Territorial Marking Research Articles

Aerial urination suggests undescribed sensory modality and social function in river dolphins.

Scent marking through urine spraying is known to aid mate selection, territory marking and chemical communication in terrestrial, but not in aquatic mammals. We quantify an unusual aerial urination behaviour in botos (Inia geoffrensis) and discuss its potential functions. Between 2014 and 2018, we conducted land-based behavioural surveys on wild botos in central Brazil, recording the sequence, duration and social context of aerial urination. Aerial urination starts with a boto slowly positioning itself upside down, exposing its penis above water, and ejecting a stream of urine into the air. When a 'receiver' male is present, it either approaches the urine stream with its rostrum (sometimes pursuing it) or stays where the stream contacts the water. We recorded 36 aerial urination events during 218.9 observation hours, with 67% occurring in the presence of receivers. The events were short (11.6±9.6SDseconds), highly variable (range 1- 41seconds) and involved only males-urinators and receivers. We hypothesize that the bristles on botos' rostrums can serve a chemical sensory role (haptosense) in detecting urine streams and that aerial urination, often occurring in the presence of other males, serves social or communicative functions beyond the physiological need for waste elimination.

Climate and Socio-Sexual Environment Predict Interpopulation Variation in Chemical Signaling Glands in a Widespread Lizard.

Many animal species show considerable intraspecific phenotypic variation. For species with broad distributions, this variation may result from heterogeneity in the strength and agents of selection across environments and could contribute to reproductive isolation among populations. Here, we examined interpopulation variation in a morphological trait related to chemical communication, femoral pore number (FP), using 3437 individuals from 55 Pyrenean populations of the common wall lizard (Podarcis muralis). Specifically, we tested the relative roles of genetic relatedness and gene flow, and adaptation to local conditions in generating this variation, with particular interest in the influence of climate and the socio-sexual environment (i.e., the intensity of sexual selection, estimated using sexual size dimorphism [SSD] and adult sex ratio as proxy measures). We found significant interpopulation variation and sexual dimorphism in FP, as well as high genomic differentiation among populations driven by both geographic and environmental distances. Specifically, FP differences across populations were best predicted by a combination of positive allometry and the local intensity of sexual selection, as determined by SSD, or local climatic conditions. Higher FP in more male-competitive environments, or with higher temperature and vegetation complexity, is consistent with adaptation to maintaining signaling efficacy of territorial scent marks. These results suggest that adaptation to local conditions contributes to interpopulation divergence in FP and thus environmental changes can potentially impact the fine-tuning of chemical communication mediating social and sexual behavior.

Silent Signals in the Snow: Tracking the Spatio-Temporal Territorial Marking Behavior of Snow Leopards (Panthera uncia) in the Mountainous Region of Baltistan, Pakistan.

Mammals, being social creatures communicate through a variety of signal cues, thus it is vital to understand how wild carnivores create and maintain connections with their neighbors for their survival. However, observing elusive species in their natural habitats poses significant challenges leading to scarcities of data. In this study, we aimed to provide a detailed long-term observation of snow leopards in the northern region of Pakistan, hence we utilized data from 136 camera traps between 2018 and 2023 in order to investigate the territorial marking behavior of snow leopards in Baltistan. We documented 813 sightings of snow leopards with 103 videos showing territorial marking behavior from 40 sightings during snow presence and 63 on snow-free days. Nine unique communication behaviors were identified during the presence or absence of snow cover. We observed that snow leopard marking behavior occurred more often at night in the absence of snow and less often during the day in the presence of snow. The marking activities were higher during the crepuscular period in the presence of snow and showed a preference for marking activities in open areas over mixed herbaceous and shrub habitats. Olfaction and scraping were observed more frequently in open areas while fecal deposition was found in herbaceous and shrub habitats. Scraping and urine spraying were associated with cliffs, rocky outcrops and boulders in open areas. In conclusion, our findings discovered new insights into the marking patterns of snow leopards during both day and night, having taken into consideration the influence of snow conditions. Moreover, the identified marking locations hold significant potential as powerful assets for wildlife preservation initiatives.

A Multiparadigm Approach to Characterize Dominance Behaviors in CD1 and C57BL6 Male Mice.

