scholarly journals Foraging specialization without relatedness or dominance among co-founding ant queens

Nature ◽  
1989 ◽  
Vol 338 (6214) ◽  
pp. 420-422 ◽  
Author(s):  
Steven W. Rissing ◽  
Gregory B. Pollock ◽  
Mark R. Higgins ◽  
Robert H. Hagen ◽  
Deborah Roan Smith
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Specialization

Foraging Specialization in Orb-Weaving Spiders

Ecology ◽  
1980 ◽  
Vol 61 (5) ◽  
pp. 1133-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Cader W. Olive
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Specialization

Optimal Foraging, Specialization, and a Solution to Liem's Paradox

1998 ◽  
Vol 151 (3) ◽  
pp. 223-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beren W. Robinson ◽  
David Sloan Wilson
Keyword(s):  
Optimal Foraging ◽  
Foraging Specialization

Enhancing insights into foraging specialization in the world's largest fish using a multi-tissue, multi-isotope approach

2019 ◽  
Vol 89 (1) ◽  
pp. e01339 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex S.J. Wyatt ◽  
Rui Matsumoto ◽  
Yoshito Chikaraishi ◽  
Yosuke Miyairi ◽  
Yusuke Yokoyama ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Foraging Specialization

scholarly journals Effects of age and reproductive status on individual foraging site fidelity in a long-lived marine predator

2017 ◽  
Vol 284 (1859) ◽  
pp. 20171068 ◽  
Author(s):  
Stephen C. Votier ◽  
Annette L. Fayet ◽  
Stuart Bearhop ◽  
Thomas W. Bodey ◽  
Bethany L. Clark ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Site Fidelity ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Common Component ◽  
Small Component ◽  
Phenotypic Differences ◽  
Marine Predator ◽  
Global Positioning ◽  
Foraging Site ◽  
Foraging Ability ◽  
Foraging Specialization

Individual foraging specializations, where individuals use a small component of the population niche width, are widespread in nature with important ecological and evolutionary implications. In long-lived animals, foraging ability develops with age, but we know little about the ontogeny of individuality in foraging. Here we use precision global positioning system (GPS) loggers to examine how individual foraging site fidelity (IFSF), a common component of foraging specialization, varies between breeders, failed breeders and immatures in a long-lived marine predator—the northern gannet Morus bassanus . Breeders (aged 5+) showed strong IFSF: they had similar routes and were faithful to distal points during successive trips. However, centrally placed immatures (aged 2–3) were far more exploratory and lacked route or foraging site fidelity. Failed breeders were intermediate: some with strong fidelity, others being more exploratory. Individual foraging specializations were previously thought to arise as a function of heritable phenotypic differences or via social transmission. Our results instead suggest a third alternative—in long-lived species foraging sites are learned during exploratory behaviours early in life, which become canalized with age and experience, and refined where possible—the exploration-refinement foraging hypothesis. We speculate similar patterns may be present in other long-lived species and moreover that long periods of immaturity may be a consequence of such memory-based individual foraging strategies.

scholarly journals Assessing niche width of endothermic fish from genes to ecosystem

2015 ◽  
Vol 112 (27) ◽  
pp. 8350-8355 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel J. Madigan ◽  
Aaron B. Carlisle ◽  
Luke D. Gardner ◽  
Nishad Jayasundara ◽  
Fiorenza Micheli ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Current System ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
California Current System ◽  
Niche Expansion ◽  
Cardiac Gene Expression ◽  
Cardiac Gene ◽  
Diet Analyses ◽  
Energy Gains ◽  
Species Specific ◽  
Foraging Specialization

Endothermy in vertebrates has been postulated to confer physiological and ecological advantages. In endothermic fish, niche expansion into cooler waters is correlated with specific physiological traits and is hypothesized to lead to greater foraging success and increased fitness. Using the seasonal co-occurrence of three tuna species in the eastern Pacific Ocean as a model system, we used cardiac gene expression data (as a proxy for thermal tolerance to low temperatures), archival tag data, and diet analyses to examine the vertical niche expansion hypothesis for endothermy in situ. Yellowfin, albacore, and Pacific bluefin tuna (PBFT) in the California Current system used more surface, mesopelagic, and deep waters, respectively. Expression of cardiac genes for calcium cycling increased in PBFT and coincided with broader vertical and thermal niche utilization. However, the PBFT diet was less diverse and focused on energy-rich forage fishes but did not show the greatest energy gains. Ecosystem-based management strategies for tunas should thus consider species-specific differences in physiology and foraging specialization.

