Social Behavior Of Animals Research Articles

Evolutionary-based method for risk stratification of diabetic patients

Biologically-inspired computing is an interdisciplinary research domain that brings together principles from mathematics, computer science and biology in order to develop intelligent algorithms or high performance computing models that are able to capture the social behaviour of animals, insects, birds or other living organisms. Recently, bio-inspired computing has been successfully applied for solving problems in the e-health domain. This chapter addresses the problem of optimality in the e-health domain by proposing an evolutionary-inspired method for clustering patients according to the risk of having diabetes. This method clusters patients based on their similarity with respect to the following features: age, sex, race category, body mass index, whether the patient has or has not hypertension, and the presence or absence of first-degree relatives with diabetes. Our method has been tested on the NHANESIII dataset.

Rat Model of Empathy for Pain.

Empathy for pain is referred to as an evolutionary behavior of social animals and humans associated with the ability to feel, recognize, understand and share the other's distressing (pain, social rejection and catastrophe) states. Impairment of empathy can definitely lead to deficits in social communication and sociability (attachment, bond, reciprocity, altruism and morality) that may be fundamental to some psychiatric disorders such as autism spectrum disorder (ASD), psychopathy, misconduct, antisocial personality disorder and schizophrenia. So far, the underlying mechanisms of empathy are poorly known due to lack of animal models and scarce understanding of its biological basis. Recently, we have successfully identified and validated the behavioral identities of empathy for pain in rats that can be widely used as a rodent model for studying the underlying biological mechanisms of empathy. Priming dyadic social interaction between a naive cagemate observer (CO) and a cagemate demonstrator (CD), rather than a non-cagemate, in pain for 30 min in a testing box can repeatedly and constantly result in empathic responses of the CO toward the familiar CD's distressing condition, displaying as allo-licking at the injury site, allo-grooming at the body and social transfer of pain. The familiarity-based, distress-specific social consolation and subsequent social transfer of pain can be qualitatively and quantitatively rated as experimental biomarkers for empathy for pain. The rodent model of empathy for pain is state-of-the-art and has more advantages than the existing ones used for social neuroscience since it can reflect sensory, emotional and cognitive processes of the brain in running the prosocial and altruistic behaviors in animals who could not report verbally. Here we would like to provide and share the protocol of the model for wide use.

Intestinal helminths in Iberian wolves (Canis lupus signatus) from Northwest Spain

Background: We present a study about helminth parasites in wolf (Canis lupus signatus) from Sierra de la Culebra, a protected area in the Northwest of Spain, where is the largest population of wolves of the Spanish territory and one of the largest in Western Europe. Materials and Methods: To this aim, 93 fecal samples were collected during May and June of 2013 using 33% zinc sulphate flotation technique and classified based on their morphology, color, structure and size. Results: Parasites were present in 66.67% of the samples and classified as Eucoleus aerophilus (50.54%), Strongyloides sp. (27%), Ancylostomidae gen. sp. (19.35%), Toxocara Canis (10.75%), Taeniidae gen. sp. (9.68%), Trichuris vulpis (9.68%) and Toxascaris leonina (2.15%). Their distributions were very heterogeneous with the highest prevalence being in Northwest Spain. These differences found can be attributed to local environmental factors (ambient temperature, humidity) as well as animal feeding and social behavior. Conclusion: A wide helminthofauna is observed in the studied wolves, similar to other studies carried out in Europe (Estonia, Finland, Italy, Latvia, Poland, Portugal, Spain and Sweden). In addition, this study constitutes the first description of the presence of Strongyloides sp. in Iberian wolf in Spain.

Individual variation and positive feedback initiate aggregation in Lasius japonicus

Aggregation is the most basic collective behaviour in social animals, including ants. The objective of this study was to investigate the role of initial fluctuation and positive feedback in the aggregation mechanism of the ant Lasius japonicus. To analyse the initial process of aggregation, we collected detailed behavioural data from a limited number of individuals. The results indicated that a voluntarily pausing individual was necessary for the occurrence of aggregation and also that individual variation contributed to aggregation size. To describe the role of individual variation and positive feedback in the initiation of aggregation, we developed a mathematical model that showed similar characteristics to the Monte Carlo simulation. Overall, this study suggests that individual variation and positive feedback markedly change the collective behaviour of ants.

