ECBB 2016 Abstract book.

Transcription

ECBB
Vienna 2016
8th European Conference of Behavioural Biology
Vienna July 12-15, 2016
Book of Abstracts
Talks
Special thanks to our sponsors
Contents
Talks
A-01
Cold-bloodedcognition:thecaseofthepoisonfrogs
2
A-02
Brotherwereartthoucallin’–AcousticranginginPoisonFrogs
3
A-03
Multimodalsignalintegrationresultsinunexpectedpatternsoffemalechoice
4
A-04
Brains,behaviorandthemismeasureofreptiles
5
A-05
Americanalligatorjuvenilesdiscriminatebetweenclosecallsofdifferent-sizedconspecifics
6
A-06
Beardeddragons(Pogonavitticeps)showeyelateralisationduringsociallearning
7
A-07
Offenderstendtobeheavier:experimentalencountersinMangrove-dwellingmonitorlizards(Varanusindicus)
8
A-08
TheeffectofquantityandqualityofdietonmaleCarpetanrocklizards’(Iberolacertacyreni)activityandrisk-taking
9
A-09
CourtshipbehaviourandSPFpheromoneevolutioninaquaticallyreproducingnewts(Salamandridae)
10
A-10
Adopt,ignoreorkill?Parentaldecisionsinapoisonfrog
11
A-11
Evolutiontowardsspecies-specificityinaproteinsexpheromonesystem
12
A-12
Cross-modalindividualrecognitioninacooperativefish
13
A-13
AnovelbehaviouralsyndromeanditslinktomicrohabitatselectioninanAustralianlizard
14
A-14
Cognitivesexdifferencesintheguppy,Poeciliareticulata
15
A-15
Thedecipheringandtheunderstandingofstrategiesusedbylivingorganismstoensurethesuccessoftheirdevelopmentin
ecosystems.
16
A-16
Insightsintomammalianspermcompetitionfromproteomics
17
A-17
CourtshippheromonesintheMexicanaxolotl
18
A-18
Diversityofmajorurinaryproteinsinpopulationsofwildhousemice
19
A-19
Havingmoreoptionsthancompetitorsdoesnotmeanthatyoucouldbechoosy
20
A-20
Sexualselectiononacrobaticsdisplaysinahybridzone
21
A-21
“Thesourandsweetsofcitizenscience:thetasteofanemergingfield”
22
A-22
Exploringbiodiversityinourbackyards-challengesandchancesinvolvingpupilsincitizenscience
23
A-23
Behaviouralbiologyandscienceeducation:ApproachandresultsongreylaggeeseandNorthernbaldibis
24
A-24
DialectsofCzechYellowhammers–asuccessfulcitizenscienceprojectonbirdsongvariation
25
A-25
Citizenscienceandstakeholderdialogueasimportantcomponentsforconservation–theexampleoffarmer-cheetahconflictin
Namibia
26
A-26
Emotionalattachmentshumansforreptilianspecies:interpretingfearofsnakes
27
A-27
Lateralityinhorses
28
A-28
Lateralityandanimalwelfare:examplesfrompigsandothervertebrates
29
A-29
Whyaremyfishnotalllateralised?Fastversusslowexplorers
30
A-30
Dismantlingthemythsassociatedwithleft-handedness-alargeinternetstudyonhandedness-relatedfitnesstraitsinhumans.
31
A-31
Consequencesofpredator-inducedphenotypicplasticityinacichlidfish
32
A-32
Competitionformateaccessenhanceslearningandplasticityinfemalechoosiness
33
B-01
Aninformation-theoreticframeworkforunderstandingsocialdilemmas
34
B-02
Vocalnegotiationoverthesharingofincubationinabirdspecieswithbi-parentalcare
35
B-03
TheroleofcommunicationwhenNorwayratsreciprocatehelp
36
B-04
Doeavesdropperslisten?differencesininformationuseduringmobbingeventsby‘informationscroungers’.
37
B-05
Islarvalbegginginantsaquestionyetsolved?AstudyinEctatommatuberculatum
38
B-06
Marmosetpairformation:Likewilltolike?
39
B-07
Responsivenesstoconspecificdistresscallsisinfluencedbyday-roostproximityinbats(Saccopteryxbilineata)
40
B-08
Socialdynamicsinalitteroffree-rangingwolves(Canislupusitalicus)
41
B-09
CountingCrows:Fission-FusionDynamicsinanUrbanPopulationofCrows(Corvuscoronessp.)
42
B-10
Socialattentionisbiasedtowardscloseaffiliatesinrhesusmacaques
43
B-11
RepresentationalUseofSignatureWhistlesinBottlenoseDolphins
44
B-12
CommunicationComplexityIndex:anovelmethodtomeasurecomplexity
45
B-13
Theimportanceofmaleageonthebreedingsuccessofsmalltreefinches
46
B-14
Food-offeringcallsandtheirimplicationsforteachingbehaviourinwildgoldenliontamarins(Leontopithecusrosalia)
47
B-15
Onthewildside:questionsandmethodsinthestudyofanimalcooperationinthefield
48
B-16
MemoryforSocialInteractionsinRavens(Corvuscorax)
49
B-17
Climateandtheglobaldistributionofcooperativebreedinginmammals
50
B-18
Keaachievecooperationindyads,triadsandtetradswhendominantsshowrestraint
51
B-19
Whatmakesagoodleader?Howdomestichorsesperceive,assessandtrustgroupmembers
52
B-20
Cooperationofshrikesandbarredwarblerduringthenestdefence.
53
B-21
Enablingcooperationandavoidingcompetition:Doapesadjustthevisibilityoftheiractionstothesocialcontext?
54
B-22
Experimentalstudiesofcooperationusingtheloose-stringtaskinravens,wolvesanddogs:Whatsocialandcognitiveelementsleadto
success?
55
B-23
IntergroupencountersinaMalagasyprimate(Propithecusverreauxi):whofightsandwhowins?
56
B-24
Arestressedravenslesscooperative?
57
B-25
Divisionoflabourincooperativebreedersdependsongroupcompositionandtask-specificefficiency
58
B-26
Conditionaldecisionstostayordisperseincooperativelybreedingbeetles
59
B-27
CollectivedecisionmakingduringgroupmovementsinEuropeanandNorthAmericanplainbison.
60
B-28
Timetostopbettingonthewronghorse:stallionsdonotleadcollectivemovementsindomestichorses
61
B-29
Socialtoleranceandprosocialtendenciesinthreecorvidspecies
62
B-30
Chimpanzeesreturnfavorsevenatapersonalcost
63
B-31
Selectivefoodsharinginwolvesanddogs:theeffectsofsocialrelationshipandreproductivestatus.
64
B-32
TargetedHelpingandMutualisticCooperationInChimpanzees(PanTroglodytes)andBonobos(PanPaniscus)
65
B-33
“MayIServeyouWithAnotherCricket?”ProsocialBehaviorinAzure-WingedMagpies
66
B-34
Cooperativebreedingandprosociality:domeerkats(Suricatasuricatta)donatefoodtoconspecificsinthelab?
67
C1-01
Socialselectioninhousemice
68
C1-02
PhenotypicPlasticityandBehaviouralFlexibilityinaWildBirdPopulation
69
C1-03
Cockatools:TooluseandmanufactureinGoffin’scockatoos
70
C1-04
Visuo-tactileinformationintegrationinobjectdiscrimination:acomparativestudyontuftedcapuchinmonkeys(Sapajusspp.)andkea
(Nestornotabilis)
71
C1-05
Ravens,NewCaledoniancrowsandjackdawsperformsimilarlytothegreatapesinamotorself-regulationtaskdespitesmallerbrains:
implicationsforparallelevolutionfromadevelopmentalperspective
72
C1-06
Behaviouralflexibilityinaninvasivebirdisindependentofindividualdifferences
73
C1-07
Howdoescognitionevolve?Inter-individualvariationincognitiveabilitiesandfitnessproxiesinawildprimate
74
C1-08
SpontaneousProblem-SolvingAbilitiesinEstrildidFinches
75
C1-09
PrimateCognitionTestBattery(PCTB)inParrots
76
C1-10
IsExploratoryBehaviourLinkedtoProblem-Solving?
77
C1-11
Objectpermanenceinfood-storingandnon-storingtits:Isthementalrepresentationrequired?
78
C1-12
Temporalperceptioninravens:doesmammalianthree-secondwindowapplytoavianvisualperception?
79
C1-13
DecisionsrelativetorewardqualityandtoolfunctionalityinGoffincockatoos(Cacatuagoffiniana)andorangutans(Pongoabelii)
80
C1-14
MagnetoreceptioninDogs-NewInsights
81
C1-15
Inferencebyexclusioninparrotscontrolledforneophilia
82
C1-16
NewCaledoniancrowscreatenovelcompoundtools
83
C1-17
Acaninelookattheevolutionofcooperation
84
C1-18
Personalityinprimates:theeffectsofacomplexsocialenvironment
85
C1-19
Openingtheblackbox:comparativestudiesofvocalproductionmechanismsinprimates
86
C1-20
Size-frequencyallometryinprimatesandcarnivores
87
C1-21
Vocalallometryindomesticpiglets(Susscrofadomesticus):theinformationcontentofgruntcalls
88
C1-22
Modellingacousticindividualdistinctivenessinlemursfromvocaltractmorphology
89
C1-23
Underwatersoundproductioninamphibiousmammals
90
C1-24
Soundpropagationintheheadofsmalltoothedwhales:combiningtissuephysicalpropertiesandanatomicalstructure
91
C1-25
Acousticsignalevolution-multifunctionalityanddiversificationofecholocation
92
C1-26
CostsandConstraintsShapeVocalSignalsinBirds
93
C1-27
ImpactofenvironmentalnoiseonprivatevocalcommunicationatthenestintheWhite-ThroatedDipper(Cincluscinclus)
94
C1-28
MalesongfeaturespredictpaternalinvestmentincommonnightingalesLusciniamegarhynchos
95
C1-29
Cross-speciescomparisonsoftheperceptionofacousticstresspatterns
96
C1-30
Seasonalfemaleprocessingofsocial/sexualvocalsignalsisstatedependent
97
C1-31
Humansrecognizeemotionalarousalinvocalizationsacrossterrestrialvertebrates:Evidenceforacousticuniversals
98
C1-32
ThevocalbehaviorofmaleAfricanelephants(Loxodontaafricana)
99
C1-33
Artificialselectionrevealsthecostsandbenefitsoflargebrainsize
100
C1-34
CollectiveSensingandDecision-MakinginAnimalGroups:FromFishSchoolstoPrimateSocieties
101
C1-35
Useofphysiologicalstatesasasourceofinformation-or-Howanimalspretendtobeclever
102
C1-36
Seasonaltime-keepinginalong-distancemigratingshorebird
103
C1-37
Theinfluenceofghrelinonstop-overdecisionsoflong-distancemigratorypasserines
104
C1-38
Femalecommonhamstersadjusthibernationinrelationtofoodhoards
105
C1-39
Domesticatedphysiology?Wolvesseemmorerelaxedthandogs,butnotwhenworkingwithhumans
106
C1-40
Sexandsteroids:theimpactofanagriculturalcontaminantonsexualselectionandmalecompetitioninafreshwaterfish
107
C1-41
Beingobestity-pronedoesnoteffecttheperformanceofdogsinvarioussocio-cognitivetestinvolvingfoodasareward
108
C1-42
Magneticalignmentinthecontextoftheconceptofsensoryalignment
109
C2-01
Sexualselectionbeforeandaftermatinginmalesandfemales
110
C2-02
Copulatorycourtship:atransitionfrompre-topostmatingsexualselection?
111
C2-03
Oppositepatternsofselectionfortraitsinvolvedinmatingaccessandfertilizationsuccessinapolyandrousbirdspecies
112
C2-04
Trade-offbetweencarotenoid-basedsexualornamentationandspermresistancetooxidativechallenge
113
C2-05
Geneticpolymorphismleadstodifferencesincopulatorybehaviorinbulbmites.
114
C2-06
Sexualexperiencedoesnotimprovemalereproductivesuccess
115
C2-07
Shutthechuckup!Tungarafrogcourtshipbalancessexualandnaturalselectionpressuresacrossmultiplesensorymodalities
116
C2-08
Fromuni-tomultimodalsignaling:towardsanintegrativeviewonanurancommunication
117
C2-09
Evolutionofmechanismsforacrobaticmovementsinamultimodaldisplay
118
C2-10
Androgenicsensitivityintheunderlyingneuromuscularsystemisassociatedwiththeevolutionofamultimodaldisplayinthefootflaggingfrog,Stauroisparvus
119
C2-11
Theuseofurineasaggressivesignalincooperativelybreedingcichlids
120
C2-12
Visual,acoustic,andolfactorywarningsignalsintruebugs:howdotheyinteractindefenceagainstavianpredators?
121
C2-13
SocialZebrafish:anemergingmodelforthecomparativestudyofsocialcognition
122
C2-14
Sensorytransferinweaklyelectricfish:Fishhaveplatonicideals.
123
C2-15
Cognitiveabilityisrelatedtoboldnessinaweakly-electricfish
124
C2-16
Relativeandabsolutenumericalrepresentationinfish(Pterophyllumscalare)andhumans(Homosapiens).
125
C2-17
Collectivedecisionmakinginguppies:across-populationcomparisonstudyinthewild
126
C2-18
Unusualreflectionsonmirrorself-recognition
127
C2-19
CognitionintheParidae–evidencefromexperimentalstudies
128
C2-20
Whattolookfor?–TheinfluenceofplantpropertiesonmaterialchoiceandhooktoolmanufactureinNewCaledoniancrows
129
C2-21
Happywife,happylife?Food-sharingmalescatertofemaledemands
130
C2-22
Mechanisms,adaptivevalueandevolutionaryconsequencesofanimalinnovation
131
C2-23
Wholikesyouthemost?Triadicawarenesspredictspartnerchoiceinmale-infant-maleinteractionsinmaleBarbarymacaques
132
C2-24
Yourpessimismbringsmedown,butdoesyouroptimismliftmeup?Emotionalcontagioninravens
133
C2-25
SociallearningviaverticaltransmissioninKuneKunepigs(Susscrofadomesticus)
134
C2-26
Femalesdon'tusesocialinformationwhentheyareignored
135
C2-27
Realityminingofsocial-networkdynamicsandinformationflowintool-usingcrows
136
C2-28
Juvenilemigrantstravellingingroups–whitestorksandwhite-frontedgeese
137
C2-29
Studyingtherolepersonalityplaysinhousemousesocialnetworks.
138
C2-30
Sexuallyattractivetraitsasreliableindicatorsofcurrentdiseasestatusinhousemice
139
C2-31
Thesoundsoflife:bio-loggingvocalisationsinacousticcontext
140
C2-32
Fission-fusiondynamicsoverlargedistancesinwildnon-breedingravens
141
D-01
Theroleofindividualityoncollectivebehaviourinthewild
142
D-02
Personalityacrossthreelevelsoforganisation:theindividual,thenestandthecolony
143
D-03
Fitnessconsequencesofpersonalityconvergencebetweenpartnersofconvictcichlid
144
D-04
Doesbehavioralassortmentimplyhormonalcompatibilityintheconvictcichlids(Amatitlaniasiquia)?
145
D-05
Dobreedersandnon-breedersineusocialAnsell’smole-rats(Fukomysanselli)representdifferentpersonalities?
146
D-06
Personalitycomeswithexperience:theroleofenvironmentalstimuliinthedevelopmentofindividualbehaviouralvariation
147
D-07
PersonalityofwildjuvenileAtlanticsalmon(Salmosalar)incomplexandopenhabitats:Implicationsforrestoration
148
D-08
Explorationbehaviorinfreerangechickens:personalitytraitrelatedtodifferencesincognitiveabilities?
149
D-09
AdvancingMIMICmodelingofindividualandcollectiveanimalpersonality
150
D-10
Anoptimalitymodelforadolescenceplasticity
151
D-11
Questionnaires,observationsorexperiments?ChoosingappropriatemethodstoassesspersonalityinasmallNewWorldprimate
152
D-12
Exploratoryaxesinpersonalityofblackrats:repeatabilityandmutualcorrespondenceinopen-fieldandhole-boardtests
153
D-13
Modellingthecollectivemotionofsegregatedgroupsofwildhorses
154
D-14
Individualdifferencesinpreycapturebehaviourofadultmalecuttlefish(Sepiaofficinalis)
155
D-15
Copingwithchallenges:plasticity,repeatabilityandevolutionofhormonalphenotypes
156
D-16
PersonalitymodulatesproportionsofCD4+regulatoryandeffectorTcellsinresponsetosociallyinducedstressinarodentofwild
origin
157
D-17
Theacousticexpressionofphysiologicalstressinasongbirdanditsimpactonconspecificsresponses.
158
D-18
LeukocyteCopingCapacity:themissingpieceofthestresspuzzle?
159
D-19
Lowreproductiveperformanceincaptivecheetahsisnotbasedoncaptivestressbutonreproductivesuppressionandasymmetric
reproductiveaging
160
D-20
Friendshipnotdominancepreventsindividualsfromsocialstressinreddeer(Cervuselaphus)
161
D-21
Effectsofdietaryfattyacidsonsocialbehaviorandstressreponsesinguineapigs
162
D-22
Alittlestressgoesalongway:canexposuretoearlylifestresscreateastresscopingphenotype?
163
D-23
Effectsofenvironmentalstressfulcircumstancesonreproductiveperformanceandlongevity
164
D-24
Prenatalstressacceleratesoffspringgrowthtocompensateforreducedmaternalinvestmentacrossmammals
165
D-25
Individualdifferencesinbehaviorandinthermalresponsesduringunconditionedfeartests
166
D-26
UnderPressure:StressandPerformanceinTrackandFieldAthletesduringtheEuropeanGamesinBaku
167
D-27
UsingLeukocyteactivityasaproxytomeasurestressinbirds
168
D-28
Beyondtheendofyournose:Behaviouralstudiesindidacticsandeducation
169
D-29
Self-similarityandrepeatedhierarchicalstructuredclustersinhuman,insectandproteinmasssocieties:fromno-braintobig-brainand
backthroughexternalmemoryandreligion?
170
D-30
Technicaladvancesintrackingvocaldevelopmentinbirds
171
D-31
Assessingfine-scaleacousticnetworksinsocialgroupsofbirds
172
D-32
Caninsectivorousbirdsanticipatethefuture?Insecteggdepositionmakespinesattractivetobirds
173
D-33
Amulti-agentmodeltostudytheculturaltransmissionofhumpbackwhales’songs
174
D-34
Humananddogasasocialdyad:psychobiologicalfactorsinfluencingeachother’scortisolvariability
175
ECBB2016
Talks
1
ECBB2016
2
A-01. Cold-blooded cognition: the case of the poison frogs
Kyle Summers Department of Biology, East Carolina University
Although amphibians have long been considered to have relatively simple cognitive abilities (especially in relation to birds
and mammals), recent research contradicts this assumption. Here I review research on several different species of Neotropical
poison frogs that illustrate the cognitive complexity that characterizes the behavior of these amphibians. Observational and
experimental fieldwork on Allobates femoralis, the brilliant-thighed poison frog, has demonstrated that individuals of this
species have remarkable abilities to locate their home territories when displaced to extreme distances. Recent research has
begun to reveal the spatial navigation abilities and strategies of this species. Laboratory experiments on Dendrobates auratus,
the green and black poison frog, reveal that this frog has a high level of behavioral flexibility, demonstrating the ability to “learn
to learn” more rapidly (using spatial cues) in response to “serial reversal” experiments. Further experiments provide evidence
that this species uses a cognitive map for orientation toward and location of remembered physical features. These advanced
cognitive abilities likely evolved in response to the cognitive demands inherent in the complex social and reproductive behaviors
of these frogs, and corresponding requirements to navigate through spatially-complex habitats. I discuss several examples of
these kinds of behaviors from fieldwork in the Neotropics, with a focus on the mimic poison frog (Ranitomeya imitator), a
species that engages in complex social interactions in the context of courtship, pair-bonding, coordinated biparental care, and
parent-offspring communication.
ECBB2016
3
A-02. Brother were art thou callin’ - Acoustic ranging in Poison Frogs
Ringler Max University of Vienna Department of Integrative Zoology Althanstraße 14 A-1090 Vienna, Austria
G. Szipl University of Vienna, Department of Cognitive Biology
L. Khil University of Vienna,Department of Integrative Zoology
B. Kofler University of Vienna,Department of Integrative Zoology
M. Lonauer University of Vienna,Department of Integrative Zoology
C. Provin University of Vienna,Department of Integrative Zoology
W. Hödl University of Vienna,Department of Integrative Zoology
E. Ringler University of Vienna,Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Messerli
Research Institute
Acoustic ranging - to properly assess the distance of a sound source, like a competing male - is especially important in the
context where individuals live in highly territorial systems to maintain individual spacing and mediate aggressive behaviour.
As signal strength is not a reliable cue for acoustic ranging - a caller might not only be near or far, but also more or less loud
- accurate ranging requires the integration of further signal cues, such as reverberation and signal degradation. We performed
playback trials with the Neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis, using normalized, naturally degraded and reverberated
signals recorded from 0.75, 1.5, 3, 6, 12, and 24 m in dense rainforest, the habitat of the species. The significantly differential
responses of the focal males to these playbacks clearly show, that frogs possess advanced ranging abilities and can perceive
and evaluate signal characteristics beyond sound pressure to identify the distance of a sound source.
ECBB2016
4
A-03. Multimodal signal integration results in unexpected patterns of female choice
Ryan Taylor Salisbury University
Kimberly L. Hunter Salisbury University, USA
Rachel A. Page Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
Wouter Halfwerk Department of Ecological Science, VU University, Amsterdam
Michael J. Ryan Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama, University of Texas at Austin, USA
Selective forces for the evolution of complex signals include the potential for increased information transfer and improved
signal detection. Another process is the integration of different signal components, generating emergent perceptual properties
in receivers. In the famous McGurk effect, for example, lip reading can alter auditory perception in human speech. We
examined how increasing noise influences mate choice in the female tngara frog (Physalaemus pustulosus). In a series of choice
experiments, we tested female mate preference for courtship calls and characterized the calls as attractive or unattractive. We
then added the visual stimulus of a male robotic tngara frog and tested female preference for the multimodal signal (visual
cue + unattractive call) versus the attractive, unimodal call. The presence of a visual stimulus did not make the unattractive
call more attractive. We then tested females for the same call set in the presence of background noise. The background noise
alone did not mask the courtship signals and females still expressed a preference for the more attractive call. The combination
of background noise plus the robofrog increased the preference for the unattractive call, however. These data indicate that
the visual component of the multimodal signal is not merely a “back-up” that females rely on when their primary (acoustic)
signal is masked. Instead, the audio-visual signal combination in noise appears to alter the receiver’s perception of courtship
signals. This finding has potentially important consequences on our understanding of how receiver psychology influences signal
evolution.
ECBB2016
5
A-04. Brains, behavior and the mismeasure of reptiles
Enrique Font Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia, Spain
Despite abundant evidence to the contrary, reptiles are widely considered as behavioral and cognitive underperformers. The
persistent myth of the sluggish, primitive, stupid reptile can be traced, at least in part, to long-standing misconceptions about
reptilian brain size and organization. Reptile brains are thought to be small and lacking the neural structures that support
complex cognition in other vertebrates. In particular, the notion that reptiles lack a cerebral cortex has led to expectations that
their behavior and cognition should be simple and unsophisticated in comparison with birds and mammals. However, it was
shown several decades ago that reptiles possess a large pallium including 3-4 cortical areas and a dorsal ventricular ridge that
may be functionally equivalent to mammalian neocortex. In fact, forebrain organization conforms to a common plan in birds
and reptiles, which may seem surprising given the recent trend to put the cognitive achievements of birds on a par with those
of mammals. Moreover, the view that reptiles do not exhibit complex cognition faces a growing list of exceptions. Reptiles
are capable of problem solving and of most types of learning provided that the experimental design takes account of some
peculiarities of their biology. They benefit from enrichment, form bonds with their caretakers and are affected by early social
isolation much as birds and mammals. The behavioral evidence also refutes the caricature of reptile behavior as being simple,
clumsy, inflexible and instinct-driven. Recent work has shown that reptiles show elaborate communication and social systems,
parental care, play, possibly even consciousness. Still, the gap between what we know and what we would like to know about
reptilian behavior and cognition is enormous.
ECBB2016
6
A-05. American alligator juveniles discriminate between close calls of different-sized conspecifics
Stephan Alexander Reber Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
J. Janisch University of Vienna, Austria
T. Bugnyar University of Vienna, Austria
W.T. Fitch University of Vienna, Austria
Animal vocal communication has been studied in a host of mammalian and avian species. Most of them produce several
contextually distinct call types. Conspecific receivers can deduce these contexts and may also perceive other aspects about
a caller such as sex, size, and motivation. Receivers may display differential responses to the same call type depending on
these aspects. Such differential reactions enable us to observe cognitive processes involved in vocal communication, and by
comparing them across species, we can start to identify factors contributing to their evolution. Because birds and mammals
shared a common ancestor 300 million years ago, similarities in vocal communication are usually attributed to convergence and
the alternative possibility, that they are homologous, is typically overlooked. Crocodilians are good candidates for disentangling
the influences of convergence and homology, as they are the closest living relatives of birds and share critical aspects of their
vocal anatomy with mammals. In this study we conducted playback experiments on seven-months-old juvenile American
alligators. We first recorded ‘close calls’ of unfamiliar conspecifics, which were either the same age and size as the subjects or
already four years old and large enough to prey on the subjects. Then we exposed the subjects individually to the close calls
of both sizes, a white-noise and a silence control. Although all played-back close calls were produced in the same context, the
subjects discriminated between them, moved closer to the loudspeaker and called more often in response to calls of same-sized
conspecifics than to any of the controls. These findings suggest that yet another trait of vocal communication may be shared
among amniotes rather than convergently evolved.
ECBB2016
7
A-06. Bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) show eye lateralisation during social learning
Anna Frohnwieser School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
T. Pike School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
J. Murray School of Computer Science, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
L. Huber Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria, Department of Cognitive Biology,
University of Vienna, Austria
A. Kis Research Centre for Natural Sciences, Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
A. Wilkinson School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln, Lincoln, UK
Many vertebrates have laterally-placed eyes, with signals from each eye being processed independently by the opposing brain
hemisphere. In most of the vertebrate species that have been studied, information about conspecifics is more efficiently processed
by the left eye and information about prey by the right eye. Studies in lizards have typically used aggressive encounters with
stimulus males to test eye lateralisation, but it is unclear whether lateralisation is also present in other situations. We tested
this by exposing bearded dragons (Pogona vitticeps) to videos of female conspecifics, prey items or an empty background,
and recording which eye they preferentially used to view the scene. We also analysed eye use from videos taken during a
social learning experiment in which bearded dragons watched demonstration videos of a female conspecific opening a door
(treatment) or the door opening autonomously with a passive conspecific present (control). While we found no evidence for
eye lateralisation when animals were observing prey or conspecifics at rest, there was a significant left eye preference in both
males and females when watching a conspecific demonstrator. These results are a first indicator that lateralised eye use in
vertebrates could be context dependent, being more pronounced in situations where the animals receive meaningful information
from a conspecific.
ECBB2016
8
A-07. Offenders tend to be heavier: experimental encounters in Mangrove-dwelling monitor lizards (Varanus indicus)
Petra Frydlova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
O. S imkova Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
P. Velensky Prague Zoo, Czech Republic
D. Frynta Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
The evolution of male-biased sexual size dimorphism is often explained by sexual selection providing competitive advantage
to the larger males. Males of many monitor lizards exhibit both extended growth of their bodies and ritualized combats for
access to females. The aggressive interactions are often dangerous and energy consuming, thus it is advantageous to reduce
the risks by adjustment of behaviour to actual body size predicting the fighting success. Organization of contests into distinct
phases with the initial displays preceding the real combat allows assessing the body size and strength of the rival. We staged
interactions between mangrove-dwelling monitor lizards (Varanus indicus) to uncover the initialization of aggressive behaviour
and factors determining the course of an encounter. The analyses revealed the importance of both absolute and relative body
size of encountering males. The attack rate increases with the body weight of the lizard and the offenders initializing a contact
phase of the fight tend to be the heavier male of the dyad. This finding together with the ethological details of contests provides
the indirect evidence for the ability of mutual-assessment and/or self-assessment in monitor lizards. The analyses of behavioural
patterns exhibited at the initial phases of the agonistic interactions are congruent with the previous descriptions and compatible
with predictions of the sequential assessment game theory.
ECBB2016
9
A-08. The effect of quantity and quality of diet on male Carpetan rock lizards’ (Iberolacerta
cyreni) activity and risk-taking
Gergely Horvath Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eö tvö s Loránd University,
Budapest, Hungary
J. Martı́n Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
P. Lopez Departmento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, Madrid, Spain
L.Z. Garamszegi , Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Donaña-CSIC, Seville, Spain
G. Herczeg Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest,
Hungary
The main goal of animal personality studies is to identify the key ecological factors underlie consistent between-individual
differences in behaviour. Growing body of evidence suggests that differences in individual state and environmental conditions
plays unequivocal role in the emergence of behavioural consistency during early stages of ontogeny. However, it is still
unclear whether state-variables and short term environmental changes affects the strength of behavioural consistency during
adulthood. Carpetane rock lizard (Iberolacerta cyreni) is a small mountainous lacertid species endemic to the central region
of the Iberian Peninsula. It is known that the provitamin D component of male femoral secretion acts as an honest signal in
sexual communication. Hence, this species offers a good model to test how quantity and quality of food affects behaviour.
Here, by applying a factorial experimental design with high vs. low food treatments and vitamin D supplementation vs. control
treatments, we tested the effects of individual state on behavioural consistency and mean behaviour in wild-caught reproductive
male I. cyreni. Our results revealed no effect of treatments on the strength of behavioural consistency. In contrast, both quantity
and quality of food affected behavioural type. Lizards showed decreased activity in the high food treatment in line with asset
protection theory and increased risk-taking in the low food vitamin D supplementation treatment in line with the terminal
investment principle. We conclude that individual state does not affect short term behavioural consistency but indeed affects
mean behaviour in male I. cyreni.
ECBB2016
10
A-09. Courtship behaviour and SPF pheromone evolution in aquatically reproducing newts
(Salamandridae)
Sunita Janssenswillen Amphibian Evolution Lab Vrije Universiteit Brussel Pleinlaan 2 1050 Brussels Belgium
F. Bossuyt Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Sex pheromones form an important component of sexual communication in aquatically courting newts (Pleurodelinae,
Salamandridae). In the clade of modern Eurasian newts, it was shown that males tail-fan SPF protein pheromones towards the
female, thereby stimulating her into following behavior that is essential for subsequent internal fertilization in the absence of
physical contact. However, the evolution of aquatically reproducing newts is marked by a strong diversification in courtship
strategies, and early newt evolution was likely characterized by males holding females in an amplexus. To understand how
the SPF pheromone system diversified in relation to these changing courtship strategies, we first investigated pheromone use
in the Iberian Ribbed newt Pleurodeles waltl, a species that defines the basal-most split in aquatically courting newts and
displays strong amplexus during courtship. We found that females of this species open their cloaca as a response to male
pheromone application during amplexus. We then combined transcriptomic, genomic, and phylogenetic analyses to reconstruct
the evolution of the SPF pheromone system in nine pleurodeline species with distinct courtship displays. These analyses
indicate that pheromones already served a receptivity-enhancing function in species with amplexus, but diversified and gained
importance in the clade of modern Eurasian newts that lost contact during courtship.
ECBB2016
11
A-10. Adopt, ignore or kill? Parental decisions in a poison frog
Eva Ringler University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
S. Weinlein University of Vienna, Austria
K. Beck University of Vienna, Austria
A. Pas̆ukonis University of Vienna, Austria
M. Ringler University of Vienna, Austria
L. Huber University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
Adults may act supportive, neutral, or hostile towards conspecific progeny. We investigated corresponding behavioural
responses in the poison frog Allobates femoralis, a species with predominant male care. In several experiments we controlled
the territorial and reproductive state of adult males and females, the presence of partners, and the location and parentage
of clutches. Males followed the simple rule ‘care for any clutch inside my territory’, but immediately switched from care to
cannibalism when they encountered clutches outside their territory. Females remembered the exact locations of their oviposition
sites and provided care only for clutches found precisely at these sites. Females preyed upon unrelated clutches only when no
father was simultaneously present. The sex-specific parental care and cannibalism in A. femoralis reflects respective differences
in costs of offspring confusion between the sexes, resulting from differential spatial and reproductive behaviour, and provides
new insights into determinants of non-parental infanticide.
ECBB2016
12
A-11. Evolution towards species-specificity in a protein sex pheromone system
Dag Treer Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Brussels, Belgium
M. Maex Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) , Brussels, Belgium
I. Van Bocxlaer Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) , Brussels, Belgium
F. Bossuyt Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) , Brussels, Belgium
The ability to discriminate potential mates of conspecifics from related species is crucial for successful reproduction. In
aquatically breeding European newts (Salamandridae), different species often coexist in the same pond during the reproductive
season. Male newts use proteins from the Sodefrin Precursor-like Factor (SPF) family to enhance female receptivity during
courtship, and these molecules form an important element of prezygotic reproductive isolation. Recent research highlighted the
long and dynamic evolution of the SPF pheromone system, but mechanisms that govern interspecific pheromone divergence
and the role they play in speciation remain elusive. We combined proteomics and transcriptomics to investigate how speciesspecificity of SPF pheromones evolved by comparing the male repertoire of the alpine newt (Ichthyosaura alpestris) and the
palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus). Both species are relatively closely related, but the females do not show reproductive
behaviour when exposed to pheromones of the heterospecific males. Our analyses demonstrate that, despite the availability of
multiple SPF transcripts that diverged through gene duplications before the speciation, both species largely express orthologs
from the same two clades of SPF proteins. Our findings thus indicate that there have been no dramatic, saltational shifts
in expression of duplicated SPF genes during or after their speciation, and demonstrate that species specificity of protein
pheromones can be obtained by sequence divergence alone. Still, the continuous presence of less expressed SPF transcripts
indicates the potential for rapid recruitment of other SPFs into the pheromone blend, rendering other scenarios of protein
pheromone divergence in salamandrid evolution possible.
