The establishment and maintenance of dominance hierarchies

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

Animal groups are often organized hierarchically, with dominant individuals gaining priority access to resources and reproduction over subordinate individuals. Initial dominance hierarchy formation may be influenced by multiple interacting factors, including an animal's individual attributes, conventions self-organizing social dynamics. After establishment, hierarchies typically maintained the long-term because save time, energy reduce risk of injury recognizing abiding established relationships. A separate set behaviours used maintain relationships within groups, that stabilize ranks (punishment, threats, behavioural asymmetry), as well signals provide information about rank (individual identity signals, dominance). In this review, we describe establish across different taxa types societies. We also review opportunities for future research including: testing how dynamics interact other factors mediate formation, measuring stability disrupt stability, incorporating phenotypic plasticity into our understanding considering cognition coevolves hierarchies. This article is part theme issue ‘The centennial pecking order: current state prospects study hierarchies’.

Language: Английский

---

Cooperative and plural breeding by the precocial Vulturine Guineafowl

Ibis, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: unknown

Published: Jan. 28, 2025

Cooperative breeding in birds is thought to be more common altricial species, with few described cases precocial species. However, cooperative may also difficult detect species and could have been overlooked. We investigated whether Vulturine Guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum breed cooperatively and, if so, how care distributed among group members. collected data from 51 uniquely marked individuals (27 males, 24 females), of which 13 females bred at least once over three different seasons. found that broods had close associates comprising both adults subadults exhibited four distinct behaviours: babysitting, chick guarding, covering the chicks calling food. Further, we offspring significantly male‐biased, non‐mother provided most each brood received, differed much help they received carers pay a foraging cost when providing care. In line many other birds, their sons. Our results confirm are plural breeders add growing evidence widespread young than previously thought, thereby counterpoint altriciality–cooperative hypothesis.

Language: Английский

---

Behavioural and physiological plasticity in social hierarchies

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

Individuals occupying dominant and subordinate positions in social hierarchies exhibit divergent behaviours, physiology neural functioning. Dominant animals express higher levels of dominance behaviours such as aggression, territorial defence mate-guarding. Dominants also signal their status via auditory, visual or chemical cues. Moreover, typically increase reproductive show enhanced spatial cognition well elevated arousal. These biobehavioural changes energetic demands that are met shifting both energy intake metabolism supported by coordinated physiological systems including the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal hypothalamic–pituitary–gonadal axes altered gene expression sensitivity circuits regulate these behaviours. Conversely, inhibit often adapted to socially stressful contexts. Phenotypic individuals may be beneficial short-term but lead long-term challenges health. Further, rapid ranks occur ascend descend associated with dynamic modulations brain periphery. In this paper, we provide a broad overview how behavioural phenotypic subordination expressed plasticity. This article is part theme issue ‘The centennial pecking order: current state future prospects for study hierarchies’.

Language: Английский

---

Social hierarchies and social networks in humans

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

Across species, social hierarchies are often governed by dominance relations. In humans, where there multiple culturally valued axes of distinction, can take a variety forms and need not rest on Consequently, humans navigate domains status, i.e. relative standing. Importantly, while these may be constructed from dyadic interactions, they more fundamentally guided subjective peer evaluations group perceptions. Researchers have typically focused the distinct elements that shape individuals’ standing, with some emphasizing individual-level attributes others outlining emergent macro-level structural outcomes. Here, we synthesize work across sciences to suggest dynamic interplay between meso-level properties networks in which individuals embedded crucial for understanding diverse processes status differentiation groups. More specifically, observe only at any given time but also simultaneously operate within multiple, overlapping networks. There important feedbacks characteristics networks, as types relationships, their properties, position them both influence influenced differentiation. This article is part theme issue ‘The centennial pecking order: current state future prospects study hierarchies’.

Language: Английский

---

The centennial of the pecking order: current state and future prospects for the study of dominance hierarchies

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

A century ago, foundational work by Thorleif Schjelderup-Ebbe described a ‘pecking order’ in chicken societies, where individuals could be ordered according to their ability exert influence over group-mates. Now known as dominance hierarchies, these structures have been shown plethora of individual characteristics and outcomes, situating research pillar the study modern social ecology evolution. Here, we first review some major questions that answered about hierarchies last 100 years. Next, introduce contributions this theme issue summarize how they provide ongoing insight epistemology, physiology neurobiology, hierarchical structure, dynamics dominance. These employ full range approaches available biologists. Cross-cutting themes emerging from include focus on cognitive underpinnings dominance, application network-analytical approaches, utility experimental rank manipulations for revealing causal relationships. Reflection years reveals Schjelderup-Ebbe's early ideas subsequent helped drive shift an essentialist view species recognition rich inter-individual variation social, behavioural physiological phenotypes. This article is part ‘The centennial pecking order: current state future prospects hierarchies’.

Language: Английский

---

Compromise or choose: shared movement decisions in wild vulturine guineafowl

Communications Biology, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 7(1)

Published: Jan. 13, 2024

Abstract Shared-decision making is beneficial for the maintenance of group-living. However, little known about whether consensus decision-making follows similar processes across different species. Addressing this question requires robust quantification how individuals move relative to each other. Here we use high-resolution GPS-tracking two vulturine guineafowl ( Acryllium vulturinum ) groups test predictions from a classic theoretical model collective motion. We show that, in both groups, all can successfully initiate directional movements, although males are more likely be followed than females. When multiple group members simultaneously, follower decisions depend on agreement, with followers compromising directions if difference between them small or choosing majority direction large. By aligning and replicating findings previous field study olive baboons Papio anubis ), our results suggest that common process governs moving animal groups.

