and the neck regions that were inaccessible to self-licking animals. Unsolicited licking, however, was oriented not only to the head and the neck but also to the back and the rump regions, and these two latter regions were the major ones to receive licking. The effect of social relationships on social licking was investigated using least-squares analysis of variance. Social factors investigated were the difference of dominance values, the dominance-subordinance relationship, and kinship and familiarity; the sex of calves involved was also considered. Only familiarity had a significant effect on licking; exchanges of social licking increased with length of cohabitation. We suggest that social licking may have a cleaning effect, a tension-reducing effect and a bonding effect.
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Schilder, M. B. H. (1990). Interventions in a herd of semi – captive Plains zebras. Behaviour, 112(1-2), 53–83.
Abstract: n a herd of semi-captive plains zebras interventions, which occurred within the harems, were investigated in order to answer the question why zebras interfered. These interventions are of interest because they regulate the contacts between companions and because, as corrective and preventive measures, they reveal the normative principles underlying the behaviours by which animals structure their social environment. An attempt was made to deduce 1) the internal norms of the interferer; 2) his short term aims; 3) his tactis and 4) his perception of the social environment. The analysis revealed that in the case of an affiliative interaction foals, yearlings and adult mares started to interfere if a friend had an affiliative contact with another zebra. In view of the interferer's behaviours it was concluded that their aim was to break off the ongoing interaction and that zebras tended to protect friendship bonds. Foals and yearlings further interfered if their mother was being threatened, attacked or sexually approached by a stallion. In view of the interferer's behaviours its aim was to prevent iminent interactions or to break off ongoing interactions. This suggests that these interventions were of a protective nature. The interferer's behaviours in both contexts ware very much alike. Mares tended to interfere if their foal/yearling or adult daughter was threathened or aggressed or if a mare friend was being sexually approached by a stallion. This type of intervention was of a protective nature. Stallions in a multi male harem showed a high tendency to interfere in courtship interactions. From the resemblance between interventions in courtship and in aggressive interactions it is concluded that, at leat in a number of cases, the individuals have perceived courtship behaviour by the stallion as a threat towards the mare involved.
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Schilder, M. B. H. (1988). Dominance relationships between adult Plains zebra stallions in semi – captivity. Behaviour, 104(3-4), 300–319.
Abstract: The relationships between 4-5 adult zebra stallions, living in a safari park, were investigated over a period of 5 years. Asymmetries in the distributions of a number of behaviours could be explained by adopting dominance as an intervening variable. Dominance in stallions was of a bipolar nature with on the one hand behaviours representing subordinance and defence, and on the other hand behaviours reinforcing and confirming dominance. Expression of formal dominance seems to play a minor role. The dyadic relationships of stallions differed as to the number of behaviours reflecting dominance relationships. Although often linear rank-orders could be constructed, these rank-orders were not necessarily identical. This means that the concept of dominance is of only limited value for describing relationships between zebra stallions.
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Schloeth R,. (1956). Zur Psychologie der Begegnung zwischen Tieren. Behaviour, 10, 1–80.
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Schulte, N., & Klingel, H. (1991). Herd Structure, Leadership, Dominance and Site Attachment of the Camel, Camelus Dromedarius. Behaviour, 118(1-2), 103–114.
Abstract: Social structure and relationships in a herd of captive camels were studied in Kenya. During day and night the herd split up irrespective of kinship. Partner preferences existed only in those camels who had previously been kept in a small group separated from the herd. Dominance relationships are anonymous with four levels: a) dominant breeding bulls, b) females and bachelors, c) subadults, and d) calves. No stable leadership was observed, but individual preferences in the walking order existed when the camels left and entered the enclosure. During the night most camels showed an amazing attachment to a particular resting site; in a new boma they used corresponding sites. During moon nights activity was greatly increased.
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