scholarly journals Evolutionary transitions toward pair living in nonhuman primates as stepping stones toward more complex societies

2019 ◽  
Vol 5 (12) ◽  
pp. eaay1276 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peter M. Kappeler ◽  
Luca Pozzi
Keyword(s):  
Social Evolution ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Complex Societies ◽  
Stepping Stones ◽  
Evolutionary Transitions ◽  
Social Classification ◽  
The Social ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Phylogenetic Hypotheses

Nonhuman primate societies vary tremendously in size and composition, but how and why evolutionary transitions among different states occurred remains highly controversial. In particular, how many times pair living evolved and the social states of the ancestors of pair- and group-living species remains contentious. We examined evolutionary transitions in primate social evolution by using new, independent categorizations of sociality and different phylogenetic hypotheses with a vastly expanded dataset. Using Bayesian phylogenetic comparative methods, we consistently found the strongest support for a model that invokes frequent transitions between solitary ancestors and pair-living descendants, with the latter giving rise to group-living species. This result was robust to systematic variation in social classification, sample size, and phylogeny. Our analyses therefore indicate that pair living was a stepping stone in the evolution of structurally more complex primate societies, a result that bolsters the role of kin selection in social evolution.

Social ethology of the wolverine

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jeffrey P. Copeland ◽  
Arild Landa ◽  
Kimberly Heinemeyer ◽  
Keith B. Aubry ◽  
Jiska van Dijk ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Organization ◽  
Social Interactions ◽  
Resource Availability ◽  
Social Behaviour ◽  
Social System ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Ecological Framework ◽  
The Social ◽  
Living Species

Social behaviour in solitary carnivores has long been an active area of investigation but for many species remains largely founded in conjecture compared to our understanding of sociality in group-living species. The social organization of the wolverine has, until now, received little attention beyond its portrayal as a typical mustelid social system. In this chapter the authors compile observations of social interactions from multiple wolverine field studies, which are integrated into an ecological framework. An ethological model for the wolverine is proposed that reveals an intricate social organization, which is driven by variable resource availability within extremely large territories and supports social behaviour that underpins offspring development.

scholarly journals The competitive advantage of institutional reward

2019 ◽  
Vol 286 (1899) ◽  
pp. 20190001 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yali Dong ◽  
Tatsuya Sasaki ◽  
Boyu Zhang
Keyword(s):  
Social Evolution ◽  
Evolutionary Dynamics ◽  
Human Society ◽  
Group Fitness ◽  
Cooperation Level ◽  
The Social ◽  
Stable Equilibria ◽  
Decision Errors ◽  
Reward And Punishment

Sustaining cooperation among unrelated individuals is a fundamental challenge in biology and the social sciences. In human society, this problem can be solved by establishing incentive institutions that reward cooperators and punish free-riders. Most of the previous studies have focused on which incentives promote cooperation best. However, a higher cooperation level does not always imply higher group fitness, and only incentives that lead to higher fitness can survive in social evolution. In this paper, we compare the efficiencies of three types of institutional incentives, namely, reward, punishment, and a mixture of reward and punishment, by analysing the group fitness at the stable equilibria of evolutionary dynamics. We find that the optimal institutional incentive is sensitive to decision errors. When there is no error, a mixture of reward and punishment can lead to high levels of cooperation and fitness. However, for intermediate and large errors, reward performs best, and one should avoid punishment. The failure of punishment is caused by two reasons. First, punishment cannot maintain a high cooperation level. Second, punishing defectors almost always reduces the group fitness. Our findings highlight the role of reward in human cooperation. In an uncertain world, the institutional reward is not only effective but also efficient.

Chemical cues and group association preferences in a subsocial cockroach, Panesthia australis

2009 ◽  
Vol 57 (6) ◽  
pp. 385 ◽  
Author(s):  
Zacariah D. Billingham ◽  
David G. Chapple ◽  
Paul Sunnucks ◽  
Bob B. M. Wong
Keyword(s):  
Chemical Cues ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Social Recognition ◽  
Restricted Gene Flow ◽  
Diverse Range ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Wood Boring

An ability to recognise and discriminate between group and non-group members is essential for most group-living species. Several different sensory modalities may be utilised for social recognition, the most notable of which is olfaction. Among insects, members of the order Blattodea (cockroaches, termites) exhibit a diverse range of social systems and provide an excellent model for examining the role of chemical communication in group discrimination. We experimentally tested the importance of chemical cues in the association preferences of the subsocial Australian wood-boring cockroach, Panesthia australis. Using a series of dichotomous choice trials, we found that individuals preferred conspecific odour cues over those of an unscented peatmoss control. We then gave cockroaches a choice between the odour cues of cockroaches from different logs, and found that they did not exhibit a preference for the cues of individuals from their own log versus those from different logs within the same locality. However, cockroaches exhibited a strong preference for cues taken from individuals from a geographically distant population. Our findings suggest that P. australis engages in group discrimination, and that patterns of association may reflect an underlying preference for unfamiliar and/or genetically dissimilar individuals in a species encumbered by restricted gene flow.

