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Damien R Farine - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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proximity to humans affects local Social Structure in a giraffe metapopulation
Journal of Animal Ecology, 2020Co-Authors: Monica L Bond, Damien R Farine, Barbara Konig, Derek E Lee, Arpat OzgulAbstract:Experimental laboratory evidence suggests that animals with disrupted Social systems express weakened relationship strengths and have more exclusive Social associations, and that these changes have functional consequences. A key question is whether anthropogenic pressures have a similar impact on the Social Structure of wild animal communities. We addressed this question by constructing a Social network from 6 years of systematically collected photographic capture-recapture data spanning 1,139 individual adult female Masai giraffes inhabiting a large, unfenced, heterogeneous landscape in northern Tanzania. We then used the Social network to identify distinct Social communities, and tested whether Social or anthropogenic and other environmental factors predicted differences in Social Structure among these communities. We reveal that giraffes have a multilevel Social Structure. Local preferences in associations among individuals scale up to a number of distinct, but spatially overlapping, Social communities, that can be viewed as a large interconnected metapopulation. We then find that communities that are closer to traditional compounds of Indigenous Masai people express weaker relationship strengths and the giraffes in these communities are more exclusive in their associations. The patterns we characterize in response to proximity to humans reflect the predictions of disrupted Social systems. Near bomas, fuelwood cutting can reduce food resources, and groups of giraffes are more likely to encounter livestock and humans on foot, thus disrupting the Social associations among group members. Our results suggest that human presence could potentially be playing an important role in determining the conservation future of this megaherbivore.
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the role of habitat configuration in shaping Social Structure a gap in studies of animal Social complexity
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2019Co-Authors: Adriana Alexandra Maldonadochaparro, Peng He, Damien R FarineAbstract:Animal societies are shaped both by Social processes and by the physical environment in which Social interactions take place. While many studies take the observed patterns of inter-individual interactions as products and proxies of pure Social processes, or as links between resource availability and Social Structure, the role of the physical configuration of habitat features in shaping the Social system of group-living animals remains largely overlooked. We hypothesise that by shaping the decisions about when and where to move, physical features of the environment will impact which individuals more frequently encounter one another and in doing so the overall Social Structure and Social organization of populations. We first discuss how the spatial arrangement of habitat components (i.e. habitat configuration) can shape animal movements using empirical cases in the literature. Then, we draw from the empirical literature to discuss how movement patterns of individuals mediate the patterns of Social interactions and Social organization and highlight the role of network-based approaches in identifying, evaluating and partitioning the effects of habitat configuration on animal Social Structure or organization. We illustrate the combination of these mechanisms using a simple simulation. Finally, we discuss the implications of habitat configuration in shaping the ecology and evolution of animal societies and offer a framework for future studies. We highlight future directions for studies in animal societies that are increasingly important in widely human-modified landscapes, in particular the implications of habitat-driven Social Structure in evolution. There is now clear evidence that simple processes can generate apparent complex patterns of Social Structure. However, while studies such as those on collective behaviour and Social networks have been focused on processes involving individual decision-making, broader patterns of Social Structure and Social organization can also be shaped by factors that have more fundamental impacts on the movements of animals. One set of those factors is related to the amount and spatial arrangement of both biotic and abiotic components of the habitat in which animals live. Examples include the configuration formed by habitat patches connected through corridors, by the presence of hard boundaries between habitat types or by the uneven distribution of resources, mates and competitors across space. In this contribution, we highlight the potential effects of these, which are becoming increasingly important as studies start being able to track populations spanning larger landscapes.
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Social ecology of a woodland songbird community from individual movements to the emergence of population Social Structure
bioRxiv, 2016Co-Authors: Damien R Farine, Ben C SheldonAbstract:Social Structure can have profound evolutionary and ecological implications for animal populations. Structure can arise and be maintained via Social preferences or be indirectly shaped by habitat Structure. Quantifying the drivers of Social Structure is important to understand how Social networks can shape evolutionary landscapes. Here, we study a large community of wild birds fitted with uniquely-coded passive integrated transponder (PIT) tags and recorded on a grid of automated feeders fitted with radio frequency identification (RFID) antennae. These data reveal that preferred movement pathways between sites that are consistent between years and not predicted by habitat features alone drive between-year consistent multi-level community Structure in the Social network. Our study highlights how ecological factors can shape Social Structure at the population scale, which has widespread implications for understanding eco-evolutionary dynamics.
