Captive Family Research Articles

Self-Domestication Underground? Testing for Social and Morphological Correlates of Animal Personality in Cooperatively-Breeding Ansell’s Mole-Rats (Fukomys anselli)

Ansell’s mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) are sexually dimorphic subterranean rodents that live in families consisting of a single breeding pair and their late-dispersing non-breeding offspring. Most individuals exhibit a conspicuous white head patch, which results from integumental depigmentation. Alongside other morphological, physiological, and social characteristics, skin depigmentation in these social rodents mirrors traits that presumably evolved as byproducts from selection against aggression in domestic animals, making them a potential candidate species for a self-domesticated wild mammal. Here we explored whether the expression of the white head patch, sexual dimorphism, and reproductive division of labor are reflected by different personalities in Ansell’s mole-rats. We tested locomotory activity and risk-taking as well as aggression and affiliative behavior in 51 individuals originating from nine captive families in various experimental set-ups. In line with the concept of animal personality, we recovered consistent individual responses over time. While sex had no influence on any tested variable, reproductive status was found to affect risk-taking behavior but not other personality dimensions. Discriminant function analysis revealed that family members clustered more closely together than expected by chance, suggesting that group affiliation rather than sex or social status determines behavioral profiles in this species. Finally, we failed to recover any consistent correlation between head patch expression and behavior, which conflicts with predictions of the self-domestication hypothesis. We argue that many domestication-like traits in Ansell’s mole-rat and its congeners evolved in the framework of subterranean adaptation and call for a cautious application of the self-domestication concept to wild mammals.

Behavior in a captive family group of Siamese Crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust near Chennai, India

Behavior in a captive family group of Siamese Crocodiles (Crocodylus siamensis) at the Madras Crocodile Bank Trust near Chennai, India

Commerce in Children: Slavery, Gradual Emancipation, and the Free Womb Trade in Colombia

AbstractIn 1821, as the Wars of Independence drew to a close, officials of the newly created republic of Gran Colombia passed a national gradual emancipation law. At the center of it was a Free Womb law that declared legally free the children of enslaved women born after the law's promulgation, while bonding these children to their mothers’ masters until the age of 18. Yet, in addition to establishing a term limit on their legalized captivity, the law stipulated conditions for the commerce in Free Womb children, laying the groundwork for what I refer to as the Free Womb trade. This article presents the first detailed exploration of the origins, operations, and limitations of the Free Womb trade in Colombia, particularly at the level of one province: the northwestern Pacific coastal province of Chocó. I argue that the trade created distinctly bounded market geographies of Free Womb children, who were actively, if at times ambiguously, incorporated into Colombia's slave economy. As a general rule, the Free Womb trade placed captive families at the mercy of their masters; yet, as one extraordinary case reveals, the full extent of the local trade's legal power was not entirely secure.

As famílias cativas de Itapemirim nos anos finais da escravidão (Província do Espírito Santo, 1872-1888)

O presente artigo pretende apresentar a família cativa de Itapemirim nos anos finais da escravidão (1872-1888). O recorte temporal foi feito entre a promulgação de duas leis importantes: a Lei do Ventre Livre (1871), que tornava libertos os nascidos de ventre cativo após aquela data, e a Lei Áurea, que colocou fim a escravidão. As fontes utilizadas nessa pesquisa foram as cartoriais (inventários post mortem e testamentos) e as eclesiásticas (livro de batismo). Esses documentos revelam a existência da família cativa de Itapemirim, que no período analisado estava consolidada na região. Para a identificação dessas famílias foi realizado o método onomástico, além de recorte serial para análise dos dados. A maioria das famílias eram matrilineares, algumas com poucos e outras com muitos filhos. Também se percebe a presença de muitos africanos, mesmo décadas após o fim do tráfico internacional de almas. Inúmeras denúncias de desembarque de africanos foram feitas nesse período, e a trama do tráfico envolvia as províncias do Espírito Santo, Rio de Janeiro e Minas Gerais.

Learning strategies and long-term memory in Asian short-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus).

Social learning, where information is acquired from others, is taxonomically widespread. There is growing evidence that animals selectively employ ‘social learning strategies', which determine e.g. when to copy others instead of learning asocially and whom to copy. Furthermore, once animals have acquired new information, e.g. regarding profitable resources, it is beneficial for them to commit it to long-term memory (LTM), especially if it allows access to profitable resources in the future. Research into social learning strategies and LTM has covered a wide range of taxa. However, otters (subfamily Lutrinae), popular in zoos due to their social nature and playfulness, remained neglected until a recent study provided evidence of social learning in captive smooth-coated otters (Lutrogale perspicillata), but not in Asian short-clawed otters (Aonyx cinereus). We investigated Asian short-clawed otters' learning strategies and LTM performance in a foraging context. We presented novel extractive foraging tasks twice to captive family groups and used network-based diffusion analysis to provide evidence of a capacity for social learning and LTM in this species. A major cause of wild Asian short-clawed otter declines is prey scarcity. Furthering our understanding of how they learn about and remember novel food sources could inform key conservation strategies.

