Frog breeding pond selection in response to predators and conspecific cues
This study represents a step toward understanding how multiple biotic factors at a breeding pond may influence anuran site selection behavior in the field. (Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - April 11, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Valerie L. Buxton, Michael P. Ward, Jinelle H. Sperry Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Individuality of distress and discomfort calls in neonates with bass voices: Wild ‐living goitred gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) and saiga antelopes (Saiga tatarica)
Abstract
Neonate ruminants produce distress calls when captured by a predator and discomfort milk begging calls when hungry. In many neonate ruminants, the distress and discomfort calls are high‐frequency vocalizations, in which the fundamental frequency is the key variable for recognition of their emotional arousal by caregivers. In contrast, in this study, we examine the low‐frequency open‐mouth distress and discomfort calls in the neonates of two species of wild‐living ungulates, which clearly highlight vocal tract resonances (formants). In the goitred gazelle (Gazella subgutturosa), the distress calls were high...
Source: Ethology - April 11, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Ilya A. Volodin, Olga V. Sibiryakova, Roland Frey, Kseniya O. Efremova, Natalia V. Soldatova, Steffen Zuther, Talgat B. Kisebaev, Albert R. Salemgareev, Elena V. Volodina Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Strategic mate ‐guarding behaviour in ladybirds
Abstract
Mate‐guarding behaviour is regarded as a means of increasing paternity share by reducing sperm competition. It is known to be a plastic response which varies with operational sex ratios and competitor presence in the vicinity. In a recent study, prolonged mating duration in Menochilus sexmaculatus (Fabricius) (Coleoptera: Coccinellidae) has been found to incorporate mate‐guarding behaviour. The present investigation was conducted to assess its plasticity in the presence of competitors. The physical and chemical presence of competitors of both sexes at varying densities was provided to a pair of ladybirds, and...
Source: Ethology - April 11, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Desh D. Chaudhary, Geetanjali Mishra, Omkar Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Female mate choice and male –male competition in Tonkean macaques: Who decides?
Abstract
The theory of sexual selection predicts that females should be discriminatory in the choice of sexual partners. Females can express their choice in two ways. In direct mate choice, they show preferences for certain partners. In indirect mate choice, they select partners by displaying sexually attractive traits, thus eliciting contest competition between males. We focused on a primate species in which females advertise the timing of their ovulation and studied the balance between these two choice strategies. We tested predictions related to three hypotheses about direct and indirect female choice, namely the best...
Source: Ethology - April 11, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Nancy Rebout, Bernard Thierry, Andrea Sanna, Roberto Cozzolino, Fabienne Aujard, Arianna De Marco Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Female Greater Kudu, Tragelaphus strepsiceros, chewing some nutritive vegetation in Telperion Nature Reserve, South Africa. Photograph reproduced by permission of Emmanuel Do Linh San.
(Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - April 11, 2017 Category: Zoology Tags: Front Cover Source Type: research
Multiple Paternity Benefits Female Marbled Salamanders by Increasing Survival of Progeny to Metamorphosis
Abstract
Multiple paternity occurs in most species and animal groups that have been studied. Because mating involves fitness costs to individual females, theory predicts that polyandrous females gain greater fitness benefits than costs, allowing the behavior to be maintained. Genetic, rather than material, benefits often occur in species where males provide females with little more than sperm and seminal fluid. We compared fitness correlates of single‐ and double‐sire clutches from female marbled salamanders (Ambystoma opacum) at the egg, hatchling, and metamorph stages of offspring development. Because clutches were c...
Source: Ethology - March 20, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Dean A. Croshaw, Joseph H. K. Pechmann, Travis C. Glenn Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
Reproductive Consequences of Aggression in a Territorial Songbird
In this study, we investigated how individual variation in aggressive behavior relates to reproductive success in socially monogamous, genetically polygynous song sparrows (Melospiza melodia). Prior research in this species shows that male song sparrows differ in their willingness to engage in agonistic interactions with territorial intruders and that individual variation in aggression appears to have functional significance. Aggressive males have been shown to obtain territories where females produce larger clutch sizes, suggesting that individuals who display high levels of territorial aggression are defending high‐qua...