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environment modulates population Social Structure experimental evidence from replicated Social networks of wild lizards
Animal Behaviour, 2016Co-Authors: Stephan T Leu, Damien R Farine, Tina W Wey, Andrew Sih, Michael C BullAbstract:Social Structure is a fundamental component of a population that drives ecological and evolutionary processes ranging from parasite transmission to sexual selection. Nevertheless, we have much to learn about factors that explain variation in Social Structure. We used advances in biologging and Social network analysis to experimentally test how the local habitat, and specifically habitat complexity, modulates Social Structure at different levels in wild populations. Sleepy lizards, Tiliqua rugosa, establish nonrandom Social networks that are characterized by avoidance of some neighbours and frequent interactions with one opposite-sex individual. Using synchronous GPS locations of all adult lizards, we constructed Social networks based on spatial proximity of individuals. We increased habitat structural complexity in two study populations by adding 100 short fences across the landscape. We then compared the resulting movement behaviour and Social Structure between these populations and two unmanipulated populations. Social connectivity (network density) and Social stability, measured at weekly intervals, were greater in populations with increased habitat structural complexity. The level of agonistic interaction (quantified as scale damage) was also higher, indicating a fitness cost of greater Social connectivity. However, some network parameters were unaffected by increased complexity, including disassortative mixing by sex, and at the individual level, Social differentiation among associates (coefficient of variation of edge weights) and maximal interaction frequencies (maximal edge weight). This suggests divergent effects of changed ecological conditions on individual association behaviour compared to the resulting Social Structure of the population. Our results contrast with those from studies of more gregarious species, in which higher structural complexity in the environment relaxed the Social connectivity. This shows that the response to altered ecological conditions can differ fundamentally between species or between populations, and we suggest that it depends on their tendency for gregarious behaviour.
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inferring Social Structure from temporal data
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2015Co-Authors: Ioannis Psorakis, Damien R Farine, Bernhard Voelkl, Colin J Garroway, Reinder Radersma, Lucy M Aplin, Ross Crates, Antica CulinaAbstract:Social network analysis has become a popular tool for characterising the Social Structure of populations. Animal Social networks can be built either by observing individuals and defining links based on the occurrence of specific types of Social interactions, or by linking individuals based on observations of physical proximity or group membership, given a certain behavioural activity. The latter approaches of discovering network Structure require splitting the temporal observation stream into discrete events given an appropriate time resolution parameter. This process poses several non-trivial problems which have not received adequate attention so far. Here, using data from a study of passive integrated transponder (PIT)-tagged great tits Parus major, we discuss these problems, demonstrate how the choice of the extraction method and the temporal resolution parameter influence the appearance and properties of the retrieved network and suggest a modus operandi that minimises observer bias due to arbitrary parameter choice. Our results have important implications for all studies of Social networks where associations are based on spatio-temporal proximity, and more generally for all studies where we seek to uncover the relationships amongst a population of individuals that are observed through a temporal data stream of appearance records.
Emma J. Stokes - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Social Structure and life-history patterns in western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).
American journal of primatology, 2004Co-Authors: Martha M Robbins, Magdalena Bermejo, Chloé Cipolletta, Richard J. Parnell, Florence Magliocca, Emma J. StokesAbstract:Life-history traits and ecological conditions have an important influence on primate Social systems. Most of what we know about the life-history patterns and Social Structure of gorillas comes from studies of eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei sp.), which live under dramatically different ecological conditions compared to western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla sp.). In this paper we present new data on western gorilla Social Structure and life histories from four study sites, and make comparisons with eastern gorilla populations. Data were obtained from two study sites with gorilla groups undergoing the habituation process (Lossi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Bai Hokou, Central African Republic) and two "bai" studies (Maya Nord and Mbeli Bai, Republic of Congo). The size and Structure of these groups were similar to those seen in eastern gorillas. However, differences in the occurrence of various group transitions (group formations, changes between one-male and multimale composition, and group disintegrations) exist, and western gorillas notably exhibit much higher rates of male emigration and correspondingly fewer multimale groups compared to mountain gorillas. Certain phenomena have been observed only rarely, including predation by leopards. The preliminary data show no significant differences in birth rates between western gorillas and mountain gorillas. The ecological variability across gorilla habitats likely explains the flexibility in the Social system of gorillas, but we need more information on the Social relationships and ecology of western gorillas to elucidate the causes for the similarities and differences between western and eastern gorillas on the levels of individuals, Social groups, and population dynamics.