SOCIABILIDADES NEGRAS NA PARAÍBA OITOCENTISTA: SOCIEDADE, ECONOMIA E RESISTÊNCIAS

This article aims to present a synthesis of how the slave society in Paraiba was organized between the 18th and 19th centuries. Recent slavery studies have expanded and allowed to identify some aspects related to trafficking in enslaved people, to the experiences of forming captive families and to communities formed by fugitives and fugitives from captivity. In this work, we highlight socio-demographic and economic traits, as well as some experiences of life and resistance built by Africans and their descendants in the territory that, from the 16th century on, became known as Paraiba. For this, we used several sources, such as separate documents from the Overseas Historical Archive (AHU/PT/BR) digitized by the Rescue Project, baptism records from the parish of Nossa Senhora das Neves, wills and inventories in the Note Book of the city of Paraiba, in addition to the data systematized by the Transatlantic Slave Trade Database (TSTD) and the bibliography on the topic. Thus, we exposed some cracks of freedom of this social group and its social relations in an adverse context.

Famílias cativas capixabas entre 1850-1871

O presente artigo pretende analisar a composição das famílias cativas do Espírito Santo entre os anos de 1850 e 1871, datas marcadas pela promulgação das leis abolicionistas Eusébio de Queirós e Lei do Ventre Livre. As regiões da província capixaba estudadas são Vitória, capital provincial, Cachoeiro de Itapemirim e Itapemirim, ambas na região sul. As três localidades possuíam economia diversificada, e portanto, a composição de suas escravarias também apresentava peculiaridades. Vitória tinha economia voltada para o abastecimento interno da província, e sua escravaria era formada por maioria de crioulos. Cachoeiro tinha como fonte econômica as lavouras de café destinadas a exportação, que era a principal fonte econômica da província. Itapemirim, por sua vez, produzia grande quantidade de açúcar, além de ser o principal porto exportador deste produto e do café para a Corte. Tanto em Cachoeiro quanto em Itapemirim a presença de africanos era grande. Essas peculiaridades são refletidas na composição das escravarias e das famílias cativas, conforme se observará neste trabalho.

Post-conflict opponent affiliation reduces victim re-aggression in a family group of captive arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos).

Post-conflict affiliative interactions have been widely investigated in primates but not extensively in other species. Using the Post Conflict-Matched Control (PC-MC) comparison method, this study investigated the patterns of post-conflict opponent affiliation (POA) of a captive family group of 19 arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos), investigating the correlation with various factors. We found that POAs occurred mainly in the non-feeding context and more often when the victim was dominant and the aggressor subordinate. Furthermore, POAs were more likely to have been initiated by the victim than the aggressor. Victims’ stress related behaviours occurred more in PC than MC periods, and more after high vs. low intensity aggressions but they were not more likely to occur after conflicts between wolves with a stronger social bond and POAs did not reduce their rate of occurrence. Our results showed that re-aggression was twice less frequent when a friendly interaction occurred between the aggressor and the victim, and consistent with this, victims engaged in POAs more often than the aggressor. Overall, our results support the hypothesis that POAs in wolves may have been selected for as a mechanism to avoid conflict escalation, which could lead to social disruption and hence jeopardize cooperative activities. The high relatedness among individuals in the pack and the greater dependence of all members on cooperation in breeding and hunting may reduce the importance of ‘relationship quality’ as a mediating factor of POAs, although dominance relationships, which are directly linked to the risks of further conflicts, do play an important role.

Dominance relationships in a family pack of captive arctic wolves (Canis lupus arctos): the influence of competition for food, age and sex.

