Search results for "Behavioural ecology"

Aposematism facilitates the diversification of parental care strategies in poison frogs

2021

AbstractMany organisms have evolved adaptations to increase the odds of survival of their offspring. Parental care has evolved several times in animals including ectotherms. In amphibians, ~ 10% of species exhibit parental care. Among these, poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are well-known for their extensive care, which includes egg guarding, larval transport, and specialized tadpole provisioning with trophic eggs. At least one third of dendrobatids displaying aposematism by exhibiting warning coloration that informs potential predators about the presence of defensive skin toxins. Aposematism has a central role in poison frog diversification, including diet specialization, and visual and acoust…

Zoology and Animal Ecology: Abstract book : 3 February 2022, Nature House University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

2022

Zoology and Animal Ecology: Abstract book : 25 January 2023, Nature House University of Latvia, Riga, Latvia

2023

The Zoology and Animal Ecology section of the conference covers a broad range of topics, ranging from the distribution of animal species and the different aspects of species' interactions with the environment to animal genetics and physiology, including behaviour, conservation and other topics where study objects are animals.

Under my wing: lesser kestrels and jackdaws derive reciprocal benefits in mixed-species colonies

2011

In mixed-species assemblages, antipredator benefits for a timid species nesting close to a more pugnacious one are often reported. Advantages for the protected species are usually manifested in terms of higher reproductive success than conspecifics nesting remote to the protector species. Whether the protector species also accrues any benefit remains untested, and the species-specific behavioral traits underlying enhanced reproductive output in mixed-species associations remain poorly documented. We studied associations between lesser kestrels (Falco naumanni) and jackdaws (Corvus monedula) nesting in rural buildings in the Gela Plain (Italy). We tested for interspecific interactions of jac…

Commentary: Dogs and the classic route of Guinea Worm transmission: an evaluation of copepod ingestion

2020

Dracunculus medinensis, the causative agent of Guinea worm disease in humans, is being reported with increasing frequency in dogs. However, the route(s) of transmission to dogs is still poorly understood. Classical transmission to humans occurs via drinking water that contains cyclopoid copepods infected with third stage larvae of D. medinensis, but due to the method of dog drinking (lapping) compared to humans (suction and/or retrieval of water into containers), it seems unlikely that dogs would ingest copepods readily through drinking. We exposed lab raised beagles to varying densities of uninfected copepods in 2 liters of water to evaluate the number of copepods ingested during a drinkin…

Predation risk allocation or direct vigilance response in the predator interaction between perch (Perca fluviatilis L.) and pike (Esox lucius L.)?

2005

Predation risk allocation hypothesis predicts that a prey's response to predator depends on prey's previous experience on predator. Here we tested whether the group of three perch respond differentially to pike, predator of perch, depending on the timing of high constant (HC) and high unpredictable (HU) risk periods within low constant risk periods in short-term (10 h) experiments, and whether the response is stronger during a HU risk period than during a HC risk period. Perch clearly erected the dorsal fin in response to predation risk treatments (pike odour only, odour and visible pike). Decrease in activity and increase in shoaling behaviour were observed mainly during high risk periods.…

Vigilance and food intake rate in paired and solitary Zenaida DovesZenaida aurita

2011

We quantified vigilance during feeding in the Zenaida Dove Zenaida aurita, a tropical species with stable pair-bonds and year-round territoriality. Both males and females decreased the proportion of time spent vigilant by 30% when feeding with their partner compared with when feeding alone. This reduction was achieved through increasing the length of inter-scan duration, while scan duration remained constant. No evidence was found for coordination of vigilance between pair members. The equal investment in vigilance by male and female Zenaida Doves might be related to the mutual benefits of long-term pair-bonding.

Exposure to Chemical Cues from Predator-Exposed Conspecifics Increases Reproduction in a Wild Rodent

2018

Abstract Predation involves more than just predators consuming prey. Indirect effects, such as fear responses caused by predator presence, can have consequences for prey life history. Laboratory experiments have shown that some rodents can recognize fear in conspecifics via alarm pheromones. Individuals exposed to alarm pheromones can exhibit behavioural alterations that are similar to those displayed by predator-exposed individuals. Yet the ecological and evolutionary significance of alarm pheromones in wild mammals remains unclear. We investigated how alarm pheromones affect the behaviour and fitness of wild bank voles (Myodes glareolus) in outdoor enclosures. Specifically, we compared th…

Fecundity determines the outcome of founding queen associations in ants

2021

AbstractAnimal cooperation evolved because of its benefits to the cooperators. Pleometrosis in ants - the cooperation of queens to found a colony - benefits colony growth, but also incurs costs for some of the cooperators because only one queen usually survives the association. While several traits are associated with queen survival, they tend to be confounded and it is unclear which factor specifically determines the outcome of pleometrosis. In this study, we used the ant Lasius niger to monitor offspring production in colonies founded by one or two queens. Then, we experimentally paired queens that differed in fecundity but not in size, and vice versa, to disentangle the effect of these f…

The giant panda is cryptic

2021

The giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca) is an iconic mammal, but the function of its black-and-white coloration is mysterious. Using photographs of giant pandas taken in the wild and state-of-the-art image analysis, we confirm the counterintuitive hypothesis that their coloration provides camouflage in their natural environment. The black fur blends into dark shades and tree trunks, whereas white fur matches foliage and snow when present, and intermediate pelage tones match rocks and ground. At longer viewing distances giant pandas show high edge disruption that breaks up their outline, and up close they rely more on background matching. The results are consistent across acuity-corrected c…