scholarly journals Dissecting ant recognition systems in the age of genomics

2013 ◽  
Vol 9 (6) ◽  
pp. 20130416 ◽  
Author(s):  
Neil D. Tsutsui
Keyword(s):  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Kin Selection ◽  
Social Evolution ◽  
Molecular Mechanisms ◽  
Kin Recognition ◽  
Genome Sequences ◽  
The Social ◽  
Colony Recognition ◽  
Recognition Systems

Hamilton is probably best known for his seminal work demonstrating the role of kin selection in social evolution. His work made it clear that, for individuals to direct their altruistic behaviours towards appropriate recipients (kin), mechanisms must exist for kin recognition. In the social insects, colonies are typically comprised of kin, and colony recognition cues are used as proxies for kinship cues. Recent years have brought rapid advances in our understanding of the genetic and molecular mechanisms that are used for this process. Here, I review some of the most notable advances, particularly the contributions from recent ant genome sequences and molecular biology.

scholarly journals A RESPONSABILIDADE SOCIAL DA EMPRESA E A CIDADANIA NA PARTICIPAÇÃO DEMOCRÁTICA

Percurso ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 2 (29) ◽  
pp. 261
Author(s):  
Leandro Souza ROSA
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Social Responsibility ◽  
Deliberative Democracy ◽  
Social Evolution ◽  
Ethical Responsibility ◽  
Democratic Participation ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Democratic State ◽  
The Social

RESUMOEste artigo analisa a responsabilidade social e ética da empresa, que não se limita a gerar empregos e pagar impostos para criar o lucro, mas também participa ativamente da sociedade, já que o Estado possui uma demanda maior do que consegue suprir e as empresas podem desempenhar o papel de agentes de grandes transformações na vida dos indivíduos. Para tanto, examinou-se a concepção da função social no Estado Democrático de Direito, bem como o instituto da responsabilidade social, cujas diretrizes baseiam-se na cidadania por meio da participação democrática, de modo que o modelo que melhor se enquadraria nesse sistema é o da democracia deliberativa, conforme se demonstra. Assim, por meio de exemplos concretos, buscou-se demonstrar que a empresa pode desenvolver a participação democrática para se envolver no processo decisório e fomentar a evolução social. PALAVRAS-CHAVE: Empresa; Responsabilidade Social; Cidadania; Democracia. ABSTRACTThis article analyzes the social and ethical responsibility of the company, which not only generates jobs and pay taxes to create profit, but also actively participates in society, since the State has a greater demand than it can supply and companies can play the role of agents of great transformations in the life of individuals. For this, the conception of the social function in the Democratic State of Law, as well as the institute of social responsibility, whose guidelines are based on citizenship through democratic participation, was examined, so that the model that would fit best in this system is that of deliberative democracy, as demonstrated. Thus, through concrete examples, it was tried to demonstrate that the company can develop the democratic participation to be involved in the decision-making process and to foment the social evolution. KEYWORDS: Company; Social Responsibility; Citizenship; Democracy.

scholarly journals Submission signals in animal groups

Behaviour ◽  
2021 ◽  
pp. 1-20
Author(s):  
Adam R. Reddon ◽  
Tommaso Ruberto ◽  
Simon M. Reader
Keyword(s):  
Social Interactions ◽  
Social Evolution ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Conflict Avoidance ◽  
Crucial Aspect ◽  
Social Animals ◽  
Mutual Interest ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Group Members ◽  
Animal Societies

Abstract Aggression is costly, and animals have evolved tactics to mitigate these costs. Submission signals are an underappreciated example of such adaptations. Here we review submissive behaviour, with an emphasis on non-primates. We highlight the design of submission signals and how such signals can reduce costs. Animal societies necessitate frequent social interactions, which can increase the probability of conflict. Where maintaining group proximity is essential, animals cannot avoid aggression by fleeing. Mutual interest between group members may also select for efficient conflict avoidance and resolution mechanisms. As a result, submission signals may be especially well developed among group living species, helping social animals to overcome potential costs of recurring conflict that could otherwise counter the benefits of group living. Therefore, submission signalling can be a crucial aspect of social living and is deserving of specific attention within the broader context of social evolution and communication.