Testosterone pulses at the nest site modify ultrasonic vocalization types in a monogamous and territorial mouse

AbstractModulation of baseline testosterone (T) via long‐lasting T implants alters territorial, sexual, and social behavior of animals in the field. Transient T increases occur in numerous species after social interactions, but these transient increases in T have not been manipulated in the field. In the laboratory, these T increases can influence future behavior for days, causing changes in social behavior and inducing preferences for specific locations. We manipulated transient increases in T in the field at the nests of the monogamous and territorial California mouse (Peromyscus californicus) to examine long‐term (>24 hr) changes in ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs). Males of bonded male–female dyads (=pair) were administered a T injection (vs. saline) three times over seven days and USVs of the male–female dyad were measured for three days after the last injection. At T nests, the male–female dyad produced significantly more 1SV (one call SV: an SV is a sustained vocalization that is long in duration and low in modulation) and 4SV (four call SV) type USVs than controls, but no significant changes in aggressive barks. Overall, male–female dyad mice at T nests produced a greater diversity in call types such that 1SV, 4SV, 5SV, and a complex sweep were produced at T nests but not control nests. There were significantly more USVs produced at T nests on night 2 after the final injection. There were no differences in spectral characteristics of SV calls or aggressive barks between T and control nests. The function of the changes that occurred is unknown, but is consistent with increased long‐term changes in behavioral interactions with nest mates and may reflect T‐induced conditioned place preferences to the nest site. Significantly, transient increases in T influence future acoustic communication under field conditions with competing biotic and abiotic stimuli.

Collective Tasks for a Flock of Robots Using Influence Factor

In this paper, a form of steering a swarm of robots is presented using behavior local rules that depends on four parameters. These parameters are related with a general model of the behavior of social animals called repulsion, attraction orientation and influence. By simulations, a kinematic and dynamical math models of robots were made for testing its performance as a swarm and to know the impact of the parameters considering two tasks of location and navigation considering aggregation and flocking as a minimum condition that the swarm must have. An implementation was made building a flock of simple robots with hardware and software limitations. Some statistics to measure the performance of the swarm considering its covered area are proposed and analyze the impact of parameters on the swarm. Results of simulation are similar to the implementations as expected. The proposed behavior rules based on repulsion, attraction and orientation determine the formation of the swarm or the flock and influence emphasizes the principal task; in other words, associate a specific task with a specific perception or signal.

Modulation of social behavior and dominance status by chronic pain in mice.

The potential influence of pain on social behavior in laboratory animals has rarely been evaluated. Using a new assay of social behavior, the tube co-occupancy test (TCOT), we assess propinquity-the tendency to maintain close physical proximity-in mice exposed to pain using subcutaneous zymosan or spared nerve injury as noxious stimuli. Our previous experience with the TCOT showed that outbred mouse sibling dyads show higher levels of tube co-occupancy than stranger dyads. We find here that long-lasting pain from spared nerve injury given to both mice in the dyad abolishes this effect of familiarity, such that strangers also display high levels of propinquity. We performed a separate experiment to assess the effect on dominance behavior of nerve injury to one or both mice of a dyad in which relative dominance status had been previously established via the confrontation tube test. We find that neuropathic pain given only to the dominant mouse reverses the relationship in male but not female mice, such that the previously subordinate mouse becomes dominant. These observations bolster the scant but growing evidence that pain can robustly affect social behavior in animals.

Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour.

Built structures, such as animal nests or buildings that humans occupy, serve two overarching purposes: shelter and a space where individuals interact. The former has dominated much of the discussion in the literature. But, as the study of collective behaviour expands, it is time to elucidate the role of the built environment in shaping collective outcomes. Collective behaviour in social animals emerges from interactions, and collective cognition in humans emerges from communication and coordination. These collective actions have vast economic implications in human societies and critical fitness consequences in animal systems. Despite the obvious influence of space on interactions, because spatial proximity is necessary for an interaction to occur, spatial constraints are rarely considered in studies of collective behaviour or collective cognition. An interdisciplinary exchange between behavioural ecologists, evolutionary biologists, cognitive scientists, social scientists, architects and engineers can facilitate a productive exchange of ideas, methods and theory that could lead us to uncover unifying principles and novel research approaches and questions in studies of animal and human collective behaviour. This article, along with those in this theme issue aims to formalize and catalyse this interdisciplinary exchange.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'.