Social status and dominance are critical factors influencing well-being and survival across multiple species. However, dominance behaviors vary widely across species, from elaborate feather displays in birds to aggression in chimps. To effectively study dominance, it is essential to clearly define and reliably measure dominance behaviors. In laboratory settings, C57BL/6 mice are commonly used to study dominance due to their stable and linear social hierarchies. However, other mouse strains are also used for laboratory research. Despite substantial evidence for strain effects on behavioral repertoires, the impact of strain on dominance in mice remains largely unstudied. To address this gap, we compared dominance behaviors between CD1 and C57BL/6 male mice across four assays: observation of agonistic behaviors, urine marking, tube test, and a reward competition. We found that CD1 mice demonstrate increased fighting, increased territorial marking through urination, and increased pushing and resisting in the tube test. We used unsupervised machine learning and pose estimation data from the reward competitions to uncover behavioral differences across strains and across rank differences between competing pairs. Of the four assays, urine marking and agonistic behaviors showed the strongest correlation with dominance in both strains. Most notably, we found that CD1 dominance rankings based on the tube test negatively correlated with rankings from all three other assays, suggesting that the tube test may measure a different behavior in CD1 mice. Our results highlight that behaviors can be strain-specific in mice and studies that measure social rank should consider assays carefully to promote reproducibility.

Use of latrines and territorial marking behaviors by Subulo gouazoubira in a remnant of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil

Use of latrines and territorial marking behaviors by Subulo gouazoubira in a remnant of the Atlantic Forest in southeastern Brazil

The writing on the wall: Identity, placemaking and territoriality in Karachi's graffiti culture

The writing on the wall: Identity, placemaking and territoriality in Karachi's graffiti culture

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In this study, we provide an analytical comparison combined with morphological characteristic of eggs and newly hatched precocial chicks of three lapwing species, Red–owattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus (Boddaert, 1783), Spur-winged Lapwing V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and White-tailed Lapwing V. leucurus (Lichtenstein, 1823) that breed in Al-Malih Wetland in Babylon Province, Middle of Iraq. Occupied nests were located during the breeding season (March–June 2023), breeding events (e.g., adult courtship, marking of the breeding territories, nest-site selection, nest building, and egg incubation) were carefully observed. A total of 48 eggs from a total of 12 lapwing nests (4 eggs for each nest, 4 nests for each species) were cautiously examined and measured. Lapwing chicks and eggs show many morphological differences. Morphometrical data were tested using ANOVA, calculating the Mean, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV). The mean and SD for egg length were 46.25±0.68 mm for V. indicus, 42.25±0.96 mm for V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and 42.28±0.67 mm for V. leucurus. The egg breadth mean and SD were 33.34±0.84 mm for V. indicus, 31.43±0.55 mm for V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and 31.42±0.67 mm for V. leucurus. The egg weight Mean and SD were 21.39±0.91 gm for V. indicus, 16.51±0.73 gm for V. spinosus (Linnaeus, 1758), and15.87±0.50 gm for V. leucurus. The low value of CV (≤5%) may indicate a close hereditary clan in the birds that belong to the same genus. In addition, the results indicate that there are considerable differences in the morphometrical measurement of the three species of Vanellus. Eggs, as all of these variables have ≤5% CV. Our preliminary results, which were obtained for the first time, may contribute to the conservation efforts of these wetlands-dwelling birds in Iraq.

Multiple vegetation layers interactively enhance habitat values of endangered Kashmir Musk Deer

Multiple vegetation layers interactively enhance habitat values of endangered Kashmir Musk Deer

Insights into the dynamics of wolf occupancy in human-dominated landscapes

Insights into the dynamics of wolf occupancy in human-dominated landscapes

Territoriality in Post-conflict Neighbourhoods: Unravelling the Dynamics of Territorial Marks in Ile-Ife, Nigeria

