Animal culture: conservation in a changing world

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1925)

Published: May 1, 2025

Social learning and animal culture can influence conservation outcomes in significant ways. Culture is a dynamic phenomenon; socially learned behaviours be transmitted within and/or between generations among populations, which facilitate resilience, or other circumstances generate vulnerability. driver of evolutionary diversification, population structure demography, shaping sociality influencing underlying biological processes such as reproduction survival, affecting fitness. This theme issue synthesizes the current state knowledge on cultural variation major vertebrate taxa, offering practical insights how social interface directly with interventions. It ranges over topics that include translocations, human-wildlife interactions adaptation to anthropogenic change. complex; integrating into challenging. No one-size-fits-all policy recommended. Instead, we aim balance understanding diversity implementations this nascent field, exploring supporting developing pathways towards efficiencies. Key themes emerge conserving capacity, benefits data sharing, along intrinsic value cultures role Indigenous Peoples local communities.This article part 'Animal culture: changing world'.

Language: Английский

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Social learning and culture in birds: emerging patterns and relevance to conservation

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1925)

Published: May 1, 2025

There is now abundant evidence for a role of social learning and culture in shaping behaviour range avian species across multiple contexts, from migration routes geese foraging crows, to passerine song. Recent emerging has further linked fitness outcomes some birds, highlighting its potential importance conservation. Here, we first summarize the state knowledge on focusing best-studied contexts migration, foraging, predation We identify extensive gaps taxa but argue that existing suggests that: (i) are taxonomically clustered (ii) reliance one behavioural domain does not predict others. Together, use this build predictive framework aid conservationists species-specific decision-making under imperfect knowledge. Second, review link between conservation birds. understanding which behaviours birds likely learn socially can help refine strategies, improving trajectories threatened populations. Last, present practical steps how consideration be integrated into actions including reintroductions, translocations captive breeding programmes.This article part theme issue 'Animal culture: changing world'.

Language: Английский

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The effect of habitat health and environmental change on cultural diversity and richness in animals

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1925)

Published: May 1, 2025

There is increasing evidence that habitat decline via fragmentation or species loss can lead to of cultural diversity, complexity richness in non-human animals. For example, a reduction local bird leads lyrebirds sing fewer complex songs, while great apes living fragmented landscapes have smaller repertoires. However, the link between animal culture and ecology remains understudied, potentially interactions ongoing ecological change are poorly understood. Here, we review current state knowledge on how influences culture, focusing vocal communication foraging behaviour. We identify key factors affecting patterning, including direct effects (e.g. environmental variability) indirect connectivity). then emerging for identifying three major threatening processes: fragmentation, degradation urbanization. Finally, develop predictive framework effect these processes highlight diversity fitness costs with conservation implications.This article part theme issue 'Animal culture: changing world'.

Language: Английский

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Cultural processes and demography: implications for conservation and beyond

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences, Journal Year: 2025, Volume and Issue: 380(1925)

Published: May 1, 2025

Social transmission of cultural variants in wildlife can cause population level effects with implications for conservation science, policy and practice. learning animal culture generate resilience populations through the spread adaptive behaviour but may also vulnerabilities. Distilling comprehensive management advice this field remains challenging. Animal is important defining 'units to conserve', managing human-wildlife interactions, reintroductions or translocations, influences evolutionary change. However, processes remain poorly understood. Given breadth issues which inform conservation, it timely consider underlying more detail. We coupling dynamics explore conditions under social tip a declining into growth. Simulations on model system two interacting units are used tensions between coupled demographic processes. show that even simple bias, outcomes complex. In concert urgent targeted action, we highlight need develop deeper process-based understanding field, yield fundamental principles applicable broader range encultured species.This article part theme issue 'Animal culture: changing world'.

Language: Английский

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