ECBB2016
13
A-12. Cross-modal individual recognition in a cooperative fish
Taborsky Barbara Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
S. Fischer Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
F. Cunha Saraiva Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
L. Durrer Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
L. Etter Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
N. Gerber Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
D. Josi Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
E. Oberhummer Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
Recognizing heterospecific or conspecific interaction partners is an important ability of animals when navigating complex
environments. In particular, in highly social animals the ability to individually recognize group members can be crucial to
maintain cooperation and to classify individuals based on their social classes such as mates, kin or rank. Many invertebrates
and vertebrates are known to use ’class-level’ recognition to distinguish conspecifics. In contrast, ’true’ individual recognition,
which involves the association of multiple cues within or between modalities relating to specific individuals, has as yet only
been demonstrated in very few species. A powerful approach to show true individual recognition is to test for cross-modal
recognition by using an expectance violation paradigm. The cooperatively-breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher lives in
stable social groups structured by rank, size and social roles, and these fish should greatly benefit from individual recognition
abilities. Indeed N. pulcher can distinguish between individuals based on visual and/or olfactory cues. It is unknown, however,
(i) what the relative importance of visual vs. olfactory senses is in class-level recognition (ii) and if these fish cross-modally
recognize group members. Here we first show that N. pulcher are equally efficient in distinguishing dangerous from harmless
heterospecifics when only visual or only olfactory cues are provided. Second, when experimentally displaying visual and
olfactory cues either belonging to the same familiar individuals (match) or to two different familiar individuals (mismatch),
conspecifics were more attacked in the mismatch treatment, suggesting that these fish are able to perform true individual
recognition.
ECBB2016
14
A-13. A novel behavioural syndrome and its link to microhabitat selection in an Australian
lizard
Marcus Michelangeli School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
Australia
C.G. Goulet School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
B.B.M. Wong School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
D. G. Chapple School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Australia
Physiology and temperature can have a profound impact on behaviour. Despite this, thermal physiology has yet to be
considered within the personality and behavioural syndrome framework. Here, we present evidence for a novel behavioural
syndrome, the Thermal Behaviour Syndrome (TBS), and how it is linked to variation in microhabitat selection in an Australian
lizard, the delicate skink (Lampropholis delicata). The TBS predicts that an individual’s thermal traits will correspond with
their personality traits. We firstly tested the TBS by measuring the thermal preferences and optimal performance temperature
of individual skinks and linking it to their activity, exploratory, social and boldness behaviours. We then monitored the skink’s
microhabitat selection in an environment containing three substrates differing in thermal characteristics: a vegetated substrate,
rocky substrate and open substrate. Our results, among the first to link behaviour and physiological syndromes, will highlight
how such variation, both within and between populations, can promote niche specialisation.
ECBB2016
15
A-14. Cognitive sex differences in the guppy, Poecilia reticulata
Tyrone Lucon Xiccato Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
A. Bisazza Dipartimento di Psicologia Generale, Università di Padova, Padova, Italy
Although limited to a small number of domains, sex differences are a distinctive feature of mammalian and avian cognition.
Fish are becoming increasingly popular as models for cognitive research, including the study of those cognitive impairments and
diseases that have sex-specific occurrences or sex-specific effects. Yet the existence of cognitive sex differences in fish is still
an unexplored field. To investigate this topic, we compared the performance of male and female guppies, Poecilia reticulata, in
a large number of cognitive tasks based on both training procedures and spontaneous behaviours. In most of our experiments,
such as visual discrimination learning, concept learning, and object recognition, male and female guppies performed similarly,
suggesting that the two sexes possess similar cognitive abilities in many fields. However, we found compelling evidence of
sex differences in spatial and numerical tasks and in aspects of cognition other than cognitive achievement, such as learning
flexibility and decision speed. Some of the sex differences observed in guppies might be related to the ecological differences
between males and females, yet the general pattern of sex differences is similar to that reported in mammals and birds. This
indicates that the rules governing the evolution of sex differences might be the same across all vertebrates and, further, suggests
that fish might be useful as models for cognitive sex differences.
ECBB2016
16
A-15. The deciphering and the understanding of strategies used by living organisms to
ensure the success of their development in ecosystems.
Biron David Laboratoire Microorganismes: Génome et Environnement Campus Universitaire des Cézeaux, France
Many parasite taxa are able of altering a wide range of phenotypic traits of their hosts in ways that seem to improve the
parasite’s chance of completing its life cycle. Alteration in host behaviour are classically seen as compelling illustrations of
the “extended phenotype” concept suggesting that some parasite genes have phenotype effects on the host. Despite increasing
evidence of host phenotypic manipulation by parasites, the underlying mechanisms causing infected hosts to act in ways that
benefit the parasite remain generally enigmatic. Proteomics have been used to lay the foundations of the understanding of
some aspects of manipulation by parasites by using some arthropod host-parasite associations. These pioneer studies reveal
new candidate genes and biochemical pathways potentially involved in the manipulative process of a host by its parasite. In
this talk, the parasite manipulation hypothesis will be briefly presented. Future prospects for a new discipline in proteomics,
the population proteomics, will be presented. This one could be used (i) to study the molecular crosstalk at population scale;
(ii) to test ecological hypothesis on distribution range of species (ex.: Brown’s and EVH hypothesis); (iii) to decipher from
the molecule to the habitat the taking-decisions to choice a microclimate by injurious and beneficial insects living alone or
in association with a parasite; (iv) the behavioural strategies used to reach microclimates in an habitat. Finally, I will briefly
present the application of proteomic tools to environmental problems for generating hypotheses regarding how xenobiotics
could affect host-parasite associations in ecosystems.
ECBB2016
17
A-16. Insights into mammalian sperm competition from proteomics
Paula Stockley University of Liverpool
The application of proteomics is generating exciting new insights into the mechanisms and consequences of post-copulatory
sexual selection. Focusing on rodent models, I will discuss how we are applying proteomics tools to reveal remarkable adaptive
variation and plasticity in ejaculate composition (both seminal fluid proteins and sperm) under sperm competition, as well as
how these findings are being integrated with morphological and behavioural data. The multidisciplinary approaches employed
in these studies have much potential for broad application across diverse animal taxa.
ECBB2016
18
A-17. Courtship pheromones in the Mexican axolotl
Margo Maex Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) Brussels, Belgium
I. Van Bocxlaer Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
A. Mortier Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of
Leuven, Belgium
P. Proost Laboratory of Molecular Immunology, Department of Microbiology and Immunology, KU Leuven - University of
Leuven, Belgium
F. Bossuyt Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)
Pheromones play a crucial role in salamander courtship and until now, only plethodontid and salamandrid courtship pheromones
have been studied intensively, while knowledge on chemical communication in other urodelan families is essentially lacking.
Mole salamanders (Ambystomatidae) diverged about 150 million years ago from salamandrids and therefore constitute a long
branch of unexplored evolutionary history in amphibian evolution. The best-known ambystomatid, the axolotl (Ambystoma
mexicanum), has been serving as a model organism since the mid-19th century and observational records on its reproductive
behaviour are readily available. During courtship, males widely open their cloaca while undulating their body and tail. A
responsive female orients herself towards the male’s cloaca, follows him and eventually picks up the sperm package deposited
by the male in the environment. Although axolotls display courtship behaviour that suggests a key role for pheromones in
the orchestration of their sexual behaviour, pheromones of this species have not yet been characterized. Here we combined
proteomic analyses with transcriptome analyses (RNASeq) of the male cloaca to show that male axolotls secrete multiple
sodefrin precursor-like factor (SPF) proteins in the water during courtship. In combination with phylogenetic analyses, our data
show that the male cloaca secretes a courtship-specific clade of SPF proteins that are orthologous with salamandrid courtship
pheromones. In addition, we identified an SPF protein for which no orthologs have been described from other salamanders
so far. Overall, our study advocates a central role for SPF proteins in axolotl courtship and presents a small set of promising
pheromone candidates that can be studied in future behavioural experiments.
ECBB2016
19
A-18. Diversity of major urinary proteins in populations of wild house mice
Penn Dustin Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
Medicine, Vienna, Vienna, Austria
M. Thoß Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
V. Enk Vetcore Facility for Research, Proteomics Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
H. Yu Vetcore Facility for Research, Proteomics Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
I. Miller Institute of Medical Biochemistry, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna,
Vienna, Austria
K.C. Luzynski Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
B. Balint Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
S. Smith Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
E. Razzazi-Fazeli Vetcore Facility for Research, Proteomics Unit, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Major urinary proteins (MUPs) are often suggested to be highly polymorphic, and thereby provide unique chemical signatures
for individual and kin recognition. However, studies on the variability of MUPs in wild populations have been lacking. We
surveyed variation in MUP genes and proteins in a sample of 48 individuals in 8 populations of wild house mice (Mus musculus
musculus). Surprisingly, we found no inter-individual diversity of MUP genes, and remarkably low levels of allelic diversity at
microsatellite markers throughout the MUP cluster (and significantly lower diversity than markers outside this region). Using
proteomic techniques, we also found low inter-individual variation in MUP proteins, even among mice with variable MUP
electrophoretic profiles. An additional shotgun proteomic approach using high-resolution mass spectrometry showed that gelbased methods previously used to study MUPs do not provide measures of MUP protein diversity. In sum, MUPs do not show
the high diversity often assumed, and their influence on individual odour and inbreeding avoidance should be re-evaluated.
Instead of investigating how selection drives high diversity, as we originally planned, we now aim to explain the remarkable
homogeneity of MUP genes and microsatellites inside this large cluster.
ECBB2016
20
A-19. Having more options than competitors does not mean that you could be choosy
Francois Xavier Dechaume Moncharmont Biogéosciences, CNRS, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
T. Brom Biogéosciences, CNRS, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France, university Pierre-et-Marie-Curie
Paris
F. Cézilly Biogéosciences, CNRS, University of Burgundy, Dijon, France
Most models of sexual selection rely on the implicit assumption that individuals can freely identify the best mates in a
heterogeneous population. Comparatively, few studies have investigated the consequences of the mate sampling process itself.
The sampling strategies studied from theoretical or experimental perspectives belong to two families of decision rules: best-ofn strategies (individuals sample n partners before choosing the best one within this pool) or threshold strategies (individuals
sequentially sample the available partners and choose the first one whose quality exceeds a threshold criterion). Almost all
models studying these strategies neglect the effect of scramble competition. If each paired individual is removed from the
population of available partners, the distribution of partner quality dynamically changes as a function of the strategies of the
other competitors. By means of simple simulations assuming opportunity costs, to the exclusion of all other costs, we show
that scramble competition is a sufficient constraint to severely impair the evolution of choosy decision rules. In most cases, the
evolutionary stable strategy is to have a very low acceptance threshold or to sample two individuals at most in the population.
This result may explain some discrepancies between predictions from previous models and their experimental validations. It
also emphasizes the importance of considering the pairing process in studies of sexual selection.
ECBB2016
21
A-20. Sexual selection on acrobatics displays in a hybrid zone
Leonida Fusani Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, and Department of
Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
A particularly spectacular category of behavioural ornamentations that are thought to have evolved via sexual selection
are the elaborate courtship displays performed by males of many species. Despite their widespread presence in a number of
animal taxa, we know very little about the mechanisms underlying the evolution of elaborate courtship behaviours. A few
species have been studied to estimate the energy requirements of courtship or the hormonal activation of relatively simple
courtship behaviours. However, our knowledge about the processes of selection on elaborate displays is scarce. In this talk, I
present our recent work on the elaborate courtship of tropical manakins of the genus Manacus. Our studies indicate that in
M. vitellinus females prefer males based on their neuromuscular skills and that elaborate courtship displays evolve to signal
these traits. There are several species of Manacus which are closely related and differ mainly for the plumage of the collar.
Previous work has shown an important role for plumage in driving speciation in a hybrid zone. However, the role of selection
on patterns of acrobatic behavior in this context has not been investigated. We compared by means of high-speed videography
the courtship display of M. vitellinus, M. candei and their hybrids. We found that the latter shows intermediate patterns of
display performance, suggesting that female preference for specific aspects of the courtship display may participate to the
speciation process in Manacus.
ECBB2016
22
A-21. “The sour and sweets of citizen science: the taste of an emerging field”
Anett Richter Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research - UFZ German Centre for Integrative Biodiversity Research
(iDiv) Halle-Jena-Leipzig
Currently, many countries in Europe experience a rise in projects that refer themselves as “citizen science projects”.
Accompanied with this increase in citizen science activities is a medial, public but also political attention given to citizen
science. My talk provides insights into the development of citizen science in life sciences and reflects on the added value of
citizen science for science and society. During the last two years I coordinated a national citizen science capacity building
program aiming at fostering networking activities among citizen science actors, facilitating the dialogue and developing citizen
science resources such as a citizen science strategy. Further the project embraced the discussion on the integration of citizen
science in science and society along with the challenges and limits.On the basis of the projects results the overalls aims of my
presentation are a) to inform about the variety of citizen science forms and formats set in a historical and current setting, b)
to highlight the innovative potential of citizen science for science and society based on examples and finally c) to inspire to
become part of the citizen science movement we experience nationally and internationally. My presentation starts with some
historical background on the earlier attempts to define citizen science and shedding light on the current understanding of citizen
science and elsewhere. Building upon this introduction I describe the potentials of citizen science identified by members of
science and society and highlight the diversity of these potentials. At the final end I provide some tipps and tricks how citizen
science can be implemented in life science and refer to some pitfalls that may arise when setting up a citizen science project.
ECBB2016
23
A-22. Exploring biodiversity in our backyards - challenges and chances involving pupils in
citizen science
Silvia Winter Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences Vienna
J. Kelemen-Finan Lower Austrian Nature Conservation Academy, Stockerau, Austria
K. Plenk Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
(BOKU), Austria
S. Stadler Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
(BOKU), Austria
B. Pachinger Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
(BOKU), Austria
Nora Stöckl Institute for Integrative Nature Conservation Research, University of Natural Resources and Life Sciences, Vienna
(BOKU), Austria
M. Scheuch Austrian Educational Competence Centre for Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
M. Bardy-Durchhalter Austrian Educational Competence Centre for Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Gardens are important habitats for many species that declined in modern agricultural landscapes. Citizens can easily observe
wildlife in their gardens, while biologists may not get access to these sites. The citizen science project “Nature in your backyard
- citizen science for schools” joins scientists, NGOs and government departments with 16 schools from Austria. The aim of
this project is to link presence and relative abundance of hedgehogs, a set of bird and butterfly species, as well as wild bees’
activities, to garden structure and management as well as to the surrounding land use. Pupils use online or printed survey forms
to gather information on garden type, management and structures as well as on wildlife observations in their school and private
gardens. The scientists provide identification guides, experimental protocols and hands-on trainings of teachers and pupils at
the respective garden sites. Pupils and teachers perception on project tasks and organisation were evaluated by online surveys
(pupils) and interviews (teachers). Within the first project year pupils performed 300 garden interviews, set up 77 hedgehog
tracking tunnels, and observed wild bees in 54, butterflies in 83 and birds in 50 gardens. Exciting tasks with special equipment
were favoured, while online data entry was the most unpopular duty. The variety of animal groups was attractive for pupils but
challenging for ensuring data reliability especially regarding identification skills of bird and butterfly species. Children from
primary schools had the highest intrinsic motivation and collected most data. However, teacher’s dedication to the project had
a larger influence on data output and quality than school type or pupils’ age.
ECBB2016
24
A-23. Behavioural biology and science education: Approach and results on greylag geese
and Northern bald ibis
Didone Frigerio Core facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition; University of Vienna; Fischerau 11; 4645 Grünau im
Almtal (Austria)
A number of scientific programmes involve non-professional scientists in the collection as well as analysis of data providing
clear benefits for the scientific community. Furthermore, recent scientific research provides increasing evidence for the importance of promoting scientific skills among children. We aim at presenting the methodological approach applied in order to
involve pupils aged from 5 to 16 in the long term monitoring of two avian species, the highly social and long-lived greylag
goose (Anser anser) and the critically endangered Northern bald ibis (Geronticus eremita). The semi-tame flock of greylag
geese as well as the free flying colony of bald ibises of the Core Facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition in Upper Austria
offer a unique opportunity for school-children to work with free-living animals, as they are habituated to the close presence of
humans. We focussed on the children’s capability of (1) monitoring goose behaviour in a reliable and standardized way and (2)
sighting the ibises and recognising them individually. The pupils were trained at school as well as in the field. Their reliability
was tested using analyses of video sequences with a group of professional behavioural biologists as control. Results showed
no significant differences between the performance of pupils and professional biologists (number of correct observations).
Furthermore, the pupils engaged in interviewing the local people in order to investigate their awareness about the studied birds
as well their opinion about natural science research. Our data hints at the potential long and short term benefits of promoting
close collaborations between education and research, suggesting the future development of citizen science as an emerging field.
Funded by SPA-05/26.
ECBB2016
25
A-24. Dialects of Czech Yellowhammers - a successful citizen science project on bird song
variation
Lucie Diblikova Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
P. Pipek Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
A. Petrusek Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
J. Svoboda Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
P. Procházka Institute of Vertebrate Biology, Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, Czech Republic
Z. Vermouzek Czech Society for Ornithology, Czech Republic
T. Petrusková Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Citizen science projects, which bring research closer to public but also are valuables source of data for scientists, have
become recently very popular. Our project “Dialects of Czech Yellowhammers” (DCY, www.strnadi.cz) is a good example of
involving the public in behavioural research. Its aim was, with the help of volunteers, to map the distribution of dialects of the
Yellowhammer in the Czech Republic. This species is a great candidate for such study, as its simple and characteristic song
can be easily recognized, no specialized equipment is needed to record it in quality sufficient for dialect identification, and
the species’ singing period is very long (February to September). The DCY project was launched in 2011, when the species
was chosen as the Bird of the Year by the Czech Society for Ornithology to highlight the vulnerability of birds in agricultural
landscape. During four years of DCY, we obtained with the help of over 160 people more than 4000 recordings covering
most of the country. This makes the Czech Republic the best covered country in terms of bird dialects. It was proven once
again that for a success of such a project, quality feedback and promotion are essential. It also paid off to involve natural
human competitiveness: gamification, introduced in the third and fourth year of the project, motivated volunteers to collect
data in less covered regions. The project could never be as successful without the involvement of strong partners, the Czech
Society for Ornithology and a popular science show of the Czech Radio. Thanks to data from DCY, we know the country-wide
distributional patterns of Yellowhammer dialects with unprecedented precision, which allows us to specifically test hypotheses
about the origin and maintenance of dialect boundaries.
ECBB2016
26
A-25. Citizen science and stakeholder dialogue as important components for conservation
- the example of farmer-cheetah conflict in Namibia
Melzheimer Joerg Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
B. Wachter Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
Citizen scientists typically collect data or samples for research projects they have a particular interest in. By doing so, they
often allow scientists to tackle questions that might not be achieved without their help. For projects addressing human-wildlife
conflicts, it is important to develop first close relationships to the stakeholders affected by the conflicts. Involving stakeholders
as citizen scientists can increase the chance to build a trustful bond to the project. Farmers in rural Namibia are stakeholders in
the conservation of various carnivore species. Economic revenue of Namibian farmers strongly depends on livestock farming,
but cheetahs occasionally feed on livestock, thereby potentially decreasing the farmer’s income. This has generated conflict
between farmers and cheetahs, and as a consequence, large numbers of cheetahs have been eliminated by farmers in the past. In
the current project, we developed and maintained an intensive relationship with farmers by involving them in the planning and
in the realisation of a long-term project on habitat use, food preferences, health and reproduction of Namibian cheetahs. Our
results enabled the farmers to substantially reduce their losses by adapting their livestock management to the spatial movements
of cheetahs. Our success in reducing the farmer-cheetah conflict motivated the farmers to take the unusual initiative of writing
a research proposal for a leopard project to a local funding agency. The granted funds allowed us to start a leopard project
which strongly profited from the existing stakeholder dialogue and collaboration. In our view, this approach has significant
potential to develop truly sustainable land use and conservation strategies and contribute to the minimisation of human-wildlife
conflicts.
ECBB2016
27
A-26. Emotional attachments humans for reptilian species: interpreting fear of snakes
Daniel Frynta Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, NIMH (National Institute of
Mental Haelth), Czech Republic
M. Janovcová Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, NIHM(National Institute of Mental Health) Klecany, Czech
Republic,
S. Lis̆ková NIHM(National Institute of Mental Health) Klecany, Czech Republic,
E. Landová Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic, NIHM(National Institute of Mental Health) Klecany, Czech
Republic
Several animal species are able to evoke emotions in human subjects during an encounter. As these emotions, both positive and
negative, are essential for a formation of our attitudes to particular taxa, they have considerable consequences for conservation
and survival of endangered species. This study has focused on emotions elicited by reptiles. Respondents were exposed to
sets of standardized stimuli, i.e., photos of selected turtles, crocodiles and squamates, each depicting a representative of a
particular subfamily, randomly selected from the list of extant species belonging to that clade. Then, they were asked to
evaluate these animals according to three emotional axes, i.e., their perceived joy (beauty), fear and disgust. The measures
of beauty and disgust were strongly negatively correlated to each other, while the fear axis was distinct. A detailed analysis
revealed a positive effect of several morphological traits (e.g. the head length, eye size, and presence of limbs) and other
perceptual characteristics (e.g. green color, pattern complexity) on “beauty” of the species. Chelonians and crocodiles tended
to be evaluated as fairly beautiful, while the squamates were placed along the whole beauty-disgust gradient. Surprisingly, fear
was negatively correlated with disgust among examined snake species. Thus, the gradient of snake species arranged according
to the emotional attachment of humans has two extremes, the beautiful species evoking fear belong to the first one while those
which are both ugly and disgusting to the other. This finding shed a new light on the fear module in the human brain, its
function and evolution.
ECBB2016
28
A-27. Laterality in horses
Krueger Konstanze Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Department Equine
Economics, Germany and University of Regensburg, Zoology / Evolutionary Biology, Germany
Laterality in animals may be discerned in body asymmetry, motor laterality (the preferred use of hands, claws, paws or
legs on one side), and sensory laterality (the preference for one eye, ear or nostril for perception). While body asymmetry
develops in the foetus, sensory laterality develops early and motor laterality slightly later in maturing animals. Sensory and
motor laterality are a result of one sided processing of information in the brain hemispheres. As the brain hemispheres are
specialised, and are connected with controlateral eyes, ears and extremities, their lateral use can potentially provide insight into
the type of information processed in the respective brain hemispheres. Left sensory organs and extremities are predominantly
connected with reactive, emotional reactions, for example, fear or joy, while right sided sensory organs and extremities are
connected with rational, controlled behaviour. Motor laterality shifts to the left in animals with long term stress and poor
welfare and may, over time, reflect a cognitive bias for the particular individual’s emotional or rational behaviour. In wild and
feral horses motor laterality is evenly distributed, whereas domestic horses show an increased left lateralisation with increased
age. In sensory organ use, horses prefer the left eye to observe humans and objects, and the right ear to listen to whinnies of
their conspecifics. Left laterality increases when horses approach unfamiliar persons, in emotional situations and when they
are stressed. Initial research results suggest that a shift to the left in sensory laterality may indicate fast reactions to stress,
whereas a shift to the left in motor laterality may indicate delayed reactions during prolonged stress.
ECBB2016
29
A-28. Laterality and animal welfare: examples from pigs and other vertebrates
Lisette Leliveld Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf,
Germany
S. Düpjan Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
B. Puppe Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf, Germany
Behavioural Sciences, Agricultural and Environmental Scienüces Faculty, University of Rostock, Rostock, Germany
Cerebral lateralization is a widespread phenomenon across vertebrate (and even non-vertebrate) species and is suggested
to have evolved to increase the efficiency of cerebral processes, including emotional processing. Cerebral lateralization of
emotional processing can be expressed in two ways. First, it can be found in population level asymmetries in the processing of
different affective states, with a left hemisphere dominance for responding to food rewards, and a right hemisphere dominance
for fear and aggression. Secondly, individual lateralization patterns, for example as expressed through simple motor tasks,
can be associated with distinct patterns of emotional processing like trait anxiety. Understanding both population level and
individual patterns of cerebral lateralization can hence broaden our insight into an animal’s emotional state and emotional
reactivity (or personality). Both an animal’s emotional state and personality are important components of animal welfare,
but are often difficult to study. Cerebral lateralization may therefore provide new approaches in the study of animal welfare,
making it particularly interesting to study in domestic species, such as farm animals. This presentation will provide an overview
of emotional lateralization across vertebrate species, using examples from studies on mouse lemurs and domestic pigs. Both
mouse lemurs and pigs seem to show lateralized processing of emotionally charged vocalizations. Also in both species there are
indications that motor lateralization is affected by differences in personality. To conclude, lateralization research can provide
new opportunities for improving the welfare of farm animals, like pigs, both by increasing our understanding of their emotions
and by improving animal husbandry.
ECBB2016
30
A-29. Why are my fish not all lateralised? Fast versus slow explorers
Jonathan L C England Bangor University, UK
Katherine A Jones Bangor University, UK
Most vertebrates and even certain invertebrates tend to preferentially use a certain hemisphere of their brain, hence a certain
side of their body (e.g. hand, eye), to manipulate objects or get information from their environment (i.e. laterality). The
presence of this asymmetry is partly explained by the ability to increase the brain’s efficiency (e.g. shorter reaction time,
better performance in learning and spatial orientation). However, in a population, not all individuals are always lateralised
and this variation is proving challenging to explain. Evidence suggest that differences in how fast individuals explore their
environment might reflect different strategies in acquiring, processing, storing and using information (i.e. cognitive styles). Fast
and slow exploration strategies differ in their probabilities of meeting rewards or risks and are therefore not under the same
constraints. Using a wild population of three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) we tested the hypothesis that slow
and fast explorers (in a novel environment) differ in their levels of laterality to achieve different cognitive abilities, that reflect
different strategies.
ECBB2016
31
A-30. Dismantling the myths associated with left-handedness - a large internet study on
handedness-related fitness traits in humans.
Nele Zickert University of Groningen
A.G.G. Groothuis University of Groningen
R.H. Geuze University of Groningen
In the lateralization of limb preference, humans take a special position in the animal kingdom since they are among the
rare species showing a clear and consistent population bias towards one side. Reaching back into Paleolithic times and in
most current societies, around 90% of humans are right-handers. To explain the small but persistent share of left-handers,
evolutionary biologists often refer to the phenomenon that left-handers seem to have a fitness disadvantage due to health
problems but at the same time benefit from negative frequency dependent selection on fitness enhancing traits related to their
hand preference, such as enhanced chances on winning aggressive interactions and creativity. Using an internet questionnaire
we tested the associations between strength or direction of hand preference and health, aggression, and creativity, as well
as the number of children. The large response (N>25000) with over 60% of left-handers avoided the usual case of only a
small sample of left-handers, resulting in both groups being equally-represented. Against expectations from the literature we
found no evidence that left-handers are more prone to diseases, more creative and more aggressive, or win more aggressive
interactions than right-handers. In contrast, less strongly lateralized individuals differ in these aspects, including the number
of children, from more strongly lateralized subjects. However, hand preference measurements explained only a very small part
of the variance in dependent variables. Our other research on human lateralization, indicates that the classification in direction
and strength of handedness results in very heterogeneous groups with respect to other lateralized and personality traits and
that the above mentioned hypotheses are far too simple.
ECBB2016
32
A-31. Consequences of predator-induced phenotypic plasticity in a cichlid fish
Meuthen Denis Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn
S.A. Baldauf Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn
T.C.M. Bakker Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn
T. Thünken Institute for Evolutionary Biology and Ecology, University of Bonn
Phenotypic plasticity allows individuals to adjust their phenotype in order to optimally respond to the environment, for
example to predation. However, plastic modifications are supposed to be costly and little is known about the long-term
consequences of a plastic response. Here, we report the results of a long-term study on perpetual effects of antipredator
phenotypic plasticity in Pelvicachromis taeniatus, a West African river cichlid fish with mutual mate choice and conspicuous
ornamentation in both sexes. Predator presence was simulated by exposing fish to conspecific alarm cues. In aquatic animals,
chemical alarm cues are passively released by injured individuals during a predation event and thus reliably signal predation risk
to conspecifics. We applied a split-clutch rearing design and exposed fish continuously since fry stage to either conspecific alarm
cues or control treatments for a time period of 2 years. Throughout ontogeny we continuously documented fish morphology and
additionally sexual ornamentation in adults. Fish behavior was examined in different contexts ranging from juvenile shoaling
to mate choice in adult fish. Our results allow inferences about age- and sex-specific plasticity and how predator-induced
plasticity may lead to altered patterns of natural and sexual selection.
ECBB2016
33
A-32. Competition for mate access enhances learning and plasticity in female choosiness
Matthias Galipaud Department for Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University
T. Müller Bielefeld University, Chemical Ecology, Germany
L. Engqvist University of Bern, Department of Behavioural Ecology, Switzerland
Within populations, individuals can vary in their ability to plastically adjust their behaviour to new environmental conditions.
We here investigated theoretically how competition for resources and individual differences in behaviour due to past experience
affect such behavioural plasticity. By means of an individual based model, we simulated a population of females differing in
their level of choosiness for male partners. We then investigated how female initial choosiness acquired through past experience,
as well as the level of competition for mate access, affected their ability to learn about mate quality distribution in new patches.
Choosy females generally learned, and thus adjusted their choosiness level, faster than non-choosy females. This is because a
choosy female arriving in a patch containing mostly unattractive males initially rejected many of them. She thereby sampled a
large number of potential partners, rapidly learned about mate quality distribution and became non-choosy accordingly. Learning
potential was also affected by the number and the behaviour of female competitors in the new patch. In patches containing
mostly unattractive males, a female generally learned faster to become non-choosy when competing with choosy rather than
non-choosy females. Choosy competitors initially tended to even increase the proportion of available unattractive males in
the patch by monopolising attractive males. We discuss the importance of such constraints on the evolution of behavioural
plasticity and on consistent differences in choosiness between individuals in populations.
ECBB2016
34
B-01. An information-theoretic framework for understanding social dilemmas
Leif Engqvist Department of Behavioural Ecology, University of Bern, Switzerland
Adaptive decision making depends on the quality of available information. Reliable information about their environment
is necessary for individuals to be able to make accurate decisions regarding a multitude of tasks such as where to breed or
forage, but also with whom and how to socially interact. Yet, the significance of direct or indirect information involved in
social decisions is little understood. While acquiring information about social partners is essential for coordinating actions in
conflict and cooperative dilemmas, it is not always in individuals’ best interest to reveal information about their own actions.
Thus social information has both the potential to enable and obstruct the evolution of complex social interactions. Here I
will give a brief overview of theoretical approaches tackling these questions and the insights regarding the evolution of social
communication strategies we might gain from them.
ECBB2016
35
B-02. Vocal negotiation over the sharing of incubation in a bird species with bi-parental
care
Vignal Clementine Université de Lyon / Saint-Etienne
Ingrid C.A. Boucaud Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR
In species with bi-parental care, parents adjust their workload in relation to that of their partner. The ability to coordinate
parental investment with each other is likely to affect the outcomes of crucial parental tasks, but whether mates communicate
to coordinate their behaviour during parental care has rarely been addressed. Here we examined partners’ vocal communication
at the nest during the incubation of eggs in zebra finches, Taeniopygia guttata. Zebra finches form life-long monogamous pair
bonds, in which partners are highly coordinated and both incubate. Partners produce vocal exchanges each time they meet at
the nest that can be characterized as duets. Some duets end in nest-relief (when birds take turns incubating and foraging) but
some do not (when the foraging mate vocally interacts with its incubating partner by coming inside or in the vicinity of the
nest). Using recordings on wild birds breeding in nest-boxes, we showed that the structure of the duet predicted its outcome
(relief or not), with a parent communicating its readiness to leave or to stay in the nest by modifying its vocal repertoire as
well as the acoustic structure of one particular call type. Using domesticated birds breeding in a large aviary, we found that
delaying the male’s return to the nest before the relief induced shorter duets with higher call rate. In addition, we tracked
individuals’ presence at the nest with a transponder and showed that females’ time off-nest during their subsequent shift was
best predicted by their mates’ calling behaviour in the previous duet. Taken together, these results suggest that duets may
function as vocal negotiation over parental care.
ECBB2016
36
B-03. The role of communication when Norway rats reciprocate help
Schweinfurth Manon Department of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern
N. Gerber University of Zurich, Switzerland,
M. Taborsky University of Bern, Switzerland,
Reciprocal cooperation, where one individual helps another because the latter had previously helped, is one mechanism to
maintain cooperation between unrelated individuals. However, how non-human animals negotiate about such help is poorly
understood. Communicating cooperation propensity and need is supposed to modify helping motivation, but such signals have
rarely been demonstrated. Norway rats provide food reciprocally among social partners. Here, we investigated whether rats
signal (i) their need to receive help and (ii) their cooperative tendency. We measured the transmission of information between
rats in a reciprocal food exchange task. Rats solicited help from their social partners by a sequence of visual and acoustic
signals with increasing intensity. These behaviours were expressed with higher intensity if individuals had been food deprived.
In return, potential donors increased their help levels according to the intensity of transmitted signals. To test whether rats
signal their cooperative tendency, subjects were allowed to donate food to an individual that was combined with the smell of
either an individual that was helpful or an individual refusing help. Rats based their decision to help on the presented smell
and provided more food when a cooperative smell was delivered. We conclude that rats signal their level of need and their
helping propensity, and partners respond by adjusting their help to them accordingly. Such signals can be reliable because
reciprocally cooperating partners share interests and false signals can be punished by refraining future help.
ECBB2016
37
B-04. Do eavesdroppers listen? differences in information use during mobbing events by
‘information scroungers’.
Nora Carlson University of St Andrews, Scotland
Sue Healy University of St Andrews, Scotland
Chris Templeton University of St Andrews, Scotland
Avian mobbing is a behaviour that includes, in many cases, a number of species cooperating to harass and drive off a shared
predator. In these mobbing events different species are thought to play different roles. For example, primary ‘information
source’ species encode information about predator threat in their calls, hold the core of the group together, and engage in
this behaviour regardless of the presence of other species. ‘Information scroungers’, on the other hand, are thought to use
the information produced by other species without providing any of their own. Yet, some of these ‘scrounging’ species do
engage in mobbing and produce mobbing vocalizations. To determine whether these ‘information scroungers’ really do only
scrounge information or whether, like producing species, they encode information in their own mobbing calls, we simulated
predator encounters to flocks of songbirds that contained an ‘information source’ (blue tits) and two species thought to be
‘information scroungers’ (robins and dunnocks) using robotic taxidermy mounts of different threat level. We tested whether
robins and dunnocks encoded information about predators in their own calls, and if the presence of blue tits affected their
vocal behaviour. We found that robins do not encode information about predators in their own calls, unless blue tits are absent,
while dunnocks encode information in their own calls regardless of blue tit presence. This difference in information use by
two ‘information scroungers’ suggests that not all species thought to be scroungers rely solely on heterospecific information
and may, in fact, be sources of information themselves.