ABSTRACT The pervasiveness of territorial marks in post-conflict neighbourhoods elicited this study. Relying on residents’ perceptions, the study explored the dynamics underpinning residents’ use of territorial marks. Primary data was collected by administering questionnaires to residents of various neighbourhoods within the study area. Physical observations were conducted to identify all residential neighbourhoods and categorised into three homogenous zones. From each homogenous zone, 30 neighbourhoods were purposively selected. In total, 2055 buildings were identified within these selected neighbourhoods. Thereafter, systematic sampling was employed, resulting in the selection of 206 residents living in separate dwelling units. Findings revealed significant territorial behaviour across all socioeconomic classes. Indigenous territorial marks were predominantly used across all income groups as elements used to communicate land ownership. The study concluded that while crime prevention may be correlated with territoriality, however, in post-conflict neighbourhoods, the need to demarcate land boundaries and communicate ownership was more important, as demonstrated in the adoption of indigenous elements as territorial marks. The paper concluded that in these neighbourhoods, territoriality is chiefly a land boundary regulation mechanism. The paper recommends clear-cut land policies in post-conflict communities while advocating for the recognition of indigenous territorial marks in Afro-centric literature.

Feeling possessive, performing well? Effects of job-based psychological ownership on territoriality, information exchange, and job performance.

Job-based psychological ownership arises when workers develop personal feelings of possession over various aspects of a job. Drawing on conservation of resources and regulatory focus theory, the current research adopts a resource-based perspective to suggest a double-edged effect on job performance, mediated by three forms of territoriality (marking, defending, expanding) and information exchange and moderated by individual regulatory focus. With a multistep process in Study 1, the authors develop and validate a territorial expanding scale. Among 358 employee-supervisor dyads, Study 2 tests the proposed model; job-based psychological ownership prompts employees to engage in territorial marking, defending, and expanding. Territorial defending correlates negatively with information exchange, territorial expanding is positively related to it, and territorial marking has no relationship with information exchange. Information exchange is positively related to job performance. Job-based psychological ownership impedes job performance through increased territorial defending and reduced information exchange, especially among employees with a prevention focus. It enhances job performance through increased territorial expanding and increased information exchange, particularly if employees have a high promotion focus. These findings have notable implications for research and practice. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).

#NextGenOrgChem Special Collection: Supporting Young Researchers

Guest Editor Prof. Stefano Protti introduces the #NextGenOrgChem special collection, which includes original research papers, reviews and concept articles by young organic chemists (post-doctoral and early-career researchers) nominated by the EurJOC advisory and editorial board members. The Seehotel Waldstätterhof in Brunnen (Ingenbohl, Switzerland), where every year the traditional Bürgenstock Conference is held, faces the lake of Lucerne. If distracted participants of the congress thought of leaning out towards its surrounding crush barriers, they would catch sight of tens of ducks’ nests, at a safe distance from one another, lying all along the sand stripe rimming the water. While heading back towards the hotel, the casual visitor might even find that double imprinting of a protected nest facing the limitless watery space as a natural choice. Well, supervisors are not ducks, this must be said, although they are often as greedy as geese, feeding on asterisks and funding. Yet it would be nice if in the eternal struggle to get free from their mentors, they remembered not to make the same mistakes, really trying their best to lead a postdoc on, crossing the thin line that divides the you work for me status, from the you work with me one, avoiding to fall into the tempting territorial marking, leaving them free to develop insights and work on reviews parallel to, and not instead of, their commitments as post-doc. Not guiding them into the world, but showing it to them, with a hand's gesture. As with the horizon of a lake. From there on, staying afloat it is also on them. In line the European Journal of Organic Chemistry's efforts of offering early career researchers a platform to present their work, the #NextGenOrgChem virtual collection showcases a set of contributions (both Research Articles and Reviews) from both advanced postdocs and young group leaders nominated by the EurJOC editorial and advisory board members. The manuscripts collected in the present special collection (more than 30 contributions among reviews and research papers) aim to provide a bright and colourful portrait of the incoming generation of chemists. Contributions to this collection include the optimization of synthetic strategies (in several cases the use of biocatalytic, electrochemical or photocatalytic approaches has been proposed), the design of innovative bioactive compounds and materials, as well as computational and experimental investigations on reaction mechanisms. The design and the synthesis of molecular switches and probes is likewise covered. The EurJOC editorial team and I thank all the participants that accepted our invitation, as well as the members of the International Advisory Board. Surf's up, guys. The opinions expressed in this publication are the view of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or views of the European Journal of Organic Chemistry, the Publisher, Chemistry Europe, or the affiliated editors. This work has been made possible thanks to the commitment of the entire EurJOC editorial team and in particular Charlotte Gers-Panther (currently Editor-in-Chief of ChemCatChem), Leana Travaglini (Deputy Editor) and Anne Nijs (Editor-in-Chief). As the guest editor, my acknowledgment goes to the PhotoGreen Lab staff (mentors and students). I would also like to thank Dr. Rossana Quarteroni (University of Pavia) and Dr. Federica Rizzi (Wiley-VCH) who helped me to polish this text. Stefano Protti (Ph.D. in Chemistry, 2007, prof. A. Albini as the supervisor) is Associate Professor at the University of Pavia since 2018. His research is mainly focused on the design and the optimization of visible light mediated synthetic protocols under metal- and (photo)catalyst-free conditions. He is currently editor of the Specialist Periodical Reports in Photochemistry (Royal Society of Chemistry), associate editor of Photochemical and Photobiological Sciences and member of the International Advisory Board of the European Journal of Organic Chemistry.