Fine-scale spatial structuring as an inbreeding avoidance mechanism in the social skink Egernia stokesii

2012 ◽  
Vol 60 (4) ◽  
pp. 272 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. G. Gardner ◽  
S. S. Godfrey ◽  
A. L. Fenner ◽  
S. C. Donnellan ◽  
C. M. Bull
Keyword(s):  
Group Living ◽  
South Australia ◽  
Inbreeding Avoidance ◽  
Genotype Data ◽  
Flinders Ranges ◽  
The Social ◽  
Opposite Sex ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Behavioural Mechanism ◽  
Egernia Stokesii

Egernia stokesii is a monogamous and group-living species of Australian scincid lizard. We used genotype data from 10 microsatellite loci to examine evidence for sex-biased dispersal and kin-based discrimination as mechanisms for inbreeding avoidance of E. stokesii within seven rocky outcrops in the southern Flinders Ranges of South Australia. We also examined the relatedness of individuals observed using the same crevice within groups. We found no evidence for sex-biased dispersal at these sites, but found that adult lizards of the opposite sex observed using the same crevice were less related to each other than expected by chance. Our results suggest a behavioural mechanism for minimising inbreeding in large related aggregations of this species.

scholarly journals The effect of boldness on decision-making in barnacle geese is group-size-dependent

2010 ◽  
Vol 278 (1714) ◽  
pp. 2018-2024 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ralf H. J. M. Kurvers ◽  
Vena M. A. P. Adamczyk ◽  
Sipke E. van Wieren ◽  
Herbert H. T. Prins
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Decision Making Process ◽  
Central Question ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Collective Decisions ◽  
Living Species ◽  
Barnacle Geese

In group-living species, decisions made by individuals may result in collective behaviours. A central question in understanding collective behaviours is how individual variation in phenotype affects collective behaviours. However, how the personality of individuals affects collective decisions in groups remains poorly understood. Here, we investigated the role of boldness on the decision-making process in different-sized groups of barnacle geese. Naive barnacle geese, differing in boldness score, were introduced in a labyrinth in groups with either one or three informed demonstrators. The demonstrators possessed information about the route through the labyrinth. In pairs, the probability of choosing a route prior to the informed demonstrator increased with increasing boldness score: bolder individuals decided more often for themselves where to go compared with shyer individuals, whereas shyer individuals waited more often for the demonstrators to decide and followed this information. In groups of four individuals, however, there was no effect of boldness on decision-making, suggesting that individual differences were less important with increasing group size. Our experimental results show that personality is important in collective decisions in pairs of barnacle geese, and suggest that bolder individuals have a greater influence over the outcome of decisions in groups.

The Ubaid Period In The Urbanisation Process; The Birth Of Urbanism In The Near East (5500-3800 B.C.)

Belleten ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 72 (264) ◽  
pp. 395-412
Author(s):  
Alev Erarslan
Keyword(s):  
Crucial Role ◽  
Structural Changes ◽  
Social Economic ◽  
Near East ◽  
Technological Development ◽  
Complex Societies ◽  
The Social ◽  
Process Of Urbanization ◽  
High Degree

The Ubaid culture, which takes its name from Tell-al Ubaid, plays a crucial role in the process of urbanization in the Near East. Surviving for more than 1500 years (5500-3800 BC), it was characterised by important social, economic and political developments which influenced the development of urban polities both the Near East and the East and Southeastern Anatolia Regions. With this culture, certain radical structural changes peculiar to complex societies, urban societies, such as political and economic centralisation based on control over product, production and labor organisation with sealing practices, socio-economic differences, a high degree of economic specialisation and technological development, indicate that a complex economy, and organised trade had begun to take place in the social, political and economical organisations of the societies of the Near East. This paper is concerned with enlightening the role of the Ubaid Culture in the development of urban societies in the Near East. With this aim, this culture will be analyzed from the viewpoint of those characteristics peculiar to urban societies mentioned above.

scholarly journals Social immunity and the evolution of group living in insects

2015 ◽  
Vol 370 (1669) ◽  
pp. 20140102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joël Meunier
Keyword(s):  
Social Systems ◽  
Group Living ◽  
Parasite Infection ◽  
Early Evolution ◽  
Social Immunity ◽  
Eusocial Insects ◽  
Living Species ◽  
End Group ◽  
Solitary Species

The evolution of group living requires that individuals limit the inherent risks of parasite infection. To this end, group living insects have developed a unique capability of mounting collective anti-parasite defences, such as allogrooming and corpse removal from the nest. Over the last 20 years, this phenomenon (called social immunity) was mostly studied in eusocial insects, with results emphasizing its importance in derived social systems. However, the role of social immunity in the early evolution of group living remains unclear. Here, I investigate this topic by first presenting the definitions of social immunity and discussing their applications across social systems. I then provide an up-to-date appraisal of the collective and individual mechanisms of social immunity described in eusocial insects and show that they have counterparts in non-eusocial species and even solitary species. Finally, I review evidence demonstrating that the increased risks of parasite infection in group living species may both decrease and increase the level of personal immunity, and discuss how the expression of social immunity could drive these opposite effects. By highlighting similarities and differences of social immunity across social systems, this review emphasizes the potential importance of this phenomenon in the early evolution of the multiple forms of group living in insects.

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