Evidence for intranasal oxytocin delivery to the brain: recent advances and future perspectives.

The neuropeptide oxytocin plays an evolutionarily conserved role in mammalian social behavior. Despite striking effects on animal social behavior after intracerebroventricular drug delivery, this delivery mode is impractical in humans. Intranasal oxytocin delivery provides a noninvasive alternative to increase central oxytocin activity, and has shown promise as a treatment for psychiatric illnesses. Intranasal oxytocin delivery is purported to increase central oxytocin concentrations via channels surrounding trigeminal and olfactory nerve fibers, which may facilitate increased activity at central oxytocin receptors. This report outlines the evidence for intranasal oxytocin delivery increasing central concentrations or activity, identifies current knowledge gaps and highlights future research opportunities. Recent efforts to enhance intranasal oxytocin delivery via improved intranasal delivery technology and dose-ranging studies are discussed.

Reciprocal Interactions Between Gut Microbiota and Host Social Behavior.

Animals harbor an extensive, dynamic microbial ecosystem in their gut. Gut microbiota (GM) supposedly modulate various host functions including fecundity, metabolism, immunity, cognition and behavior. Starting by analyzing the concept of the holobiont as a unit of selection, we highlight recent findings suggesting an intimate link between GM and animal social behavior. We consider two reciprocal emerging themes: (i) that GM influence host social behavior; and (ii) that social behavior and social structure shape the composition of the GM across individuals. We propose that, throughout a long history of coevolution, GM may have become involved in the modulation of their host’s sociality to foster their own transmission, while in turn social organization may have fine-tuned the transmission of beneficial endosymbionts and prevented pathogen infection. We suggest that investigating these reciprocal interactions can advance our understanding of sociality, from healthy and impaired social cognition to the evolution of specific social behaviors and societal structure.

How do free-ranging domestic herbivores reduce competition within owner-determined herds?

Group size and competition are key drivers of foraging behaviour in social animals. With seasonal changes in food quality and availability, comes changes in the type (scramble or interference) and degree of competition (aggression or none). One way that animals can deal with these variations is by living in groups where the benefits of the group size outweigh the costs. However, this is generally not possible with domesticated animals, as group sizes are determined by owners. Thus, within these groups, animals have to make behavioural adjustments to reduce competition. To determine how domestic indigenous veld goats (Capra hircus), living in different sized owner-determined groups, dealt with seasonal variations in food availability and quality, and thus competition, we recorded their foraging behaviour. Specifically, we documented patch-joining events, herd splits, and interindividual distances (IID). We found that goats only joined the patches of other herd members during the wet season, when food was more readily available. In addition, we found that large herds split into a number of smaller subherds (comprising ca. 15 individuals) that were similar in size to the unsplit small herds. Furthermore, these splits primarily happened during the dry season and were more frequent in large herds compared to small herds. Finally, IID increased in the dry season for both small and large herds, likely as a way to reduce interactions while feeding. Yet, individuals in large herds maintained larger IID than individuals in small herds, suggesting a greater attempt to reduce interactions in large herds. The fact that the large owner-determined herds had to elicit a greater number of behaviours, suggests greater levels of competition in these herds in the arid savanna system. These results suggest that by using behavioural indicators such as IID or herd splits, owners could monitor competition within their herds and determine when it would be better to keep their goats in smaller herd sizes.

Can Multilayer Networks Advance Animal Behavior Research?

Interactions among individual animals - and between these individuals and their environment - yield complex, multifaceted systems. The development of multilayer network analysis offers a promising new approach for studying animal social behavior and its relation to eco-evolutionary dynamics.

Virtual spring damper method for nonholonomic robotic swarm self-organization and leader following

In this paper, we demonstrate a method for self-organization and leader following of nonholonomic robotic swarm based on spring damper mesh. By self-organization of swarm robots we mean the emergence of order in a swarm as the result of interactions among the single robots. In other words the self-organization of swarm robots mimics some natural behavior of social animals like ants among others. The dynamics of two-wheel robot is derived, and a relation between virtual forces and robot control inputs is defined in order to establish stable swarm formation. Two cases of swarm control are analyzed. In the first case the swarm cohesion is achieved by virtual spring damper mesh connecting nearest neighboring robots without designated leader. In the second case we introduce a swarm leader interacting with nearest and second neighbors allowing the swarm to follow the leader. The paper ends with numeric simulation for performance evaluation of the proposed control method.