Shweta Bansal - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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inferring Social Structure and its drivers from refuge use in the desert tortoise a relatively solitary species
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 2016Co-Authors: Kenneth E Nussear, Christina M Aiello, Peter J Hudson, Todd C. Esque, Shweta BansalAbstract:For several species, refuges (such as burrows, dens, roosts, nests) are an essential resource for protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Refuges also serve as focal sites for Social interactions, including mating, courtship, and aggression. Knowledge of refuge use patterns can therefore provide information about Social Structure, mating, and foraging success, as well as the robustness and health of wildlife populations, especially for species considered to be relatively solitary. In this study, we construct networks of burrow use to infer Social associations in a threatened wildlife species typically considered solitary—the desert tortoise. We show that tortoise Social networks are significantly different than null networks of random associations, and have moderate spatial constraints. We next use statistical models to identify major mechanisms behind individual-level variation in tortoise burrow use, popularity of burrows in desert tortoise habitat, and test for stressor-driven changes in refuge use patterns. We show that seasonal variation has a strong impact on tortoise burrow switching behavior. On the other hand, burrow age and topographical condition influence the number of tortoises visiting a burrow in desert tortoise habitat. Of three major population stressors affecting this species (translocation, drought, disease), translocation alters tortoise burrow switching behavior, with translocated animals visiting fewer unique burrows than residents. In a species that is not Social, our study highlights the importance of leveraging refuge use behavior to study the presence of and mechanisms behind non-random Social Structure and individual-level variation. Our analysis of the impact of stressors on refuge-based Social Structure further emphasizes the potential of this method to detect environmental or anthropogenic disturbances. Adaptive and Social behavior that affects fitness is now being increasingly incorporated in the conservation and management of wildlife species. However, direct observations of Social interactions in species considered to be solitary are difficult, and therefore integration of behavior in conservation and management decisions in such species has been infrequent. For such species, we propose quantifying refuge use behavior as it can provide insights towards their (hidden) Social Structure, establish relevant contact patterns of infectious disease spread, and provide early warning signals of population stressors. Our study highlights this approach in a long-lived and threatened species, the desert tortoise. We provide evidence toward the presence of and identify mechanisms behind the Social Structure in desert tortoises formed by their burrow use preferences. We also show how individuals burrow use behavior responds to the presence of population stressors.
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inferring Social Structure and its drivers from refuge use in the desert tortoise a relatively solitary species
bioRxiv, 2016Co-Authors: Kenneth E Nussear, Christina M Aiello, Peter J Hudson, Todd C. Esque, Shweta BansalAbstract:For several species, refuges (such as burrows, dens, roosts, nests) are an essential resource for protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Refuges also serve as focal sites for Social interactions including mating, courtship and aggression. Knowledge of refuge use patterns can therefore provide information about Social Structure, mating and foraging success, as well as the robustness and health of wildlife populations, especially for species considered to be relatively solitary. In this study, we construct networks of burrow use to infer Social associations in a threatened wildlife species typically considered solitary - the desert tortoise. We show that tortoise Social networks are significantly different than null networks of random associations, and have moderate spatial constraints. We next use statistical models to identify major mechanisms behind individual-level variation in tortoise burrow use, popularity of burrows in desert tortoise habitat and test for stressor-driven changes in refuge use patterns. We show that seasonal variation has a strong impact on tortoise burrow switching behavior. On the other hand, burrow age and topographical condition influence the number of tortoises visiting a burrow in desert tortoise habitat. Of three major population stressors affecting this species (translocation, drought, disease), translocation alters tortoise burrow switching behavior, with translocated animals visiting fewer unique burrows than residents. In a species that is not Social, our study highlights the importance of leveraging refuge use behavior to study the presence of and mechanisms behind non-random Social Structure and individual-level variation. Our analysis of the impact of stressors on refuge-based Social Structure further emphasizes the potential of this method to detect environmental or anthropogenic disturbances.
