Landscape as a factor of natural selection on reactivity for steppe marmot (Marmota bobak)

Alexander Nikol’Skii

doi:10.1051/e3sconf/202126501005

Abstract

Marmots use a sound signal to inform their neighbours about the danger. Vocalization is the response of marmots to the visual perception of a potentially dangerous stimulus. For the first time at the intraspecific level the relationship between the rhythmic structure of the signal and the habitat elevation of populations is shown using the example of the steppe marmot (Marmota bobak). An increase in elevation is accompanied by an increase in the relative excess of positive forms over the nearest negative forms of relief. The dismembered relief reduces the visual detection range of danger. With an increase in the habitat elevation of populations, the repetition periods of sounds in the signal decrease. In the range of habitat elevations of the steppe marmot from 120 to 730 m, the median of the repetition periods decreases from 5.35 to 2.17 s. The increased rhythm is a consequence of the increased reactivity of marmots. It has been suggested that a complex of reactions to visual detection of danger controls the amygdale. The alarm call of marmots was recorded in the field.

Highlights

Changes in ecological factors can cause variability of communications means [1]
The rhythmic organization of the signal is ecologically determined by the dismemberment of the terrain, the relative excess of the positive forms of the earth's surface over the nearest negative forms
The distribution of repetition periods differs from the normal one, which affects the relative position of the median (Me, Fig. 4 :a)

Summary

Introduction

Changes in ecological factors can cause variability of communications means [1]. My report shows how a change in the landscape structure becomes a natural selection factor, influencing the variability of the rhythmic organization of the marmots’ alarm call.Marmots (Marmota, Rodentia), as well as other inhabitants of open landscapes with daytime activity, inform their neighbors about the danger by means of a sound signal. Changes in ecological factors can cause variability of communications means [1]. My report shows how a change in the landscape structure becomes a natural selection factor, influencing the variability of the rhythmic organization of the marmots’ alarm call. Marmots (Marmota, Rodentia), as well as other inhabitants of open landscapes with daytime activity, inform their neighbors about the danger by means of a sound signal. Vocalization is a behavioral response (reaction) of marmots to the visual perception of a potentially dangerous object. The variability of the signal, intraspecific divergence and interspecific parallelisms, indirectly confirm the influence of natural selection on the process of forming its rhythmic organization. The rhythmic organization of the signal is ecologically determined by the dismemberment of the terrain, the relative excess of the positive forms of the earth's surface over the nearest negative forms. In habitats with dismembered terrain that restricts the view, marmots vocalize at an accelerated rate [3, 4]

Methods

Results

Conclusion