ECBB2016
38
B-05. Is larval begging in ants a question yet solved? A study in Ectatomma tuberculatum
Matilde Sauvaget Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Université Paris, France
L. Picherit LEEC, University of Paris
F. Savarit LEEC, University of Paris
H. G. Rö del LEEC, University of Paris
D. Fresneau LEEC, University of Paris
R. Fénéron LEEC, University of Paris
Communication between parents and offspring is assumed to optimize food provisioning. Begging display can thus be found
across a wide range of taxa, including insects. In highly social species where dependent larvae are numerous, such display
could promote food delivery by workers in a cooperative way. Here we tested the occurrence of begging display in the ant
Ectatomma tuberculatum. We investigated if individual larvae displayed specific behaviour just before being fed. To this end,
we compared the behaviours of larvae to be fed to the behaviours of other unfed larvae, in small experimental groups with
workers and where food supply was controlled. We also recorded the location of all larvae within a group to test for an influence
of behaviour of neighbouring larvae in food distribution. First fed larvae displayed frequent movements of the anterior part of
the body in response to worker contacts. The probability of being fed was significantly and positively associated with these
increased movements. Movements of unfed larvae differed significantly according to larval location: individual larvae showed
more movements when being in close proximity to another larva which will be fed thereafter. However, the probability of
a larva to be fed was not significantly associated with increased neighbouring larvae movements. Consequently, our results
suggest that starved E. tuberculatum larvae display movements, which could be considered as begging behaviour, and it cannot
be excluded that neighbour larvae play a role. Moreover, unlike previous studies, our results also showed that larval begging
movements followed worker contacts. Our study thus provides deeper insights into patterns of communication during larval
food provisioning in ants.
ECBB2016
39
B-06. Marmoset pair formation: Like will to like?
Yvonne Zuercher Department of Anthropology, University Zürich
B. Kunz University of Zürich, Switzerland
J.Burkart University of Zürich, Switzerland
Common marmoset are cooperatively breeding New World monkeys and breeding pairs form strong social bonds. Breeding
males contribute significantly in raising infants, and more strongly bonded partners engage more in infant care. As a consequence, marmosets heavily rely on finding a suitable mate with whom they can form a strong social bond. To test whether social
background, experience and familiarity play a role in social bonding and therefore could be important for partner choice, we
longitudinally followed the pair formation process of newly formed breeding dyads, six composed of individuals form the same
colony and five from different colonies. Individuals form the same colony share a common dialect and are presumably familiar
with each other from auditory, but not from visual or physical contact. Vocalization recordings and behavioral observation
were collected for 9 weeks to record vocal adaptation and pair formation processes. The behavioral data were categorized by a
PCA, leading to two main factors, a “friendship”-factor (grooming, huddling, co-feeding, food-sharing) and a “sexual”-factor
(mounting, mating). Pairs with partners from two different colonies showed a weaker pair bond than pairs from the same colony
with regard to the “friendship”-factor, but there was no difference with regard to the “sexual” factor. Previous experience with
a mate did not influence the new pair formation. Pairs from the same colony might have formed stronger bonds due to a shared
dialect, or perhaps because their auditory contact prior or being paired. Further, they might be more strongly related, which
might have influenced their pair bond.
ECBB2016
40
B-07. Responsiveness to conspecific distress calls is influenced by day-roost proximity in
bats (Saccopteryxbilineata)
Maria Eckenweber Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Germany
M. Knörnschild Free University Berlin, Germany, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama
Distress calls are a widespread signal of extreme physical distress, e.g. being caught by a predator. The calls are generally
low-frequent and noisy and thereby appropriate to reach conspecifics over a large distance or to startle the predator away. In
some bat species it is known that distress calls attract conspecifics.Since many bats occupy perennial day-roosts, they might
adapt their responsiveness to distress calls according to the social relevance in which distress calls are broadcast. Specifically,
we hypothesized that conspecific distress calls broadcasted within or in proximity to a perennial day-roost would elicit a
stronger responsiveness than distress calls broadcasted at a foraging site. We analysed distress calls and conducted playback
experiments with the greater sac-winged bat, Saccopteryxbilineata, a Neotropical insectivorous bat which occupies perennial
day-roosts with a stable social group composition. Saccopteryxbilineatareacted significantly different to distress call playbacks
depending on where the playbacks were conducted. Bats were attracted to distress call playbacks within the day-roostand in
proximity to it, but showed no obvious response to distress call playbacks at a foraging site. Hence, the bats adapted their
responsiveness towards distress calls depending on the social relevance in which distress calls were broadcasted. Distress calls
within the day-roost or in proximity to it are probably perceived as a greater threat and thus have a higher behavioral relevance
than distress calls at foraging sites, either because bats want to assess the predation risk or because they engage in mobbing
behaviour.
ECBB2016
41
B-08. Social dynamics in a litter of free-ranging wolves (Canis lupus italicus)
Martina Lazzaroni Messerli Research Institute and Wolf Science Center
S. Cafazzo Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
M. Colombari Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
M. Russignan Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
F. Range1; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
S. Marshall-Pescini Messerli Research Institute and Wolf Science Center
The concept of hierarchical organization in wolves has been recently questioned. It has been suggested that, while it could
be used to evaluate social dynamics of non-related captive packs, relationships in the typical wolf family should be better
described as parents-offspring relationships (e.g. Mech & Cluff 2010). However, at least in some canids species, there is
evidence of an early established hierarchy between littermates, but to date no quantitative assessment on free ranging wolves
has been carried out. In the current pilot study, we located the rendezvous-site of a pack of free ranging wolves in the Italian
Apennines. The pack was composed of 6 puppies (age: 3-8 months) and 3 adults. A total of 114 hours of observations using
video cameras were collected and all social behaviours (affiliative, submissive, dominant, aggressive) amongst littermates were
analysed. When calculating a hierarchical order based on the dominant behaviours performed, the Directional Consistency Index
(DCI) and the Linearity Index (h’) were high (DCI= 0.88; h’= 0.88, P=0.06; corrected for unknown relationships: ttri=1.00, p=
0.043), suggesting the presence of a hierarchical organization within the litter. In contrast, affiliative behaviours were performed
between all littermates (DCI=0.34), however, interestingly the frequency of affiliative behaviours also showed a strong and
significant linearity (h’= 0.88, P=0.04). Indeed affiliative behaviours occurred more often from subordinate to dominant puppies
(GLMM: z=2.23, P=0.026). The results highlight the importance of dominance relationships amongst littermates in wolves and
suggest that they may influence also the expression of affiliative behaviours.
ECBB2016
42
B-09. Counting Crows: Fission-Fusion Dynamics in an Urban Population of Crows (Corvus
corone ssp.)
Florian Uhl Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Fission-fusion dynamics, i.e. changes in group size and composition, are an important factor in social complexity. This study
investigates fission-fusion dynamics of a flock of Carrion and Hooded Crows (Corvus corone sp.) in an urban environment.
Wild crows often form seemingly anonymous flocks; yet recent studies from captivity suggest that groups may be structured.
I observed wild crows living in and around the Tiergarten Schönbrunn (Zoo Vienna), Austria, over the course of one year.
Individual information on over 300 birds was available, as these birds had been caught, measured and marked. I was interested
in i) which individuals were present, when and where in the zoo, ii) whether or not the crows were found in groups (i.e. within
five metres of one another crow) and iii) which environmental factors (e.g. weather, temperature, time, date, and number of
visitors) could explain patterns of flock and group formation, respectively. As expected, the size of the local flock varied
strongly over the course of the year, with few birds being present in the zoo during the breeding period. The composition of
the local population also changed over time and crows could be categorized according to their residency pattern as locals or
as different types of visitors. The time of day, season, temperature and weather had strong influences on the size of the local
flock. In contrast, the area of the zoo, the age class of the birds, the season of the year as well as the time of the day affected
the group formation within the flock. These findings suggest that environmental factors may have significant effects on group
formation, as well as on group structure, thereby influencing the chances of individuals interacting.
ECBB2016
43
B-10. Social attention is biased towards close affiliates in rhesus macaques
Schuelke Oliver Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Germany 2 Primate Social Evolution Group,
German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
Z.Sharifi Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Germany
J.Ostner Department of Behavioral Ecology, University of Göttingen, Germany, Primate Social Evolution Group, German
Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
Social attention facilitates social information gathering forming the basis of social cognition. Social vigilance is traded-off
against other functions, hence inter-individual differences and intra-individual biases provide an assay of information relevance.
In rhesus macaques the time spent observing a conspecific is negatively associated with dominance rank and individuals bias
their attention towards high ranking individuals and pay opportunity costs in terms of missed food rewards. Here we assess
whether rhesus monkeys also bias their attention towards their close affiliates when observing real life social interactions both
in agonistic and in affiliative contexts. We observed a group of eight female rhesus monkeys at the German Primate Center
and recorded agonistic and affiliative interactions via focal animal sampling to identify the dominance hierarchy and dyadic
patterns of affiliation. Additionally, each observation day for two hours the monkeys were confined to their 12sqm indoor
enclosure, enabling us to collect all-occurrence data on agonistic and grooming interactions recording for each interaction and
bystander whether she watched the interaction or not. We replicated earlier results finding that individuals paid more attention
to agonistic and grooming interactions involving a female higher ranking than self. Interestingly, females also biased their
attention towards their friends and more often observed interactions that involved one of their close affiliates irrespective of
social context. Our results suggest that individuals invest in monitoring their close affiliates interacting with others lending
support to the idea that third party information is constantly updated and a highly relevant type of information in socially
complex societies.
ECBB2016
44
B-11. Representational Use of Signature Whistles in Bottlenose Dolphins
Jason Bruck University of St. Andrews; Sea Mammal Research Unit
V. Janik University of St. Andrews; Sea Mammal Research Unit
Bottlenose dolphins have a signature whistle system where animals develop individualized contact calls in their first year
of life. Recent research has shown that dolphins use these innovated and learned contours when addressing others and that
dolphins maintain memory of these signals for over 20 years. The next step in understanding how signature whistles function
in dolphin society is to determine if signature whistles are representational, i.e. does the signature whistle elicit a mental image
of the corresponding caller? Establishing this demonstrates that signature whistles function similarly to human names and
that long-term memory for these vocalizations is tantamount to long-term memory for individual social partners. To examine
this question we looked at responses of animals to acoustic signature whistle playbacks, cross-modally paired with matches
and mismatches of conspecific urine presentations. We show evidence for the existence of chemical sensation in dolphins as
well as the potential for chemical social recognition and representational signature whistles. This advances our understanding
of animal communication as it highlights, for the first time, that a learned acoustic signal can be representational in nature.
Furthermore these results provide evidence that dolphins use chemical cues in new and previously undescribed ways.
ECBB2016
45
B-12. Communication Complexity Index: a novel method to measure complexity
Filipe Cunha Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
M. Griesser Department of Anthropology, University of Zurich, Switzerland
The exchange of information is an essential feature of life across all organizational levels, requiring three elements: a signaller,
a signal and a recipient. However, we have a limited understanding how complex communication systems, such as human
language did evolve. A fundamental shortcoming is the lack of a universally comprehensive measurement of communicative
complexity. Moreover, current measures of communication complexity, e.g. entropy or repertoire size, consider only the message
and/or the sender. However they do not consider the recipient side, which is a critical element in any communication system.
Here we present a novel method to calculate complexity in acoustic communication systems, the Communication Complexity
Index (CCI), which considers all three elements of communication. We built the CCI based on measures of communicative
efficiency, by adapting mutual information theory, defined on standard and joint entropies of signals and contexts. We assume
a direct association between the context in which a signal is emitted and the signaler interpretation of the context, allowing
us to infer the complexity of the transmitted information on the recipient side. Simulations using the CCI suggest that the
extremes of complexity cannot exist in the natural world, confirming real data and theoretical predictions. Thus, the CCI
provides a universal applicable measurement of complexity allowing us to compare the evolution of communication across
taxa and organizational levels.
ECBB2016
46
B-13. The importance of male age on the breeding success of small tree finches
Arno Cimadom University of Vienna, Department of Behavioural Biology
C. Wappl Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
N. Filek Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
S. Tebbich Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Because of the high costs related to reproduction, females seek reliable indicators of male quality. Plumage characteristics
can be such an indicator in birds, giving information about health, nutritional stage and in several species also the age. Age
can also be seen as indirect indicator for male experience. In Darwin’s small tree finches (Camarhynchus parvulus), male head
colouration becomes progressively darker with age. A previous study by Kleindorfer (2007) showed that females prefer older
males and have a higher breeding success when paired with older males. To test why older males are better, we compared
several parameters of the breeding biology between younger and older males over the course of four breeding seasons. The
overall breeding success was extremely low in all four years. Most of the breeding failures can be related to Philornis downsi,
an invasive parasite that sucks blood from nestlings. There was no difference in parasite intensity between the two age groups
but older males had a significantly higher breeding success than younger males. Thus, we hypothesized that older males are
better in compensating for the detrimental effects of parasitism. To test this hypothesis we manipulated P. downsi intensities
by injecting insecticides into the nests. By reducing P. downsi in finch nests, breeding success significantly increased from 5%
to 60% and was not significantly different between the two age groups. Our results suggest that older males might be better
at compensating for the negative effects caused by the parasite, e.g. by increasing food provisioning. Foraging observations
support this hypothesis: Older males search more frequently in dead leaves which contain prey that are rich in energy. Accessing
dead leaves requires complex motor patterns.
ECBB2016
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B-14. Food-offering calls and their implications for teaching behaviour in wild golden lion
tamarins (Leontopithecus rosalia)
Camille Troisi University of St Andrews
W. Hoppitt University of Leeds, UK
C. Ruiz-Miranda Universidade Estadual do Norte Fluminense (UENF); Brazil
K. Laland University of St Andrews, UK
There is currently considerable interest in animal teaching, including in primates. There are, at present, only three nonhuman
species that fulfil Caro and Hauser’s (1992) functional definition of teaching, but none of these three species are primates.
However, there is suggestive evidence of teaching in golden lion tamarins (GLT) (Leontopithecus rosalia), in two contexts:
food sharing and food-offering calls. The aim of this study was to test the hypothesis that food-offering calls are a form of
teaching, whereby food-offering calls allows juveniles to learn what substrates to forage on. It has previously been found that
wild adult GLTs modified their food-offering call behaviour in the presence of juveniles (first criteria of the definition) and that
it comes at a cost or no direct benefit to the emitter (second criteria). In order to evaluate the evidence that food-offering calls
results in learning in the pupil (third criteria), we used a novel foraging substrate and playbacks of food-offering calls in a
wild population in Brazil. Results show that playbacks have both direct (1) and long-term (2) effects on juvenile development.
Juveniles in groups that receive a novel foraging substrate as well as food-offering playbacks interacted more with the substrate
when the playbacks were being played (1). Those juveniles also ate more from that novel substrate when they were older
(5 months after the playback experiment), than do juveniles in groups that only received a novel foraging substrate without
playbacks (2). Those results suggest that juveniles learn from simulated adults food-offering calls.
ECBB2016
48
B-15. On the wild side: questions and methods in the study of animal cooperation in the
field
Bonaventura Majolo School of Psychology University of Lincoln, United Kingdom
Animal cooperation has been the focus on intense research over the last few decades. Traditionally, studies on animal
cooperation have been conducted following two different approaches. On the one side, researchers have designed and used a
range of experiments to study cooperation under controlled conditions in captive animals. On the other side, various types of
cooperative behaviors (e.g. mobbing of predators, agonistic support) have been studies in ‘wild’, free-ranging animals mostly
using observational methods. A growing number of scientists, however, is using experimental approaches, originally designed
for captive animals, with animals in the field. Similarly, some of the hypotheses proposed by field-based studies are currently
being tested under controlled conditions in captive animals. In this talk, I will review some of the studies that have investigated
animal cooperation in the field, their methodological approaches and findings. In particular, I will talk about what studies on
grooming and agonistic support can tell us about animal cooperation. Finally, I will talk about the main benefits, limitations and
difficulties that scientists face when working with animals in the field, and on the importance of combining together research
using different observational or experiment-based approaches on captive and free-ranging animals.
ECBB2016
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B-16. Memory for Social Interactions in Ravens (Corvus corax)
Jana Mueller University of Vienna
J. M. Massen University of Vienna
M. Osvath Lund University, Sweden
Living in a complex social world requires cognitive abilities to process and use social information that can change over time.
Humans are able to travel mentally back to recollect personal events in the past. The so called episodic memory was long
thought to be uniquely human and to be related to other mental capacities like speech. It is required to make detailed predictions
in complex environments. Several studies have been conducted regarding the behavioral elements of episodic memory and claim
its presence also in non-human species. We chose common ravens, Corvus corax, to investigate some aspects of their social
skills related to episodic memory, with a paradigm that involves(in)-direct reciprocity. We subjected nine ravens to an exchange
task with two experimenters - one who always exchanged a low-quality for a high-quality food, while the other one gave nothing
in return. Moreover, during exchange events, a second raven was present observing the interactions. The aims of the study
were to analyze (1) if ravens remember who acted cooperatively based on a prior experience and (2) if observers remember
third-party interactions with experimenters who acted cooperatively or not, and would, therefore, preferentially interact with
the cooperative experimenter. The results show that ravens are indeed more likely to act cooperatively with experimenters with
whom they had a positive experience in a prior interaction. In contrast, observing individuals did not significantly distinguish
between both experimenters. A previous experience with the paradigm as exchanging bird, however, seemed to help observers
to be more successful in solving the task. Consequently, this study shows direct reciprocity in ravens and gives a hint of the
underlying role of (episodic-like) memory.
ECBB2016
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B-17. Climate and the global distribution of cooperative breeding in mammals
Dieter Lukas Department of Zoology University of Cambridge
T. Clutton-Brock University of Cambridge, UK
Cooperatively breeding species only occur in limited geographic areas, and a recent study showed that, in birds, these are
primarily habitats where rainfall can be very low in a given year. Here we show a similar association in mammals, where
cooperatively breeding species occur in habitats with low average amounts and high annual variability in rainfall. Differences
in the amount of rainfall predict whether subordinates will provide alloparental care but are not linked to the number of
subordinate individuals in groups. Our findings confirm that environmental factors, by shaping female reproductive strategies,
are important predictors of geographic variation in social behaviour.
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B-18. Kea achieve cooperation in dyads, triads and tetrads when dominants show restraint
Raoul Schwing Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University
of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
E. Meaux University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
A. Piseddu University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
R. Noë University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
Cooperation tasks with two animals have been done many times. However, tasks in which more than two animals can obtain
rewards by acting in a coordinated fashion are very rare indeed. This is surprising considering that many forms of cooperation
in nature strongly depend on the well-coordinated behaviour of multiple individuals, e.g. in cooperative hunting, in cooperative
defence of territories and other resources, and in cooperative defence against predators. We therefore used an apparatus that
required the simultaneous action of one, two, three or four animals, respectively, to reach a food reward. The experiments
were conducted with 8 kea, large parrots from New Zealand (Nestor notabilis), which are not known to show any obvious
cooperative behaviour directed at obtaining food in the wild, but are curious and rather neophilic animals. Our goal was to
identify the hurdles the members of such a species would have to surmount before being able to cooperate in a coordinated
way. In order to stand comparison with naturally occurring foraging situations, our subjects were allowed to interact freely
with both the apparatus and each other. The apparatus consisted of a wooden box with one to four chains, which if all pulled
simultaneously would open the trap door and reveal the reward. The birds were confronted with an increasing number of chains,
but otherwise no training or shaping took place. In the end, all birds tested successfully cooperated in the different groups,
including the world-first four subject situation. Here we present the major hurdles that the kea had to overcome for them
to cooperate (aggression and monopolization by the dominant), and also some of the tactics which lead to success (conflict
avoidance by subordinate birds).
ECBB2016
52
B-19. What makes a good leader? How domestic horses perceive, assess and trust group
members
Mathilde Valenchon University of Strasbourg, Strasbourg, France
O. Petit CNRS, UMR7178, Strasbourg, France
Moving together is essential to maintain group cohesion. Social groups being generally composed of individuals differing in
many aspects, to what extent could individuality influence collective decision-making? In horses, studies showed that different
group members can initiate collective movements but some horses appear to exert higher social influence, i.e. are more followed.
To understand what makes an initiator reliable for his group, we adapted an extinction procedure to a social context. We studied
3 groups of 6 horses to evaluate their ability of being a leader in provoked movement initiations. During a training phase,
induced initiations were provoked with a protocol where only a tested horse was informed of the location of hidden food (5
times/horse). The group’s reaction was recorded to determine an average success level/initiator. In a large majority of tests,
the whole group immediately followed the initiator whatever its identity, suggesting that in such an optimal context, every
initiator can be successful. The same procedure was repeated but the food reward was removed for two initiators (highest vs.
lowest social status), so they become unreliable for their conspecifics. Interestingly, in this extinction context, we found that
the group immediately stopped following the lowest-social-status initiator whereas they continued to follow the highest-socialstatus initiator despite the absence of food. It suggests that some individuals are more trusted than others based on their identity
and may reveal the existence of charismatic leadership. Developing such experiments to complement classic observation of
spontaneous movement opens up new perspectives to determine which factors are determinant for moving collectively.
ECBB2016
53
B-20. Cooperation of shrikes and barred warbler during the nest defence.
Petr Vesely Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Department of Zoology
M. Burs̆ı́ková Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
J. Sýkorová Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
M. Baant Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
The barred warbler has been repeatedly shown to nest in the proximity of shrikes. Some studies suggest that both species
profit from this association during the nesting. We tested the hypothesis that barred warblers tend to breed close to shrikes
in purpose to profit from their very active nest defence against predators. Moreover we tested if they consider shrikes to
be potential predators of barred warblers as well (umbrella protection). We presented dummies of avian predators differing
in the threat they represent to the nest and to adult birds (including the dummy of the red-backed shrike) and differing in
the level the shrikes are willing to attack them, at nests of barred warbler, which breed or not in association with shrikes.
We showed that the intensity of the antipredatory behaviour (alarm calling) of barred warblers is equal to all predators (jay,
magpie, sparrowhawk), but they tend not to approach visibly the sparrowhawk, which is capable of catching the adult bird.
They intensively warned also in the presence of magpie, which is never attacked by shrikes. The dummy of shrike elicited very
few alarm calling (less than the control pigeon), barred warblers commonly approached it with interest and provided food to
chicks in its presence. Barred warblers obviously do not considered the shrike to be a potential predator. The close presence of
shrike nest did not affect the barred warbler alarm calling to any dummy. Even the presence of shrikes at the barred warbler
nest during the experiment did not induce the barred warbler to more intense alarm calling. We may conclude that we were
not able to confirm any adaptive function of the close breeding of these two species and it may simply be the result of equal
habitat requirements of both species.
ECBB2016
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B-21. Enabling cooperation and avoiding competition: Do apes adjust the visibility of their
actions to the social context?
Shona Duguid Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
S. Grueneisen Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
M. Tomasello Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
Evidence from experimental studies using competitive paradigms have shown that apes can take into account what others
have seen to compete with them, but little is known about whether they can also do so to cooperate. In order to address this
we presented 12 apes (8 chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes; 4 bonobos, Pan paniscus, housed at Leipzig Zoo, Germany) with a
task in which they could make decisions that were either visible to or hidden from a conspecific partner. The task was always
the same but the potential reward distributions were manipulated so that the partner was either cooperating with (coordinating
actions for mutual benefit) or competing with (stealing from) the subject. If subjects were able to take into account what was
visible to their partner in both contexts we would expect them to hide their actions in the competitive conditions (to avoid
being stolen from) and to make them visible in the cooperative condition (to make coordination easier for their partner). We
found evidence that subjects did adjust the visibility of their decisions to the social context, suggesting that the ability of great
apes to take into account what others can see may not be restricted to competitive contexts.
ECBB2016
55
B-22. Experimental studies of cooperation using the loose-string task in ravens, wolves and
dogs: What social and cognitive elements lead to success?
Sarah Marshall Pescini Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Medical University of
Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
F. Range Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of
Vienna, Vienna, Austria, Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
T. Bugnyar Haidlhof Research Station, University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Bad Vöslau,
Austria., Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
J.J.M. Massen Haidlhof Research Station, University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Bad Vöslau,
Austria., Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Cooperation studies in experimental settings can provide a complementary approach to those in the wild by allowing
researchers to test the underlying proximate mechanisms of cooperation. To a large extent experimental studies of cooperation
have relied on the so-called ‘loose-string’ paradigm. To achieve success two individual are required to simultaneously pull
on two ends of a rope to allow a baited platform to move forward and the dyad to access the food. Using this paradigm
‘cooperation’ has been found to occur in such diverse species as chimpanzees, elephants and pet dogs. Here we report on
studies using this paradigm with ravens, as well as equally raised wolves and dogs. Differently from most previous studies,
with all three species the task was initially presented with no prior training. Interestingly, whereas wolves and ravens quickly
reached a good level of success, dogs were largely unsuccessful in this condition. A number of follow-up studies varying
conditions and dyadic combinations allowed us to address two main points: 1) to what extent the animals can be said to
understand the ‘cooperative nature’ of the task (e.g. the need for the partner) and 2) what affects the dyads’ success both
in terms of the proximate mechanisms (e.g. learning processes, previous experience) and the social relationships (tolerance,
dominance, affiliation) between individuals. We conclude that although previous studies, particularly with apes, emphasized
the complexity of the cognitive requirements to solve the loose-string paradigm, simpler mechanisms combined with favorable
social relationships may be sufficient to guarantee a measure of success in this test. We’ll discuss the biological relevance of
such findings and suggest set-ups for experimental work in the wild.
ECBB2016
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B-23. Intergroup encounters in a Malagasy primate (Propithecus verreauxi): who fights and
who wins?
Claudia Fichtel Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center Kellnerweg 4 37077 Göttingen
F. Koch Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit German primate Center
P. Kappeler Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit German primate Center
How animals achieve collective action for territorial defense and how they establish relationships with neighboring groups
is a central topic in animal behavior. In principle, the power of a group can be influenced by multiple factors, such as
different incentives of individuals to participate, a potential numerical advantage or the location of the encounter. However, the
factors influencing participation and outcome of intergroup conflicts are generally not well understood. We investigated factors
influencing participation and outcome of intergroup encounters in Verreaux’s sifakas in Kirindy Forest. Over a period of 12
months, we studied 8 adjacent groups in which one individual was equipped with a GPS-logger. We observed 71 encounters
in which adult females and males participated equally often. The main factor influencing participation in both sexes was the
number of actively participating individuals in the opponent group. Free-riding was common, with males with low prospective
to reproduce and females with dependent offspring free-riding more often. In 759 encounters derived from GPS-data, location
of the encounter in relation to the own core area, but not numerical advantage, predicted winning in an encounter. Losers
suffered long-term costs by using the encounter area less often than winners. Thus, sifakas seem to decide whether to join a
given encounter opportunistically, most likely based on a combination of individual incentives and the actual circumstance of
the encounter, suggesting that the complexity in intergroup relationships appears to be the product of decisions made by each
individual group member.
ECBB2016
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B-24. Are stressed ravens less cooperative?
Martina Stocker Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
T. Bugnyar University of Vienna, Austria, Haidlhof Research Station, University of Vienna and University of Veterinary
Medicine, Vienna, Austria
J.J.M. Massen University of Vienna, Austria
Cooperation is not a behaviour merely shown by humans, but it occurs in various contexts throughout the animal kingdom.
While many studies on cooperation focused on its ultimate causes, proximate causes, and in particular endocrinological
mechanisms, have only started to receive more attention in the last decade. With the present study we aim to investigate the
connection of stress levels, expressed through the release of corticosteroid hormones, and cooperative behaviour in non-breeding
ravens (Corvus corax). In previous studies we found that a) ravens’ baseline stress hormone levels depend on inter-individual
tolerance (on a group level); and b) tolerance predicts the birds’ cooperation in a dyadic task; i.e. the loose-string paradigm.
Here, we intend to connect the dots by measuring baseline corticosterone metabolites in ravens’ droppings and relate those
to the birds’ cooperative performance in the loose-string task. We tested 14 ravens from two different groups (n = 9, 5) with
all their possible partners in the loose string paradigm, and collected fecal samples throughout the study. Preliminary results
indicated that baseline corticosterone metabolite levels are negatively related to cooperative success, meaning that stressed
ravens are less cooperative and vice versa. To be able to present you the complete picture at the conference, we are currently
not only investigating how strong this effect is, but also if it remains when we control for the mediating effect of inter-individual
tolerance.
ECBB2016
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B-25. Division of labour in cooperative breeders depends on group composition and taskspecific efficiency
Michael Taborsky Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland
J. Weber Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Switzerland
Many highly social animals engage in systematic division of labour between group members. Whereas in eusocial insects the
behavioural efficiency of different tasks strongly depends on morphological specialization (castes), in cooperatively breeding
vertebrates the causes and consequences of behavioural specialization are largely unknown. In the cooperatively breeding
cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher, dominant breeders and subordinate group members share all tasks of territory defence and
maintenance. In addition, they care for the broods that are mainly produced by the dominant pair. Here we scrutinized the
division of labour between group members in dependence of group size and composition, and of different ecological challenges.
Experimental demands included defence against egg predators and the removal of sand from the breeding shelter, which are
altruistic behaviours for subordinates that neither have participated in the production of beneficiaries nor are related to them.
We found significant variation in the efficiency of these duties and in workload for individual group members in dependence
of group size and composition, i.e. the presence of large and small helpers. Furthermore, the division of labour among group
members depended on their relative efficiency in performing different tasks, the urgency of predator threats and the spatial
distribution of risk. When different duties were required simultaneously, large helpers focused on predator defence while small
helpers specialized in removing sand from the breeding shelter. These results have important implications for our understanding
of commodity trading in highly social animals, especially where group members are not related among each other and their
cooperation cannot be explained by kin selection.
ECBB2016
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B-26. Conditional decisions to stay or disperse in cooperatively breeding beetles
Jon Andreja Nuotcla Division Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern Switzerland
M. Taborsky University of Bern, Switzerland
Field and laboratory studies on fungus farming ambrosia beetles showed that delayed dispersal of sexually mature females
is a fundamental component of cooperative breeding. While beetles stay in their natal gallery, they groom other colony
members, remove waste and tend the mutualistic fungus garden serving as food. Hygienic behaviours constitute an important
part of the social immune response of these beetles, by which the virulence of experimentally introduced parasitic fungi can
be significantly reduced. If infections cannot be successfully tackled, the reduced quality of the fungus garden may cause
premature dispersal. Theory predicts that dispersal decisions should be based on information about the relative fitness effects
expected when dispersing or staying at home. Our data show that in native ambrosia beetles, the state of the fungus garden,
the number of dependent offspring, and ecological parameters such as humidity, the grade of wood decay, temperature and
barometric pressure critically influence dispersal decisions. We shall outline how internal and external information is integrated
by these beetles to optimize life history trajectories.
ECBB2016
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B-27. Collective decision making during group movements in European and North American plain bison.
Ramos Amandine Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien UMR7178 - CNRS/Unistra
C.Sueur Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Université de Strasbourg,
Strasbourg, France
Living in group requires making compromises. They are numerous during collective movements for which a decision about
direction and time of departure must be taken. In some species, individuals show their motivation to move orienting their body
toward the direction they want to go. These voting behaviours are often followed by the departure of specific individuals,
which initiate the movement. Despite many studies on collective decision making processes, few data are available for wild
ungulates. In this context, we wanted to examine how European and North American plain bison, two wild endangered species,
make decision and move synchronously. Our results showed that, for both species, age and sex of the initiators determined
the success of movements, especially with adult females, which initiate the majority of group movements. The number of
followers was also higher when individuals were grouped before departure, facilitating coordination and synchronization of
group members. In European bison, we showed that the success of following is better if initiators move in the direction
indicated by the majority of individuals, suggesting a voting process. The number of followers is therefore not only influenced
by sociodemographic variables but we have also shown that it was by ecological factors, such as characteristics of arrival
area and environmental temperature. The comparative study carried out between European and North American plain bison
could improve general knowledge on bison ecology and sociality and allow us to better understanding collective decisions
making process in ungulates, and more generally in mammals. Our results could also be used to develop new herd management
strategies.
ECBB2016
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B-28. Time to stop betting on the wrong horse: stallions do not lead collective movements
in domestic horses
Lea Briard Hubert Curien Multidisciplinary Institute Department of Ecology, Physiology and Ethology Strasbourg, France
JL. Deneubourg Unit of Social Ecology, Free University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium
O. Petit1 Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Strasbourg, France
Males of polygynous primates and equids are regularly referred to as quintessential examples of consistent leadership in
animals, yet this has not been quantitatively demonstrated to date, and is based purely on anecdotal reports. We thoroughly
studied the behaviour of males during collective movements of two family groups of domestic horses, and found that initiations
by stallions were not only rare, but sometimes failed to recruit the entire group. When departing as follower, they did
not accelerate the joining of mares. Stallions preferentially occupied the rear position and exhibited numerous monitoring
behaviours. Only one stallion performed herding behaviours, which were designed to gather mares mostly outside movement
context. Finally, we removed one stallion from its group for two months to evaluate how the group dynamic changed, if at
all. In the absence of the stallion, the initiation distribution and rank remained approximately the same as before. We also
found that half of collective movements were five times slower than when the stallion was there and that mares were more
dispersed. The remaining half of collective movements occurred over the same duration as before its removal, suggesting that
its absence did not lead to slower consensus. Overall, these results suggest that stallions, rather than playing a specific role
in the process of collective decision-making, are applying their own reproductive strategy that can indirectly influence the
dynamic of collective movements.
ECBB2016
62
B-29. Social tolerance and prosocial tendencies in three corvid species
Lisa Horn Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
To date, the evolutionary origins of prosociality, i.e. individuals spontaneously assisting others at no or low cost to themselves,
remain poorly understood. For the primate lineage, it has been postulated that high levels of alloparental care favored cognitive
and physiological changes that enabled higher levels of social tolerance and prosocial behavior. However, it is not clear
whether a similar connection exists in other animal classes like birds. Corvids are an optimal target for investigating the link
between alloparental care and prosocial tendencies, as both their social organizational complexity and their cognitive abilities
are comparable to non-human primates. Interestingly, while cooperation has been experimentally demonstrated in several corvid
species, there has not been any clear evidence for spontaneous, unsolicited prosocial behavior so far. Here, I present results on
social tolerance and prosocial tendencies in three corvid species, whose social systems differ in their extent of alloparenting:
common ravens (Corvus corax), carrion and hooded crows (C. corone/cornix), and azure-winged magpies (Cyanopica cyana).