BackgroundDominance is one of the most pervasive concepts in the study of wolf social behaviour but recently its validity has been questioned. For some authors, the bonds between members of wolf families are better described as parent-offspring relationships and the concept of dominance should be used just to evaluate the social dynamics of non-familial captive pack members (e.g., Mech & Cluff, 2010). However, there is a dearth of studies investigating dominance relationships and its correlates in wolf family packs.MethodsHere, we applied a combination of the most commonly used quantitative methods to evaluate the dominance relationships in a captive family pack of 19 Arctic wolves.ResultsWe found a significant linear and completely transitive hierarchy based on the direction of submissive behaviours and found that dominance relationships were not influenced by the competitive contexts (feeding vs. non-feeding context). A significant linear hierarchy also emerges amongst siblings once the breeding pair (the two top-ranking individuals) is removed from analyses. Furthermore, results suggest that wolves may use greeting behaviour as a formal signal of subordination. Whereas older wolves were mostly dominant over younger ones, no clear effect of sex was found. However, frequency of agonistic (submissive, dominant and aggressive) behaviours was higher between female–female and male–male dyads than female–male dyads and sex-separated linear hierarchies showed a stronger linearity than the mixed one. Furthermore, dominance status was conveyed through different behavioural categories during intra-sexual and inter-sexual interactions.DiscussionCurrent results highlight the importance of applying a systematic methodology considering the individuals’ age and sex when evaluating the hierarchical structure of a social group. Moreover, they confirm the validity of the concept of dominance relationships in describing the social bonds within a family pack of captive wolves.

Play fighting in Visayan warty pigs (Sus cebifrons): insights on restraint and reciprocity in the maintenance of play

Restraint is thought to be essential to enable the reciprocity needed for play fighting to remain playful. Descriptions of playing in pigs suggest that they do not exhibit restraint. Analysis of videotaped sequences of play fighting in captive family groups of warty pigs was used to test three hypotheses about restraint and reciprocity. Hypothesis 1 asserts that the lack of restraint arises from neither participant handicapping its actions in favour of its opponent: this was supported. Hypothesis 2 asserts that the winner of a contest will show restraint by not prosecuting further attack: this was not supported. However, the winner did refrain from attacking if the loser signalled submission. Hypothesis 3 asserts that restraint by the winner will allow reciprocal attacks by the loser — this was supported. The dissociation of restraint and reciprocity evident in the pigs offers some new insights into the evolution of play fighting.

Long-term fidelity of foraging techniques in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus).

The formation of behavioral traditions has been considered as one of the main building blocks of culture. Numerous studies on social learning in different animal species provide evidence for their capability of successful transmission of information. However, questions concerning the memory and maintenance of this information have received comparably little attention. After the innovation and initial spread of a novel behavior, the behavior should stabilize and be maintained over time. Otherwise, the behavioral pattern might collapse and no tradition formation would be possible. The aim of this study was to investigate long-term preferences in a two-action manipulation task in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus). Three captive family groups (23 individuals in total) were trained on one of two possible techniques to open a wooden box and gain access to a food reward, by either pulling or pushing a flap door. The training phase took place in a family group setting, while the test phase was conducted individually. Although the subjects could experience the alternative technique during the test sessions, the majority preferentially used the technique learned in the group setting. Moreover, the subjects were re-tested six times over a period of more than four years, in order to examine the fidelity of their preferences. The longest break without exposure the task lasted for 3.5 years. In all tests, the marmosets showed a similar preference as in the first test block shortly after the training. To our knowledge, this is the first lab study that experimentally demonstrates memory and fidelity of experimentally seeded information in a manipulation task over a time period of several years, supporting the assumption that socially learned foraging techniques can lead to relatively stable behavioral traditions.

Development of polysomic microsatellite markers for characterization of population structuring and phylogeography in the shortnose sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum)

Shortnose sturgeon Acipenser brevirostrum is an endangered polyploid fish species for which no nuclear DNA markers previously existed. To address this need, 86 polysomic loci were developed and characterized in 20 A. brevirostrum from five river systems and eight members (parents and six progeny) of a captive-bred family. All markers proved to be polymorphic, polysomic, and demonstrated direct inheritance when tested in a captive family. Eleven loci were included in a range-wide survey of 561 fish sampled from 17 geographic collections. Allelic diversity at these markers ranged from 7 to 24 alleles/locus and averaged 16.5 alleles/locus; sufficient diversity to produce unique multilocus genotypes. In the range-wide survey, a Mantel comparison of an ecological (1-Jaccard’s) and genetic (ΦPT; an analog to FST) distance metrics, identified a strong positive correlation (r = 0.98, P < 0.0001); suggesting ΦPT represents a viable metric for assessing genetic relatedness using this class of marker.