РУЇНИ ЗАМКУ: ПЕРЕОСМИСЛЕННЯ

The article presents a variable range of meanings of the concept “ruin”. The castle in the state of ruins as a historical monument is considered, and the importance of preserving this type of objects actually in the state of ruins is emphasized, explaining this by the concept of “places of memory” by P. Nora, considering ruined castles as monuments-relics and comprehending their significance in literature and folklore. In historiography, an example of the “ruin” concept usage is the period of Ruin during the time of the Hetmanate (Hetmanshchyna), which was in the second half of the 17th century. The Ruin of the 17th century, as a period of bloody wars and the collapse of the Ukrainian Cossack state, resonates four centuries later – in the present, where entire cities of Ukraine have been turned into ruins as a result of Russian aggression. In the history of every country, there are periods of decline, which have received names-metaphors – synonymous with ruins – the “flood” in Poland, The Time of Troubles or Smuta in Russia. First of all, the concept of “flood” is the name of a natural phenomenon, “smuta” (The Time of Troubles) corresponds to the emotional state of a person. Ukrainian science, using the term “ruin”, draws attention to the unusable state of the building. In contrast to the above examples, we note that in the Ukrainian nation, it is essential to have a holistic and orderly architectural environment. The Ruin in architecture is not just a characteristic of the technical condition of a structure; it is a visual embodiment of the decline of a particular historical period. Today we observe the ruins of defence, sacred, residential and other types of structures. A different approach should be defined for each type of objects, not only in terms of architecture but also in terms of semantic load, taking into account the period and event of their destruction. A castle-ruin is an information-rich building, which is an architectural and artistic work, an artefact of historical memory, a marking of a historical territory, a place of memory and a tourist attraction. In general, castles in a state of prolonged ruin are the ruins of not our time. They received their fragmentary appearance several centuries ago; therefore, their complete restoration is not in our power. We have the right to rethink them, and guardianship over them, their correct interpretation and exposure is our duty. A place with preserved architectural objects better preserves the memory of the past. While all funds are directed to the restoration of a hypothetical version of a separately selected ruined castle, we are losing several other ruined castles, stone by stone, brick by brick, which are our history, architectural heritage and national identity. Ruins should not be neglected because when we lose them, we lose our memory, and when we lose our memory, we lose ourselves.

An experience sampling study of employees’ reactions to noise in the open-plan office

In this experience sampling method (ESM) study, we hypothesized that negative affect would mediate the effect of office noise perceptions on employees’ withdrawal, conflict, and territorial behaviors (marking and defending territory). We collected ESM and weekly diary data from 71 Australian employees working in open-plan offices, resulting in 672 event data points. Using a multi-level analysis model, we found that perceived office noise relates positively to negative affect that, in turn, relates positively to withdrawal and task conflict at the momentary level of analysis; and territorial marking behaviors at the between-person level. We found further that office privacy also moderates the relationship between employees’ in-the-moment perceptions of office noise and in-the-moment negative affect. We conclude with a discussion of the implications of our findings for theory, research, and practice; as well as noting some research limitations and pointing out the implications of our findings for office design.