While alloparenting is extremely rare in ravens, crows appear to be more tolerant and alloparenting has been documented in
one population. Azure-winged magpies breed in colonies with high incidence of alloparental care. In concordance with the
results found in primates, azure-winged magpies were more tolerant in the social context and spontaneously provided more
food to their group members in a standardized experiment than crows and ravens. This indicates that similar evolutionary
pressures might have shaped social tolerance and prosocial tendencies in corvids.
ECBB2016
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B-30. Chimpanzees return favors even at a personal cost
Martin Schmelz Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
S. Grüneisen Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
A. Kabalak Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
J. Jost Max Planck Institute for Mathematics in the Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
M. Tomasello Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
A central characteristic of human cooperation is people’s tendency to behave prosocially towards others even at a personal cost
- e.g. by provisioning them with resources - and to reward others who have previously behaved prosocially. While chimpanzees
engage in a range of cooperative behaviors such strong prosocial tendencies are thought to be absent in our closest evolutionary
relatives. Here, we present data from a series of three studies with a special emphasis on ensuring that subjects understood the
payoff structures and the consequences of their decisions. We show for the first time that chimpanzees are willing to return
favors to conspecifics who have previously assisted them in acquiring food. Crucially, they do this even at a material cost to
themselves and tend to reward cooperative partners more if their partner incurred a risk by providing assistance. These results
highlight the importance of a stronger focus on methodologies and demonstrate that chimpanzees are capable of engaging in
reciprocal cooperative interactions previously considered unique to humans.
ECBB2016
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B-31. Selective food sharing in wolves and dogs: the effects of social relationship and
reproductive status.
Rachel Dale Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
Sarah Marshall-Pescini Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, University
of Vienna, Austria,Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Laura Stott Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Kurt Kotrschal Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria, University of Vienna, Austria
Friederike Range Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, University of
Vienna, Austria,Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Food sharing between related individuals is a relatively common prosocial behaviour in animals, and is typically explained
through kin selection. Less common, but nevertheless observed, is sharing among non-kin. With wolves and dogs as models
we investigated the social and ecological conditions which promote, or inhibit, food sharing between unrelated individuals.
Wolves typically live in family units and rely on cooperative hunting. Previous research has shown that all individual wolves in
a pack are able to access food, regardless of rank. This is in contrast to dogs, which, although social in free-ranging settings,
rely more often on solitary scavenging and often resource access is rank-dependent. We ran two different test series; dyadic
tolerance tests, where two animals are simultaneously released into an enclosure containing food, and naturalistic group feeding
tests in packs of identically raised and kept wolves and dogs. In both species, and across both methodologies, more sharing
occurred when females were in heat and in more affiliative dyads. Specifically, females were more persistent in attempts to
acquire food, and males monopolised the food less when females were in heat. Furthermore, preliminary results indicate that
dyads which showed more affiliation outside of the feeding context were more likely to peacefully share food. In conclusion,
although dogs and wolves have different feeding ecologies and differ in their social behaviour around food, social bonds and
potential mating opportunities with a potential recipient are relevant in both species.
ECBB2016
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B-32. Targeted Helping and Mutualistic Cooperation In Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)
and Bonobos (Pan paniscus)
Suska Nolte University of St. Andrews, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology Leipzig
J. Call School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, Scotland, Department of
Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
Comparative studies investigating prosociality mostly focus on chimpanzees despite bonobos being our other closest living
relative. These two species are known to be different on several types of behaviours such as social tolerance and stress reactivity,
which have both been associated with prosocial behaviour. Therefore, examining species differences in response to prosocial
tasks will deepen our understanding about the factors that influence tendencies to cooperate and informs about the evolution of
unique forms of human cooperation. Six dyads of chimpanzees and bonobos were presented with an instrumental helping task to
examine whether the helper of each pair transfers tools to a conspecific. In experiment 1, prosocial acts do not benefit the helper
while in experiment 2 the helper could only obtain a reward by transferring the correct tool to the partner. Chimpanzees did not
share tools with conspecifics in either experiment, with the exception of a mother-daughter pair, in which the mother shared
a tool twice in experiment 1. In contrast, in experiment 1 all unrelated female-female bonobo dyads sometimes transferred a
tool and the mother-daughter pair transferred consistently. The frequency of tool transfers increased substantially in bonobos
when helpers were given an incentive in experiment 2. We found consistent transfers in all female-female bonobo dyads but
none in unrelated male-female dyads. To understand the relationship between the behaviour of the recipient and transfers,
we investigated several behaviours, such as requesting. This study supports the notion that bonobos have a greater ability to
understand social problems and the collaborative nature of such tasks. Differences in temperament might explain these results.
ECBB2016
66
B-33. “May I Serve you With Another Cricket?” Prosocial Behavior in Azure-Winged
Magpies
Clara Scheer Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
L. Horn Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
T. Bugnyar Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
J. Massen Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Prosociality is a behavior, which benefits others at no or low costs to the actor. This trait - long considered to be human
specific - has recently been discovered in several primate species. Still, researchers remain uncertain about the evolutionary
origin of prosociality. One hypothesis claims that allomaternal care is the key to prosocial tendencies, as they were found mainly
in cooperatively breeding primate species. However, to our knowledge this assumption has not been tested in cooperatively
breeding taxa other than primates. Here we investigated the prosocial choices in the azure-winged magpie (Cyanopica cyana),
a socially living corvid with a complex cooperative breeding system. We therefore used a group service paradigm, where any
individual of the group can provide food for other group members but not for itself. It was originally developed for testing
primates by Burkart & van Schaik (2013, J. Comp. Psychol. 127). The results show that azure-winged magpies provided food
to group members. Three of five individuals operated the apparatus significantly more often during test sessions, when they
could serve the group, than during two control sessions when either no food was placed on the apparatus or the access to the
food was blocked. This study provides evidence for prosocial behavior in a cooperatively breeding species outside the primate
taxon. Most notably, the results are the first indication of unsolicited prosociality in corvids.
ECBB2016
67
B-34. Cooperative breeding and prosociality: do meerkats (Suricata suricatta) donate food
to conspecifics in the lab?
Nereida Bueno Guerra Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona,
Barcelona, Spain
C. von Borell Faculty of Psychology, University of Goettingen, Goettingen, Germany
M. Colell Department of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychobiology, Faculty of Psychology, University of Barcelona, Barcelona,
Spain
F. Amici Junior Research Group "Primate Kin Selection", Institute of Biology, Faculty of Bioscience, Pharmacy and
Psychology, University of Leipzig, Leipzig, Germany
Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
Prosociality entails behaviours where individuals improve other’s welfare. There is a current debate to evidence which species
different from humans show prosociality. In the lab, primates fail to donate food except for some studies in cooperative breeding
species, linking this social structure to the emergence of prosociality. We tested this link in a different taxon to understand the
phylogenetic roots of prosocial behavior. Nine meerkats (Suricata suricatta) housed in the zoo of Leipzig faced distributions of
food (eg. 1/0, number before slash meaning food for actor; after slash food for recipient) during training and test. We built a
transparent plexiglas box fixed to a table. In the box there were two platforms that moved in opposite directions if pulled from
actor’s side. Subjects could play by jumping on shelves in both sides of the box. In Training (actor’s shelf, both plaftorms),
they pulled significantly more when they could obtain food (1/0) than when they could not (0/1) (n=9, T=45, p=0.004). In the
test (both shelves and platforms) meerkats pulled significantly more when they could benefit (1/1) than when they made gifts
(0/1) (n=7, T=28, p=0.016). As there were no differences between the percentage of pulls in the 0/1 condition in training and
test (n=9, T=1, p=1), meerkats understood the task but failed to be consistently prosocial since they preferentially pulled only
when they could obtain the food (1/1). It might happen that cooperative breeders show prosociality with food towards pups
since transfer of food has been reported to significantly decrease as recipients grow up. Finally, we found an apparent sign of
planning in two young high-ranking females that pulled from 0/1 in the test and went to the recipient’s shelf to get access to
the food.
ECBB2016
68
C1-01. Social selection in house mice
Barbara Koenig Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich
House mice live in a flexible, complex social environment. Both males and females compete with same-sex conspecifics
over reproduction, and females nevertheless cooperate during communal care of litters. I will present data from a population of
free-living house mice to illustrate the risk of exploitation during communal nursing, the importance of social partner choice
and the role of familiarity and relatedness, how social interactions and social bonds affect fitness, and thus modify the structure
of groups and populations.
ECBB2016
69
C1-02. Phenotypic Plasticity and Behavioural Flexibility in a Wild Bird Population
Ben C. Sheldon Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, UK
Environments vary in multiple spatial and temporal dimensions; some of this variation is predictable, some directional,
and some stochastic. In this talk I will describe some of our recent work that explores mechanisms by which wild animals,
exemplified by a common passerine bird, the great tit Parus major, can cope with such variation. I will discuss how phenotypic
plasticity in timing of breeding, in response to temporal and spatial variation, is a key adaptive phenotype in seasonal
environments. I will then explore two mechanisms by which behavioural flexibility can arise and enable exploitation of
variable and novel environments. First, I will show how within-group variation can lead to collective behaviour that is likely
to lead to more effective exploitation of the environment. Second, I will show how social learning can lead to the spread and
establishment of behavioural innovations in populations. I will conclude by emphasising the need to link studies of responses
to ecological variation with studies of the behavioural mechanisms that may enable those responses.
ECBB2016
70
C1-03. Cockatools: Tool use and manufacture in Goffin’s cockatoos
Alice Auersperg Head of Goffin Lab, Messerli Forschungsinstitut, Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien
To our current knowledge Goffin’s cockatoos are not dependent on tool obtained resources and lack ecological predispositions
for establishing complex object relationships (nest building, food caching). Nevertheless, a captive bird spontaneously broke
sticks out of a block of larch wood and used them to rake food into reach. His tool using skills could be transmitted to
other individuals via social learning. Successful birds thereafter independently manufactured probing tools from larch-wood
and other materials that required active shaping (cardboard, leafed twigs). When we confronted birds with a task that required
bending or unbending a piece of wire to use it as a hook or probing tool. 5/13 subjects succeeded in one condition, a single
individual in both. Our findings indicate that innovative tool manufacture does not require an adaptive specialization but may
arise from domain general intelligence in this species.
ECBB2016
71
C1-04. Visuo-tactile information integration in object discrimination: a comparative study
on tufted capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp.) and kea (Nestor notabilis)
Paola Carducci Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies,
National Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
R. Schwing Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University
Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
L. Huber Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University
Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
V. Truppa Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center, Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, National
Research Council (CNR), Rome, Italy
In comparative visual cognition research, the influence of information acquired by non-visual senses has received little
attention. Among non-visual faculties, tactile input is at least as important as visual input in supplying animals with information
about the environment. Systematic studies focusing on how attaining information from different sensory modalities can affect
perception are rare in non-human species. Here, we investigate, in two species with acute vision and high manipulative skills,
capuchin monkeys (Sapajus spp., N=8) and kea (Nestor notabilis, N=8), whether tactile input can influence the performance
in a visual discrimination task. To this end, we assessed if learning speed and/or accuracy in visual modality were facilitated
by tactile exploration of the object surface. Subjects were trained to discriminate the positive stimulus of two pairs of PVC
cylinders of the same shape and size, but with different textures. One pair of stimuli consisted of two cylinders that were
inserted in transparent Plexiglas tubes in order to prevent the animals from haptically perceiving the texture of the chosen
object (Sight Condition); the other pair of stimuli consisted of two cylinders that were not inserted into tubes, thus allowing the
subject to perceive their textures both visually and haptically (Sight & Touch Condition). Our results demonstrated that both
capuchins and kea (i) required fewer trials to achieve the criterion in the Sight & Touch Condition than in the Sight Condition,
and (ii) showed comparable levels of accuracy in the two conditions at the attainment of the learning criterion. Overall, our
findings suggest that the opportunity to acquire tactile information during manipulative actions facilitates visual discrimination
of objects.
ECBB2016
72
C1-05. Ravens, New Caledonian crows and jackdaws perform similarly to the great apes in
a motor self-regulation task despite smaller brains: implications for parallel evolution from a
developmental perspective
Can Kabadayi Department of Cognitive Science, Lund University
L.A.Taylor University of Oxford, UK
A.M.P. von Bayern University of Oxford, UK; Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
M.Osvath University of Lund, Sweden
Overriding prepotent impulses instigated by salient perceptual stimuli constitutes a basic inhibitory skill. Such motor selfregulation underpins various complex cognitive processes including decision-making. Recently, MacLean et al. compared motor
self-regulation across taxa by conducting a large-scale study involving thirty-six species. Their results suggested that the absolute
brain size was the best predictor of the performance across taxa, while great apes were the best performing species. However
birds were underrepresented in the study. Given birds’ small absolute brain size and yet flexible behaviour, testing more bird
species can likely yield important comparative data. We therefore tested three corvid species, ravens, New Caledonian crows
and jackdaws, in the so-called cylinder task. Corvus species performed similarly to the great apes despite having vastly smaller
brains. Both absolute and relative brain size were significant predictors of the performance within Aves. In another study we
looked at the development of motor self-regulation in ravens. We used both the cylinder task as well as a mesh barrier task.
Raven juveniles are as proficient as adults at week 10 after hatching (i.e. on the same level as adult chimpanzees). The results
have implications for our understanding of independent evolution of complex cognition. Similarities in fundamental skills that
underlie more complex cognition suggest parallel evolution as it implies similar developmental pathways when constructing
their respective complex cognition.
ECBB2016
73
C1-06. Behavioural flexibility in an invasive bird is independent of individual differences
Corina Logan University of Cambridge
There is debate about whether differences among individuals are linked to suites of correlated characteristics or whether
individual characteristics can vary independently. For example, performance on cognitive tasks can vary with individual
characteristics, such as differences in motor abilities, boldness, or exploration. If present, these types of biases question whether
differences between individuals in their performance on cognitive tasks do indeed reflect adaptive variation in cognitive ability. I
investigated whether behavioural flexibility (reversal learning) performances were linked to individual characteristics in greattailed grackles, an invasive urban bird. I found that behavioural flexibility did not significantly correlate with neophobia,
exploration, risk aversion, persistence, or motor diversity. This suggests that great-tailed grackle performance in a behavioural
flexibility task reflects a distinct source of individual variation. Maintaining multiple distinct sources of individual variation
may be a mechanism for this species invasion success by permitting populations to cope with the diversity of novel elements
in their environments.
ECBB2016
74
C1-07. How does cognition evolve? Inter-individual variation in cognitive abilities and
fitness proxies in a wild primate
Peter Kappeler Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
C. Fichtel German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
P. Kappeler German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
The fact that neither all species nor all individuals within a given species exhibit the same, unlimited cognitive abilities
indicates the existence of proximate constraints and evolutionary trade-offs involving the underlying traits. However, the
magnitude and sources of inter-individual variation in cognitive abilities, in particular, remain poorly known; primarily because
only a few studies have linked variation in cognitive abilities to micro-evolutionary processes and fitness outcomes. We therefore
studied how performance in experiments testing individuals on a variety of cognitive abilities in different domains correlates
with various fitness measures in a wild population of grey mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus). Preliminary analyses failed
to reveal consistent correlations between these two sets of traits, indicating that either many cognitive tests are not closely
linked to fitness-relevant abilities, that it is difficult to identify meaningful fitness proxies, or that the evolution of cognition is
importantly shaped by various constraints.
ECBB2016
75
C1-08. Spontaneous Problem-Solving Abilities in Estrildid Finches
Tobias Krause Institute of Animal Welfare and Animal Husbandry, Celle, Germany
Oliver Krüger Department of Animal Behaviour, Bielefeld University, Bielefeld, Germany
Josep Call Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology,
Leipzig, Germany; School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Scotland
Martin Schmelz Department of Developmental and Comparative Psychology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig, Germany
Cognition has been extensively studied in primates while other, more distantly related taxa have been neglected for a long
time. More recently, there has been an increased interest in avian cognition, with the focus mostly on big-brained species like
parrots and corvids. However, the majority of bird species has never systematically been studied in diverse cognitive tasks other
than memory and learning tasks, so not much can yet be concluded about the relevant factors for the evolution of cognition.
Here we examined 3 species of the estrildid finch family in problem-solving tasks. These granivorous, non-tool-using birds are
distributed across 3 continents and are not known for high levels of innovation or spontaneous problem solving in the wild.
In this study, our aim was to find such abilities in these species, assess what role domestication might play with a comparison
of 4 genetically separated zebra finch strains, and to look for between-species differences between zebra finches, Bengalese
finches, and diamond firetails. Furthermore, we established a 3-step spontaneous problem-solving procedure with increasing
levels of complexity. Results showed that some estrildid finches were generally capable of spontaneously solving problems of
variable complexity to obtain food. We found striking differences in these abilities between species, but not between strains
within species, and offer a discussion of potential reasons. Our established methodology can now be applied to a larger number
of bird species for phylogenetic comparisons on the behavioral level to get a deeper understanding of the evolution of cognitive
abilities.
ECBB2016
76
C1-09. Primate Cognition Test Battery (PCTB) in Parrots
Anastasia Krasheninnikova Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
R.Berardi University of Turin, Italy
L. O’Neill Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
A. von Bayern Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
The Primate Cognition Test Battery (PCTB) is an extensive battery of tests investigating the cognitive performance of animals
in the physical (technical intelligence) compared to the social domain (social intelligence). This battery of tests was originally
developed for comparing great apes with children. However, comparative analyses of cognitive skills in a wider range of taxa
are essential to understand the evolution of intelligence. In the past decades, research has revealed many cognitive capabilities
previously judged uniquely human in large-brained birds such as corvids and parrots, making these taxa an intriguing subject
for further comparative work. In the present study, we investigated parrots as the first avian species in order to directly compare
the performance of parrots to those of great apes, monkeys and children. Preliminary results show that the parrots performed
worse than the great apes and children, but comparable to monkeys in all tasks except for the causal reasoning domain. In the
latter domain they performed better than monkeys but worse than chimpanzees. Furthermore, we did not find any significant
differences in performances across the parrot species tested. The poorer performance of the parrots than the great apes could
be attributed to their young age, which will be subject to further study. Partly, the cognitive performance might have been
affected by methodological problems of this comparative approach. Exposing many different species to the same test battery
without greater modifications has its shortcomings. We will discuss those shortcomings and their implications for the field of
comparative cognition. We conclude that the study does not properly reflect the cognitive capacity of the investigated psittacine
species.
ECBB2016
77
C1-10. Is Exploratory Behaviour Linked to Problem-Solving?
Amanda Seed School of Psychology & Neuroscience, St Andrews, United Kingdom
Species of both primates and birds with a high proclivity for problem-solving are object oriented and show high levels of
combinatorial object play (Auersperg et al., 2015; Bateson & Martin, 2013; Torigoe, 1985). However, to date there is little
direct evidence that animals learn about how objects function from play (though see Birch, 1945). Another open question
is whether animals can use exploration strategically to seek information about how objects behave. A previous study which
compared chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) with 4 and 5 year-old children suggested that while the older childrens exploratory
behaviour was driven by explanation seeking, in contrast the chimpanzees were simply responding to perceptual novelty
(Povinelli & Dunphy-Lelii, 2001). However, the problem had no solution. This might have limited the motivation to explore.
More importantly, there was no way to glean whether or not subjects had been seeking an explanation for the anomaly, or
whether they had come up with one, except by analysing verbal reports made by children. I will present two studies in which
my colleagues and I examined the link between problem-solving and exploration. In the first study, we found that chimpanzees
and 4-5 year-old children both used exploratory behaviour to locate an invisible trap, and some could use this information to
avoid it when moving a food reward (Seed & Call, in prep). In the second study, we presented kea and New Caledonian crows
with sets of novel objects to explore both before and after encountering a food retrieval task in which some of the objects
could be used as tools (Lambert et al in prep). There was no evidence that the birds increased or altered the quality of their
exploration to gain information about the objects functional properties. After subjects explored the objects we then presented
them with test trials where they could use the information gained from their exploration to choose between a functional and
non-functional object to solve the task. Individuals of both species were able to solve the task using the objects encountered
during exploration. In sum, we present evidence that both apes and birds may be able to use exploratory behaviour to learn
about object properties, though the degree to which they do so spontaneously to seek information remains an open question.
ECBB2016
78
C1-11. Object permanence in food-storing and non-storing tits: Is the mental representation
required?
Eva Landova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
L. Marhounová Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
R. Fuchs Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
D. Frynta Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Object permanence (OP) is a cognitive ability that enables animals to mentally represent the continuous existence of temporary
hidden objects. In humans, it develops gradually through six qualitative stages, but many animal species possess this ability at
some level as well. In birds, the advanced OP skills, including representing invisibly displaced objects (Stage 6), were reported
in many corvids and parrots. It seems that the evolution of OP abilities may be connected with some specific ecological
and behavioural factors, e.g. the food-storing. In order to test the possible association between food-storing and the achieved
performance within the stages, we compared the performance of food-storing coal tits (Periparus ater) and non-storing great
tits (Parus major) using an adapted version of Uzgiris and Hunt’s Scale 1 tasks. The coal tits significantly outperformed the
great tits in searching for completely hidden objects. Most of the great tits could not solve the task when the object disappeared
completely. Also, hand-reared birds of both species performed better than wild-caught individuals. However, according to our
results, the upper limit for both species is likely to be Stage 4. The birds could solve problems with simply hidden objects,
but they tended to use local rules rather than mental representation when searching for completely hidden objects, especially if
choosing between two or three locations. We also measured neophobia of each bird using a novel-object task. Additionally, the
blood samples were obtained from 15 individuals of great tits to assess the individual variation in baseline and stress-induced
levels of corticosterone. Finally, the possible effects of neophobia and individual stress response on the performance in OP
tasks are discussed.
ECBB2016
79
C1-12. Temporal perception in ravens: does mammalian three-second window apply to
avian visual perception?
Katarzyna Bobrowicz Lund University, Sweden
H. Osvath Lund University, Sweden
The perceived flow of time in humans and non-human animals has been addressed in philosophical, neurobiological
and neuropsychological inquiries. They often attempt to measure a latent time constant; timing the individual’s sensory
perception, cognition, and, inevitably, behaviour. In 1860 this time constant was referred to as a “moment” and was given three
characteristics: cross-modal, individual, and fixed duration (which could have been determined in experiments). A century later
this time constant was in humans identified as a three-second window. A perceptual unit, which was preceded and followed by
a reset of sensory channels. Executed by attentional mechanisms, such a reset updates sensory information and cut conscious
experience into the 2-3 s windows. It indeed proved to be cross-modal, and has been confirmed for several mammalian species
since. However, no avian species has been tested. We designed a comparative behavioural study to measure the duration of
such window in ravens. We used human performances in comparison to the ravens’ in the same task. The humans and ravens
were presented with three objects in a forced choice task; each individual received 12 such trials. We measured the duration
of looking instances, assessed on the basis of gaze direction. The humans fell within the three-second-window, showing the
validity of the task. The ravens were around four times quicker, suggesting a notably speedier temporal processing than seen
in mammals. This might have implications for understanding raven cognition in other domains as well.
ECBB2016
80
C1-13. Decisions relative to reward quality and tool functionality in Goffin cockatoos
(Cacatua goffiniana) and orangutans (Pongo abelii)
Isabelle Laumer University of Vienna
Decisions involving the use of tools may require an agent to consider more levels of relational complexity than merely
deciding between an immediate and a delayed option. Using a new experimental approach featuring two different types of
tools, two apparatuses as well as two different types of reward, we investigated Goffin cockatoos and orangutans’ ability to
make flexible and profitable decisions within five different setups. Both species not only flexibly maximized their profit by
simultaneously considering the presence of a tool as well as the difference in food quality between an immediate food reward
and a food reward located inside of the apparatus, but at the same time some Goffin cockatoos and an orangutan also attended
to the functionality of the available tool. Furthermore most apes and birds did overcome immediate drives in favor of future
gains even if this implied tool use as a work effort. As their performance levels remained stable across trials in all testing
setups, this was unlikely the result of a learning effect. In contrast to the orangutans, the Goffin cockatoos’ ability to focus on
relevant information was constrained, when all task components (both food qualities, both apparatuses and both tools) were
presented at the same time.
ECBB2016
81
C1-14. Magnetoreception in Dogs - New Insights
Sabine Martini University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany Dept. General Zoology
S. Begall University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany
H. Burda University of Duisburg-Essen, Germany; University of Life Sciences Prague, Czech Republic
Magnetoreception or magnetic sensing, which describes the ability to sense the Earth’s magnetic field, is more widespread
than previously thought. In 1966, the European robin has been reported to be the first magnetosensitive vertebrate, and
in 1990 followed the first evidence for a mammalian species, the Ansell’s mole-rat. Subsequently, many publications on
magnetoreception in animals from different taxa (e.g. sea turtles, roe and red deer, cattle, carps and mousing red foxes) were
released. Recently, it was demonstrated that domestic dogs prefer marking their territories along the North-South axis (in the
case of calm magnetic conditions) and thus are able to perceive the Earth’s magnetic field, as well. In this study, we tied up to
the recent results and tested whether dogs are able to sense and identify the magnetic field of a bar magnet. We tested twenty
dogs of different breeds, ages and sexes by using operant conditioning. In a first step, we established clicker trainings to make
the dogs associate the magnet with a positive feeling/experience. After succeeding in this task, the dogs had to distinguish
between the magnet and two similar non-magnetic objects in the following trainings of increasing difficulty. In the final series,
the dogs had to identify the magnet in a three-object-choice, where they could not rely on their visual and olfactory sense. The
statistical analysis of all test series clearly reveals that dogs are able to sense and identify a magnetic field. This experiment
elucidates that the dogs’ sensory environment is even richer than previously assumed. Furthermore, by introducing dogs as
a cognitively flexible and widespread study species, we contribute to the research field of magnetoreception, where many
questions remain unanswered.
ECBB2016
82
C1-15. Inference by exclusion in parrots controlled for neophilia
Mark O Hara Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
A.M.I. Auersperg Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
T. Rössler Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
I. Federspiel Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
R. Schwing Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of
Vienna, Vienna, Austria
G.K. Gajdon Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University
of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
T. Bugnyar Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
L. Huber Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University Vienna, University of
Vienna, Vienna, Austria
The ability to exclude alternatives based on logical inferences, has been investigated in a broad range of non-human species.
However, so far researchers have rarely taken behavioural predispositions into consideration (e.g. neophobia, explorative
tendencies, etc.), which may differ between species. Furthermore, previous studies found individuals frequently rely on
cognitively less demanding strategies rather than logically excluding alternatives, but fail to integrate these findings into a
framework that could account for multiple underlying choice behaviours. Here we present a novel method that attempts to
follow a more holistic approach by examining the probability of concurrent decision processes underlying choice behaviour
when encountering inconsistent or incomplete information. Importantly, to discourage the explorative behaviour of the tested
species, the training included a large amount of novel, unrewarded stimuli. We tested two large brained parrot species, both of
which are known to be very investigative and curious: Goffin’s cockatoos (Cacatua goffini) and kea (Nestor notabilis). While
Goffin’s cockatoos have shown to be able to make inferences in the functional domain, kea were tested and failed in a previous
exclusion task. These species were selected to test the robustness of the approach with respect to neophilia. Individuals of both
species exhibited responses indicative of inference by exclusion significantly above chance. However, other response strategies,
such as one-trial learning or avoiding the negative stimulus, also guided the responses. The results of this study highlight the
importance of considering alternative choice mechanisms and how these might overshadow more advanced cognitive abilities,
such as reasoning by exclusion.
ECBB2016
83
C1-16. New Caledonian crows create novel compound tools
Auguste M.P. von Bayern Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3PS Oxford, UK; Max-Planck-Institute for
Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
S. Danel Laboratory for the Study of Cognitive Mechanisms, University of Lyon, Bron Rhône-Alpes 69500, France
A.M.I. Auersperg Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, 1090 Wien, Austria; Messerli Research Institute,
University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Wien, Austria
B. Mioduszewska Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, 82319 Seewiesen, Germany
A. Kacelnik Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, OX1 3PS Oxford, UK
The construction of novel compound tools through assemblage of otherwise non-functional parts involves planning, to
anticipate affordances of the tools to be built. Except for a few observations in great apes, compound tool construction is
unknown outside humans. We report that New Caledonian crows (Corvus moneduloides) can combine different objects to
construct and use mobile compound tools. We presented 8 naïve crows with combinable elements too short to retrieve food
targets. Four crows spontaneously combined 2 pieces to make functional tools, conditionally on the position of food. One of
them made 3- and 4-piece tools when required. In humans compound tool construction is evolutionarily related to planning,
language, and complex task coordination, and assumed to be linked to executive control and counterfactual mental modeling,
but it is likely that different cognitive mechanisms underlie this competence across species.
ECBB2016
84
C1-17. A canine look at the evolution of cooperation
Friederike Range Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Wolf
Science Centre, Ernstbrunn, Austria
S.Marshall-Pescini Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna; Medical
University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Centre, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Z.Virányi Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna;, Medical University
of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;, Wolf Science Centre, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Compared to the rest of the animal kingdom, human cooperation is exceptional and considered to be at the origin of our
advanced cognition, technology and culture. Even more rudimentary forms of cooperation that might occur in non-human
animal species seem to necessitate high attentiveness towards other individuals, social tolerance and potentially other-regarding
preferences, while inequity aversion might function as a stabilizing factor. To investigate the evolutionary origins of cooperation
and its underlying mechanisms, researchers have mainly investigated our closest relatives - non-human primates. However, in
some respects canids may be more comparable to humans. It has been suggested that during domestication dogs have gone
through convergent evolution with humans and have been selected for cooperating and communicating with them. Moreover, the
social organization of wolves, similarly to that of humans, is structured around the family and is characterized by cooperation
in pup-rearing, joint territorial defense and group hunting. In this talk, we will investigate the evolution of cooperation by
testing human-raised but pack-living wolves and dogs in their cooperative interactions with conspecifics, focusing especially on
pro-social behavior and aversion to inequity. We will discuss to what extent differences in the socio-ecology of wolves (family
structure, cooperative hunting) and dogs (multi-male/multi-female groups, scavenging) may explain observed differences in
regard to intraspecific cooperation between the two species. Understanding intraspecific canine cooperation and its underlying
mechanisms in addition to dog-human (wolf-human) cooperation is likely to enhance our understanding of the underlying
mechanism of cooperation and its evolution.
ECBB2016
85
C1-18. Personality in primates: the effects of a complex social environment
Sonja E. Koski University of Helsinki, Centre of Excellence in Intersubjectivity in Interaction, Helsinki
Animal personality has emerged as one of the most important areas of the current evolutionary, ecological, and behavioural
research. In this talk I focus on personality in social species living in complex and durable societies. The effects of the
social environment on personality in such species are two-fold: first, the relevant personality traits are likely to include more
social behaviours than a simple ‘sociability’, and second, the expression of personality traits may be modified by the social
environment at multiple levels. I present data on both effects in common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus) and chimpanzees
(Pan troglodytes). These species have several dimensions of social personality traits, as measured by observed behaviour in
daily life and in experimentally induced situations. In marmosets, the social environment modifies boldness and exploration
tendency likely with two different mechanisms. In chimpanzees, personality affects the choice of social partners so that the
closest bonds are formed between individuals of partly similar personality. I will also briefly consider the different methods
to assess animal personality and emphasise the relevance of sampling multiple traits with a focus on the ecological relevance
of the traits.
ECBB2016
86
C1-19. Opening the black box: comparative studies of vocal production mechanisms in
primates
Jacob Dunn Division of Biological Anthropology, University of Cambridge
Research in vocal communication has offered profound insights into primate cognition and behaviour. However, for the
majority of species, vocal production remains a black box, with measurable acoustic outputs, but little understanding of sound
production mechanisms. For researchers interested in primate vocal communication (and, by extension, the evolution of speech),
an understanding of vocal production is important for a number of reasons. Firstly, the neural control, functional anatomy and
physiology of sound producing organs determine the sounds that are physically producible by a given species, thus providing
constraints and opportunities for the evolution of vocal communication. Secondly, commonly used methods in acoustic analysis
and playback studies (e.g., linear predictive coding) depend on our knowledge of vocal production for proper implementation.
Thirdly, a better understanding of vocal production across species provides a broader comparative framework for understanding
the evolution of vocal communication systems, and more meaningful comparisons with human speech. In this talk I will present
data from three comparative studies of vocal production mechanisms in primates. I will begin by briefly highlighting recent
work on the extraordinary sound production mechanisms of a genus of particularly vocal primates - the howler monkeys. I will
then present some preliminary results from a recent and highly novel field study of vocal production using electroglottography
on several different species of semi free-ranging New World primates. Finally, I will discuss a recent study of the coevolution
of vocal repertoire and brain architecture across 30 primate species, arguing that vocal complexity coevolves with increases in
higher cognitive processing capacities.
ECBB2016
87
C1-20. Size-frequency allometry in primates and carnivores
Daniel Bowling Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
M Garcia Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
JC Dunn Department of Archaeology & Anthropology, University of Cambridge, England
R Ruprecht Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
A Stewart Language evolution and computation unit, University of Edinburgh; Scotland
G Hanke Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Scotland
KH Frommolt Leibniz Institute for Evolution and Biodiversity, Natural History Museum Berlin, Germary
A Kitchener Department of Natural Sciences, National Museums Scotland, Scotland
S Handschuh VetCore Facility for Research, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
S Dengg Clinical Department of Radiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
M Gumpenberger Clinical Department of Radiology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
WTF Fitch Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
A fundamental observation in bioacoustics is that large animals tend to produce vocalizations with lower frequencies than
small animals. This negative allometry between body size and vocalization frequencies has important consequences for social
communication and is widely considered key to understanding the evolution of vocal behavior. Although there is solid evidence
for negative size-frequency allometry across avian and amphibian taxa, there is almost no data on interspecific comparisons
among mammals. Here, we report the results of a large-scale empirical analysis of body size and vocalization frequencies in
a sample of 91 mammalian species, covering the full range of body sizes in the order Primates (from the pygmy marmoset to
the Western gorilla), and close to the full range in the order Carnivora (from the least weasel to the polar bear). For each of
the species, body size data was compiled from the literature, and recordings of vocalizations were selected and analyzed using
modern digital signal processing techniques. For a subset of 55 species, individual specimens were obtained and used to derive
measures of the key aspects of vocal production apparatus. The results demonstrate empirical relationships between body size,
vocal anatomy, and key aspects of vocal spectra in primates and carnivores, shedding light on the biological foundations of
vocal behavior in these clades.