Source: Ethology - March 20, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Jessica Krippel, Barbara Ballentine, Jeremy Hyman Tags: Research Paper Source Type: research
A group (one adult and seven young) of Arid Four ‐Striped Mice, Rhabdomys bechuanae, sunbathing on a wood log in the Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park (Marie se draai), South Africa. Photograph reproduced by permission of Emmanuel Do Linh San.
(Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - March 20, 2017 Category: Zoology Tags: Front Cover Source Type: research
Antipredator responses to alarm pheromone in groups of young and/or old thrips larvae
Ethology, EarlyView. (Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - March 16, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Paulien J. A.
de Bruijn
,
Maurice W.
Sabelis
,
Martijn
Egas
,
J.
Wright Source Type: research
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Ethology, Ahead of Print. (Source: Ethology)
Source: Ethology - March 16, 2017 Category: Zoology Source Type: research
Antipredator responses to alarm pheromone in groups of young and/or old thrips larvae
Abstract
Many prey species suffer from different predators in the course of their ontogeny. Hence, the alarm signal a small prey individual sends can have a different meaning than the signal a large prey individual sends, both for small and for large receivers. Larvae of Western Flower Thrips face predators that attack only small larvae, or predators that attack small larvae and large larvae. Furthermore, thrips larvae release a two‐component alarm pheromone, which varies in composition with larval age. Here, we study whether their response to alarm pheromone varies with composition of the pheromone. First, we confirmed ...
Source: Ethology - March 15, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Paulien J. A. de Bruijn, Maurice W. Sabelis, Martijn Egas Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
The effects of paternal reproductive tactic and rearing environment on juvenile variation in growth as mediated through aggression and foraging behaviours of Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Abstract
In species with indeterminate growth, differential growth rates can lead to animals adopting alternative reproductive tactics such as sneak–guard phenotypes, which is partially predicted by variation in growth during the juvenile life‐history stage. To investigate sources of growth variation, we examined the independent and joint effects of paternal reproductive tactic (G) and rearing environment (E) on juvenile growth in Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), hypothesizing G and E effects are partially mediated through differences in behaviour such as aggressive interactions and resulting foraging behavio...
Source: Ethology - March 15, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Adriana R. Forest, Mitchel G. E. Dender, Trevor E. Pitcher, Christina A. D. Semeniuk Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Why do curly tail lizards (genus Leiocephalus) curl their tails? An assessment of displays toward conspecifics and predators
Abstract
Animal display behaviors are used to convey specific messages to other animals, including potential mates, rivals, and predators. However, because these different types of interactions can be mediated by a single behavioral display, or conversely, multiple signals can be used to convey one specific message, interpretation of any particular behavioral display can be difficult. Leiocephalus lizards (i.e., curly tails) provide an excellent opportunity to study the use of display behaviors across multiple contexts. Previous research has demonstrated that the use of tail curling in these lizards is associated with pred...
Source: Ethology - March 15, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Bonnie K. Kircher, Michele A. Johnson Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
Responses of male cricket frogs (Acris crepitans) to attenuated and degraded advertisement calls
We examined the vocal and non‐vocal responses of male cricket frogs (Acris crepitans) to conspecific advertisement calls that had been attenuated or degraded by reducing the depth of amplitude modulation (AM). Both are characteristic of changes to the call as it is transmitted through natural habitats. As stimulus calls became more intense or less degraded, male cricket frogs gradually decreased their call rate and increased the number of call groups and pulse groups in their calls, changes indicative of increased aggressive interactions. At the higher intensities and lower degradation levels, the probability that males ...
Source: Ethology - March 15, 2017 Category: Zoology Authors: Kurt R. Venator, Michael J. Ryan, Walter Wilczynski Tags: RESEARCH PAPER Source Type: research