Monogamy and family life in callitrichid monkeys: deviations, social dynamics and captive management

Marmosets, tamarins and Goeldi's monkeys Callimico goeldii (Callitrichidae) are well represented in zoos. Owing to their small size, their attractive appearance and their social organization in family groups along with extensive alloparental care, these clawed New World monkeys make fine contributions to any primate collection. In the wild, callitrichids became famous for their so‐called ‘social flexibility’, whereas in captivity they can only be kept in heterosexual pairs or grown family groups. This contradiction is addressed in this article. Based on proximate aspects of behaviour, it is concluded that monogamy is the modal social grouping of any callitrichid taxon. In captive family groups of callitrichids, the underlying behavioural mechanisms that ensure the social and sexual integrity of that taxon‐specific pattern give rise to the kind of social dynamics that zoo personnel have to cope with at regular intervals; that is, marked intra‐group aggression and expulsion of group members. In summary, the overall behavioural theme of naturally grown groups of marmosets, tamarins and Goeldi's monkeys seems to be that their members are torn between cooperation and competition, resulting in occasional periods of social instability.

Major histocompatibility complex class II gene diversity and tolerance to avian malaria in Hawaiian honeycreepers (Drepanidinae) (99.15)

Abstract Susceptibility to avian malaria differs both within and between species of Hawaiian honeycreepers. Due to their critical function in adaptive immunity, proteins encoded by Mhc genes may be key in the development of tolerance to Plasmodium relictum in low elevation populations of `amakihi (Hemignathus virens). To evaluate gene copy number, 263 Mhc class II peptide-binding region clones were sequenced from a captive family of `amakihi. Phylogenetic analysis suggests a minimum of 10 Mhc class II genes with detection of 35 unique alleles. Species comparisons (total 503 clones, eight birds/species) reveal that Mhc diversity is highest in `amakihi [d = 0.085(0.015)] with 98 distinct alleles detected (average 13.5/bird), followed by `apapane (Himatione sanguinea) [d = 0.068(0.012)] with 66 distinct alleles detected (average 11/bird) and in a highly susceptible species, the i`iwi (Vestiaria coccinea) diversity appears lowest with d = 0.057(0.011) and 66 distinct alleles detected (average 10.6/bird). Within `amakihi, Mhc sequences from birds from low elevation (56 distinct alleles, average 14.25 alleles/bird) and high elevation (50 distinct alleles, average 12.75 alleles/bird) subpopulations appear distinct with detection of only one shared allele. Microarray-based population level analysis (~1,000 individuals) of Mhc diversity in `amakihi detected at least one allele with a significantly higher frequency in low elevation populations than mid or high elevation subpopulations.

A Longitudinal Study of the Sociosexual Dynamics in a Captive Family Group of Wolves: The University of Connecticut Wolf Project

An interest in the role of the social environment on the evolution of behavior led Professor Benson Ginsburg to studies of wolf social behavior. He initiated the University of Connecticut wolf project with a family group of wolves housed in a protected enclosure in an isolated area of campus. One aim of this project was to conduct a longitudinal study of a family group of wolves in order to understand the proximate behavioral mechanisms underlying mating dynamics with a degree of control and opportunistic observation that could not be achieved through field studies. The development of social relationships and the dynamics of mating were observed for 9years. As in nature, agonistic relationships strongly influenced reproductive success, successful breeding was limited to a single pair each season, and the behavioral dynamics included status transitions with breeder rotations. Our work, when combined with the results of other captive wolf studies, has contributed valuable information to the general understanding of wolf social behavior, especially regarding the proximate behavior patterns underlying group social interactions and reproduction. This understanding has broadened perspectives on the dynamic interplay between social behavior and evolutionary processes.

When play is a family business: adult play, hierarchy, and possible stress reduction in common marmosets

Easy to recognize but not easy to define, animal play is a baffling behavior because it has no obvious immediate benefits for the performers. However, the absence of immediate advantages, if true, would leave adult play (costly but maintained by evolution, spanning lemurs to Homo sapiens) unexplained. Although a commonly held view maintains that play is limited by stress, an emergent hypothesis states that play can regulate stress in the short term. Here we explored this hypothesis in a captive family group of New World monkeys, Callithrix jacchus (common marmoset). We observed six subjects and gathered data on aggressive, play, and scratching behavior via focal (6h/individual) and all occurrences sampling (115h). We found that play levels were highest during pre-feeding, the period of maximum anxiety due to the forthcoming competition over food. Scratching (the most reliable indicator of stress in primates) and play showed opposite trends along hierarchy, with dominants scratching more and playing less than subordinates. Finally, scratching decreased after play, whereas play appeared to be unrelated to previous scratching events, symptoms of a potential stressful state. In conclusion, both play timing and hierarchical distribution indicate that play limits stress, more than vice versa, at least in the short term.