ECBB2016
88
C1-21. Vocal allometry in domestic piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus): the information content of grunt calls
Garcia Maxime Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
M. Wondrak University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria, Haidlhof Research Station, Bad Vöslau, Austria
L. Huber University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
W.T. Fitch University of Vienna, Austria
The information conveyed in acoustic signals is a central topic in mammal vocal communication research. Body size is one
form of information that can be encoded in calls. Acoustic allometry aims to identify the specific acoustic correlates of body
size within the vocalizations of a given species, and formants are often a useful acoustic cue in this context. We conducted a
longitudinal investigation of acoustic allometry in domestic piglets (Sus scrofa domesticus), asking whether formants of grunt
vocalizations provide information concerning the caller’s body size over time. On four occasions, we recorded grunts from
20 Kune Kune piglets, measured their vocal tract length by means of radiographs (X-rays) and weighed them. Controlling
for effects of age and sex, we found that body weight strongly predicts vocal tract length, which in turn determines formant
frequencies. We conclude that grunt formant frequencies could allow domestic pigs to assess a signaler’s body size as it
grows. Further research using playback experiments is needed to determine the perceptual role of formants in domestic pig
communication.
ECBB2016
89
C1-22. Modelling acoustic individual distinctiveness in lemurs from vocal tract morphology
Marco Gamba University of Torino, Dept. of Life Sciences and Systems Biology
L. Favaro Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
O. Friard Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
Individual variation in vocalizations is a prerequisite for recognition and may have facilitated the evolution of large complex
animal societies. Lemurs have conspicuous vocal repertoires, and species-specific utterances can be interpreted in the light
of the source-filter theory. Lemur utterances are individually distinctive and formants play a crucial role in determining this
distinctiveness. We investigated the relation of vocal tract morphology to formants variation in lemurs. We used computational
models based on three real vocal tract casts to generate simulated formant patterns. The length of the different parts of the
vocal tract showed a coefficient of variation of 7% for the back cavity, 5% for the nasopharynx, 18% for the oral cavity, and
4% percent for the nostrils. The shape of the tract was reconstructed using cross-sectional areas measured at an increasing,
fixed distance from the glottis. The areas of the back cavity showed an average variation of 25% while the nasopharynx
and nostrils 36%. The changes in the morphology of the vocal tract accounted for a 7% average variation in the formant
response of the vocal tract models based on the original cast showing that F1 and F4 had a higher potential for individual
recognition. The models were subsequently modified to understand how changes in the vocal tract cross-sectional areas may
affect formant patterns. Models showed that both vocal tract length (influenced by the body size) and the shape of the tract
(an important determinant of volume) played a role in determining resonances. This study provided the first clear evidence
linking morphological variation of the lemur vocal tract, formant patterns of the acoustic output and the potential for vocal
individual recognition in non-human primates.
ECBB2016
90
C1-23. Underwater sound production in amphibious mammals
Tracey Rogers Evolution and Ecology Research Centre, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University
of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia
A major concern for mammals vocalizing underwater is the loss of air when reserves have been used up. Vocalizing without
air release prevents air flow through the larynx which results in the cessation of sound. Fully aquatic mammals, odontocetes and
mystectes, have specialized vocalizing mechanisms whereas the sound-generation mechanisms used by amphibious mammals
(the pinnipeds) remains poorly understood. In this preliminary study we examine the hypothesis that the trachea plays a role in
underwater sound production in some phocid seals. Anatomical observations of a leopard seal show that where the laryngeal
morphology is similar to that of terrestrial mammals, the rings of hyaline cartilage in the trachea, which are C-shaped and
dorsally incomplete in most mammals, are almost completely flattened. The dorsally located trachealis muscle is extremely
broad so that the tracheal lumen can become functionally collapsible. Underwater video of a vocalizing leopard seal shows
that while vocalizing the throat and chest inflates to the region we approximate where the trachea bifurcates. The flexibility of
the smooth trachealis muscle would allow this expansion and suggests that the trachea may be important during vocalization.
Vocalizing seals remain underwater for up to two minutes producing several vocalizations within a bout. No air is released
during or between vocalizations so that air is presumably recirculated, the air passes through the larynx and is captured to
be cycled back. Other Antarctic and Arctic phocid species have similar specialized tracheal morphology (including flattened
tracheal bars and expandable trachealis muscle), this may aid in the production of the diverse array of underwater vocalizations
produced by phocid seals.
ECBB2016
91
C1-24. Sound propagation in the head of small toothed whales: combining tissue physical
properties and anatomical structure
Mika Kuroda Division of Marine Bioresource and Environmental Science, Graduate School of Fisheries Sciences, Hokkaido
University, Japan
M. Sasaki Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Japan
K. Yamada Azabu University, Japan
N. Miki Future University Hakodate, Japan
Y. Uekusa Tsurumi University, Japan
M. Amano Nagasaki University, Japan;,
M. Kobayashi Tokyo University of Agriculture, Japan
T. K. Yamada and T. Matsuishi Hokkaido University, Japan
Toothed whales produce various types of echolocation click. Some groups in different families use similar narrow band
high frequency (NBHF) click. NBHF click is considered to have evolved relating to their habitat, prey specializations and the
risk of predation by natural enemy such as killer whales. To reveal the acoustical linkage between clicks properties and the
structure of sound propagating organ, tissue physical properties would be key information. However, lacking both anatomical
and quantitative physical information about sound propagating organ prevent further comprehension. In the current research,
the distribution of acoustic impedance in the head of 3 species of small toothed whale were measured and compared with
dissection view. Harbor porpoise Phocoena phocoena and Dall’s porpoise Phocoenoides dalli both from NBHF species and
striped dolphin Stenella coeruleoalba from non-NBHF species were chosen for the investigation. In the melon of 3 species, a
continuous gradients were observed from sound source to emitting surface (ES) where click sound is emitted into seawater.
At the ES, acoustic impedance of melon was matched with that of seawater. This mechanism would enable efficient click
propagation and emission. From dissection view, harbor porpoise and Dall’s porpoise had larger ES compared with striped
dolphin. ES size would affect diffraction and the directivity of the click. Harbor and Dall’s porpoise had thick and large
vestibular sacs, however, Commerson’s dolphin which in NBHF group had thin one. This indicates that not all NBHF group
porpoises have same head structure. To combine anatomical information with click properties, further information about the
difference of evolutionary process inter/intra NBHF and non-NBHF group should be examined.
ECBB2016
92
C1-25. Acoustic signal evolution - multifunctionality and diversification of echolocation
Anna Bastian University of Cape Town, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa
N. Finger University of Cape Town, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa
R. Raw University of Cape Town, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa
D. Jacobs University of Cape Town, Department of Biological Sciences, South Africa
Traits used for communication often have additional functions. Whereas visual communication signals often evolved through
co-option of existing structures, acoustic signals primarily evolved for communication. One exception is echolocation, an
acoustic signal used by most bats, some cetaceans and a few bird species to orientate and find food. Echolocation is a highly
specialised sensory system and the diversity of echolocation types reflects the diversity of food sources and habitats. Physical
properties of habitats and characteristics of foraging niches shaped the acoustic structure, but some variability is unexplained.
With a series of behavioural experiments, we explored the communicative function of echolocation and investigated if this
secondary function represents a driver of signal diversity. We chose multiple horseshoe bat species because of their inter- and
intra-specific variability of peak frequencies. Through playback experiments we tested if these bats perceive social information
of different complexity, such as species, gender and individual discrimination as well as mate preferences based on body
condition or age of the caller. Results show that species discrimination abilities depend on local signalling assemblages and
emphasises the perceivers role in communication. Individual signatures are perceived as well but correct classification decreases
significantly with increasing group size as echolocations’ primary function may constrains the acoustic variability to maintain
its functionality for orientation/foraging. The gender of the caller can be reliably discriminated as well but results from a
two-choice experiment revealed no female preference for gender, higher or lower frequency of the call or body condition of
the male caller.
ECBB2016
93
C1-26. Costs and Constraints Shape Vocal Signals in Birds
Sue Anne Zollinger Communication and Social Behaviour Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
The calls and songs of animals have attracted the interest of both laypeople and researchers for millennia. This interest
comes in part because of the conspicuousness of acoustic signals, but also because of the impressive diversity of sounds that
animals produce. Bird songs are a particularly notable example due to the breadth of diversity and complexity found among
species. Sexual selection is thought to drive the diversity of form and usage but on the other hands there are limits that are
important for the understanding of the evolution of signals. First, because selection can only operate within these limits and
second, the costs might be an important factor in the selection process as they may signal a singer’s quality. One important
step towards understanding why birds produce the acoustic signals that they do is to understand the factors that constrain vocal
signaling. Avian vocal signals may be constrained through many mechanisms - from anatomical or biomechanical limitations,
to physiological or metabolic costs, to social or selective pressures. Genes, developmental conditions, and vocal learning can
also impose additional constraints. In this talk I will present results from a number of studies and across a range of species that
shed light on the costs and constraints that shape acoustic signals in birds. While songbirds produce sounds that can amazingly
complex, their vocal output is also constrained by the biomechanics of the syrinx and respiratory system. In contrast there is
little evidence that metabolic costs are a limiting factor on song production, even when produced at high amplitudes. Finally,
I will present evidence that social and developmental pressures may be just as strong a constraining force in vocal production
as physical limitations are.
ECBB2016
94
C1-27. Impact of environmental noise on private vocal communication at the nest in the
White-Throated Dipper (Cinclus cinclus)
Avelyne Villain Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR 9197, Saint-, France
Marie S.A. Fernandez Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR 9197, Etienne EPI BEAGLE INRIA,
Villeurbanne
Hédi A. Soula EtienneEPI BEAGLE INRIA, Villeurbanne; INSERM U1060 INSA LYON, Villeurbanne, France
Blandine Doligez Univ Lyon, UCB Lyon 1, CNRS, LBEE 5558, Lyon, France
Clémentine Vignal -Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR
The various impacts of noise levels on acoustic communication of songbirds have received much interest. Particularly, we
know a lot about noise-dependent vocal flexibility in territorial songs (loud and long-range vocal signals) but responses to
noise in short range vocal signals have been less studied. Private vocal signals used by partners at the nest participate in the
organization of breeding and might be impacted by noise. White-throated dippers depend on water stream for foraging and
they nest upon water. Breeding partners are then subject to a constant environmental noise. We studied the impact of water
stream noise on acoustic communication between mates during incubation in the white-throated dipper. First, because different
nest sites have different noise constraints (amplitude and spectral properties), we compared the acoustic properties of intra-pair
acoustic communication between pairs (amplitude, repertoire and temporal structure of female-male vocal sequences). Second,
natural variations of water flow - following rain falls or snow melting- can change the level of environmental noise on a daily
basis. We tested the impact of a short-term experimental increase in water stream noise on breeding pairs. In response to the
noise playback, pairs changed the temporal structure and repertoire of their female-male vocal sequences. In particular, the
sequences were composed of fewer notes during the noise playback. Our results bring two major conclusions: first, changes
in background noise levels impact the use of short-range private vocal signals. Second, if pairs changed their acoustic signals
at the nest in response to background noise, these vocal interactions between partners may be of importance for breeding.
ECBB2016
95
C1-28. Male song features predict paternal investment in common nightingales Luscinia
megarhynchos
Bartsch Conny Technische Universität München
M. Weiss Bundesinstitut für Risikobewertung, Berlin, Germany
S. Kipper Technische Universität München, Germany
The ‘good-parent’ model predicts that male sexual ‘ornamentation’ honestly advertises the degree of paternal investment.
In passerines, male song is indicative of male attributes and for few species it has been shown that song also signals paternal
investment to females. Males of nightingales Luscinia megarhynchos are famous for their elaborate singing but so far there is
only little knowledge on the role of male song characteristics in intersexual communication, and it is unknown whether male
song predicts male parenting abilities. We studied the potential relationship between courtship song prior to pair-formation
and later parental investment on 20 males within a population of nightingales in Golm (Potsdam, Germany). Using RFID
technology to record male feeding visits to the nest we found that nightingale males substantially contributed to chick feeding.
Also, by focusing on song features that have been identified to signal male quality before, we found that several song features,
namely measures of song complexity and song sequencing, were correlated with male feeding rates. Moreover, the combination
of these song features had strong predictive power for male contribution to nestling feeding. These results suggest that females
may assess future paternal care on the basis of song features identified in our study. Additionally it underlines the importance
of multiple acoustic cues for female mating decisions especially in species were males have evolved very complex song such
as in the nightingale.
ECBB2016
96
C1-29. Cross-species comparisons of the perception of acoustic stress patterns
Marisa Hoeschele Department of Cognitive Biology University of Vienna
J. M. Toro ICREA - Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain
Prosody, a salient aspect of human speech that includes rhythm and intonation, has been shown to help infants acquire some
aspects of syntax. One important aspect of prosody is lexical stress: the apparent “strength” of some syllables relative to others.
The ability to perceive lexical stress is important because it can help a listener segment speech and distinguish the meaning
of words and sentences. Very little is known, however, whether these abilities are human specific, or whether we can find
them in other species. We used a go/nogo operant paradigm to compare humans to budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) and
rats (Rattus norvegicus) in their ability to distinguish trochaic (stress-initial) from iambic (stress-final) two-syllable nonsense
words. We chose budgerigars as a comparison because they are vocal learners, like humans, and we chose rats because they
are more closely-related to humans, but are not vocal learners. Once the three species learned the task, we presented novel
words and also words that had certain cues removed (e.g., pitch, duration, loudness, or vowel quality) to determine which cues
were most important in stress perception. All three species learned the task and generalized the discrimination to two-syllable
nonsense words they had never heard before. However, when some prosodic cues of lexical stress were removed, humans were
the least impaired, followed by budgerigars, and rats were no longer able to solve the task. This suggests that vocal learning
may be relevant for processing prosodic information.
ECBB2016
97
C1-30. Seasonal female processing of social/sexual vocal signals is state dependent
Cousillas Hugo Université de Rennes1 - Laboratoire d’Ethologie Animale et Humaine, UMR 6552 - CNRS, 263 av. de
Général Leclerc 35042 Rennes cedex, France
G. Karino Department of Biotechnology and Life Science, Graduate School of Engineering, Tokyo University of Agriculture
and Technology, Naka-cho, Koganei-shi, Tokyo; Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Saitama Medical University, 38
Morohongo, Moroyama-cho, Iruma-gun, Saitama, Japan
I. George CNRS- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Animale et Humaine, UMR 6552 Université de Rennes 1, France
L. Loison Université de Rennes 1 - Laboratoire d’Ethologie Animale et Humaine, France
S. Alcaix Université de Rennes 1 - Laboratoire d’Ethologie Animale et Humaine, France
G. De Groof Bio-Imaging Laboratory, University of Antwerp, Belgium
M. Hausberger CNRS- Laboratoire d’Ethologie Animale et Humaine, UMR 6552 Université de Rennes 1, France
Communication requires adaptability to the interlocutors’ characteristics and variations, from mere behavioural flexibility
to more profound brain plasticity. While plasticity in central processing has been mostly observed early in life, the need for
adaptation is present throughout the life, especially in social species for which breeding periods are interspersed with more social
periods. Birdsong is a typical communication signal whose structure, output and function change over the year. We investigated
whether female European starlings’ primary auditory area (Field L) was tuned to these changes. Electrophysiological recordings
revealed that Field-L neurons were highly responsive to song elements that are crucial for intra-sexual social interactions during
non-breeding period, while they were highly responsive to male song elements involved in mate attraction during breeding time.
This adult plasticity in a primary sensory area, with responsiveness differing from time periods when individuals are tuned to
social cues to periods when they are tuned to sexual cues, opens an interesting line of research that may be of interest for social
species, including humans, which undergo such shifts of interest over time. The question is whether such shifts in neuronal
selectivity reflect shifts of interest in birds themselves, i.e. differential interest/attention towards such signals. In order to test
whether attentional cues may be involved, we tested an extreme situation: anesthesia. Thus, the same recordings performed on
anesthetized females revealed a clear impact of anesthesia on sensory and cognitive processes with atypical neuronal responses
towards biologically irrelevant sounds and disappearance of the seasonal neuronal tuning towards functionally relevant song
elements
ECBB2016
98
C1-31. Humans recognize emotional arousal in vocalizations across terrestrial vertebrates:
Evidence for acoustic universals
Piera Filippi Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Jenna v. Congdon Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
John Hoang Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Daniel Liu Bowling Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Stephan Reber Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Andrius Pasukonis Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Marisa Hoeschele Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Sebastian Ocklenburg Department of Biopsychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
Bart de Boer Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Christopher B. Sturdy Department of Psychology, University of Alberta, Edmonton, Canada
Albert Newen Center for Mind, Brain and Cognitive Evolution, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany; Department of
Philosophy II, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
Onur Güntürkün Center for Mind, Brain and Cognitive Evolution, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany; Department of
Biopsychology, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany
Over a century ago, Darwin hypothesized that vocal emotional expression had ancient evolutionary roots, perhaps dating
back to our earliest terrestrial ancestors. This suggests that fundamental characteristics of vocal emotional expressions are
shared among terrestrial vertebrates. If this hypothesis is true, we should expect to find cross-species acoustic universals in
emotional vocalizations. Recent studies show that acoustic attributes of aroused vocalizations are shared across many mammalian
species, and that humans can use these attributes to infer emotional content. But do these acoustic attributes extend to nonmammalian vertebrates? In this study, human participants judged the emotional content of vocalizations of nine vertebrate
species: hourglass treefrog, American alligator, black-capped chickadee, common raven, domestic pig, giant panda, African
elephant, Barbary macaque, and human. These species represent three different biological classes - amphibia, reptilia (non-aves
and aves), mammalia - that diverge in size, ecological habitat, and social structure. We found that humans are able to identify
arousal in the vocalizations across all species. This result was consistent across different language groups (English, German and
Mandarin native speakers). Acoustic analyses showed that our ability to discriminate high versus low arousal calls is predicted
by differences in fundamental frequency and spectral center of gravity, and that human arousal ratings could be predicted by
duration, harmonic-to-noise-ratio, fundamental frequency, and spectral center of gravity. These results suggest that fundamental
mechanisms of vocal emotional expression are shared among vertebrates and could represent an ancient signaling system.
ECBB2016
99
C1-32. The vocal behavior of male African elephants (Loxodonta africana)
Angela Stoeger Mammal Communication Lab Department of Cognitive Biology University of Vienna
A. Baotic Mammal Communication Lab Department of Cognitive Biology University of Vienna
Determining the information content of vocalizations is a crucial step towards understanding a species’ communication
system, but the structure and function of specific call types differ with age, gender, or reproductive state. Research on elephant
vocal communication has so far focused on females, but very little is known about the acoustic structure and the information
content of male vocalizations and how these are used in social interactions. Information on male elephant social communication,
however, would be particularly relevant. This is because recent studies on social dynamics and male-male relationships have
highlighted that males are not as asocial as previously thought, particularly during non-musth periods (musth is a condition
characterized by aggressive behavior and elevated androgen levels). Using the source and filter theory approach, we analyzed
social rumbles (vocalizations with frequencies in the infrasonic range) of 10 male African elephants. These rumbles revealed
acoustic cues about maturity (age and size), individuality, and, potentially, dominance to maintain hierarchy. We also provide
preliminary results on playback experiments (with a custom-build subwoofer reproducing 10 Hz at 110 dB) on male elephants
in the Addo Elephant National Park, South Africa. We investigate the perception of particular acoustic cues in rumbling
vocalizations and evaluate the ability of social recognition based on vocalizations in adult male individuals. Our results suggest
that, similar to the highly social females, research on male elephant vocal behavior will reveal a complex communication
system. In this system, social knowledge, companionship, hierarchy and reproductive competition - combined with the need
to communicate over long distances - play key roles.
ECBB2016
100
C1-33. Artificial selection reveals the costs and benefits of large brain size
Alexander Kotrschal Department of Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden
Variation in brain size is believed to have evolved through the balance between selection for cognitive advantages of larger
brains and prohibiting energetic costs associated with a larger brain. While comparative studies highlighted several important
selection pressures, experiments have so far been lacking. We used artificial selection to create large- and small-brained lines
of guppies (Poecilia reticulata), which we now use to experimentally test the costs and benefits of having smaller or larger
brains. Our results demonstrate that a 13 % difference in relative brain size between up- and down-selected replicate lines
can evolve surprisingly fast - but at some cost. Large-brained animals show a decreased fecundity, develop smaller guts,
and exhibit an impaired immune response. These costs are likely offset by a selective advantage of large-brained offspring
in cognitively challenging environments, since relatively larger brains should confer a cognitive benefit. Indeed large-brained
individuals outperform small-brained individuals in several aspects of cognitive ability such as spatial, numerical and reversal
learning. We confirmed the ecological relevance of increased cognition by discovering a survival advantage of large- compared
to small-brained females under semi-natural conditions. These results provide the first experimental evidence of costs and
benefits of brain size evolution and have important implications for our understanding of the evolutionary reasons for the
remarkable variation in brain size evident among vertebrates.
ECBB2016
101
C1-34. Collective Sensing and Decision-Making in Animal Groups: From Fish Schools to
Primate Societies
Iain D. Couzin Director, Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany;
Chair of Biodiversity and Collective Behaviour, Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Germany
Understanding how social influence shapes biological processes is a central challenge in contemporary science, essential
for achieving progress in a variety of fields ranging from the organization and evolution of coordinated collective action
among cells, or animals, to the dynamics of information exchange in human societies. Using an integrated experimental and
theoretical approach I will address how, and why, animals exhibit highly-coordinated collective behavior. I will demonstrate
new imaging and virtual reality technology that allows us to reconstruct (automatically) the dynamic, time-varying sensory
networks by which social influence propagates in groups. This allows us to identify, for any instant in time, the most sociallyinfluential individuals, and to predict the magnitude of complex behavioral cascades within groups before they actually occur.
By investigating the coupling between spatial and information dynamics in groups we reveal that emergent problem solving
is the predominant mechanism by which mobile groups sense, and respond to complex environmental gradients, and we
explore the evolutionary stability of such collective intelligence. Finally I will reveal the critical role uninformed, or unbiased,
individuals play in effecting fast and democratic consensus decision-making in collectives, and will test these predictions with
experiments involving schooling fish and wild baboons.
ECBB2016
102
C1-35. Use of physiological states as a source of information - or - How animals pretend
to be clever
Andrew Higginson University of Exeter, UK
T. W. Fawcett University of Exeter, UK
J. M. McNamara University Bristol, UK
A. I. Houston University Bristol, UK
Our ability to predict behaviour has often been dependent on assuming that animals have perfect information about
environmental conditions or are capable of sophisticated learning. If such learning abilities are costly, however, natural selection
will favour simpler mechanisms for controlling behaviour when faced with uncertain conditions. Here, I show that - in a
foraging context - a mechanism based only on current energy reserves performs almost as well as a Bayesian learning rule.
This mechanism exploits the fact that reserves are a source of information about recent conditions. Studies assuming Bayesian
learning are often accused of being unrealistic; the results suggest that animals can achieve a similar level of performance to
Bayesians using much simpler mechanisms based on their physiological state. More broadly, this work suggests that the ability
to use internal states as a source of information will have weakened selection for sophisticated learning and decision-making
systems. I will discuss one such implication of this: the use of emotional state as a memory.
ECBB2016
103
C1-36. Seasonal time-keeping in a long-distance migrating shorebird
Julia Karagicheva NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research,1Department of Coastal Systems,
E. Rakhimberdiev NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, The Netherlands, Lomonosov
Moscow State University, Russia
A. Dekinga NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, The Netherlands
M. Brugge NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, The Netherlands
A. Koolhaas NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, The Netherlands
J. ten Horn1 & T. Piersma NIOZ Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research and Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences (GELIFES), University of Groningen, The Netherlands
The nature and possible adaptive value of seasonal time-keeping mechanisms in long-lived organisms have been understudied
largely due to the complications in achieving the necessary long-term observations and experiments. Here we present the results
of a 20-year-long study of the repeated seasonal changes in body mass, plumage state and primary molt in 45 captive red knots
Calidris canutus islandica, a High Arctic breeding shorebird which spends the nonbreeding season in temperate coastal areas.
Birds kept outdoors experiencing the natural photoperiod of the nonbreeding area maintained sequences of life-cycle stages,
with the timing roughly representing their timing in nature. Of these birds, 14 individuals were exposed to constant ambient
temperature (12C) and photoperiodic conditions (12:12 LD) for 6 - 8 years. Under the constant photoperiodic and temperature
conditions, they expressed free-running cycles of body mass, plumage state and wing molt for at least 5 years. The cycles of
the free-running traits became longer than 12 months. They also desynchronized with respect to each other, and as a result,
after five years in 12:12 LD, the spring life-cycle stages (i.e. the onset and offset of pre-alternate molt and the onset of spring
body mass increase) had drifted less than the later stages (i.e. the offset of spring body mass increase and the onset and offset
of the pre-basic and wing molts). We see this as evidence for an endogenous time-keeping system that addresses a need for
both rigid timing during stages linked to the initiation of reproduction (largely reliant on endogenous oscillators) and a timing
of life-cycle stages that shows greater responsiveness to environmental influences.
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C1-37. The influence of ghrelin on stop-over decisions of long-distance migratory passerines
Sara Lupi University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
W. Goymann Max-Planck-Institut für Ornithologie Seewiesen, Germany
M. Cardinale Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences,Sweden
H. Kaiya National Cardiovascular Center Research Institute Osaka, Japan
L. Fusani University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria;, University of Vienna, Austria
During migration, birds undergo continuous changes in body condition: sustained migratory flights over ecological barriers,
such as deserts and seas, lead to a rapid fat consumption, so that birds spend a considerable amount of time at stopover sites
to restore energy reserves. Furthermore, migrants are subjected to dramatic changes in the life pattern: most passerines are
diurnal but migrate at night. In captivity, the extent of migratory disposition of nocturnal migrants can be estimated by the
intensity of nocturnal restlessness, or Zugunruhe. We previously demonstrated that body condition and food intake are good
predictors of migratory disposition in European small passerines. Therefore, we asked if orexic-anorexic hormones reflecting
the nutritional state and/or feeding behaviour play an active role in the regulation of stopover duration. Ghrelin, a recently
discovered hormone secreted by the gastrointestinal tract, acts as an anti-lipogenic and anorexic hormone in birds and might
trigger the decision of birds whether to resume migration or prolong stopover. We focused on the European nocturnal migrant
garden warbler (Sylvia borin). The study was conducted on the island of Ponza in the Tyrrhenian Sea during spring migration.
We measured circulating ghrelin levels of migrants differing in the extent of fat reserves. Additionally, we conducted hormonal
treatments to test for the effect of ghrelin on food intake and Zugunruhe. Our results demonstrated that ghrelin reflects the
extent of fat reserves and influences migratory disposition. Thus, ghrelin appears to control the decision making by regulating
the behavioural and metabolic switches between stopover and migration.
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C1-38. Female common hamsters adjust hibernation in relation to food hoards
Carina Siutz Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
E. Millesi Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Free-ranging common hamsters (Cricetus cricetus) showed unique sex differences in hibernation patterns. Adult females
delayed hibernation onset and consequently hibernated for shorter periods than adult males. This is probably related to
differences in the amount of external energy reserves available for the winter period as indicated by pronounced sex differences
in foraging behaviour: adult males spent about 80% of the time actually feeding above ground, whereas adult females were
observed almost exclusively caching food items and carrying them into their burrows. This suggests that females additionally
rely on food stores during winter whereas males use a more pronounced energy-saving strategy by hibernating for longer
periods. We therefore manipulated the availability of food stores under laboratory conditions to investigate potential effects
on hibernation patterns. Female hamsters were kept in artificial burrows in constant condition chambers and body temperature
was recorded using subcutaneously implanted data loggers. One group had access to sufficient food stores whereas another
group was prevented from building up food hoards but received daily food portions which were removed on the next day if
not consumed. Our results showed that almost all females without food stores hibernated compared to less than half of the
other group. Females with access to food hoards spent less time in torpor and had higher minimum body temperatures than
those without stores. Hibernation onset and duration, however, did not differ between hibernators of both groups. We therefore
conclude that sufficient food stores can prevent female common hamsters from hibernating and that individuals can adjust the
use of the energy-saving torpor state in relation to external energy reserves.
ECBB2016
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C1-39. Domesticated physiology? Wolves seem more relaxed than dogs, but not when
working with humans
Kim Kortekaas Wolf Science Center, Austria; Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Department
of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Z. Morbach Georg-August-University Göttingen, Germany
K. Kotrschal Konrad Lorenz Research Station, Core Facility University of Vienna, Austria
Wolves (Canis lupus) are the closest living relatives of dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) which have become adapted to a lifestyle dependent on humans. Still, in contrast to general expectations and mainstream domestication hypotheses (e.g. Hare et al.,
2012), socialized wolves may be as attentive and cooperative towards humans as dogs (Range and Viranyi, 2015). However,
wolves and dogs might differ in how they relate mentally towards humans and how they cooperate with them. In this study,
we measured cardiac output (as parameters of sympathetic/parasympathetic regulation) with the Polar RS800CX heart rate
(HR) monitor of six equally raised and kept wolves and dogs in three tasks/test situations: (1) leash walk, (2) learning set a two-choice object discrimination task, and (3) touch screen - a two-choice task working on a touch screen. In general, the
wolves were more aroused (lower heart rate variability - HRV) than the dogs in the different experimental situations. However,
baseline relaxation data showed more aroused dogs (higher mean HR and lower HRV) than wolves. When we, consequently,
looked at the cardiac output of the same wolves and dogs while being asleep, we found similar results. Hence, dogs were
generally less relaxed than wolves at rest but also less aroused when engaged in human-related tasks. We suggest that this
may reflect the specific adaptation of dogs to living with humans: to be ready for action at any time, but also to retain a less
aroused mental state than wolves when working with us.
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C1-40. Sex and steroids: the impact of an agricultural contaminant on sexual selection and
male competition in a freshwater fish
Patrick Tomkins School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
M. Saaristo School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
M. Allinson Centre for Aquatic Pollution Identification and Management, School of Chemistry, Melbourne University
B. B. M. Wong School of Biological Sciences, Monash University
Sexual selection is particularly sensitive to human-induced environmental change. It has been well established that changes to
the visual and acoustic environment can influence mate choice, however the consequences of altering the chemical environment
are relatively unknown. Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) are one group of chemical contaminants with the ability to
disrupt sexual selection. A recent surge in interest towards behavioural studies has revealed that EDCs can impact a wide range
of behaviours, but their affect on sexual selection is poorly understood. One EDC with the potential to impact mate choice
mechanisms is the androgenic steroid, trenbolone. Trenbolone is a particularly potent compound used to promote growth rates
in beef cattle around the world, and has been detected in waterways associated with cattle feedlots. It is known to cause severe
morphological and physiological abnormalities, but its impact on sexual selection has yet to be investigated. To address this gap
in the literature, we investigated the impact of an environmentally relevant concentration of trenbolone on female mate choice
and male competition in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). We found that at environmentally relevant concentrations, exposed
female guppies were less choosy than unexposed females. Further, we found that trenbolone-exposed males altered the relative
use of their two alternate mating strategies, which had a negative impact on their competitive ability. Considering female mate
choice and male competition have a direct influence on the quality and quantity of offspring produced, the disruption of these
mechanisms could have serious implications for population dynamics and broader evolutionary processes.
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C1-41. Being obestity - prone does not effect the performance of dogs in various sociocognitive test involving food as a reward
Orsolya Julianna Torda Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Ethology, Budapest, Hungary
V. Junó Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Ethology, Budapest, Hungary
P. Pongrácz Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Ethology, Budapest, Hungary
In this study we compared motivational disposition and performance of obesity prone and non-obesity prone dog breeds
in two-way object choice (Exp1) and cognitive bias tests (Exp2). In Exp1 dogs had to find hidden food following the distal
momentary pointing cues given by the experimenter. The indicated bowl contained always low incentive value food, while
the non-indicated bowl was either empty in ‘empty alternative group’ (EA), or contained high incentive value food in ‘reward
alternative group’(RA). Dogs in the EA showed a general in decline in their motivation along trials, with significantly longer
mean latencies of approach compared to subjects in the RA. In addition, dogs in EA showed a trend-like decline towards
the last three trials in choosing the indicated bowl, compared to the subjects of RA. In Exp2 after establishing a preference
for always-baited, ‘positive’ over never-baited ‘negative’ location, dogs were presented with ‘ambivalent location’ halfway
between the ‘positive’ and ‘negative’ ones. Dogs reached ‘ambivalent’ location significantly faster than ‘negative’ location and
significantly slower than ‘positive’ location. The dog breed did not have significant effect on the latency of approach in Exp1
and Exp2 and number of correct choice in Exp1. According to our preliminary results dogs, independently of their breed being
obesity prone one or not, react declining motivation to repeated encounters with food reward of low incentive value; breeds
also did not affect significantly the expectancy of dogs about the ambivalent location. Based on this we may draw a cautious
conclusion that it is not the invariable attraction to any kind of food that results in obesity in particular dogs, but probably a
genetic predisposition on the level of energy metabolism.
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C1-42. Magnetic alignment in the context of the concept of sensory alignment
Hynek Burda Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Department of Game Management
and Wildlife Biology, 16521 Prague, Czech Republic and University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty for Biology, Dept. of General
Zoology, 45117 Essen, Germany
S. Begall University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty for Biology, Dept. of General Zoology
J. Cervený Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Department of Game Management and
Wildlife Biology, Prague, Czech Republic
V. Hart Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Department of Game Management and
E. P. Malkemper University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty for Biology, Dept. of General Zoology
P. Nováková Czech University of Life Sciences, Faculty of Forestry and Wood Sciences, Department of Game Management and
Alignment means forming or arranging into a line or adopting a non-random, predictable position with respect to a certain
cue or signal. Sun basking, attentive listening, turning away from blending light or whipping wind, curious gazing on object
of interest are associated with alignment. Alignment is advantageous: It helps to acquire information, reduce noise, avoid
overstimulation, or to save energy. Study of alignment has a heuristic potential: It informs about motivation and sensory
capacity of an animal. One can align with respect to a cue or a signal only if one can sense it (and is motivated). The hierarchy
of senses in biology of a particular animal, motivation, and actual requirement may determine which kind of alignment may
prevail (and mask other possible kinds of alignment). Magnetic alignment (= alignment with respect to magnetic field lines) is
just one type of sensory alignment with all the attributes mentioned above. For many animals the magnetic sense is an ordinary
sense and it is guided by similar principles as other senses. The selection pressure on the magnetic sense may be in most
organisms lower than in the case of most other senses. Accordingly, individual variability in its efficacy may be larger than
in the case of other senses (cf. color blindness, tone deafness, or different types of anosmia in humans). Even in the context
of spatial orientation it may be inferior to other senses. We point out misunderstandings of the concept of magnetic alignment
and caveats of its study in the lab and in the field. We present examples of animals displaying magnetic alignment in different
behavioral contexts and discuss its putative meaning in the context of cognitive mapping, crossmodal integration, directional
or slope indicator, and distance measuring.