Language: Английский

---

A guide to sampling design for GPS‐based studies of animal societies

Methods in Ecology and Evolution, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 14(8), P. 1887 - 1905

Published: Oct. 11, 2022

Abstract GPS‐based tracking is widely used for studying wild social animals. Much like traditional observational methods, using GPS devices requires making a number of decisions about sampling that can affect the robustness study's conclusions. For example, fewer individuals per group across more distinct groups may not be sufficient to infer group‐ or subgroup‐level behaviours, while limits ability draw conclusions populations. Here, we provide quantitative recommendations when designing studies animal societies. We focus on trade‐offs between three fundamental axes effort: (1) coverage—the and allocation among in one groups; (2) duration—the total amount time over which collect data (3) frequency—the temporal resolution at record data. first test tags under field conditions quantify how these aspects design both accuracy (error absolute positional estimates) precision estimate relative position two individuals), demonstrating error have profound effects inferring distances individuals. then use from whole‐group tracked vulturine guineafowl Acryllium vulturinum demonstrate trade‐off frequency duration impact inferences interactions coverage common measures behaviour groups, identifying types are less robust lower Finally, data‐informed simulations extend insights different sizes cohesiveness. Based our results, able offer range strategies address research questions organizational scales systems—from movement network structure collective decision‐making. Our study provides practical advice empiricists navigate their decision‐making processes highlights importance optimal deployment drawing informative

Language: Английский

---

How feedback and feed‐forward mechanisms link determinants of social dominance

Biological reviews/Biological reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 97(3), P. 1210 - 1230

Published: Feb. 12, 2022

ABSTRACT In many animal societies, individuals differ consistently in their ability to win agonistic interactions, resulting dominance hierarchies. These differences arise due a range of factors that can influence individuals’ abilities spanning from genetically driven traits through recent interaction history. Yet, despite century study since Schjelderup‐Ebbe's seminal paper on social dominance, we still lack general understanding how these different work together determine positions Here, first outline five widely studied outcomes: intrinsic attributes, resource value asymmetry, winner–loser effects, dyadic interaction‐outcome history and third‐party support. A review the evidence shows variety are likely important outcomes, thereby hierarchies, diverse species. We propose such unlikely outcomes independently, but rather form part feedback loops whereby previous interactions (e.g. access food) impact might be subsequent body condition). provide conceptual framework illustrates multitude potential routes which feedbacks occur, highly intertwined thus rarely act independently one another. Further, generalise our include multi‐generational feed‐forward mechanisms: generation determining next via parental effects. This describes them linked within generations loops, between mechanisms. then highlight methodological approaches will facilitate dynamics. Lastly, discuss could shape future research, including: generate variation discussed, this experimentally; relative importance mechanisms varies across timescales; role structure modulating effect hierarchy stability; status offspring. Ultimately, by considering as dynamic system also feeds forward into generations, understand better hierarchies groups.

Language: Английский

---

The dynamics of dominance: open questions, challenges and solutions

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2022, Volume and Issue: 377(1845)

Published: Jan. 10, 2022

Although social hierarchies are recognized as dynamic systems, they typically treated static entities for practical reasons. Here, we ask what can learn from a dynamical view of dominance, and provide research agenda the next decades. We identify five broad questions at individual, dyadic group levels, exploring causes consequences individual changes in rank, dynamics underlying dominance relationships, origins impacts instability. challenges remain, propose avenues overcoming them. suggest distinguishing between different types mobility to conceptual clarity about hierarchy level, emphasize need explore how these processes produce trajectories over lifespans impact selection on status-seeking behaviour. At there is scope deeper exploration decision-making leading observed interactions, stable but malleable relationships emerge interactions. Across scales, model systems where rank manipulable will be extremely useful testing hypotheses dynamics. Long-term individual-based studies also critical understanding rare events, interrogating that unfold lifetimes generations. This article part theme issue 'The centennial pecking order: current state future prospects study hierarchies'.

Language: Английский

---

You lick me, I like you: understanding the function of allogrooming in ungulates

Mammal Review, Journal Year: 2024, Volume and Issue: 54(4), P. 373 - 386

Published: March 25, 2024

ABSTRACT Allogrooming is a common affiliative behaviour with hygienic, physiological and social consequences, has historically been examined in non‐human primates order to understand the evolution of sociality. In primates, allogrooming well‐known have evolved for an antiparasitic function, leading consequences further adoption functions. This includes exchanging benefits biological market, post‐conflict reconciliation long‐term bond formation. The relevant importance these functions largely undetermined many non‐primate taxa, including ungulates. We aimed evaluate current evidence function ungulates, asking whether serves if so, what magnitude. Ungulates show large differences their behaviour, but variation not truly understood. find that although ungulates co‐opted purposes such as formation, variety fully explored. Identifying species‐specific can help clarify context behaviour; this allows us improve our knowledge how individuals groups interact within population, implications when deducing animal state conclude there great potential additional research into we encourage exploration

Language: Английский

---