Social relationships formed within a network of interacting group members can have a profound impact on an indi- vidual＇s behavior and fitness. However, we have little understanding of how individuals perceive their ...Social relationships formed within a network of interacting group members can have a profound impact on an indi- vidual＇s behavior and fitness. However, we have little understanding of how individuals perceive their relationships and how this perception relates to our external measures of interactions. We investigated the perception of affiliative and agonistic relation- ships at both the dyadic and emergent social levels in two captive groups of monk parakeets （Myiopsitta monachus, n = 21 and 19） using social network analysis and playback experiments. At the dyadic social scale, individuals directed less aggression to- wards their strong affiliative partners and more aggression towards non-partner neighbors.At the emergent social scale, there was no association between relationships in different social contexts and an individual＇s dominance rank did not correlate with its popularity rank. Playback response pattems were mainly driven by relationships in affiliative social contexts at the dyadic scale. In both groups, individual responses to playback experiments were significantly affected by strong affiliative relationships at the dyadic social scale, albeit in different directions in the two groups. Response pattems were also affected by affiliative relation- ships at the emergent social scale, but only in one of the two groups. Within affiliative relationships, those at the dyadic social scale were perceived by individuals in both groups, but those at the emergent social scale only affected responses in one group. These results provide preliminary evidence that relationships in affiliative social contexts may be perceived as more important than agonistic relationships in captive monk parakeet groups. Our approach could be used in a wide range of social species and comparative analyses could provide important insight into how individuals perceive relationships across social contexts and social scales [Current Zoology 61 （1）： 55-69, 2015].展开更多
The unique alpine-living kea parrot Nestor notabilis has been the focus of numerous cognitive studies, but its com- munication system has so far been largely neglected. We examined 2,884 calls recorded in New Zealand...The unique alpine-living kea parrot Nestor notabilis has been the focus of numerous cognitive studies, but its com- munication system has so far been largely neglected. We examined 2,884 calls recorded in New Zealand＇s Southern Alps. Based on audio and visual spectrographic differences, these calls were categorised into seven distinct call types： the non-oscillating ＇screech＇ contact call and ＇mew＇; and the oscillating ＇trill＇, ＇chatter＇, ＇warble＇ and ＇whistle＇; and a hybrid ＇screech-trill＇. Most of these calls contained aspects that were individually unique, in addition to potentially encoding for an individual＇s sex and age. Additionally, for each recording, the sender＇s previous and next calls were noted, as well as any response given by conspecifics. We found that the previous and next calls made by the sender were most often of the same type, and that the next most likely pre- ceding and/or following call type was the screech call, a contact call which sounds like the ＇kee-ah＇ from which the bird＇s name derives. As a social bird capable of covering large distances over visually obstructive terrain, long distance contact calls may be of considerable importance for social cohesion. Contact calls allow kea to locate conspecifics and congregate in temporary groups for social activities. The most likely response to any given call was a screech, usually followed by the same type of call as the ini- tial call made by the sender, although responses differed depending on the age of the caller. The exception was the warble, the kea＇s play call, to which the most likely response was another warble. Being the most common call type, as well as the default response to another call, it appears that the ＇contagious＇ screech contact call plays a central role in kea vocal communication and social cohesion [Current Zoology 58 （5）： 727-740, 2012].展开更多
Epaxial tendons play an important role in the study of the musculoskeletal system and locomotory style of dinosaurs. Although the ossified epaxial tendon lattice is fairly well known in Iguanodontoidea, only recently ...Epaxial tendons play an important role in the study of the musculoskeletal system and locomotory style of dinosaurs. Although the ossified epaxial tendon lattice is fairly well known in Iguanodontoidea, only recently has knowledge of this complex been extended to ceratopsians. This study concerns the gross morphology and microstructure of the tendon lattice in Psittacosaurus, a basal ceratopsian. As in the neoceratopsian Chasmosaurus, the ossified tendons of Psittacosaurus form a three -layered, lattice-like structure. The microstructure of the tendons in large psittacosaur individuals retains an early stage of ossification, as in juvenile birds and nestling hadrosaurs, suggesting a slow developmental rate of ossification of the tendons in psittacosaur ontogeny. Comparative study indicates that a lattice-like arrangement of three-layered epaxial tendons is widely distributed in Cerapoda. This pattern also extends to Ankylosauria, implying a similar pattern of the epaxial muscles through the ornithischian clade. In addition, comparison with crocodiles implies that the different morphology of ossified tendons in dinosaurs may be associated with adaptive aspects of their paleobiology, not simply a side effect of skeletal ossification. In contrast to the short tendons in quadrupedal Chasmosaurus and Protoceratops, the elongated tendons in Psittacosaurus may be related to the bipedal locomotion characteristic of this taxon.展开更多