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C2-01. Sexual selection before and after mating in males and females
Charlotta Kvarnemo Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences University of Gothenburg Sweden
L.W. Simmons University of Western Australia, Australia,
Sexual selection after mating can negate or exaggerate sexual selection before mating, but few studies have explored both
episodes of selection. For males, estimates of sexual selection intensity rely heavily on measures of male mating success,
but polyandry undermines such approaches, as it reflects a reduced male ability to monopolize females. This creates reduced
variation in reproductive success among males, weakening total sexual selection on males. Even so, polyandry facilitates sperm
competition and cryptic female choice, which can generate strong selection on males. Polyandry also favours increased male
ejaculate expenditure while reducing male potential reproductive rate, creating feedbacks between pre- and post-copulatory
episodes. For females, sexual selection is better documented before than after mating. When females benefit from mating
with single high quality or multiple males this can generate competition among females, imposing sexual selection on traits
that influence female mating success. Females favouring the same males can lead to sperm depletion among popular males,
selecting for females to monopolize such males or to mate with them before they become sperm depleted. Also polygyny can
generate sexual selection on females, if females compete for mating status. Female competition and subsequent adaptations
often differ from males in being less overt. A change in focus from the products of sexual selection expected in males, to less
obvious traits in females is likely to reveal a greater role of sexual selection in female evolution. Few studies have explored
both episodes of selection and there is a heavy bias towards thinking sexual selection only occurs in males. Future work should
try to consider pre- and post-copulatory selection in both sexes.
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C2-02. Copulatory courtship: a transition from pre- to postmating sexual selection?
Stefan Lupold University of Zurich
E.M. Droge-Young Syracuse University, USA
S. Lamble Syracuse University, USA
A. Eeswara Syracuse University, USA
J.M. Belote Syracuse University, USA
S. Pitnick Syracuse University, USA
Males of many species continue courtship behavior even after copulation has started, but the evolutionary origin, diversification and adaptive significance of this behavior are poorly understood. In particular studies of the adaptive significance are
challenging due to difficulties of visualizing female sperm storage and utilization in response to copulatory courtship. Using
experimental manipulation of two study species, Drosophila simulans and Tribolium castaneum, both of which have been
genetically engineered to produce glow-in-the-dark sperm, we investigate the extent to which females modulate sperm storage,
ejection and utilization in response to receiving or not receiving the male’s copulatory courtship signal. In addition, we examine
the origin, diversification and loss of copulatory courtship across the Drosophila phylogeny, with preliminary data suggesting
considerable variation in behavioral patterns across species.
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C2-03. Opposite patterns of selection for traits involved in mating access and fertilization
success in a polyandrous bird species
Vuarin Pauline Emirates Center for Wildlife Propagation Route de Midelt, BP 47 33250 Missour Province de Boulemane
Kingdom of Morocco
Y. Hingrat Reneco for Wildlife Preservation, United Arab Emirates
G. Sorci CNRS UMR
Male reproductive success results from the probabilities to access females before copulation and to fertilize females’ ova
after copulation. Although traits contributing to these two components of reproductive success can be potential distinct targets
of selection, no study has distinguished selection acting on secondary sexual characters from selection acting on primary
sexual characters, which respectively underlie mating access and fertilization success. Taking advantage of a long-term captive
breeding program for a polygynous bird species, the houbara bustard, we were able to access unique longitudinal records
of male primary and secondary sexual characters, including five sperm traits and an index of courtship activity measured on
3115 individuals over 15 years. For the first time, we aimed at quantify the strength and direction of selection acting on traits
involved in pre- and post-copulatory events, using a regression-based approach to examine multivariate selection. Our analysis
revealed opposite patterns of selection for primary and secondary sexual characters, as courtship activity was under negative
directional selection but the number of spermatozoa per ejaculate and the proportion of normal spermatozoa were under positive
directional selection. Sperm motility and ejaculate volume appeared to be negatively correlated. Hence, our results suggest an
evolutionary trade-off between traits promoting mating access and traits promoting fertilization success, supporting that both
pre- and post-copulatory selection should always been considered when studying reproductive success and the evolution of
mating systems.
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C2-04. Trade-off between carotenoid-based sexual ornamentation and sperm resistance to
oxidative challenge
Oldrich Tomasek Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences; Charles University in Prague, Faculty of
Science, Department of Zoology, Czech Republic
Jana Albrechtova Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., The Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Martina Nemcova Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Prague, Czech Republic
Pavlina Opatova Institute of Vertebrate Biology, v.v.i., The Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
Tomas Albrecht Institute of Vertebrate Biology, The Czech Academy of Sciences; Charles University in Prague, Faculty of
Science, Department of Zoology, Czech Republic
Male reproductive success is the result of interplay between the pre- and post-copulatory phases of sexual selection. In
theory, traits used in mate attraction could either signal, or be traded-off against, fertility and sperm competitive ability.
Empirical support for both hypotheses is mixed, with studies reporting different directions of correlation between pre- and
post-copulatory traits. Here, we manipulated oxidative status (using diquat dibromide) and carotenoid availability in adult
zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) males in order to test whether carotenoid-based beak ornamentation signals, or is traded-off
against, sperm resistance to oxidative stress. Under oxidative challenge, more ornamented males suffered a steeper decline
in sperm velocity, thereby indicating a trade-off between ornamentation and sperm oxidative resistance. In addition, males
exposed to oxidative challenge displayed shortening of the sperm midpiece. Carotenoid supplementation reduced occurrence
of sperm abnormalities in males with an initially high abnormal sperm proportion, but showed no inhibition of diquat effects
on sperm traits. Our data support the hypothesis that redox homeostasis is an important constraint in the co-evolution of preand post-copulatory sexual traits. Our data further support the importance of carotenoids for normal sperm morphology, though
this is probably not mediated through an antioxidant function.
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C2-05. Genetic polymorphism leads to differences in copulatory behavior in bulb mites.
Anna Maria Skrzynecka Institute of Environmental Sciences, Jagiellonian University, Kraków, Poland
J. Radwan Faculty of Biology, Adam Mickiewicz University, Pozna, Poland
The maintenance of genetic polymorphism in natural populations despite directional selection is one of the unsolved problems
of evolutionary biology. Intersexual conflict is probably one of the mechanisms maintaining genetic polymorphism. Conflict
emerges when a trait giving higher reproductive success for males reduces the fitness of their mating partners. An example of
such conflict is phosphogluconate dehydrogenase polymorphism (PGDH) in bulb mites Rhizoglyphus robini (Acari, Acaride).
Studies showed that the alternative PGDH forms are associated with large differences in male reproductive success. Furthermore,
males bearing the ‘winning’ form have a detrimental effect on the fitness of their female partners. Aim of this study was to
investigate the mechanism of the negative influence exerted by ‘winning’ males on females. Using behavioral observation
of precopulatory and copulatory behavior we found that males with ‘winning’ polymorphism are more mobile and copulate
more frequently than males with alternative form. Further studies suggested that males with ‘winning’ form produce higher
amount of sperm and have higher ability to replenish its supply. Combination of ability to more frequent copulations and
higher sperm production may resulting in higher reproductive success of males bearing the ‘winning’ form of PGDH. Previous
studies suggest that frequent copulations decrease female fitness hence higher mobility and more frequent copulations of males
with advantageous polymorphism might be harmful to their mates. PGDH polymorphism in mites is an example of genetic
polymorphism involved in sexual conflict. Our results show that both precopulatory behavior and sperm competition might be
influenced by such polymorphisms hence should be study always in combination.
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C2-06. Sexual experience does not improve male reproductive success
Kerstin Thonhauser Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution University of
Veterinary Medicine, Vienna
A.Raffetzeder Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
D.J.Penn Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
It is often suggested that experience enhances male mating and reproductive success but this hypothesis has rarely been
tested. We experimentally tested whether male sexual experience influences their reproductive success in wild house mice
(Mus musculus). To assess how male sexual experience influences female mate choice and male reproductive success, we
experimentally manipulated male sexual experience and allowed females to simultaneously choose between two males that
were sexually experienced or inexperienced. We recorded different parameters of female social attraction and mating behaviours
and conducted genetic paternity analyses on offspring to determine male reproductive success. We performed a path analysis
to assess the interrelationships among multiple measured traits and their direct and indirect contribution to mating outcome.
We did not find any evidence that females show a social preference for males based on their sexual experience. Also, we found
no difference in the mating duration, mounting frequency or reproductive success of sexually experienced versus virgin males.
Male reproductive success was significantly predicted by mating duration, as the proportion of offspring sired within a litter
increased with the time males spent mating. Surprisingly, female social preference, a widely used proxy for mate choice, was
not correlated with male reproductive success. Mating order had a significant influence on mating outcome, but unexpectedly,
males that mated first sired fewer offspring. Mating last did not provide a reproductive advantage. In summary, we found no
evidence to support the hypothesis that sexual experience enhances male reproductive success and no evidence to support the
assumption that social attraction provides a proxy for mate choice.
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C2-07. Shut the chuck up! Tungara frog courtship balances sexual and natural selection
pressures across multiple sensory modalities
Wouter Halfwerk Department of Ecological Sciences, VU University Amsterdam
Animals communicate with signals like songs, pheromones, or body colorations to attract and defend mates. Evolutionary
forces such as choosy females or eavesdropping predators have shaped the primary components of these signals. The production
of signals however generates all sorts of additional cues that can be perceived through different sensory modalities and we
are starting to realize that most communication systems involve multimodal instead of unimodal components. To understand
the factors that drive the evolution of these multimodal sexual signals we have to incorporate aspects of their production,
transmission and reception. We therefore need to combine data on morphology, ecology and neurobiology. Furthermore, we
also have to assess costs and benefits and thus knowledge on the behaviour and sensory physiology of the different animal
species that make use of these sexual signals. Male tungara frogs call from puddles to attract females. Males can make simple
calls consisting of whine sound, or complex calls, in which short notes, known as chucks can be added to the whine. Females
prefer calls with chucks added to it, but in order to make these chucks males need to be in the water. As a consequence, males
make ripples on the water surface that can be picked up by all sorts of unwanted eavesdroppers using a variety of different
sensory systems.
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C2-08. From uni- to multimodal signaling: towards an integrative view on anuran communication
Walter Hoedl Department of Integrated Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
D. Preininger Department of Integrated Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
I. Starnberger Department of Integrated Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
Undeniably, acoustic signals are the predominant mode of communication in frogs and toads. Acoustically active species
are found throughout the vast diversity of anuran families. However, additional or alternative signal modalities have gained
increasing attention. In several anurans seismic, visual and chemical communication convergently evolved due to ecological
constraints such as noisy environments. The emphasis of a visual cue, such as the inevitably moving vocal sac of acoustically
advertising males, is facilitated by conspicuously coloured throats. Striking visual signals independent of vocalizations are
limb movements with the dynamic display of bright colours. In some multimodal anuran communication systems the acoustic
component acts as an alert signal, which alters the receiver attention to the following visual display. Recent findings of colourful
glands on vocal sacs, producing volatile species-specific scent bouquets suggest the integration of acoustic, visual and chemical
cues in species recognition and mate choice. The combination of signal components allows for a broadened display repertoire
in challenging environmental conditions. Thus, frogs and toads may possess more complex communications skills than science
previously has given them credit for.
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C2-09. Evolution of mechanisms for acrobatic movements in a multimodal display
Matthew Fuxjager Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, USA
F. Goller University of Utah, USA
Some of the most interesting and complex multimodal displays incorporate gestural movements to augment visual and/or
acoustic signaling. Such maneuvers are believed to increase conspicuousness in especially “noisy” signaling environments,
and their design requires the adaptation of motor systems that are important for other life-sustaining functions. Thus, studies
of how gestural signals arise functionally can provide insight into trade-offs between selective forces that favor conspicuous
multimodal displays and those that favor behavior relevant to other processes (locomotion, foraging, etc.). We study this issue
in manakins, a family of neotropical birds that produce different types of multimodal displays. In particular, we measure the
contraction speed of the wing muscles. These tissues are important because they control both the birds’ unique gestural signals
and the wing movements that underlie power locomotion (flight). Results show that certain manakins have evolved superfast
contraction speeds in one of their main flight muscles to support the emergence of a display move, in which individuals use
rapid wing gestures to generate loud mechanical sonations. In fact, to our knowledge, this specialized muscle is the fastest
vertebrate limb muscle on record. Meanwhile, other muscles that provide the majority of aerodynamic force for flight remained
unmodified. Together, these data suggest that selection for a conspicuous gestural signal within a multimodal display has driven
the evolution of an extreme muscular phenotype. Thus, designing multimodal displays can substantially re-write physiological
systems to support the production of varied and unusual signals, even at the cost of certain life-sustaining functions.
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C2-10. Androgenic sensitivity in the underlying neuromuscular system is associated with
the evolution of a multimodal display in the foot-flagging frog, Staurois parvus
Lisa Mangiamele Smith College Northampton, MA, U.S.A.
M.J. Fuxjager Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC U.S.A
E.R. Schuppe Department of Biology, Wake Forest University, Winston-Salem, NC U.S.A
R.S. Taylor Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA U.S.A
G.E. Mantica Department of Biological Sciences, Smith College, Northampton, MA U.S.A
W. Hödl Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
and D. Preininger Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria, Vienna Zoo, Vienna, Austria
Physical gestures are prominent features of many species’ multimodal displays, yet how evolution incorporates body and leg
movements into animal signaling repertoires is unclear. Androgenic hormones strongly modulate the production of male signals
and the fine-tuning of motor skills in many vertebrate species, therefore one possibility is that selection for gestural signals
drives the evolution of androgenic sensitivity in select neuro-motor pathways that underlie signal production. We tested this
hypothesis in Staurois parvus, a frog with a multimodal display that includes both vocalizations and hind limb gestural signals
known as “foot flags.” Foot flagging is a derived display, which emerged in the ranids after vocal signaling. We found that,
under semi-natural conditions, administration of testosterone increases foot-flagging behavior, but not vocalizations in male S.
parvus. Using quantitative PCR, we also found that S. parvus has a unique androgenic phenotype, in which androgen receptor
(AR) in the hind limb musculature is expressed at levels 10x greater than in two other anuran species that do not produce
foot signals (Rana pipiens and Xenopus laevis). Similarly, we found that patterns of AR expression in the lumbar spinal motor
neurons, which control hind leg flexion and extension, differ in S. parvus when compared to R. pipiens and X. laevis. Males
of all three species solicit mates with calls, and accordingly we found no differences in AR expression in the vocal apparatus
(larynx) between species. These results demonstrate that the evolutionary gain of a novel signal is associated with increased
androgenic sensitivity in the key neuro-motor systems that control behavioral output and refine adaptive motor skills.
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C2-11. The use of urine as aggressive signal in cooperatively breeding cichlids
Frommen Joachim University of Bern Ethologische Station Hasli Wohlenstrasse 50a CH-3032 Hinterkappelen
Most studies of the communication of aggressive propensity have focused on visual and acoustic signals. Especially in
agonistic encounters of aquatic animals, the role of olfactory communication is largely unknown. To fill this gap, we investigated
the role of olfactory information exchange during contests in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. During
staged encounters we provided two contestants with both visual and olfactory information, or with visual information only.
We measured urination patterns and aggressive behaviour of the opponents. Fish receiving only visual cues from each other
significantly increased their urination frequency and showed more aggressive displays compared to fish receiving both visual
and olfactory cues. Fish modulated their urination frequency based on the experimental treatment, indicating that contestants
actively signalled their aggressive propensity with urine. Furthermore, our results show that visual and olfactory signals work
in concert, suggesting that multimodal communication may be vital in fish contests.
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C2-12. Visual, acoustic, and olfactory warning signals in true bugs: how do they interact in
defence against avian predators?
Alice Exnerova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
H. Bednarova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
J. Binderova P. Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
P. Stys Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Multimodality is common in antipredatory warning signalling, and the signals from different modalities may act against
different predators or synergistically against the same one. Birds mostly react to visual warning signals, but other modalities
also play an important role in avoidance of noxious prey. The true bugs (Heteroptera) often combine chemical defence and
signalling with aposematic coloration and in some cases also with warning sounds. We tested how the multimodality of warning
signals affects the initial wariness, avoidance learning and memory of hand-reared juvenile great tits (Parus major), and whether
the multimodal signals increase prey survival. First, we compared reactions of birds to aposematic and stridulating burrowing
bug (Tritomegas sexmaculatus) possessing either a complete signalling system or having visual or acoustic signal impaired.
Multimodal signalling did not elicit greater innate wariness than the individual signals, but made avoidance learning more
efficient by enhancing the memorability of visual warning signal. Second, we tested how olfactory warning signals (aldehydes)
interact with the aposematic coloration in two firebug species - aposematic Pyrrhocoris apterus and non-aposematic P. tibialis.
Aldehydes are dominant in true bug defensive secretion, and are highly volatile. We compared reactions of birds tested with
the bugs either in presence of added aldehydes or in their absence. The olfactory signal increased the initial wariness of birds,
but only when it was linked with aposematic coloration. The aldehydes had no effect on avoidance learning or memory. Both
acoustic and olfactory signals of true bugs act synergistically with their visual warning signals, but they affect the behaviour
of bird predators in different ways.
ECBB2016
122
C2-13. Social Zebrafish: an emerging model for the comparative study of social cognition
Rui F. Oliveira Instituto Gulbenkian de Cincia, Oeiras, Portugal; ISPA - Instituto Universitario, Lisboa, Portugal; &
Champalimaud Neuroscience Program, Lisboa Portugal
A successful comparative research program in cognitive social neuroscience has two key requirements: (1) the possibility
for phylogenetic research on the evolution of social behavior and cognition aiming to uncover how cognitive modules may
have evolved; and (2) the possibility for reductionist research on the mapping of cognitive function into neural networks,
which requires model organisms with appropriate social behavior and with an available “tool box” for the analysis of neural
circuits. Therefore, the combination of comparative behavioral work on selected species in naturalistic settings covering the
expected diversity in cognitive abilities with neuroethological research on a phylogenetically related model organism is a
promising approach. Teleost fish fulfill both requirements and therefore they offer an excellent opportunity to implement such a
research program. Here I will present data from our lab on the social cognitive abilities of zebrafish and on the neural
mechanisms underlying them. Together, our data supports the use of zebrafish as a powerful model organism in comparative
social neuroscience.
ECBB2016
123
C2-14. Sensory transfer in weakly electric fish: Fish have platonic ideals.
Theresa Burt de Perera Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Historically, animal behaviour has either been studied by observing the output (ethology) or by investigating the mechanisms
that underpin the behaviour (neurophysiology). However, if we are to fully understand behaviour, we need to integrate both
these components, and further, we need to take a broad phylogenetic approach rather than focusing on the traditional animal
models. Here we show that by taking an approach that crosses disciplines, and by studying fish (animals with a key position
in the vertebrate phylogenetic tree) we are able to answer some of the most precedent problems in the field of behaviour. Most
animals use multiple sensory modalities to obtain information about objects in their environment. There is a clear adaptive
advantage to being able to recognize objects cross-modally and spontaneously (without prior training with the sense being
tested) as this increases the flexibility of a multisensory system, allowing an animal to perceive its world more accurately
and to react more quickly to environmental changes. So far, spontaneous cross-modal object recognition has only been shown
in a few mammalian species, raising the question as to whether such a high-level function may be associated with complex
mammalian brain structures and therefore absent in animals lacking a cerebral cortex. Here we use an object discrimination
paradigm based on operant conditioning to show, for the first time, that a non-mammalian vertebrate, the weakly electric fish
Gnathonemus petersii, is capable of performing spontaneous cross-modal object recognition and that the sensory inputs are
weighted dynamically during object discrimination. We found that fish trained to discriminate between two objects with either
vision or the active electric sense, were subsequently able to accomplish the task using only the untrained sense. Furthermore
we show that cross-modal object recognition is influenced by dynamic weighting of the sensory inputs. The fish weight objectrelated sensory inputs according to their reliability, to minimize uncertainty and to enable optimal multisensory integration.
Our results suggest that cross-modal object recognition and dynamic weighting of sensory inputs may be a phylogenetically
ancient mechanisms of vertebrates.
ECBB2016
124
C2-15. Cognitive ability is related to boldness in a weakly-electric fish
Kyriacos Kareklas Queen’s University Belfast, School of Biological Sciences, Medical Biology Center, UK
R. W. Elwood Queen’s University Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK
R. A. Holland Bangor University, Wales, UK
In this paper we investigate the relationship between boldness (attitude to risk), sensory systems and cognition in the
mormyrid Gnathonemus petersii. This teleost uses its active electric sense to maintain the perception of spatial features across
different light conditions. While darker environments reduce visibility, they are also less risky by offering cover from predators.
Yet, the effect of risk on cognition may depend on individual boldness levels, something attributed to ’animal personality’. To
examine this, we used alternative forced-choice tests to record spatial cognition in visible and invisible light and related results
to individual boldness scores. Light condition had no effect on decision-making and learning speed, suggesting that cognitive
ability is maintained via the use of sensory adaptations but not influenced by risk level. Learning strategy was affected by
light conditions, although this may be a result of using visual cues external to the tank. However, regression models show that
bolder fish were more decisive and faster learners in both conditions. This indicates a functional relationship between cognitive
mechanisms and the expression of personality. Overall, our findings highlight the presence of complex links between sensing,
cognition and behaviour in fish.
ECBB2016
125
C2-16. Relative and absolute numerical representation in fish (Pterophyllum scalare) and
humans (Homo sapiens).
Maria Elena Miletto Petrazzini University of Padova Department of General Psychology, Italy
C. Agrillo University of Padova, Italy
V. Izard University of Paris Descartes, France
A. Bisazza University of Padova, Italy
Numerous studies have shown that many species can be trained to discriminate between stimuli differing in numerosity.
However, which decision criterion is used to solve the task remains unclear: the subjects may succeed by selecting a specific
number of items (a criterion over absolute numerosities), or by applying a more general relative numerosity rule, e.g. selecting
the larger/smaller quantity of items. The latter case involves more cognitive operations, as the two stimuli need to be compared
to each other in order to reach a decision criterion, but a relative numerosity rule may also be more adaptive. In previous
research, we showed that guppies (Poecilia reticulata) are able to apply both types of criteria, but spontaneously favor a relative
numerosity rule. To date it is unclear whether this preference is shared by other fish and, more broadly, other species, even
distantly related like humans. Here we compared the performance of angelfish (Pterophyllum scalare) with that of adult humans
(Homo sapiens) in a task in which subjects were initially trained to select arrays containing 10 dots (either in 5 vs. 10 or 10 vs.
20 comparisons). Subsequently they were tested with the previously trained numerosity and a novel numerosity (respectively,
20 or 5). In order to reduce the methodological variability, the same stimuli were presented to both species and no verbal
instruction was provided to the human subjects about the task. Both species spontaneously favored a relative rule, selecting the
novel numerosity and were more accurate when trained to select the larger array as positive. These similarities demonstrate
that, beyond shared representations for numerical quantities, vertebrate species may also share a system for taking decisions
about quantities.
ECBB2016
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C2-17. Collective decision making in guppies: a cross-population comparison study in the
wild
Romain Clement Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany
J. Vicente-Page Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
R. Mann R University of Leeds, UK
R. Kurvers Max Planck Institute for Human Development, Berlin, Germany,
G. de Polavieja Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown, Lisbon, Portugal
J. Krause Humboldt University of Berlin, Germany,
Collective cognition has received much attention in recent years but most of the empirical work has focused on comparing
individuals and groups within single populations thereby not addressing evolutionary origins of collective cognition. Here we
investigated collective cognition in multiple populations that are subject to different ecological conditions: guppies (Poecilia
reticulata) were given a simultaneous choice between an edible and a non-edible stimulus. We quantified decision accuracy
of fish when alone or in groups across populations that differed in predation risk. We found evidence for an improvement in
decision accuracy when in groups but only in low-predation guppies. This performance increase was due to a combination of
increased private sampling behaviour and social information use. In contrast, high-predation fish did not sample more when in
groups, nor used social information, hence did not improve decision accuracy when in groups. The improvement of groups in
foraging accuracy in low but not in high predation sites suggests that these populations differ in their trade-off regarding the
attention dedicated to food and predators. In high predation sites, investing time in predator detection is more crucial than in
low predation sites, thereby possibly conflicting with food detection. Our results highlight the importance of considering the
effects of ecological gradients on collective cognition.
ECBB2016
127
C2-18. Unusual reflections on mirror self-recognition
Alex Jordan Max Planck Institute Department of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz
Takashi Hotta Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Tomohiro Takeyama Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan Satoshi Awata Sado Biological Station, Niigata, Japan
Jun-ya Asai Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Hirokazu Tanaka Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
Alex Jordan Max Planck Department of Collective Behaviour, Konstanz
The ability to perceive and recognize a reflected mirror image as self (mirror self-recognition, or MSR) is held as a hallmark
of advanced cognitive ability across species, and occasionally claimed to indicate self-awareness. The established assay for
MSR, the mark test, is increasingly employed but many studies are marred by very low sample sizes or poor implementation of
key aspects of the mark test. Here we present a rigorous application of the mark test, based directly on the four phases of selfrecognition originally proposed by Gallup, using a highly social vertebrate not typically associated with self-recogntion. When
presented with a mirror, individuals were initially highly aggressive, but over the course of a week aggression reduced to zero
and increased the frequency of posturing and mirror-testing behaviour. We then applied the mark test, using no mark (control),
transparent marks (sham), or coloured marks, in the presence and absence of a mirror (n = 10). We found no differences
in posturing behaviours between non-marked control and sham-marked periods. In contrast, combined total postures facing
the reflected marked sites was significantly higher in colour-marked than in control or sham-marked animals. Sham-marked
individuals displayed the same posturing behaviour as unmarked individuals, confirming a response to the colour of the mark
rather any irritation caused by the marking process. A subset (n=4) of individuals attempted to remove the colour marks, but
only did so in the presence of a mirror, and directly after viewing the reflection of the side of the body that was marked. These
individuals therefore pass the mark test as it was originally proposed. The (unusual) study species will be revealed at the end
of the talk.
ECBB2016
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C2-19. Cognition in the Paridae - evidence from experimental studies
Anders Brodin Department of Biology Lund University S-223 62 Lund
U. Urhan Department of Biology Lund University S-223 62 Lund
Much research on cognition in birds has focussed on corvids and large parrots. I argue that among smaller birds, the species
in the family Paridae (tits, titmice and chickadees), are especially well suited for such studies. They have the relatively largest
brains of all birds at the same time as the various species possess quite different cognitive specialisations. Two common
European species, the great tit and the marsh tit, have very different winter survival strategies. The marsh tit is a life-long
resident in a large multi-purpose territory where it stores large amounts of seeds in the autumn as winter sustenance. It has
been demonstrated to possess an accurate spatial memory and an ability to memorize many caching locations. The great tit,
on the other hand, does not store food. It is non-territorial in winter and roams around in large flocks. It is well-known for
its innovativeness and ability to explore and find new sources of food. During the last three years I have together with my
students studied and compared cognitive abilities in these two species in laboratory experiments. I will summarize the findings
from these experiments but also bring up some recent results. Things I will discuss include: i) marsh tits have an accurate
memory for caches, but maybe not as accurate as one would expect. ii) Great tits are very good at observational learning but
females are better than males. iii) Urban great tit females appear are better problem solvers than rural ones, and finally, iv)
great tits possess some degree of numerical competence, but they are not better at counting than most other birds.
ECBB2016
129
C2-20. What to look for? - The influence of plant properties on material choice and hook
tool manufacture in New Caledonian crows
Barbara Klump University of St Andrews, UK
J. St Clair University of St Andrews, UK
C. Rutz University of St Andrews, UK
In habitual tool users, the ability to identify suitable raw materials for tool manufacture may have important implications
for foraging success, fitness and ultimately the evolutionary dynamics of tool-related behaviour. We examined the interaction
of wild-caught New Caledonian crows with raw materials of different properties, using a novel paradigm that enabled us to
determine subjects’ rank-ordered preferences and investigate the influence of raw material on manufacture behaviour. Plant
properties influenced: the order in which crows selected stems; whether a hooked stick tool was manufactured; the time
required to release a basic tool; and possibly, the release technique, the number of behavioural actions, and aspects of processing
behaviour. Our results suggest that New Caledonian crows follow a specific search scheme when looking for hook tool material.
While they were able to manufacture tools from material that varied substantially in robustness, they preferred stems with
particular structural properties, and raw material properties influenced the manufacture process.
ECBB2016
130
C2-21. Happy wife, happy life? Food-sharing males cater to female demands
Rachael Shaw School of Biological Sciences, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
R. MacKinlay Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
N. Clayton University of Cambridge, United Kingdom
K. Burns Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Food-sharing males may provide their mates with direct benefits, by compensating for the increased nutritional demands of
reproduction. However, it is unknown whether males in the wild can cater to changes in their mates’ desires for particular
foods, or whether females can communicate the type of food they require to their mates. We investigated whether and how male
North Island robins (Petroica longipes) tested in their natural habitat respond to changes in their mates’ desires and nutritional
need when sharing food. We demonstrate that female preference for particular foods can change over time; when given the
choice between two types of insect larvae, wild female robins prefer the type they have not recently eaten. In our experiments,
wild male robins preferentially shared the type of food that their mate was most likely to desire and also increased the quantity
of food shared if their mate had begun incubating. Males were able to cater to their mates’ desire even when they had no
knowledge of what the female had previously eaten. This suggests that female robins behaviorally communicate their current
desires to their mates, enabling males to adjust their food-sharing decisions to meet the specific desires and nutritional needs
of the female. Thus males responded to fine-scale changes in their mates’ nutritional requirements using a relatively simple
mechanism that has the potential to be widespread among other food-sharing species.
ECBB2016
131
C2-22. Mechanisms, adaptive value and evolutionary consequences of animal innovation
Tebbich Sabine University of Vienna
Andrea S. Griffin School of Psychology, University of Newcastle, Callaghan, 2308 New South Wales, Australia
Markus F. Peschl Department of Philosophy & Cognitive Science Research Platform, University of Vienna, Austria
Kim Sterelny School of Philosophy, Research School of the Social Sciences, Australian National University, 0200 Canberra,
ACT, Australia
Animal innovations range from the discovery of novel food types to the invention of completely novel behaviours. Innovations
can give access to new opportunities, and thus enable innovating agents to invade and create novel niches. This in turn can pave
the way for morphological adaptation and adaptive radiation. The mechanisms that make innovations possible are probably as
diverse as the innovations themselves. So too are their evolutionary consequences. To date, we lack a unifying framework that
links mechanism to function. We propose a framework for animal innovation that describes the interactions between mechanism,
fitness benefit, and evolutionary significance. We split innovation into 3 components: 1) the environmental opportunity, 2)
the behavioural interaction with the opportunity and 3) the knowledge gained from this interaction. The three components
interact with each another in various combinations: we propose six phases of the innovation process over which such an
interaction can take place. In future studies these components could be manipulated systematically, and could be investigated
both experimentally and with correlational studies.
ECBB2016
132
C2-23. Who likes you the most? Triadic awareness predicts partner choice in male-infantmale interactions in male Barbary macaques
Barbora Kubenova University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic; Georg August University Göttingen, Germany
M. Konec̆ná University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
J. Ostner Georg August University Göttingen, Germany
O. Schülke Georg August University Göttingen, Germany
Social animals benefit by having information about their relationships with other group members. Previous mainly experimental research has shown that in some species, individuals may even possess knowledge of the relationships between other
individuals - triadic awareness. However, evidence of its use in a natural context is limited to few types of interactions (e.g.
coalition formation and redirected aggression). The aim of our study was to investigate the possible use of triadic awareness
of male-infant relationships in the context of triadic male-infant-male interactions also called bridging interactions in Barbary
macaques. Analyses based on 1,200 hours of focal observations of ten infants of one social group in Morocco supported the
hypothesis, that a male holding an infant would take into account the relationship between the infant and other males, when
choosing another male as a partner for the bridging interaction. Specifically, (i) the number of bridging interactions among
initiator-infant-receiver triads was affected by the strength of the infant-receiver relationship and (ii) when two males were
available as bridging partners, a male was more likely to be chosen as a receiver the stronger his social relationship with
the infant relative to the other available male. Our results demonstrate that non-human primates establish triadic awareness
based on temporarily dynamic infant-male relationships and use it in affiliative context. These findings may contribute to the
discussion about the mechanism underlying the acquisition of triadic awareness, the benefits of its usage and about the possible
link between social complexity and the evolution of complex cognition.
ECBB2016
133
C2-24. Your pessimism brings me down, but does your optimism lift me up? Emotional
contagion in ravens
Jessie Adriaense Department of Cognitive Biology Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Austria
T. Bugnyar University of Vienna, Austria,
Common ravens (Corvus corax) demonstrate sophisticated socio-cognitive skills in social interactions like third-party
interventions and post-conflict consolation. This raises the possibility that ravens are sensitive to emotions in others. Here
we experimentally elicit short-term emotions in ravens and examine its contagious effect on observers. Emotional contagion
can be explained by the theoretical idea of the perception-action mechanism, namely perception and action share a common
representation in the brain. However, to accurately measure if such contagion takes place it is crucial to develop correct
methods to measure emotions in the bird itself in the first place. To answer to this challenge and the main idea, the following
set up is designed: sub-adult ravens (n=8) are tested in dyads; one bird, the so-called demonstrator, is exposed to stimulus
presentation which elicits either anticipation or frustration; the other bird, the so-called observer, is exposed to the response
of the demonstrator only. Before and after each presentation, both birds are exposed to a cognitive bias test. We predict that
each stimulus presentation elicits an accordingly emotional response, not only in the demonstrator but also in the observer via
emotional contagion. Results from the cognitive bias testing confirm the predictions for the observer, however only partially
for the demonstrator.