Friend or Family? Social Recognition and Physiological Stress in the Self‐Fertilizing Mangrove Rivulus Fish (Kryptolebias marmoratus)

Social behavior has the capacity to influence how animals respond to environmental stress. Living in social groups may be beneficial to animals as it can reduce predation risk and provide foraging benefits. Advantages may be further enhanced if animals associate with related individuals (kin), with individuals of the same phenotype and/or with familiar conspecifics, regardless of relatedness. On the other hand, grouping may incur costs if there is competition for resources or increased aggression. Given the potential influence of sociality on physiological responses to stress, it is important to understand an animal's social behavior and if certain social interactions result in physiological stress. The mangrove rivulus is a tropical, self‐fertilizing fish that forms isogenic lineages, providing a model fish with a natural and extreme form of kin. Using distinct strains of rivulus originating from Belize and Honduras, we predicted that rivulus would use both relatedness and familiarity as cues to recognize conspecifics. We used a choice chamber and in two separate experiments, gave focal fish of each strain the choice between related or familiar stimulus fish. We took water samples to determine cortisol concentrations, as we predicted that association with non‐kin and/or unfamiliar fish would be stressful and result in increases is the stress hormone. We found no significant differences in the proportion of time either lineage spent with familiar or related conspecifics. We further analysed association time for aggressive behaviour as we predicted that rivulus would be less aggressive to both familiar and related conspecifics. Interestingly, we determined that the Belize lineage is not aggressive towards related or unrelated individuals whereas the Honduran lineage is aggressive to unrelated conspecifics only. Collectively, our data suggest that rivulus detect conspecifics using both familiarity and relatedness; kin discrimination is not universal and appears to have a genetic basis. My further analyses will determine whether or not association with non‐kin and/or unfamiliar individuals is physiologically stressful.Support or Funding InformationResearch supported by APS UGSRF and Mount Allison University. Cortisol analysis is in collaboration with Dr. Ryan Earley, University of Alabama. Research supervised by Dr. Suzie Currie.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Genetic signatures of microbial altruism and cheating in social amoebas in the wild

Many microbes engage in social interactions. Some of these have come to play an important role in the study of cooperation and conflict, largely because, unlike most animals, they can be genetically manipulated and experimentally evolved. However, whereas animal social behavior can be observed and assessed in natural environments, microbes usually cannot, so we know little about microbial social adaptations in nature. This has led to some difficult-to-resolve controversies about social adaptation even for well-studied traits such as bacterial quorum sensing, siderophore production, and biofilms. Here we use molecular signatures of population genetics and molecular evolution to address controversies over the existence of altruism and cheating in social amoebas. First, we find signatures of rapid adaptive molecular evolution that are consistent with social conflict being a significant force in nature. Second, we find population-genetic signatures of purifying selection to support the hypothesis that the cells that form the sterile stalk evolve primarily through altruistic kin selection rather than through selfish direct reproduction. Our results show how molecular signatures can provide insight into social adaptations that cannot be observed in their natural context, and they support the hypotheses that social amoebas in the wild are both altruists and cheaters.

Social conformity affects experimental measurement of boldness in male but not female monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus)

AbstractThe standard approach for characterizing boldness rarely considers the influence of social environment on the expression of boldness in group-living animals. We studied a wild-caught, captive population of monk parakeets (Myiopsitta monachus) to investigate the impact of conspecific presence on boldness — a personality trait in monk parakeets — in a controlled environment. We quantified seven boldness metrics across three types of behavioural assay: novel object, emergence, and predator exposure tests in the presence of a companion pair of flock mates. Because of the high degree of sociality in this species, we hypothesized that the presence of companion birds would facilitate the focal individuals’ behavioural responses (i.e., increase the average boldness level). We found that behavioural response in a risky foraging context was inversely correlated between solitary and social condition in males, but not in females. Our results have implications for characterizing sex-specific differences of risk-taking behaviour in social animals.

Neural activation following offensive aggression in Japanese quail.