Fecal androgen levels in common marmoset (Callithrix jacchus) males living in captive family groups

In captive common marmoset groups, the reproductive inhibition observed in subordinate female seems to be a result of olfactory, visual and behavioral cues from the dominant female. However, few studies have examined the relationship among adult males living in the same social group. These studies have shown that reproductive failure among peer males seems to be based on hormonal and behavioral mechanisms. New insights on sexual strategies in primates have been shown using fecal steroids, but so far no information is available for common marmoset males. In the present study, we evaluated the influence of light-dark cycle, age and reproductive condition on the profile of fecal androgens in males living in the same family group. Feces were collected from six fathers and six sons for androgen determination during the light phase of the 24-h cycle for eight days randomly distributed over a 4-week period. Androgen levels were determined by enzyme immunoassay technique. Adult sons showed higher androgen levels (166.97 +/- 22.95 ng/g) than fathers (80.69 +/- 44.38 ng/g) and juveniles (49.06 +/- 23.15 ng/g; P < 0.05). No diurnal variation (P > 0.05) in fecal androgen profile was observed in adults or juveniles. No indication of androgen-mediated social competition between fathers and adult sons was demonstrable. These results provide basic information on fecal androgen profile useful to investigate the socioendocrinology of free-ranging common marmoset males and verify that, in contrast to daughters, the reproductive suppression of sons is not based on physiological inhibition of their gonads.

Effect of Removal from the Family Group on Feeding Behavior by Captive Callithrix jacchus

Common marmosets are omnivorous primates with a highly diversified diet. There is no study describing if and how the diet is learned. Infants get their first bits of solid food from other monkeys in the group, which suggests that they may need an introduction to food items by older individuals before including them in their diet. We assessed the acceptance of novel and familiar food items by common marmosets, both isolated and in their family groups. We tested adult, subadults and juveniles from 5 captive families while isolated and in their family groups. The test consisted of presenting for 10 min novel and familiar food items to isolated individuals or to the whole family. We recorded the latency to start eating and the number of food items ingested. When isolated, adults ate more novel and familiar food items than juveniles did. They also started eating sooner than juveniles did. When tested alone, all juveniles, except one, never tasted novel food, and juveniles ingested fewer familiar food items than adults did. When tested in their family groups, juveniles ingested more familiar and novel food than when they were isolated. Our results suggest that: 1. juvenile common marmosets show more food neophobia than adults do, especially when alone; 2. the family group may facilitate the acceptance of novel food items by juveniles; 3. the family group, besides promoting the acceptance of novel food, may also increase its ingestion; and 4. dietary acquisition in Callithrix jacchus involves social facilitation.

Isolation of 10 microsatellite markers for mongoose lemurs (Eulemur mongoz)

AbstractWe present here 10 new microsatellite markers for the mongoose lemur (Eulemur mongoz), nine of which were isolated from E. mongoz and one from Lemur catta. At least 60 individuals were genotyped for each of the 10 loci. Mendelian inheritance at each locus was tested by genotyping five captive families with known pedigrees. All loci were polymorphic and demonstrated simple Mendelian inheritance. The microsatellite markers presented here will be useful for genetic surveys of wild E. mongoz, to gain insights into the genetic background of the captive population, and to aid in the conservation of the species’ genetic diversity.

Developmental changes in responsiveness to parents and unfamiliar adults in a monogamous monkey (Callicebus moloch)

Titi monkeys (Callicebus moloch) are monogamous New World primates that are characteristically found in family-type groups consisting of a mated adult pair and one or two young. The factors maintaining the small size of these groups are not known. Based on observations of free-ranging and captive families, parental aggression toward older offspring seems unlikely to play a significant role. Maturing individuals themselves, however, could undergo behavioral changes that weaken ties to their natal group. These might include waning of affiliative relations with parents, or subtle forms of aversion. Independent of such changes, increasing interest in unfamiliar conspecifics could be a factor. We examined these possibilities in the present study by assessing changes in social behavior and social preferences from initial ambulatory independence (6 months) through reproductive maturity (24 months) in a combined cross-sectional/longitudinal study of 21 captive titi monkeys living with their parents. Responses to both parents and to an unfamiliar adult heterosexual pair, a single unfamiliar adult male, and a single unfamiliar adult female were observed when subjects were given a choice between parents and strangers presented simultaneously or as the only social incentive. Social stimuli were at opposite ends of a 16.8-m-long test corridor. Subjects could move freely about the corridor for 5 min with each configuration of social stimuli. They stayed closer to parents than to strangers at all ages. Responsiveness to strangers increased with age and suggested growing ambivalence, particularly toward the male stranger. As they approached 24 months of age, male subjects showed a dramatic increase in the frequency and intensity of agonistic behaviors toward male strangers, behaviors that were rarely directed toward female strangers or parents. Waning of attraction to parents may be less important in dispersal from the natal group than changing reactions to strangers.