文摘Social relationships formed within a network of interacting group members can have a profound impact on an indi- vidual＇s behavior and fitness. However, we have little understanding of how individuals perceive their relationships and how this perception relates to our external measures of interactions. We investigated the perception of affiliative and agonistic relation- ships at both the dyadic and emergent social levels in two captive groups of monk parakeets （Myiopsitta monachus, n = 21 and 19） using social network analysis and playback experiments. At the dyadic social scale, individuals directed less aggression to- wards their strong affiliative partners and more aggression towards non-partner neighbors.At the emergent social scale, there was no association between relationships in different social contexts and an individual＇s dominance rank did not correlate with its popularity rank. Playback response pattems were mainly driven by relationships in affiliative social contexts at the dyadic scale. In both groups, individual responses to playback experiments were significantly affected by strong affiliative relationships at the dyadic social scale, albeit in different directions in the two groups. Response pattems were also affected by affiliative relation- ships at the emergent social scale, but only in one of the two groups. Within affiliative relationships, those at the dyadic social scale were perceived by individuals in both groups, but those at the emergent social scale only affected responses in one group. These results provide preliminary evidence that relationships in affiliative social contexts may be perceived as more important than agonistic relationships in captive monk parakeet groups. Our approach could be used in a wide range of social species and comparative analyses could provide important insight into how individuals perceive relationships across social contexts and social scales [Current Zoology 61 （1）： 55-69, 2015].
文摘The unique alpine-living kea parrot Nestor notabilis has been the focus of numerous cognitive studies, but its com- munication system has so far been largely neglected. We examined 2,884 calls recorded in New Zealand＇s Southern Alps. Based on audio and visual spectrographic differences, these calls were categorised into seven distinct call types： the non-oscillating ＇screech＇ contact call and ＇mew＇; and the oscillating ＇trill＇, ＇chatter＇, ＇warble＇ and ＇whistle＇; and a hybrid ＇screech-trill＇. Most of these calls contained aspects that were individually unique, in addition to potentially encoding for an individual＇s sex and age. Additionally, for each recording, the sender＇s previous and next calls were noted, as well as any response given by conspecifics. We found that the previous and next calls made by the sender were most often of the same type, and that the next most likely pre- ceding and/or following call type was the screech call, a contact call which sounds like the ＇kee-ah＇ from which the bird＇s name derives. As a social bird capable of covering large distances over visually obstructive terrain, long distance contact calls may be of considerable importance for social cohesion. Contact calls allow kea to locate conspecifics and congregate in temporary groups for social activities. The most likely response to any given call was a screech, usually followed by the same type of call as the ini- tial call made by the sender, although responses differed depending on the age of the caller. The exception was the warble, the kea＇s play call, to which the most likely response was another warble. Being the most common call type, as well as the default response to another call, it appears that the ＇contagious＇ screech contact call plays a central role in kea vocal communication and social cohesion [Current Zoology 58 （5）： 727-740, 2012].
基金provided by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC Grant No.40532008)supported by NSFC(Grant No.40802007)Travel support for RCF was by a grant from the Chinese Ministry of Education(No.2006-233).
文摘Epaxial tendons play an important role in the study of the musculoskeletal system and locomotory style of dinosaurs. Although the ossified epaxial tendon lattice is fairly well known in Iguanodontoidea, only recently has knowledge of this complex been extended to ceratopsians. This study concerns the gross morphology and microstructure of the tendon lattice in Psittacosaurus, a basal ceratopsian. As in the neoceratopsian Chasmosaurus, the ossified tendons of Psittacosaurus form a three -layered, lattice-like structure. The microstructure of the tendons in large psittacosaur individuals retains an early stage of ossification, as in juvenile birds and nestling hadrosaurs, suggesting a slow developmental rate of ossification of the tendons in psittacosaur ontogeny. Comparative study indicates that a lattice-like arrangement of three-layered epaxial tendons is widely distributed in Cerapoda. This pattern also extends to Ankylosauria, implying a similar pattern of the epaxial muscles through the ornithischian clade. In addition, comparison with crocodiles implies that the different morphology of ossified tendons in dinosaurs may be associated with adaptive aspects of their paleobiology, not simply a side effect of skeletal ossification. In contrast to the short tendons in quadrupedal Chasmosaurus and Protoceratops, the elongated tendons in Psittacosaurus may be related to the bipedal locomotion characteristic of this taxon.
