摘要:

Autocatalytic interactions between the members of an animal group or society, and particularly chemically or visually mediated allelomimesis, can be an important factor in the organisation of their collective activity. Furthermore, the interactions between the individuals and the environment allow different collective patterns and decisions to appear under different conditions, with the same individual behaviour. While most clearly demonstrable in social insects, these principles are fundamental to schools of fishes, flocks of birds, groups of mammals, and many other social aggregates. The analysis of collective behaviour in these terms implies detailed observation of both individual and collective behaviour, combined with mathematical modelling to link the two.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525500

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

Two species,Phaleria prolixaFairmaire andPhaleria bimaculataLinnaeus were compared. The first species lives on a Somalian beach with large tidal fluctuations, while the second inhabits a beach on the Tyrrhenian littoral of Italy where tidal excursions are negligible. ForPh. prolixathe data were collected in two different climatic seasons, the dry and the wet season. Instead forPh. bimaculatathe data refer to a 4 month survey. Zonations and activity patterns were obtained from the capture frequencies of directional cross and wall traps. Both species prefer the seaward part of the sandy beach with slight variations in the different seasons forPh. prolixa. Both species are nocturnal but onlyPh. prolixa, being largely tied to a tidal rhythm, shows activity even throughout the day.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525501

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

Ambulation latencies of pair-reared 6-day-old male and female chicks were measured (i) in the presence of a cagemate; (ii) in the presence of an unfamiliar chick; (iii) in isolated chicks. Results showed that a) in animals tested with a cagemate there were no differences in ambulation latencies between males and females; b) in animals tested with an unfamiliar chick ambulation latencies were higher in females than in males; c) in animals tested in isolation ambulation latencies were higher in males than in females. It is suggested that gender effects in the open-field behaviour of young chicks might be due to a stronger social reinstatement motivation in females than in males.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525502

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

In ants both genetic and environmental factors seem to contribute to colony odour, but the significance of the different sources of this chemical label may vary among species.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525503

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

A series of experiments was carried out to assess whether the «defensive» pattern of female parental attack towards sexually naive male conspecific intruders, in which there is no inhibition against biting vulnerable areas of the intruder's body, could function as a deterrent to infanticide. Primiparous lactating mice (Mus domesticus) which had not previously displayed parental attack showed clearly differentiated patterns of biting attack when confronting sexually naive male and female conspecific intruders, respectively. Males intruders were more prone to kill pups than were female counterparts, and this behaviour was facilitated in the absence of the mother. Remarkably, lactating females simultaneously confronting a virgin female and a sexually naive male intruder attacked only the latter animal. These data suggest that lactating female aggression serves as a counterstrategy to male infanticide. Nevertheless the mother's aggressive behaviour delayed but rarely thwarted the killing of pups by males that had dominated the female and that were characterized by high levels of social aggression in previous intermale aggression tests. Maternal attack was successful in defending the litter from those males that were incapable of defeating the lactating female and that were characterized by low levels of intermale aggression. Consequently, maternal aggression might also function, as a by-product, to prevent reproduction by males of poor fighting ability. The hypothesis that in this context female aggressive behaviour towards the interloper male could also be involved in intersexual selection is discussed.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525504

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

Yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris) eat a wide variety of grasses, forbs, and seeds, but do not feed on all items in proportion to their abundance in the environment. In this study, relationships between the marmot diet and estimated protein, water, caloric value, relative biomass, and toxicity of the available plant species were investigated. The epidermis of all forb species did not survive digestive processes equally well; therefore, a quantitative analysis of the animals' diet based on fecal sampling was precluded. However, observations of where marmots feed and limited data from fetal analysis indicate that marmots chose their food plants on the basis of relative abundance, phenology, rejection or low ingestion of plant species with defensive compounds, nutritional quality, and energy requirements. Water content is unlikely to affect diet choice except during prolonged drought.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525505

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

During winter the composition of the diet of the Long-eared Owls present at a roost varied in relation to the ground snow cover; birds and riparial rodents increased when ground cover was complete. A comparison between diet and prey availability (assessed by trapping) showed that small mammal species were mostly preyed upon in relation to their abundance; the scarce presence of Insectivores in the diet is apparently due to their reduced seasonal availability. Long-eared Owls behaved as adaptable predators; their dietary specialization in Northern Europe may be due to the great abundance of Microtinae at high latitude.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525506

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

摘要:

According to the hymenopteran pedigree, gynes have a higher coefficient of relatedness with their sons (1/2) than with brothers (1/4). When suddenly confronted with brothers at birth, such females, which can presumably often lay unfertilized eggs, may show fratricidal behaviour in order to grow their own sons. Such a behaviour is assumed to be rewarding if (i) the gynes remain in nest for a sufficiently long time, and (ii) the production of sexuals is continuous during the same period of time. One such case of fratricidal behaviour is described in ants, and, from the literature, at least five cases appear to be known among bees and one possible case among wasps. Many known cases of social insect colonies producing unisexual brood can be interpreted as a mechanism to avoid possible manifestations of such energy-consuming fratricide.

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525507

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525508

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor

ISSN:0394-9370    

DOI:10.1080/08927014.1989.9525499

出版商:Taylor & Francis Group    

年代:1989

数据来源: Taylor