ECBB2016
134
C2-25. Social learning via vertical transmission in Kune Kune pigs (Sus scrofa domesticus)
Veit Ariane Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna; University of Vienna
M. Wondrak Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
L. Huber Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
Being able to learn via observation from others is especially beneficial for young and nave individuals. The relationship
towards the social partner is thereby important. While peers are often used as demonstrators in order to test for the ability
of social learning in a species, thereby studying horizontal transmission of information, this study focuses on the vertical
transmission of information, i.e. learning across generations. Half-a-year-old piglets of the Kune Kune breed were first exposed
to their mother or aunt pushing one of two differently coloured bars on a sliding door to either the left or right side respectively,
and were then tested after one day, one hour and one minute retention intervals. Results indicate the ability of pigs to use the
demonstrated opening technique and even remember it over a delay of 24 hours. Further tests using lower delays suggest that
piglets operated on the basis of object movement re-enactment in order to try to open the sliding door. Additionally subjects
based their choice of the bar rather on local than stimulus enhancement. Altogether this study uncovered an impressive ability
of piglets to learn from their mother or aunt how to solve a manipulative foraging problem, most likely by acquiring some
essential information through observation and then memorising it for at least a whole day.
ECBB2016
135
C2-26. Females don’t use social information when they are ignored
Lauren Guillette School of Biology, University of St Andrews
Zebra finches, a social songbird, use social information when faced with uncertainty: females copy males foraging on novel
foods and males copy the nest-material choices of familiar, but not unfamiliar, males. Here we used a one-demonstrator paradigm
to test social learning, but, in place of live demonstrators, we used video demonstration. Video demonstration allowed us to
examine whether social interaction between the knowledgeable demonstrator and a naive observer was necessary for the transfer
of social information. Using a between-subjects design we found that social interaction is not necessary (video playback with
no sound) for information transfer to and use by the naive observer. Live streaming video demonstration, where demonstrators
and observer could vocally interact, was similarly effective to the no interaction condition, yielding the same results as live
demonstrators. When video demonstration with sound (vocalizations but no interaction) was played back, however, the naive
observers did not consistently use social information in their novel foraging decisions. Taken together these results suggest
that social interaction is not necessary for social learning, and in some cases ‘poor’ interactions may inhibit transfer and/or
use of social information.
ECBB2016
136
C2-27. Reality mining of social-network dynamics and information flow in tool-using
crows
Christian Rutz University of St. Andrews, School of Biology
Growing interest in the structure and dynamics of social networks has stimulated efforts to develop bio-logging technologies
that can accurately map social encounters in free-ranging animals. A promising approach is the use of wireless-sensor-networks,
in which animal-attached transceiver tags communicate both animal-to-animal (to record the proximity and duration of social
encounters), and with fixed receiver stations (to enable spatial tracking of animals, and remote data transfer). In this talk, I will
describe the successful deployment of such a ‘proximity-logging’ system, “Encounternet”, to study social-network dynamics in
tool-using New Caledonian crows. During a 19-day period, we recorded high-resolution time-ordered association data for 33
crows, and explored through landscape-level experimental manipulations how social-network dynamics track the availability
of tool-derived prey. I will mainly focus on technical aspects of system calibration, field deployment and performance, but
will also highlight some of the biological insights we gained into the properties of dynamic crow networks. This project
- which is the first to use proximity loggers on birds - serves as a case study to illustrate some of the opportunities, and
challenges, of the emerging field of ‘reality mining’. While proximity-logging systems require considerable resources for setup and operation, they enable fully automated, near real-time collection of association data for entire animal populations, at
unprecedented spatio-temporal resolutions. Proximity logging is quickly becoming the method of choice for studying fine-scale
intra-and inter-specific association patterns in systems where GPS tracking is technically not feasible, and RFID/PIT tagging
is inadequate in terms of data coverage.
ECBB2016
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C2-28. Juvenile migrants travelling in groups - white storks and white-fronted geese
Andrea Koelzsch Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
A. Flack Max Planck Insitute for Ornithology, Germany
W. Fiedler Max Planck Insitute for Ornithology, Germany
G. Müskens Alterra - Wagening University, Netherlands
P. Glazov Russian Academy of Science, Russia
M. Wikelski Max Planck Insitute for Ornithology, Germany
Contrary to most small song birds, many large, long-distance migrants travel in big flocks between their wintering and
breeding sites. Depending on the species, these groups can vary greatly in size, structure and composition. Group flights may
decrease predation risk due to safety in numbers, increase the detection of favourable flight conditions or provide social learning
opportunities. Here we will present two studies examining the mechanisms behind and implications of collective migration.
First, we examine high-resolution GPS tracks of juvenile white storks (Ciconia ciconia) during their first autumn migration.
We reveal the interaction rules that keep the flock together and explore how these rules vary during the different flight phases
(i.e. thermalling vs. gliding). Second, we present the migratory behaviour of complete family groups of white-fronted geese
(Anser albifrons) during their migration cycle. We examine how individual geese movements relate to each other, whether and
how their behaviours synchronise and how the stability of family units influences migratory success. The outcomes of our
studies improve our understanding of drivers of group behaviour and social migration.
ECBB2016
138
C2-29. Studying the role personality plays in house mouse social networks.
Rebecca Krebs Wheaton Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Biology
M. Linnenbrink Max Plank Institute for Evolutionary Biology
Behavioural patterns which are consistent and stable over time are defined as personalities. Personalities are heritable;
however they are also influenced by environmental factors, including social environment. Structure in social environment
influences the access individuals have to resources such as territory, nutrition and potential mates. House mice (Mus musculus
domesticus) have a hierarchical social system, in which dominant males defend resources and restrict access to subordinate
individuals. This may result in non-random associations, which may affect individual fitness. The role individuals play in a
social network should be influenced by their personality. In order to study the role individuals with different personality types
play within their social environment, we tracked small populations of house mice in semi-natural enclosures using RFID tags
on all adult individuals and antennae on nest boxes. Throughout the experiment, we measured behavioural traits at regular
intervals and collected DNA samples for parentage analysis. Antenna reads were used to measure social interactions between
individuals, before and after behavioural tests, as well as behavioural scores from the tests themselves, we aim to ascertain the
role personality plays in social networks and how this influences individual fitness.
ECBB2016
139
C2-30. Sexually attractive traits as reliable indicators of current disease status in house
mice
Patricia C Lopes Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich
B. König Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
In sexually reproducing species honest signalling of health is important for female choice of a mating partner. However,
given that a number of different species are able to overcome behavioural symptoms of infection when mating opportunities are
available, not all signals may be honest. Male mice produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) during sexual encounters and these
appear to act as secondary sexual characters. To understand whether USVs convey information on current male condition, we
manipulated sickness status by administering lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections, and recorded the behaviours and vocalizations
of brother pairs receiving opposite injections (Control or LPS) when simultaneously exposed to a female overnight. Additionally,
we assessed darcin (a sexually attractive urinary protein) and testosterone levels of these males, as well as female visits to
each male. LPS-injected males had lower levels of testosterone and darcin and lower regular ultrasonic syllable production
than control-injected males, while producing a larger number of high-frequency ultrasonic syllables. Female mice distinguished
between LPS-injected and control males. Given that both ultrasonic vocalization and urinary protein production are androgenic
control, the decrease in testosterone of immune-challenged mice may enforce the reliability of these signals as indicators of
current health status.
ECBB2016
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C2-31. The sounds of life: bio-logging vocalisations in acoustic context
Lisa Gill Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Dpt. of Behavioural Neurobiology, Seewiesen, Germany
D. Stowell Centre for Digital Music, Queen Mary University, London, UK
W. Goymann Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
M. Gahr Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
For a long time, studying animal vocal communication was constrained by settings that would allow recording and assigning
individual vocalisations despite noisy conspecifics or other interfering sounds. Therefore, compromises had to be made, which
on the one hand often involved strongly reduced settings in captivity, and on the other hand resulted in a rather skewed
representation of studies in terms of species, sex and vocalisation types, especially in the field. Placing microphones directly
on the individual animals has helped overcome such constraints in some systems, and ongoing technological developments are
just starting to kick off a new era of vocal communication research. But further: backpack microphones allow us to listen in on
more than “only” the vocal behaviour of focal individuals. By recording background sounds as well as the characteristic sound
patterns that are generated by an animal’s movement, this technical approach looks promising for investigating the context in
which an animal is vocalising. But how can we deal with such complex datasets? And is what you hear really what you see?
To answer these questions, we tagged captive and free-living jackdaws (Corvus monedula) with small microphone loggers, and
used different analytical methods including video-validation and a machine learning approach to investigate vocal and other
behavioural data, along with social and other contexts.
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C2-32. Fission-fusion dynamics over large distances in wild non-breeding ravens
Matthias Loretto Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria and Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Research
Station for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Austria
Richard Schuster Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Canada
Thomas Bugnyar Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria, Core Facility
Konrad Lorenz Research Station for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Austria,
Non-breeding ravens tend to form groups during foraging and roosting. While often being considered as loose aggregations
around rich and permanent food sources, the formation of subgroups as well as the occurrence of different types of social
relationships among individuals have been described. Since most observations of ravens were conducted at large anthropogenic
food sources (e.g. zoos, garbage dumps), we were interested in their entire space use and their spatio-temporal group dynamics.
A combination of VHF-, GPS- tracking and presence-absence data (from marked individuals at one site) revealed a highly
dynamic fission-fusion system: Movements of several non-breeding ravens by far exceeded previous reports concerning size of
home ranges and yearly travel distances. They might spread out over thousands of square kilometres, yet we found repeated
associations of the same individuals at locations up to 100km apart from each other. At the same time they often settle in
areas (temporarily) around permanent anthropogenic food sources for days to years. At these sites the space use of many
non-breeders overlaps, leading to a high probability of repeated interactions with other individuals, which regularly visit the
same location. We discuss the underlying socio-ecological conditions and conclude that such a system could promote the
evolution of complex socio-cognitive skills.
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D-01. The role of individuality on collective behaviour in the wild
Damien Farine Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Konstanz, Germany;
Department of Biology, University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany; Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department
of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom.
Despite having gained many new insights into the mechanisms that generate the patterns widely seen in nature, we still
know very little about the role of individuality on the collective performance of groups. Many recent studies of wild animals
have shown that animals can have consistent differences in behaviour. How do these differences influence group-level collective
behaviours? In some cases, individual differences are reduced when animals come together as they act and behave in unison.
By contrast, there also is increasing evidence that individual differences can play an essential role in group functions. I will
highlight how the phenotypic composition of social groups is of wide importance throughout the animal kingdom. Specifically,
I will first show how groups of foraging birds can benefit from differences in the behaviour of flock members, with flocks
that have high variance in personality benefiting from both high cohesion and high exploration of the environment. Second, I
will explain how the structure of moving troops of baboons arises out of individual differences in movement rules. Although
baboon troops constantly re-organise, individuals tend to have highly repeatable spatial positions within their group, which can
emerge simply from small differences in how individuals interact with their close neighbours. Finally, I will outline a recent
theoretical framework that aims to provide new insights about importance of phenotypic group composition in an evolutionary
context.
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D-02. Personality across three levels of organisation: the individual, the nest and the colony
Elva Robinson University of York, UK
S. Ellis University of Exeter, UK
Individual animals may show consistent behavioural patterns, stable through time and across contexts. Such ‘personalities’
have major ecological and evolutionary implications. Sociality is a key feature of a huge range of animals, including humans.
Social groups frequently behave in ways that would not be expected from studying the component individuals in isolation:
groups themselves can have consistent, emergent ‘collective personalities’. These group personalities can also have major
ecological consequences. Despite their importance, we know very little about how group personalities emerge from individual
behaviour. Ant colonies are a model system for studies of collective behaviour. Many species of ant spread their colonies
across several spatially separated but socially connected nests (known as polydomy). This gives them an intermediate level
of organisation, the nest, between the individual and the colony-levels. Cooperative interactions occur between nests can be
essential for effective colony function. Consistent differences in collective behaviour emerge between nests of the same colony
in the propensity of their occupants to forage collectively. Resource redistribution between nests allows nests that are not
foraging to focus on growth. Thus, collective personalities of groups within a greater cooperative system may contribute to
division of labour at a group level. I discuss a model for understanding the theoretical basis of collective personality inspired
by statistical mechanics. I demonstrate how automated techniques such as RFID-tagging can contribute to the parameterisation
of such models. A coherent theoretical and empirical approach is needed to understand the ecological and evolutionary effects
of collective personality.
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D-03. Fitness consequences of personality convergence between partners of convict cichlid
Laubu Chloe University of Burgundy, France
C. Schweitzer University of Burgundy, France
S. Motreuil University of Burgundy, France
F.-X. Dechaume-Moncharmont University of Burgundy, France
Behavioural similarity between partners in monogamous species has been reported to promote within-pair compatibility and
to increase reproductive success. Therefore, individuals are expected to choose a partner that is alike for personality. However,
mate searching is very costly and does not guarantee finding a matching partner. There is an alternative strategy in order to
cope with low availability of matching partners. Mismatched pair may benefit from behavioural convergence after pairing. In a
monogamous fish species, the convict cichlid, we have formed either mismatched pairs with partners that differ for personality
(defined by individuals scores for aggressiveness, exploration, territory maintenance and food neophobia), or matched pairs
with very similar partners. The nest defense behaviour was recorded for each individual before and after pair formation. We
showed that behavioural similarity between mismatched partners can increase after pairing. This convergence resulted from
asymmetrical convergence because only the reactive individual became more alike its proactive partner, whereas the latter did
not change its behaviour. The mismatched pairs that increased their similarity not only improved their reproductive success
but also raised it up to the level of matched pairs. While most studies assume that assortative mating results from mate choice,
our study suggests that postpairing convergence could be an alternative explanation for the high behavioural similarity between
partners observed in the field.
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D-04. Does behavioral assortment imply hormonal compatibility in the convict cichlids
(Amatitlania siquia)?
Schweitzer Cecile Biogéosciences UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
G. Melot Biogéosciences UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
C. Laubu Biogéosciences UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
M. Teixeira Biogéosciences UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
S. Motreuil Biogéosciences UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
F.-X. Dechaume-Moncharmont Biogéosciences UMR 6282, CNRS, Université Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Dijon, France
Behavioral assortative mating is commonly regarded as a prerequisite for pair maintenance and better reproductive success
in monogamous species. Recent results in convict cichlids not only confirmed that matching partners had the best reproductive
success, but they also showed the existence of post-pairing behavioral convergence between partners and its significant fitness
benefit. These findings and the fact that behavior modulation is under the regulatory feedback control of endocrine mechanisms
raise the question of hormonal partner compatibility and its role in pair cohesion. Here, we investigated whether or not
behavioral assortative pairs of convict cichlids also show a hormonal similarity and we assessed its fitness consequences.
We formed assortative and disassortative pairs of convict cichlids based on their behavioral type (proactive or reactive) and
took hormone and fitness measurements. Testosterone, 11-ketotestosterone, 17ß-estradiol and cortisol levels were measured
from fish-holding water before and after pair formation. We found no relationship between the behavioral type of individuals
and their baseline hormone levels. Only the level of cortisol was affected by the partner but independently of its behavioral
type. Reproductive success was generally not affected by the level of hormonal similarity within pairs, but the change in 11ketotestosterone similarity was related to spawning size, and the change in cortisol similarity to the number of fry. Behavioral
compatibility does not reflect hormonal compatibility in the convict cichlid, but the relationship between reproductive success
and the flexibility of hormonal similarity between partners suggest hormonal adjustment within pairs in this species.
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D-05. Do breeders and non-breeders in eusocial Ansell’s mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) represent different personalities?
Begall Sabine University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty for Biology, Dept. of General Zoology, Essen, Germany
T. Karnik University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty for Biology, Dept. of General Zoology, Essen, Germany
H. Burda University of Duisburg-Essen, Faculty for Biology, Dept. of General Zoology, Essen, Germany; Czech University
of Life Sciences, Department of Game Management and Wildlife Biology, Prague, Czech Republic
Ansell’s mole-rats (Fukomys anselli) are subterranean rodents living in families composed of about 20 members with a
single breeding pair and their non-breeding offspring. Most of them remain with their parents for their lifetime and help to
maintain and defend the natal burrow system, forage, and care for younger siblings. Ansell’s mole-rats display a bimodal aging
pattern with reproductive animals having a significantly longer mean and maximum life-span compared to non-reproductive
animals. We hypothesize that this difference in lifetime reproductive success is reflected in different personalities. We tested
the risk-taking behaviour in 48 adult (>2 years) animals of seven families using three different tests. We found consistent
individual responses over time and contexts indicating different animal personalities. However, neither sex nor reproductive
status (or a combination of the two factors) had an influence on the results. There was a significant difference between wildcaptured animals (living in the laboratory since four years) and those born in the laboratory (these two groups did not differ in
age). Discriminant function analysis revealed that members of different families clustered more closely together than expected
by chance. The results of our study imply that reproductive status is not decisive for individual differences, but rather family
membership and origin. This is consistent with the idea that personality is determined by genetic factors and moulded by social
and environmental experience, that about becoming a breeder (king, queen) in mole-rats decides chance but not personality or
physical traits and that there is little competition within the respective mole-rat families.
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D-06. Personality comes with experience: the role of environmental stimuli in the development of individual behavioural variation
Tamás János Urszán Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology Institute of Biology
Eö tvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
L. Z. Garamszegi Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estacion Biologica de Donana – CSIC, Seville, Spain
G. Nagy Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology Institute of Biology Eötvös
Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
A. Hettyey Lendület Evolutionary Ecology Research Group, MTA ATK NÖVI, Herman Ottó út 15, 1022 Budapest, Hungary
J. Török Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology Institute of Biology Eötvös
G. Herczeg Behavioural Ecology Group Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology Institute of Biology Eötvös
Behavioural consistency within and across behaviours have been vigorously studied in the last decade, leading to the
emergence of ’animal personality’ research. It has been proposed recently that not only mean behaviour, but the environmentally
induced behavioural change might also differ between individuals within population. While case studies presenting significant
individual variation in behaviour and behavioural plasticity have started to accumulate, the proximate and ultimate mechanisms
behind behavioural consistency at different levels are still controversial at best. Here, we tested whether consistent individual
differences in behaviour and behavioural plasticity were hard-wired (i.e. purely genetic) or ecologically relevant environmental
stimuli were necessary for their emergence. To this end, we reared Rana dalmatina tadpoles in a common garden experiment
with manipulated social environment and perceived predation risk, and measured their activity and risk-taking repeatedly in
the presence/absence of perceived predation risk. We found that (i) animal personality (consistent individual differences in a
single behaviour), (ii) behavioural syndrome (consistent individual differences across functionally different behaviours) and
(iii) individual behavioural plasticity (individual differences in the behavioural response induced by environmental change)
developed only among tadpoles that had previous experience with conspecifics and/or predators, but never in naive tadpoles.
We conclude that ecologically relevant environmentally stimuli are fundamental in the development of consistent individual
behavioural differences, meaning that genotype environment interactions are of central importance in the emergence of
individual behavioural variation in many levels.
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D-07. Personality of wild juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in complex and open
habitats: Implications for restoration
Kathleen Church PhD candidate at Concordia University, in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in the laboratory of Dr. James Grant.
Differences in the behaviour of individuals, maintained across context, often reflect distinct underlying personalities that affect
individual fitness. The costs and benefits of a particular behavioural trait, such as boldness or aggression, may vary depending
on the physical environment. Personality can also influence the relative impact of conservation initiatives. We consider whether
the common practice of adding physical structure to streams to increase salmonid density has behavioural consequences, as
open habitats will favour individuals that are more bold and aggressive. Wild young of the year (YOY) Atlantic salmon (Salmo
salar) were captured from habitats of varying physical complexity and placed into semi-natural stream enclosures for 11 days,
and their behaviour was observed and tested in both open and structurally complex environments. Behaviour was found to differ
significantly between the open and complex habitats. Restoring habitat complexity to streams is likely to have a greater effect
on the observed behaviour, rather than the innate personality of individual Atlantic salmon, and to support greater behavioural
and morphological diversity.
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D-08. Exploration behavior in free range chickens: personality trait related to differences
in cognitive abilities?
Guesdon Vanessa ISA Lille, 48 bd Vauban 59046 Lille Cedex, France
L. Calandreau INRA Val de Loire, UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France
K. Germain INRA, UE EASM, Le Magneraud, CS 40052, 17700 Surgères, France
C. Leterrier INRA Val de Loire, UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France
L. Lansade INRA Val de Loire, UMR Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements, 37380 Nouzilly, France
M. Brachet INRA, UE EASM, Le Magneraud, CS 40052, 17700 Surgères, France
E. Lamothe INRA, UE EASM, Le Magneraud, CS 40052, 17700 Surgères, France
M. Valenchon UMR 7178 DEPE, CNRS-Université de Strasbourg, IPHC, 67087 Strasbourg Cedex 2, France
V. Guesdon ISA Lille, 48 bd Vauban 59046 Lille Cedex, France
Free range rearing system is characterized by a large group of animals having an access to an outside run. The use of this run is
variable among the chickens. This use could be modulated by the individual personality and its influence on the cognitive
abilities. Our study focused on exploration behavior and asked 2 questions 1- can this exploration propensity be considered as a
personality trait (N = 120), 2- does it impact on memory performance in spatial learning context (N= 60 males)? The
exploration behavior was stable throughout time (visit number on the outside run at 2 ages = spontaneous context, R=0.29,
P=0.002) and between contexts (spontaneous and open-field contexts, R=0.42, P=0.001) suggesting that it is a personality trait.
SEDENTARY males (the less explorers= S) and EXPLORERS males (the most explorer = E) carried out 2 tasks of spatial
learning in an arena with visual cues on the walls. The first task consisted in finding 8 mealworms located in 8 rewarded cups
(1 trial per day during 7 days) and the second task consisted in finding the 4 rewarded cups among 8 cups (2 trial per day
during 9 days). The S chickens performed better than E chickens in the 1st task: they showed a tendency to visit more rewarded
cups (7.1±1.8 vs 5.9±3.1, P=0.095) and reached faster the threshold of 5 rewarded cups visited (1.5 days ±0.8 vs 3.1±2.2,
P<0.001). In the 2nd task, the S chickens improved the reference memory index between trial 1 and 2 and went over the E
chickens (S: 0.73±0.17 vs 0.81±0.18 and E: 0.75±0.19 vs 0.78±0.20, P<0.05) which kept a stable index between the 2 trials. A
higher level of attention to the surroundings for S chickens could explain such results. We need to go further to investigate the
different spatial guidance strategies used by E and S chickens.
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D-09. Advancing MIMIC modeling of individual and collective animal personality
Jordan Martin Department of Anthropology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, USA
Reflective latent variable modeling is commonly employed via factor analysis to discover dimensions of animal personality.
Although reflective latent variables are appropriate for particular traits structures, their assumptions are often violated in
the presence of appreciable direct causation or feedback processes between behavioral traits. Luckily, alternative forms of
latent variable measurement such as Multiple Indicators Multiple Causes (MIMIC) modeling overcome these issues while
also providing distinct benefits for integrative and hypothesis-driven behavioral research. Given that these models have not
been previously discussed in the animal personality literature, this talk will provide a conceptual introduction to MIMIC
modeling of individual and collective personality traits. Particular focus will be given to the ability of MIMIC models to test
adaptive state-behavior feedback hypotheses through the simultaneous specification of individual and environmental parameters
as well as functional outcomes of interest. Important issues such as the quantification of measurement error, model comparison,
multicollinearity, and the specification of feedback processes will also be discussed.
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D-10. An optimality model for adolescence plasticity
Mark Koschmieder Department for Evolutionary Biology, Bielefeld University
N. Sachser University of Münster, Department of Behavioural Biology, Germany
M. Galipaud Bielefeld University, Department for Evolutionary Biology, Germany
Some animals can change their behaviour according to environmental cues experienced early in life in prevision of future
conditions, when the behaviour is used. In certain mammal species, mothers for instance influence the aggressiveness level of
their pup according to the social environment and related level of competition for mates pup will experience when adult. When
in groups, individuals should adopt a queuing mating strategy whereas when solitary, they should aggressively defend their
territory. Interestingly, pups sometimes retain the ability to plastically change their behaviour according to social conditions they
experience when adolescent, just before adulthood. This seems paradoxical. If conditions are stable enough during individual
life, it pays mothers to influence their pups’ behaviour. Alternatively, if conditions change drastically during individual lifetime,
such an early life influence of mothers should not be selected for, and pups should be plastic at adolescence to increase the
probability that their behaviour match the social environment experienced when adult. Using a life history state dependent
modelling approach, we examine conditions under which both early maternal influence and offspring adolescence plasticity
evolve. Investigated hypotheses involve (i) mother-offspring conflicts, where maternal effects come at a high cost for mother’s
future survival and reproductive success and (ii) maternally mediated pathological effects on offspring behaviour, in which
case it potentially pays offspring to update their behaviour right before adulthood.
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D-11. Questionnaires, observations or experiments? Choosing appropriate methods to assess personality in a small New World primate
Vedrana Slipogor Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
S.E. Koski Anthropological Institute and Museum, University of Zürich, Switzerland; Centre of Excellence in Research on
Intersubjectivity in Interaction, University of Helsinki, Finland
The topic of animal personality, consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour through time and/or across different
contexts, has been intensively studied in the past several decades, across animal taxa, and particularly in non-human primates.
Several methods have been used to study this phenomenon: questionnaires filled by trusted raters, behavioural observations, and
behavioural experiments. However, up to date, it is debated but unresolved to what extent these three methods are comparable
and which of them reflect personality best. We here present an integrative approach using common marmosets as a model
species and with data collected independently in two different research laboratories (Vienna and Zürich), and across two years
(2011 and 2012). Specifically, we conducted behavioural experiments, behavioural observations, and had trusted raters answer
species-specific questionnaires especially designed for marmosets. Results obtained with all three methods were analysed
independently, and the final component structure obtained with every method was compared between different methods. We
report and discuss our findings that the chosen input in principal component analysis influences the outcome structure, and
since these three methods have vastly different input, they also give rather adverse results. We also report the convergent
validity of particular personality traits. Our findings thus urge the re-evaluation of, and taking appropriate care in choosing
suitable methods to study personality in non-human primates.
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D-12. Exploratory axes in personality of black rats: repeatability and mutual correspondence in open-field and hole-board tests
Barbora Zampachova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague,
Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
B. Kaftanova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44, Prague, Czech
Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech Republic
H. Simankova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7,
128 44, Prague, Czech Republic
E.Landova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128
44, Prague, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany,
Czech Republic
D. Frynta Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinicna 7, 128 44,
Prague, Czech Republic; National Institute of Mental Health, Topolova 748, 250 67, Klecany, Czech
Republic
Personality, or behavioural differences among individuals, which are stable both in time and across contexts, is a highly
popular topic. Currently there has been an increase of interest in the relationship between personality and repeatability, which
is a methodical approach developed to measure the stability of interindividual differences in time. The aim of this study is to
evaluate the personality of wild black rats (Rattus rattus) according to behavioural patterns exhibited under widely used testing
procedures in new environment (open field test, hole board test) and to compare, how behavioural traits in these tests mutually
correlate and change over time. Each test trial was repeated eight times with different intervals (24 hours, 6 days, 4 weeks).
The results suggest that most of the recorded behavioural variability can be explained with three principal axes. The first one
is associated with loco-exploratory activity of the subject. The elements of behaviour associated with this axis are the most
repeatable and best correlated with markers of stress, such as defecation. The second axis is mostly associated with the amount
of time the animal spent in the central part of the arena and the third axis represents the interest in the holes in the hole board
test. These two axes are less repeatable. A significant effect of the identity of the animal was found in all behavioural traits
associated with these axes. This effect was repeatedly found in all behavioural traits, associated with all the axes of variability
mentioned above. The behavioural traits correlate across the tests as well, which means they are stable in different contexts.
We found no behavioural differences between males and females, which is in contrast with some other studies.
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D-13. Modelling the collective motion of segregated groups of wild horses
Bence Ferdinandy Biological Physics Department, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE Comparative
Ethological Research Group, Hungarian Academy of Sciences and Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
K. Ozogány Biological Physics Department, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
T. Vicsek Biological Physics Department, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE Statistical and Biological
Physics Research Group, Eötvös Loránd University and the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, Budapest, Hungary
In order to keep their cohesiveness during motion gregarious animals must make collective decisions. Many species boast
complex societies with multiple levels of communities. We present a model adapted from one created to describe cell movement
for the emergence of sub-groups (e.g. harems) within a herd during movement by combining collective motion based on spatial
topology and self-organization. The resulting phenomenology is in good agreement with our observations of a Przewalski horse
herd (Hortobágy, Hungary). We find that the model reproduces the key features of a herd moving on open ground. We find that
the emerging group size distribution is normal. In contrast, we have improved the accuracy of the group size distribution of the
observed herd based on historical data, and found it to be lognormal. We argue that this indicates that the formation of the
harems must involve more a more complex social topology than spatial.
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D-14. Individual differences in prey capture behaviour of adult male cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis)
Francesca Zoratto Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore
di Sanità, Rome, Italy
G. Cordeschi Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di
Sanità, Rome, Italy
G. Grignani Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), University of Tuscia, Tarquinia (Viterbo), Italy
R. Bonanni Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, Parma, Italy
E. Alleva Section of Behavioural Neuroscience, Department of Cell Biology and Neurosciences, Istituto Superiore di Sanità,
Rome, Italy
C. Carere Department of Ecological and Biological Sciences, Ichthyogenic Experimental Marine Centre (CISMAR), University
of Tuscia, Tarquinia (Viterbo), Italy, Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology, University of Paris
J.A. Mather Department of Psychology, University of Lethbridge, Lethbridge, Canada
Prey capture sequences of invertebrates are supposed to be quite invariant, as they are thought to have a strong innate
component. Although the study of animal personality shows consistent between-individual variation in many traits, individuality
in hunting behaviour has been overlooked. Cuttlefish capture fast moving preys by ejecting the long prehensile tentacles. The
attack includes three phases: attention, positioning, seizure. As other cephalopods, cuttlefish have recently been shown to display
personalities. We analysed predation sequences of adult cuttlefish (i) to ascertain within and between individual consistency,
and (ii) to test their association with personality traits in different contexts. Nineteen subjects were tested individually for 10
days. They were first exposed to an “alert” and a “threat” test, and then they were given a live prey (Mugil cephalus). A
total of 109 predation sequences (176 attacks) were scored by slow motion, including 16 behaviours (as duration and, in some
cases, latency), among which attack’s phases, locomotor and postural elements, body patterns, number of successful tentacles’
ejections. PCA analysis identified three dimensions accounting for 53.1%, 15.9%, and 9.6% of the variance, and discriminating
individuals based on “fastness in capturing prey”, “number of attempts”, and “attention to prey”. Predation rate, success rate
and hunting time were significantly correlated with first, second and third PCA factors, respectively. Significant correlations
among capture patterns and responsiveness in the two other contexts were found, highlighting a consistency between measures
of personality and prey capture patterns supposed to harbour little variability. We discuss the possible origin and function of
these individual differences.
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D-15. Coping with challenges: plasticity, repeatability and evolution of hormonal phenotypes
Michaela Hau Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
Hormones mediate individual decisions on behavior and life history strategies depending on internal and external conditions.
The glucocorticoid hormone corticosterone (CORT) is involved in metabolic processes and thus facilitates adjustments in
behavior and life history strategies to energetic circumstances. Vertebrate populations can show substantial within- and amongindividual variation in circulating CORT concentrations, raising questions on the causes of such variation and its phenotypic
consequences. Furthermore, to understand evolutionary processes we need to determine whether CORT traits of individuals are
repeatable and heritable, whether they are related to fitness components and which selection pressures they may underlie. To
approach these questions, we assessed relationships among CORT traits, behavior, internal and environmental challenges and
fitness in individual great tits (Parus major), combining field and captive studies. In great tits, circulating CORT concentrations
were related to behavioral phenotypes including exploratory behavior, parental investment, and pair bond dynamics. Circulating
baseline CORT concentrations were also related to reproductive success in wild great tits. Even though CORT concentrations
showed considerable within- and among-individual variation, we found significant repeatabilities for CORT traits, especially
when environmental variation was reduced in captivity. Given the high sensitivity of CORT concentrations to both internal
and external cues, we have begun to test whether individuals exhibit consistent reaction norms in CORT traits, which may
constitute an important component of an individual’s hormonal organization. Our work aims at elucidating evolutionary patterns
in hormonal phenotypes of wild avian populations.
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D-16. Personality modulates proportions of CD4+ regulatory and effector T cells in response to socially induced stress in a rodent of wild origin
Rangassamy Marylin Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée E.A. 4443 (LEEC), Université Paris 13, Sorbonne
Paris Cité, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
S. Khaleghparast Athari Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Bobigny, France
R. Monclus Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
M-C. Boissier Université Paris-Sud, CNRS, AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, Orsay, France
N. Bessis Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Bobigny, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Avicenne Teaching
Hospital, Bobigny, France
H. G. Rödel Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée E.A. 4443 (LEEC), Université Paris 13, Sorbonne
Paris Cité, F-93430 Villetaneuse, France
Individuals respond to chronic challenges in various ways, and such differences are closely linked to personality. In
non-human mammals, studies on individual differences in stress-related immunosuppression have been mainly carried out
with laboratory strains. We conducted a study in male mound-building mice (Mus spicilegus), a rodent of wild origin. We
distinguished between high (HAN) and low anxious/neophobic (LAN) personality types, quantified by subjects’ consistent
and associated behavioural responses in repeated elevated plus maze and novel object tests. After reaching maturity, a part of
the subjects were regularly confronted to different resident pairs over a period of 5 days to provoke a condition of chronic
social stress, while others were used as untreated controls. Fecal corticosteroid metabolite concentrations (FCM) and different
cellular immune parameters from blood and spleen were measured. Socially confronted HAN showed higher increases in FCM
concentrations than LAN, indicating a more pronounced physiological stress response in the former personality type. HAN of
the experimental group also showed lower percentages of effector T cells (Teff) and higher percentages of regulatory T cells
(Treg) in the spleen; the latter are known for their immunosuppressive activity. Considering the ratio of Teff/Treg, mice with
higher increases in FCM concentrations during the late period of the experiment showed a stronger shift towards Treg cells,
supporting immunosuppressive effects of chronically elevated corticosteroid levels. Summarizing, our results strongly suggest
that individual differences in anxiety/neophobia altered immunomodulatory effects of socially induced stress, emphasizing the
significance of personality in shaping physiological responses to challenge
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D-17. The acoustic expression of physiological stress in a songbird and its impact on
conspecifics responses.