Some peculiarities of legal protection of trademarks in EU countries in the context of European integration processes in Ukraine

Keywords: trademark, EU countries, territorial marks, national brands, trademark protection
 The article notes that Ukraine's further preparation for EU membership involves the completion of a comprehensive transformation of all spheres. One of the vectors of such a transformation concerns trademarks as a necessary element of the free exchange of goods and services. Legal protection of trademarks in EU countries covers three levels: international,regional and national. It is noted that the formation of European standards for the protection and protection of trademarks in the EU was determined by the processes of globalization and integration. The legal model for the regulation of TM relations at the regional level contributed to the convergence of the national legislation of the EU countries.Instead, there are numerous provisions of a dispositive nature, according to which EU countries individually decide on the issue of their reflection in national legislation, which does not create contradictions, but gives peculiarities to the legal regime of TMprotection in each specific country. The article reveals some of these features. Attention is drawn to the possibility of registration of warranty and certification marks as TM, which was implemented by Germany, Italy, and France. The identical approach of the EU countries to the registration of «Sound” trademarks — in the form of an audio file — has been revealed. Based on judicial practice, the weaknesses of the registration of a smell as a trademark in the form of a graphic description are considered. Designations that cannot be registered as trademarks and features of registration as such of portraits of people and personal names are defined. The requirements for applicants when registering trademarks and the legal consequences of not using trademarks are determined, as well as the role of using a trademark in overcoming the refusal of registration. The article reveals the meaning and purpose of the «opposition period» and the specifics of its application in individual countries, using the example of Poland, Italy, France, and Germany. Special attention is paid to the protection of territorial brands, national brands and their correlation with well-known brands.

Information asymmetry in the agri-food sector and territorial marks: The case of the olive oil Val di Mazara PDO

This article analyzes the importance of information in the agri-food market, since the presence of information asymmetry favors market failure. This analysis examines the information asymmetry in the agri-food market and its geographical brands, PDO and PGI, focusing on the Sicilian oil sector of the olive oil Val di Mazara PDO. A quality product has specific organoleptic characteristics that give it flavors, fragrances and various nutritional properties. To protect this, there are the brands that are essential to avoid that between sellers and consumers there is information asymmetry and consequently the failure of the market. In fact, through this analysis are examined the evolution of the reference legislation, consisting of the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property and Directive (EU) 2015/2436, which represent the result of long negotiations undertaken by the institutions of the European Union with the aim of modernizing the European system of trademark protection. Proceeding with the analysis examined the case of the olive oil Val di Mazara PDO. The legislator has created the PDO territorial brand which, however, is not used by farm. This situation determines a lack of valorization of the product and an impoverishment of the territory. The impact is also at the level of gastronomy, the olive oil of dubious quality are preferred over certified oil. In the present study the Val di Mazara PDO was analyzed. In particular, through the Economic Theory we have verified that the information asymmetry hinders the diffusion of the Val di Mazara PDO and determines the market failure and the lack of valorization of olive oil. • Territorial brands defend the territory and agricultural production. • The information asymmetry causes market distortions. • Territorial branding creates competitiveness. • The Val di Mazara PDO is used by a few olive farms in the production area. • Failure to use the PDO, due to the information symmetry, determines the lack of valorization of the product.

Deterministic Static Sensor Node Placement in Wireless Sensor Network based on Territorial Predator Scent Marking Behaviour

An optimum sensor node placement mechanism for Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) is desirable in ensuring the location of sensor nodes offers maximum coverage and connectivity with minimum energy consumption. This paper proposes a sensor node placement algorithm that utilizes a new biologically inspired optimization algorithm that imitates the behaviour of a territorial predator in marking their territories with their odours known as Territorial Predator Scent Marking Algorithm (TPSMA). The main objectives considered in this paper are to achieve maximum coverage and minimum energy consumption with guaranteed connectivity. A simulation study has been carried out to compare the performance of the proposed algorithm implemented in two different single objective approaches with an Integer Linear Programming based algorithm. The proposed single objective approaches of TPSMA studied in this paper are TPSMA with minimum energy and TPSMA with maximum coverage. Simulation results show that the WSN deployed using the proposed TPSMA sensor node placement algorithm is able to arrange the sensor nodes according to the objective required; TPSMA with maximum coverage offers the highest coverage ratio with fewer sensor nodes up to 100% coverage while TPSMA with minimum energy consumption utilized the lowest energy as low as around 4.85 Joules. Full connectivity is provisioned for all TPSMA approaches since the constraint of the optimization problem is to ensure the connectivity from all sensor nodes to the sink node.