scholarly journals In polytocous mammals, weakling neonates, but not their stronger littermates, benefit from specialized foraging

2019 ◽  
Vol 65 (6) ◽  
pp. 675-683 ◽  
Author(s):  
Janko Skok ◽  
Maja Prevolnik Povše
Keyword(s):  
Game Theory ◽  
Growth Rate ◽  
Random Sampling ◽  
Foraging Strategy ◽  
Foraging Strategies ◽  
Lactation Period ◽  
Common Phenomenon ◽  
Theoretical Predictions ◽  
Foraging Environment ◽  
Foraging Specialization

Abstract Adjusting foraging strategies is a common phenomenon within groups of animals competing for the same resource. In polytocous mammals, neonates concurrently compete for limited milk and alternate between two foraging (suckling) strategies: adaptable exploratory foraging with random sampling of teats, and ordered foraging with a tendency towards exploiting a particular suckling position. Some theoretical (game theory) models have shown that weaker siblings in particular benefit from foraging specialization (suckling order). Neonate piglets establish a well-defined suckling order that develops gradually and fluctuates throughout the lactation period, implying the existence of inter-individual differences in foraging strategies. We therefore analyzed suckling behavior in pigs to determine whether one foraging strategy was more beneficial to neonates in terms of their body weight and foraging environment. We found that intermediate and heavy littermates tended to adjust their suckling strategy according to the foraging environment; however, the selected foraging strategy did not affect their overall growth performance. Lighter individuals that consumed significantly less milk did not greatly alternate their foraging strategy according to the foraging environment, but their growth rate was significantly higher whenever they performed less-exploratory foraging behavior. Although suckling order appeared to be a relatively stable behavioral phenotype, it was beneficial exclusively for weaklings. These results confirm theoretical predictions and indicate that specializing in a suckling position is a beneficial strategy for weaker, light neonates. These findings suggest that physically weaker neonates might have driven the evolution of neonatal foraging specialization.

scholarly journals Pollen reinforces learning in honey bee pollen foragers but not in nectar foragers

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (22) ◽  
pp. jeb230250
Author(s):  
Denise Nery ◽  
Emilia Moreno ◽  
Andrés Arenas
Keyword(s):  
Honey Bees ◽  
Physiological Mechanism ◽  
Simultaneous Presentation ◽  
Division Of Labour ◽  
Proboscis Extension Response ◽  
Reinforced Learning ◽  
Proboscis Extension ◽  
Foraging Specialization ◽  
Better Than

ABSTRACTSearching for reward motivates and drives behaviour. In honey bees Apis mellifera, specialized pollen foragers are attracted to and learn odours with pollen. However, the role of pollen as a reward remains poorly understood. Unlike nectar, pollen is not ingested during collection. We hypothesized that pollen (but not nectar) foragers could learn pollen by sole antennal or tarsal stimulation. Then, we tested how pairing of pollen (either hand- or bee-collected) and a neutral odour during a pre-conditioning affects performance of both pollen and nectar foragers during the classical conditioning of the proboscis extension response. Secondly, we tested whether nectar and pollen foragers perceive the simultaneous presentation of pollen (on the tarsi) and sugar (on the antennae) as a better reinforcement than sucrose alone. Finally, we searched for differences in learning of the pollen and nectar foragers when they were prevented from ingesting the reward during the conditioning. Differences in pollen-reinforced learning correlate with division of labour between pollen and nectar foragers. Results show that pollen foragers performed better than nectar foragers during the conditioning phase after being pre-conditioned with pollen. Pollen foragers also performed better than nectar foragers in both the acquisition and extinction phases of the conditioning, when reinforced with the dual reward. Consistently, pollen foragers showed improved abilities to learn cues reinforced without sugar ingestion. We discussed that differences in how pollen and nectar foragers respond to a cue associated with pollen greatly contribute to the physiological mechanism that underlies foraging specialization in the honeybee.

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