ABSTRACTAggression is a fundamental part of animal social behaviour. In avian species, little is known about its neural representation. In particular, neural activity following offensive aggression has not been studied in detail. Here, we investigated the patterns of brain activation using immediate-early gene (IEG) expression in male Japanese quail that showed pronounced aggressive behaviours during a 30 min male–male interaction and compared them to those of males that did not interact with a conspecific. In aggressive males, we found a massive induction of the IEG ZENK in pallial brain structures such as the intermediate medial mesopallium, the caudomedial mesopallium and the intermediate medial nidopallium. To a lesser extent, activation was observed in subpallial areas such as the nucleus taeniae of the amygdala and in the medial portion of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. Our data suggest that the modulation of aggressive behaviour involves the integration of multisensory information.

Animal morality: What is the debate about?

Empirical studies of the social lives of non-human primates, cetaceans, and other social animals have prompted scientists and philosophers to debate the question of whether morality and moral cognition exists in non-human animals. Some researchers have argued that morality does exist in several animal species, others that these species may possess various evolutionary building blocks or precursors to morality, but not quite the genuine article, while some have argued that nothing remotely resembling morality can be found in any non-human species. However, these different positions on animal morality generally appear to be motivated more by different conceptions of how the term “morality” is to be defined than by empirical disagreements about animal social behaviour and psychology. After delving deeper into the goals and methodologies of various of the protagonists, I argue that, despite appearances, there are actually two importantly distinct debates over animal morality going on, corresponding to two quite different ways of thinking about what it is to define “morality”, “moral cognition”, and associated notions. Several apparent skirmishes in the literature are thus cases of researchers simply talking past each other. I then focus on what I take to be the core debate over animal morality, which is concerned with understanding the nature and phylogenetic distribution of morality conceived as a psychological natural kind. I argue that this debate is in fact largely terminological and non-substantive. Finally, I reflect on how this core debate might best be re-framed.

Anthropogenic noise pollution from pile-driving disrupts the structure and dynamics of fish shoals.

Noise produced from a variety of human activities can affect the physiology and behaviour of individual animals, but whether noise disrupts the social behaviour of animals is largely unknown. Animal groups such as flocks of birds or shoals of fish use simple interaction rules to coordinate their movements with near neighbours. In turn, this coordination allows individuals to gain the benefits of group living such as reduced predation risk and social information exchange. Noise could change how individuals interact in groups if noise is perceived as a threat, or if it masked, distracted or stressed individuals, and this could have impacts on the benefits of grouping. Here, we recorded trajectories of individual juvenile seabass (Dicentrarchus labrax) in groups under controlled laboratory conditions. Groups were exposed to playbacks of either ambient background sound recorded in their natural habitat, or playbacks of pile-driving, commonly used in marine construction. The pile-driving playback affected the structure and dynamics of the fish shoals significantly more than the ambient-sound playback. Compared to the ambient-sound playback, groups experiencing the pile-driving playback became less cohesive, less directionally ordered, and were less correlated in speed and directional changes. In effect, the additional-noise treatment disrupted the abilities of individuals to coordinate their movements with one another. Our work highlights the potential for noise pollution from pile-driving to disrupt the collective dynamics of fish shoals, which could have implications for the functional benefits of a group's collective behaviour.

An oxytocin-dependent social interaction between larvae and adult C. elegans

Oxytocin has a conserved role in regulating animal social behaviour including parental-offspring interactions. Recently an oxytocin-like neuropeptide, nematocin, and its cognate receptors have been identified in the nematode Caenorhabditis elegans. We provide evidence for a pheromone signal produced by C. elegans larvae that modifies the behaviour of adult animals in an oxytocin-dependent manner increasing their probability of leaving a food patch which the larvae are populating. This increase is positively correlated to the size of the larval population but cannot be explained by food depletion nor is it modulated by biogenic amines, which suggest it is not an aversive behaviour. Moreover, the food-leaving behaviour is conspecific and pheromone dependent: C. elegans adults respond more strongly to C. elegans larvae compared to other nematode species and this effect is absent in C. elegans daf-22 larvae which are pheromone deficient. Neurotransmitter receptors previously implicated in C. elegans foraging decisions NPR-1 and TYRA-3, for NPY-like neuropeptides and tyramine respectively, do not appear to be involved in oxytocin-dependent adult food-leaving. We conclude oxytocin signals within a novel neural circuit that regulates parental-offspring social behaviour in C. elegans and that this provides evidence for evolutionary conservation of molecular components of a parental decision making behaviour.