Himalayan musk deer (Moshcus leucogaster) behavior at latrine sites and their implications in conservation.

Elusive species often use latrines which also serves as communication and information hubs. Thus, studying behavior at latrines may provide critical insights into the species’ ecology and behavior. While it is established that musk deer use latrines for defecating, very little is known about the endangered Himalayan musk deer (Moschus leucogaster) and their latrines. We examined musk deer behavior from the various video clips lasting 238 min altogether, captured at latrine sites during both breeding and non‐breeding seasons in the Annapurna Conservation Area of Nepal. A total of 428 visits by musk deer and 479 behavioral events by them were captured. We constructed an ethogram to describe musk deer behavior and compared behavior across individuals and sex using parametric and non‐parametric tests. We found that musk deer are crepuscular and nocturnal animals. Both male and female musk deer repeatedly and independently visited shared latrine sites as well as exclusively used latrine sites. The proportion of male musk deer visited latrine sites were significantly higher than that of female musk deer. Hence, male musk deer were found more active (>2 times) than females during both seasons. The most frequently observed behavioral activities at the latrine sites were defecating, sniffing and browsing, followed by scrapping and covering, and ignoring the latrine sites. The defecating and sniffing activity were performed throughout breeding and non‐breeding seasons to establish communication among peers and to claim territory. Based on the behaviors observed at the latrine sites, we can presume that Himalayan musk deer likely use latrines to convey various messages, including personality, maturity, sexual status, and territory marking among conspecifics. These findings of this study can be used for the conservation of musk deer in its natural habitat and replicated in captivity to enhance breeding performance that improves long‐term conservation prospects for this species.

Spatial Memory Drives Foraging Strategies of Wolves, but in Highly Individual Ways

The ability of wild animals to navigate and survive in complex and dynamic environments depends on their ability to store relevant information and place it in a spatial context. Despite the centrality of spatial memory, and given our increasing ability to observe animal movements in the wild, it is perhaps surprising how difficult it is to demonstrate spatial memory empirically. We present a cognitive analysis of movements of several wolves (Canis lupus) in Finland during a summer period of intensive hunting and den-centered pup-rearing. We tracked several wolves in the field by visiting nearly all GPS locations outside the den, allowing us to identify the species, location and timing of nearly all prey killed. We then developed a model that assigns a spatially explicit value based on memory of predation success and territorial marking. The framework allows for estimation of multiple cognitive parameters, including temporal and spatial scales of memory. For most wolves, fitted memory-based models outperformed null models by 20 to 50% at predicting locations where wolves chose to forage. However, there was a high amount of individual variability among wolves in strength and even direction of responses to experiences. Some wolves tended to return to locations with recent predation success—following a strategy of foraging site fidelity—while others appeared to prefer a site switching strategy. These differences are possibly explained by variability in pack sizes, numbers of pups, and features of the territories. Our analysis points toward concrete strategies for incorporating spatial memory in the study of animal movements while providing nuanced insights into the behavioral strategies of individual predators.

Territorial barriers in interagency government data sharing

Anteragency government data sharing (IDS) is an indispensable precondition for the development of citizen-centred smart government. Adopting a theory of territoriality, this paper reports on an on-going research investigation, which explores, identifies, and qualifies the barriers to the lack of IDS. he research adopts an inductive approach, which combines a critical literature review, and three case studies in Central China. 18 articles, and 45 government officials and data managers from three regional government agencies collected as interview data were included and analysed using a thematic approach. Interorganisational dynamism affects the formulation of individual agencies’ psychological ownership on data, which leads to territorial marking and defending behaviours against IDS. erritoriality theory offers a novel and useful perspective to interpret, understand and resolve IDS problems. Albeit this research is situated in China, the research findings offer valuable indications and insights that can be shared across international borders.