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Social Structure and drivers behind asynchronous burrow associations of the desert tortoise
bioRxiv, 2015Co-Authors: Kenneth E Nussear, Christina M Aiello, Peter J Hudson, Todd C. Esque, Shweta BansalAbstract:For several species, refuges (such as burrows, dens, roosts, nests) are an essential resource for protection from predators and extreme environmental conditions. Refuges also serve as focal sites of Social interactions including mating, courtship and aggression. Knowledge of refuge use patterns can therefore provide information about Social Structure as well mating and foraging success of wildlife populations, especially for species considered to be relatively solitary. In this study, we sought to (a) infer Social associations of the desert tortoise through their asynchronous burrow associations, and (b) provide mechanisms behind individual-level variation in burrow use networks using a model of burrow switching (to describe variation in tortoise behavior) and burrow popularity (to describe variation from the perspective of burrows). Although considered to be relatively solitary, we found tortoise Social networks to be significantly different than null networks of random associations, with geographical locations having a moderate influence on tortoises associations. Seasonal variation and local tortoise/burrow density had a strong impact on individual′s burrow switching behavior. Among the three population stressors included in the model (translocation, drought, disease), translocation had the largest effect on burrow switching. Analysis of variation in burrow popularity revealed older burrows and burrows at rough higher elevation sites are more popular than other burrows in desert tortoise habitat. Our study emphasizes the role of combining graph theoretic and statistical approaches to examine the Social Structure of (relatively) solitary species to design effective conservation and management strategies including control of future infection spread.
Martha M Robbins - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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Social Structure and life-history patterns in western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla gorilla).
American journal of primatology, 2004Co-Authors: Martha M Robbins, Magdalena Bermejo, Chloé Cipolletta, Richard J. Parnell, Florence Magliocca, Emma J. StokesAbstract:Life-history traits and ecological conditions have an important influence on primate Social systems. Most of what we know about the life-history patterns and Social Structure of gorillas comes from studies of eastern gorillas (Gorilla beringei sp.), which live under dramatically different ecological conditions compared to western gorillas (Gorilla gorilla sp.). In this paper we present new data on western gorilla Social Structure and life histories from four study sites, and make comparisons with eastern gorilla populations. Data were obtained from two study sites with gorilla groups undergoing the habituation process (Lossi, Democratic Republic of Congo and Bai Hokou, Central African Republic) and two "bai" studies (Maya Nord and Mbeli Bai, Republic of Congo). The size and Structure of these groups were similar to those seen in eastern gorillas. However, differences in the occurrence of various group transitions (group formations, changes between one-male and multimale composition, and group disintegrations) exist, and western gorillas notably exhibit much higher rates of male emigration and correspondingly fewer multimale groups compared to mountain gorillas. Certain phenomena have been observed only rarely, including predation by leopards. The preliminary data show no significant differences in birth rates between western gorillas and mountain gorillas. The ecological variability across gorilla habitats likely explains the flexibility in the Social system of gorillas, but we need more information on the Social relationships and ecology of western gorillas to elucidate the causes for the similarities and differences between western and eastern gorillas on the levels of individuals, Social groups, and population dynamics.
Bernard Chapais - One of the best experts on this subject based on the ideXlab platform.
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monogamy strongly bonded groups and the evolution of human Social Structure
Evolutionary Anthropology, 2013Co-Authors: Bernard ChapaisAbstract:Human Social evolution has most often been treated in a piecemeal fashion, with studies focusing on the evolution of specific components of human society such as pair-bonding, cooperative hunting, male provisioning, grandmothering, cooperative breeding, food sharing, male competition, male violence, sexual coercion, territoriality, and between-group conflicts. Evolutionary models about any one of those components are usually concerned with two categories of questions, one relating to the origins of the component and the other to its impact on the evolution of human cognition and Social life. Remarkably few studies have been concerned with the evolution of the entity that integrates all components, the human Social system itself. That Social system has as its core feature human Social Structure, which I define here as the common denominator of all human societies in terms of group composition, mating system, residence patterns, and kinship Structures. The paucity of information on the evolution of human Social Structure poses substantial problems because that information is useful, if not essential, to assess both the origins and impact of any particular aspect of human society.
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monogamy strongly bonded groups and the evolution of human Social Structure
Evolutionary Anthropology, 2013Co-Authors: Bernard ChapaisAbstract:Human Social evolution has most often been treated in a piecemeal fashion, with studies focusing on the evolution of specific components of human society such as pair-bonding, cooperative hunting, male provisioning, grandmothering, cooperative breeding, food sharing, male competition, male violence, sexual coercion, territoriality, and between-group conflicts. Evolutionary models about any one of those components are usually concerned with two categories of questions, one relating to the origins of the component and the other to its impact on the evolution of human cognition and Social life. Remarkably few studies have been concerned with the evolution of the entity that integrates all components, the human Social system itself. That Social system has as its core feature human Social Structure, which I define here as the common denominator of all human societies in terms of group composition, mating system, residence patterns, and kinship Structures. The paucity of information on the evolution of human Social Structure poses substantial problems because that information is useful, if not essential, to assess both the origins and impact of any particular aspect of human society. Language: en