Emilie C Perez Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR9197, Saint-Etienne, France; Department of
Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Fowlers Gap Arid Zone Research Station, School of
Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW, Australia.
Christophe O. Soulage Univ Lyon, INSA de Lyon, CarMeN, INSERM U1060, Villeurbanne, France
Simon C. Griffith Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia; Fowlers Gap Arid Zone
Research Station, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW,
Australia
Clémentine Vignal Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR9197, Saint-Etienne, France; Fowlers Gap
Arid Zone Research Station, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales, Sydney,
NSW, Australia
In social species, individuals may signal their physiological stress, and this signal triggers prosocial behaviours from
conspecifics and/or warn the group about an imminent danger. Communicating about one’s physiological state is thus a key
component of survival. While studies have shown that stress can modify the acoustic structure of vocalisations in mammals
especially humans, only a few studies have examined the acoustic expression of physiological state in non-human animals and
related vocal cues to physiological parameters. Although songbirds use acoustic communication extensively, little is known on
how they encode stress in their vocalisations, and how these modified signals can trigger adaptive responses from conspecifics.
To answer this question, we used the zebra finch, a widely used model species. We experimentally elevated plasma levels of
corticosterone, the main stress hormone in birds, using oral administration of the hormone in (1) nestlings of wild free-ranging
zebra finches, (2) adults of domesticated birds. We report that an increase in circulating corticosterone modifies the acoustic
structure of nestlings’ begging calls and adult males’ distance calls, resulting in higher-pitched vocalisations in both cases. We
also measured the behavioural response of conspecifics to these stressed-induced calls. Stressed nestlings received more parental
care; Females hearing stressed-induced calls of their partner exhibited behavioural changes and an increase in their plasma
levels of corticosterone, resulting in a physiological resonance with their mate. Thus, transient elevation of corticosterone
modifies the acoustic structure of zebra finch calls, which in turns trigger specific responses in conspecifics. We discuss the
adaptive values of such behaviours.
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D-18. Leukocyte Coping Capacity: the missing piece of the stress puzzle?
Nikolaus Huber Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution University of
Veterinary Medicine Vienna
N. Fandos Esteruelas Hedmark University College of Applied Sciences, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management,
Campus Evenstad, Norway;,
S. Vetter Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria;,
S. Küker Hedmark University College of Applied Sciences, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Campus
Evenstad, Norway;, Veterinary Public Health Institute, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, Switzerland;,
A. L. Evans Hedmark University College of Applied Sciences, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Campus
Evenstad, Norway;,
P. Kjellander Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Sweden;,
U. A. Bergvall Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Grimsö Wildlife Research Station, Sweden;, Department of
Zoology, Stockholm University, Sweden;,
Andreas Zedrosser Department of Environmental and Health Studies, University College of Southeast Norway, Porsgrunn,
Norway;, Institute for Wildlife Biology and Game Management, University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences,
Vienna, Austria;,
M. Cattet Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, Canada;,
K. L. Jones Hedmark University College of Applied Sciences, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Campus
Evenstad, Norway;,
J. E. Swenson Norwegian University of Life Sciences, s, Norway;, ,
J. M. Arnemo Hedmark University College of Applied Sciences, Department of Forestry and Wildlife Management, Campus
Evenstad, Norway;,
Understanding the effects of trapping and handling procedures in wildlife species is essential for the improvement of animal
welfare and data interpretation. If an animal has difficulties or is not able or hindered to cope with its environment or a given
situation it becomes stressed. We examined individual variation in capture-induced stress levels in non-anesthetized Scandinavian
roe deer (Capreolus capreolus, n= 28) captured in box traps and physically restrained for biometrics and sampling. Similarly,
we measured stress reactions in brown bears (Ursus arctos, n=24) to evaluate the potential effects of capture and the surgical
implantation of telemetry transmitters. Venous blood samples and a range of classical stress parameters (e.g. cortisol, N:L ratio,
heart rate, body temperature) were recorded in both species. We also evaluated the behavioral response to handling in roe deer.
In addition to the classical stress parameters, we quantified stress reactions using the immunological tool of Leukocyte Coping
Capacity (LCC), which measures the ability of leukocytes to produce oxygen radicals. In both species none of the classical
stress parameters were correlated with the presence of the evaluated stressors or with each other; therefore, they appear not to
reflect the extent of the animals’ stress response. The LCC technique enabled us to identify variables such as social status in
brown bears (family vs solitary), mainly shaping the magnitude of the stress response. In roe deer, the time spent in the box
trap with human presence prior to handling, was determined as the main stressor of trapping. Overall, both studies verified
LCC as a fast and reliable method for quantifying short-term stress reactions in wildlife species.
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D-19. Low reproductive performance in captive cheetahs is not based on captive stress but
on reproductive suppression and asymmetric reproductive aging
Wachter Bettina Leibniz Institut for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
C. Ludwig
S. Pribbenow Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany,
S. Thalwitzer Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany,
H. Hofer Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany,
Cheetah females are known to reproduce poorly in captivity, whereas their free-ranging conspecifics reproduce well. Understanding the possible reasons for this difference is important for conservation management activities such as re-introduction
programmes. Five hypotheses have been formulated to explain this difference, with the captive stress hypothesis being the
most popular one. It suggests that unfavorable husbandry conditions increase allostatic load, which in turn suppresses ovarian
activity. Other hypothesis are: (1) the genetic monomorphism hypothesis, which suggests that the low genetic variability of
cheetahs is linked to low fertility, (2) the innate rhythm hypothesis, which suggests that reproductive cycling is triggered by an
circannual rhythm that is disrupted in captivity, (3) the reproductive suppression hypothesis, which suggests that pheromones
of jointly-housed females suppress ovarian activity of females, and (4) the asymmetric reproductive aging (ARA) hypothesis,
which suggests that frequent fluctuations of estrogen concentrations in late-breeding females cause pathological lesions and
faster aging of the reproductive tract. Such females enter into a non-reversible early reproductive quiescence. In a study on
free-ranging and captive cheetahs on Namibia farmland and on cheetahs kept in European zoological gardens, we examined
all five hypotheses simultaneously. Although cheetahs kept in zoological gardens had the highest stress levels, our data were
only consistent with the reproductive suppression and the ARA hypothesis and rejected predictions from the other hypotheses.
This study highlights the complex links between reproduction, stress and captivity and their consequences for husbandry and
conservation management plans.
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D-20. Friendship not dominance prevents individuals from social stress in red deer (Cervus
elaphus)
Ludek Bartos Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
T. Peterka Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
B. Esattore Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
R. Kotrba Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
J. Pluhác̆ek Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
F. Ceacero Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
M. Komárková Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
A. Dus̆ek Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
J. Bartos̆ová Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Praha, Czech Republic
Among social animals, dominant individuals usually cause physiological stress in subordinates, while prevent themselves from
stress. However, there is a number of studies braking such a rule. In a previous study on red deer adding much smaller sparring
partners into a group of adult males altered the agonistic behaviour of the adults even though this did not trigger any change in
their rank position. This resulted in change of the relationship between rank and cortisol concentrations. Therefore, we focused
on detailed inter-individual relationships among the stags in a group and how this affects cortisol concentrations.
Between May and August we followed inter-individual distances (measured by GPS collars) and recorded agonistic interaction
among a group of 19 stags. For each individual we calculated pair distance (a mean distance in metres over the period) and total
number of agonistic interactions with all other stags (i. e., 18 values per stag). For each pair we determined dominance status.
Cluster analysis divided stag pairs into a group of those keeping together (22 m and less – “Associates”) and those keeping apart
(23 m and more - “Wanderers”). The same analysis divided stag pairs into those not attacking each other frequently (9 or less
interactions per season - “Friends”) and those fighting with each other more often (10 interactions plus - “Rivals”). Each month
we weighted the stags, collected blood sample and determined cortisol concentrations. “Friends” displayed 0 to 7 agonistic
interactions while “Rivals” 11 to 164 interactions. “Associates” kept inter-individual distances between 8 and 17 m, while the
“Wanderers” kept apart from others between 46 and 337 m.
Associates had nearly half concentrations of cortisol than the Wanderers (P<0.0001).
For each stag we then calculated proportion of “Friends” within their “Associates” and/or “Wanderers”. With increasing
proportion of “Friends”, either within the “Associates” or “Wanderers”, cortisol concentrations decreased. There were no
differences in cortisol concentrations between dominant and subordinated individuals.
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D-21. Effects of dietary fatty acids on social behavior and stress reponses in guinea pigs
Millesi Eva Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna
M. Nemeth Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna
D. Schuster Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna
V. Pühringer-Sturmayr Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna
B. Wallner Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna
Nutritional factors, in particular fatty acids play an important role in neuronal development and function and thus can
highly impact both social behavior and physiological stress responses. During a long-term study we tested the effects of diets
enriched with saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids on social interactions, dominance hierarchies and stress
load, indicated by saliva cortisol concentrations in guinea pigs. The animals were housed in single-sex groups, provided with
standard rodent pellets and the experimental groups were supplemented with either coconut (SFA) or walnut oil (PUFA). Two
generations of guinea pigs were tested, the F0 generation received the supplementation for several months and their offspring
(F1) experienced the different diets in utero during lactation and after weaning. Social behavior in the established groups did
not differ significantly in the first generation but SFA-males had elevated basal cortisol concentrations after 60d treatment,
while in PUFA and control males cortisol levels were lower than in the initial phase. In females, social interactions occurred
generally less frequently than in males and no significant differences between the diet groups were found. In the F1 generation
the diets appeared to affect both social interactions and adrenal activity in males already in the first weeks postweaning. PUFAmales showed the highest frequencies of sociopositive behavior indicating the formation of social bonds within the groups. In
contrast, SFA-males showed pronounced conflict rates and cortisol levels rapidly increased with age. Preliminary data on adult
F1-males suggest that these differences in social competence and stress load persisted or even increased later in life.
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D-22. A little stress goes a long way: can exposure to early life stress create a stress coping
phenotype?
Karen Spencer School of Psychology & Neuroscience, University of St Andrews
Stress promotes a complex cascade of hormones within the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis resulting ultimately
in the release of glucocorticoid hormones, which have a myriad of effects on both behaviour and physiology. This response is
tightly regulated through classical negative feedback loops, facilitated by intracellular receptors (GR/MR) within the HPA axis
and other brain regions. One factor that is known to have the power to permanently alter the efficacy of this ‘stress response’
is developmental stress and recent work has suggested that this may confer a stress coping phenotype into adulthood. Here I
present data from several studies using the Japanese quail (Coturnix japonica) to show the long-term effects of developmental
stress on the physiological response to stress across the lifespan. I highlight the behavioural effects of these physiological
responses and the neuroendocrine mechanisms that drive them. Pre-natal exposure to elevated glucocorticoids resulted in an
attenuated stress response in early adulthood. This faster return to baseline levels was associated with increased exploratory
behaviour and a greater expression of GR and MR within the HPA axis. These effects seem to remain into later adulthood,
suggesting a permanent programming of the HPA axis and the stress response. If such alterations do indeed create a stress
coping phenotype then potentially positive effects should be seen in terms of behavioural strategies when birds experience
stressful conditions during adulthood. I will explore this hypothesis presenting novel data on the ageing stress response and
the effects on long-term adulthood stress on behavioural capabilities. Together these data inform our notion of a programmed
stress coping phenotype.
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D-23. Effects of environmental stressful circumstances on reproductive performance and
longevity
Valeria Marasco Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health and Comparative Medicine Graham Kerr Building, University of
Glasgow Glasgow, G12 8QQ United Kingdom
W. Boner Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences,
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
K. Griffith Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life Sciences,
University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
B. Heidinger Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life
Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK *Current address: Biological Sciences Department, Stevens Hall, North Dakota
State University, Fargo, ND
P. Monaghan Institute of Biodiversity, Animal Health & Comparative Medicine, College of Medical, Veterinary & Life
Sciences, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
It is recognised that individuals can make strategic adjustments to their investment in key life history traits depending
on the environmental circumstances that they experience, and that such state-dependent adjustments might maximise fitness
outcomes. Longitudinal/long-term manipulations are essential to determine the extent to which investment patterns vary as
a function of environmental conditions, and also whether the costs and benefits vary with chronological age. We have been
maintaining adult female zebra finches in different environmental circumstances and examining their breeding performance and
survival from early to late adulthood. We also monitored endogenous glucocorticoid responses to our environmental stressful
manipulation, and measured individuals’ telomere length from early to late adulthood in order to provide mechanistic insights
into changes in longevity. We found distinct differences in the pattern of survival and reproductive performance between the two
environmental treatment groups that suggest differential investment patterns. We also found that the direction and magnitude
of these differences varied with chronological age. We will discuss our data in the context of optimal life history strategies.
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D-24. Prenatal stress accelerates offspring growth to compensate for reduced maternal
investment across mammals
Andreas Berghaenel University of Göttingen, Department of Behavioural Ecology
M. Heistermann German Primate Center, Endocrinology Laboratory
O. Schülke University of Göttingen, Department of Behavioural Ecology
3 J. Ostner University of Göttingen, Department of Behavioural Ecology, German Primate Center, Research Group Primate
Social Evolution
Studies on prenatal maternal stress (PREMS) effects on offspring growth produced inconsistent patterns of positive as well
as negative relationships across and within species. Current theories rest on opposing assumptions and make contradictory
predictions. We combine results from a comparative analysis of published data (90 studies, 11 mammalian species) with data
on fecal glucocorticoids and growth rate via photogrammetry from individually known wild Assamese macaques (Phu Khieo
Wildlife Sanctuary, Thailand) to test a parsimonious framework aiming to explain the full range of reported PREMS-effects on
offspring growth across mammals. Supporting our predictions, PREMS was negatively related to maternal energy investment
and consequently extrinsic offspring growth. Simultaneously, PREMS increased fetal glucocorticoid exposure triggering an
accelerated intrinsic growth rate, compensating for reduced maternal investment. The result may be an unaltered growth rate
during gestation and lactation followed by enhanced growth after lactation. This recalibration of intrinsic growth rate requires
PREMS to occur during the first half of gestation, while late-gestational PREMS is correlated with reduced maternal investment
only, resulting in reduced growth rates during gestation and lactation followed by an unaltered growth rate after lactation.
Collectively, PREMS-effects provide short- and longterm benefits to both mother and offspring under adverse conditions. In
the shortterm, PREMS-effects enable the mother to reduce her investment into current offspring along with recalibrating the
offspring’s life history settings to buffer it from the corresponding developmental constraints. In the longterm, PREMS enhances
future maternal reproduction and accelerates offspring maturation.
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D-25. Individual differences in behavior and in thermal responses during unconditioned
fear tests
Benjamin Lecorps LEEC, Université Paris 13 - USPC
H.G. Rödel Université Paris
C. Feron Université Paris
Unconditioned fear tests such as open field and elevated plus maze tests are extensively used to assess inter-individual
differences in anxiety in rodents. Only few studies provide concomitant behavioral and physiological measurements mainly
due to the invasiveness of physiological recordings in small mammals. We used infrared thermography, a non-invasive method,
to assess physiological arousal during open field and elevated plus maze tests in mice, and combined these measures with
the animals’ behavioral reponses. To this end, we measured changes in body surface temperature indicative of the animals’
emotional response. Our results showed significant and consistent thermal responses of subjects during both tests, which
is in accordance with classical physiological responses occurring in stressful situations. Furthermore, we found correlations
between the individual thermal response and the occurrence of anxiety-related behaviors. In addition, initial body temperatures
measured at the start of each procedure (open field, elevated plus maze) strongly predicted the levels of the individuals’
activity and anxiety-related behaviors displayed during the tests. This predictive character of the initial body temperature could
be due to pronounced individual differences in basal metabolic rate that may be linked to the way how animals cope with
challenging situations. Our results therefore stress the strong association between physiological correlates of emotions and
behaviors expressed during unconditioned fear tests.
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D-26. Under Pressure: Stress and Performance in Track and Field Athletes during the
European Games in Baku
Benjamin Siart Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna; Department of Behavioural Biology, University of
Vienna
Alfred Nimmerichter Department of Sport and Exercise Sciences, University of Applied Sciences Wiener Neustadt
Claudia Vidotto Study Lab G.m.b.H., Davidgasse 87-89, 1100 Vienna, Austria
Bernard Wallner Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna; Department of Behavioural Biology, University of
Vienna
The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship between salivary cortisol and testosterone levels and performance
in track and field athletes. In addition we analyzed the influence of status among athletes, measured in the form of previous
athletic achievement, on hormone levels. Participants were fifteen members of the Austrian track and field national team: nine
males, six female. Athletes delivered saliva samples at various time-points before and after the competition, including morning
samples and samples directly before and after the competition. Scoring points of the International Association of Athletics
Federation were used as an individual measure of relative performance. The study was conducted in the course of the European
Games in Baku (Aze, 2015). The European Games are an international multi-sport event in the Olympic tradition for athletes
representing the National Olympic Committees of Europe. Our results show that performance was negatively correlated with
rise in cortisol and testosterone concentrations prior to the competition. Correlations between status and hormone levels were
inconclusive. Increase in morning testosterone on the day after the competition was significantly correlated with performance
and distinctively more pronounced for the male participants. We conclude that the tournament represented a significant stressor
for the athletes and that those with less pronounced stress response fared better than those more stressed. Changes in testosterone
levels after the competition appear to be closely related to their achievement in the tournament and may reflect the competitions
effect on their status among athletes.
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D-27. Using Leukocyte activity as a proxy to measure stress in birds
Virginie Canoine Department of Behavioural Biology University of Vienna, Austria
N. Huber Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
Medicine Vienna, Austria
T. Kleeb Research Institute of Wildlife Ecology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
Medicine Vienna, Austria
L. Fusani Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
Medicine Vienna, Austria; Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Stress response is crucial for survival because it allows an organism to cope with environmental and internal challenges.
Thus, “stress” is ambiguous in its meaning: short-term stress is beneficial as it helps to re-adjust to a sudden stressor, however,
if stress lasts too long and becomes chronic, it may have degenerative or even lethal consequences. Measuring concentration
of glucocorticoids (GC) is a well-established method to quantify stress in individuals. However, due to their dual function
and its large physiological involvement, it is often very difficult to interpret the meaning of GC levels and a clear consensus
is still missing. Because stress strongly affects also the immune system, a new technique called Leukocyte Coping Capacity
(LCC) has been recently put forward. The first results suggest it to be a good bioindicator of stress, however most studies have
evaluated LCC in relation to behaviour or different environmental conditions. So far, the relationship between the GC response
and LCC response in birds has not been investigated yet. In this study, to understand their relationship we compared both
techniques during a classical stress response protocol. We measured corticosterone conc. and LCC response in song sparrows
immediately at capture to obtain baseline levels and again after 30 min of keeping them in a cloth bag to measure the induced
stress response. The experiment was conducted in winter and in spring to make a seasonal comparison. Our results show that
both methods are capable of indicating physiological stress, and suggest that LCC is a suitable alternative method to measure
stress. Because LCC can be measured in the field, it may actually represent a choice method when transporting the samples
to the laboratory is difficult or impossible.
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D-28. Beyond the end of your nose: Behavioural studies in didactics and education
Katharina Hirschenhauser PHOO - University College of Education of Upper Austria
H. Gürtler & E. Millesi University of Vienna, Austria
In Tinbergen’s spirit, ethology is providing high potentials for interdisciplinarity. Ethological research is increasingly blended
with methods from other fields, such as neuroendocrinology and psychology. We present behavioral data from studies in the field
of education. Both, science and education may benefit from merging traditional, i.e. quantitative and qualitative approaches. We
focus on hormonal and biopsychological data for assessing stress load and on testing changes due to experiences as evidence
of learning. We show modulatory effects of different treatments on stress in primary school children based on salivary cortisol
levels, and in students based on self-reports of individually perceived stress load. In children we measured salivary cortisol levels
twice (morning and noon) during school days. Four weeks of ordinary school routine were compared with four weeks, during
which short relaxation exercises were initiated as stringent daily interventions. An overall effect of the daily short exercises
on cortisol was observed in the noon samples. Remarkably, this effect was not persistent over the entire period of repeated
exercises. Interviews with the children revealed supplementary details on their individual perception of the intervention. With
adult students we tested the modulation of the subjective perception of stress load during a course dealing with various aspects
of stress research. The students were asked to fill out diary-protocols every evening during five months. The summary of these
notes showed significant changes of the students’ subjective perception of stressors and stress load until the end of the course.
Taken together, we show that teaching methods may effectively modulate physiological and perceptual concepts in children
and students.
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D-29. Self-similarity and repeated hierarchical structured clusters in human, insect and
protein mass societies: from no-brain to big-brain and back through external memory and
religion?
Magnus Magnusson Human Behavior Laboratory University of Iceland Reykjavik, Iceland
Self-similarity across multiple levels of the hierarchical organization of matter and life characterize our universe evolving
under the influence of a small number of forces (Rees, 1999 ), some pulling things together, others pushing them apart over
13.7 billion years gradually creating the self-similar fractal distribution of matter throughout the known universe up to the
largest known hierarchical structured clusters. An analogous view of the temporal organization of behavior and interactions
is presented around a proposed mathematical pattern type, called a T-pattern: a repeated hierarchical structured recursive selfsimilar tree pattern with a single statistical non-terminal relation between its branches (1-D position series, in time or space) and
statistically significant translation symmetry over all its occurrences. Its occurrences can be seen as particular repeated statistical
pseudo-fractal objects somewhat analogous to motives and genes in DNA and proteins. T-pattern detection and analysis (TPA)
developed since the late 70’s and implemented as the THEMETM software (see hbl.hi.is and PatternVision.com) has been
applied to the analysis of behavior and interactions on time scales from those of human and animal interactions, for which
T-patterns were initially developed, to the millionth of a second scale of interactions within populations of brain neurons
(Magnusson, MS et al eds. 2016). With this background, structural and functional similarities and self-similarities among
the brainless mass societies (cell cities) of proteins, the tiny-brained societies of insects and the biologically recent human
big-brained mass societies with fast expanding external memory and shrinking brains, are considered, leading among other to
a novel view of religion.
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D-30. Technical advances in tracking vocal development in birds
Deregnaucourt Sebastien Laboratory Ethology Cognition Development EA3456 University Paris Ouest Nanterre La
Défense ; University Paris Lumieres 3Institut Universitaire de France 4Institut Francilien d’Ethologie
Quantitative analysis of behaviour plays an important role in birdsong research. Vocal imitation in oscine songbirds exhibits
interesting parallels to infant speech development. Both birdsong learning and language acquisition imply a multitude of
components which interact on several time and space scales in parallel, such as the ontogenetic scale and the cultural scale.
During this talk, I will present experimental procedures used to track vocal development in birds. Continuous recordings and
analysis of vocal activity of birds raised in controlled conditions of the laboratory allow investigation of developmental song
learning across multiple time scales, from the sub-syllabic scale to cultural evolution. By tracking vocal development of a young
songbird kept singly or with an adult tutor in a sound-proof chamber, we could explore the effects of sleep and melatonin
on birdsong learning. One-to-one tutoring as well as raising young songbirds in aviaries with selected tutors allow to track
cultural evolution of birdsong. Tracking vocal interactions during pair bond formation in small songbirds is now feasible using
lightweight wireless microphones. In a close future, this technic could be easily extended to birdsong developmental learning.
Together with the recent development of transgenic songbirds and robotic devices, these new technics consolidate birdsong as
a model of choice for exploring the behavioural, molecular and cellular substrates of vocal learning.
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D-31. Assessing fine-scale acoustic networks in social groups of birds
Marie Fernandez Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR9197, Saint-Etienne, France
C. Vignal Univ Lyon, UJM-Saint-Etienne, CNRS, Neuro-PSI/ENES UMR9197, Saint-Etienne, France
H.A. Soula 2EPI BEAGLE INRIA, Villeurbanne, France; 3INSERM U1060 INSA, Villeurbanne, France
In group-living species, communication may participate in maintaining group cohesion and coordinating collective activities.
However little is known about the dynamics of groups’ vocal activity. Indeed, the group vocal production is rarely considered
at an individual-level resolution, i.e. how the individual vocal activity participates in the resulting communal sound, and in
return how the group influences individual vocal activity. Zebra finches are monogamous songbirds that form lifelong pairbonds. In the wild, they gather in social trees in small groups, with the pair as the primary social unit and both females and
males produce vocalizations. Here we investigated in laboratory the influence of group size and composition on general vocal
activity, as well as the influence of pairs and spatial location on finer characteristics of dyads vocal interactions, in a baseline
condition or after a stress of predation. We designed a set-up that locked the birds in a fixed spatial network and allowed us
an individual tagging of all vocalizations. We developed a software suite that automatically detects vocalizations and caller’s
identity from hours of passive recording. Our setup includes an automatic removal of non-calls (e.g. wings noise) using a
machine learning classification method (Random Forest). Cross-correlation analysis indicates that groups synchronize their
vocal activity, producing waves of collective calling, which depend both on the group size and composition. Also, individual
vocal activity increases with the group size. However at short time scale, our results suggest that the acoustic network is shaped
by pair-bonds. Vocal interactions are directed preferentially to the partner when it is present and to the nearest neighbor when
the partner is not available.
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D-32. Can insectivorous birds anticipate the future? Insect egg deposition makes pines
attractive to birds
Elina Mantyla Freie Universität Berlin
S. Kleier Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
C. Lindstedt-Kareksela University of Jyväskylä, Finland
S. Kipper Freie Universität Berlin, Germany, Technische Universität München, Germany
M. Hilker Freie Universität Berlin, Germany
Insectivorous birds can eat sawfly eggs, but a tree with insect eggs could also indicate “future food” (i.e. hatching larvae).
Earlier studies have shown attraction of insectivorous birds to herbivore-damaged trees without the birds actually seeing or
smelling the larvae. For the first time we show with great tits (Parus major), blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), pine sawflies
(Diprion pini) and Scots pines (Pinus sylvestris) a similar attraction to egg-induced trees. Adult sawflies were placed on the
lower part of a branch for egg-deposition. After three days the lower egg-laden part of the branch was cut off, and the upper,
systemically egg-induced branch (without eggs) was transferred to a bird experiment aviary together with an egg-free control
branch. Each bird’s behaviour was followed for 10 minutes. The birds of both species significantly more often visited first the
branch induced by egg-deposition than the control branch. They also visited it more times during the first two minutes. We found
that birds could have recognized the egg-induced branches by olfaction since the pine branches emitted numerous terpenoid
volatile organic compounds, of which (E)-β-farnesene was released in higher quantities from the egg-induced branches. On the
other hand, visual cues might be relevant too, since control branches reflected light significantly more than egg-induced ones,
and the discrimination threshold model suggests that avian predators (blue tits) can detect this difference in optimal conditions.
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D-33. A multi-agent model to study the cultural transmission of humpback whales’ songs
Luca Lamoni University of St Andrews, School of Biology, St Andrews, Scotland, UK
M. Mcloughlin University of Plymouth, UK
E. Garland University of St Andrews, UK
A. Kirke University of Plymouth, UK
S. Ingram University of Plymouth, UK
M. Noad University of Queensland, Australia
E. Miranda University of Plymouth, UK
L. Rendell University of St Andrews, UK
Understanding how individual interactions lead to emergent, population-level, behavioral phenomena is a particular challenge
when the interactions are difficult to observe. One example is humpback whale song, where males maintain a high degree of
conformity over progressively evolving songs but are also able to rapidly abandon old songs in favor of novel ones (events
described as “song revolutions”). Although song evolution and transmission have been consistently documented across the
globe, individual learning strategies behind this cultural phenomenon remain unknown. Our approach is to develop individualbased models that aim to mimic whales’ spatial and acoustic behavior, with which to test different individual learning strategies.
We investigated the role of novelty-bias, although hearing active space, agent movement rules and size of breeding/feeding
grounds all influenced song conformity. No complete song replacement was observed; however, novel songs were partly shared
and transmitted across populations. Furthermore, we explored the role of short and long term memory in the occurrence of
song revolutions between adjacent populations. Future work will aim to test additional learning strategies and more realistic
song production algorithms.
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D-34. Human and dog as a social dyad: psychobiological factors influencing each other’s
cortisol variability
Iris Schöberl Department of Behavioral Biology, Konrad Lorenz Research Station, University of Vienna
T. Schmidjell Department of Behavioral Biology, Konrad Lorenz Research Station, University of Vienna
M.Wedl Department of Behavioral Biology, Konrad Lorenz Research Station, University of Vienna
K. Kotrschal Department of Behavioral Biology, Konrad Lorenz Research Station, University of Vienna
While mutual emotional social support will down-regulate stress responses within dyads, conflict will produce the opposite
effect. But how dyadic interactions will affect stress coping of partners is hardly known. We presently investigate the effects
of psychobiological factors on cortisol variability in owners and their dogs. We tested 132 intact pet dogs (mean age SD: 3.95
1.83 years) and their primary attachment figure (mean age SD: 43.76 10.71 years) during different challenging situations (play,
performance task, mild staged threat). Saliva samples for measuring cortisol were taken before and after each test. We used the
individual coefficient of variance of cortisol (iCV) over the different challenging situations as parameter for intra-individual
cortisol variability. Same-sex dyads (female owners with female dogs and male owners with male dogs) had higher iCV values
than opposite-sex dyads (female owners with male dogs and male owners with female dogs; GLM: F(df) = 14.194(4), p ¡
0.001). Owner personality dimension Agreeableness (Neo-FFI) was related to high iCV in owners (GLM: F(df) = 4.981(1), p =
0.028). Owners being high in Neuroticism had dogs with low iCV (GLM: F(df) = 4.290(1), p = 0.041). This was also true for
owners, who were insecure-ambivalently attached towards their dog (GLM: F(df) = 5.948(1), p = 0.016). In conclusion, results
show that characteristics of both, owner and dog, seem to influence each others intra-individual cortisol variability suggesting
at a systemic approach in investigating dyadic relationships and also, in counselling.
ECBB
Vienna 2016
8th European Conference of Behavioural Biology
Vienna July 12-15, 2016
Book of Abstracts
Posters
PosterPresentations
Pleasenotethattherewillbetwopostersessions!Onefrom12.07.(registration)tothe13.07.(endofday2)andonefrom14.07.(startofday3)to15.07.(end
ofconference).Thisistoensurethateverypostercanbedisplayedwherealltheconferenceactionisgoingtobetakingplace.
12.07.-13.07.2016
PosterNo.:
A01
AbelSouriau
Practicingforspring?Afirstlookonthrushnightingalevocalizationinwinteringgrounds
A02
AkshayRao
Dofree-rangingandpetdogsdifferintheirproblem-solvingabilitiesandhuman-directedbehaviour?
A03
AlexKirschel
Investigating the relative influence of multimodal phenotypic genetic and ecological differences in the extent of
hybridisationatcontactzonesofPogoniulustinkerbirds
A04
AlexandraZaytseva
Discomfort-relateduseofaudibleandultrasoniccallsacrossdevelopmentinpupsofthefat-tailedgerbil
Pachyuromysduprasi
A05
AlexandruMunteanu
Seasonalandagefluctuationsofintestinalparasiteburdeninravens,Corvuscorax,andcrows,Corvuscorone
A06
AlinaLoth
Signaturewhistledevelopmentinbottlenosedolphins
A07
AmyKuczynski
BehavioralResponsesofGreyDuikerstoHeterospecificAlarmCalls
A08
AnaPerezManrique
Objectpermanenceinbottlenosedolphins(Tursiopstruncatus)
A09
AndreaFerretti
Howtorecoverafteranenduranceflight?Restpatternsinmigratorybirdsduringstopover
A10
AndreasRose
Maternalnectarprovisioninganditsimplicationsforverticalsociallearningofdietarypreferencesinaflowervisitingbat
A11
AngelaStoeger
FormantsinElephants:StructureandFunction
A12
AnjaBoeck
Reproductiveparametersofasemi-freerangingtroopofJapanesemacaques
A13
AnjaWeidenmueller
Collectivetemperaturehomeostasisinbumblebeecolonies
A14
AsmoroLelono
Doesmalegeneticimmunecompetenceaffectoffspringvulnerabilitytomaternalandrogensinchickens?
A15
AstridRox
Theroleoffemalesocialstrategiesandfemalecharacteristicsinsuccessfulmaleimmigration
A16
BenHopkins
Blockingsecretionofexosomesfromaccessoryglandsecondarycellsenhancespaternityshareanddecouplesthe
'spermeffect'inDrosophilamelanogaster
A17
JuditAbdai
Perceptionofanimacyindogs(Canisfamiliaris)
A18
BerenikaMioduszewska
Sociallearningoftooluseinjackdaws(Corvusmonedula).
A19
BirgitBruggemeier
DecodingsongamplitudestructureinDrosophila
A20
BoehmFriederike
MeatandGreed–effectofpairbondqualityonbreedingsuccessinCorvuscoraxandCorvuscorone
A21
BoglarkaMorvai
Diurnalandreproductivestage-dependentvariationofparentalbehaviorincaptivezebrafinches
A22
BriceBeffara
Socialneurocardiology.Thecaseofheartratevariabilityandcooperationinhealthyhumanadults.
A23
BrucksDesiree
Waitingdogs:rewardvalueandcopingstrategiesinadelayofgratificationparadigm
A24
CaitlinHiggott
Long-tailedtitsadapttheirnestbuildingtoenvironmentalconditions
A25
CarinaBodden
Benefitsofadversity?!Howlifehistoryaffectsthebehavioralprofileofmice
A26
ChristinaGraf
Doespersonalitypredicttrainingsuccessincommonmarmosets?
A27
ChristinaMeier
CognitiveProcessesinExecutive-ControlParadigms
A28
ChristopheFeron
DomicereallyshowafearresponsewhenconfrontedwithTMT?Anassessmentusinginfraredthermography
A29
ClaudioCarere
Ananalysisofcollectiveescapepatternsinofstarlingflocksunderpredation
A30
CorneliaHabl
TheinfluenceofunrewardedobjectplayontoolselectioninGoffin'sCockatoos
A31
CristinaBanoTerencio
Recognitionofaninteractionbasedonsimplemotioncuesindogs(Canisfamiliaris)
A32
DaisukeMizuguchi
Year-roundacousticbehaviorofcaptivebeardedseals
A33
DanaMarieGraulich
Lookingonthebrightsideofbias-validationofanaffectivebiastestforlaboratorymice
A34
DanielCMcBrideMann
Limitstoimitativelearning:Ontologicaldevelopmentofsongincross-fosteredhousefinches
A35
DanielaBlahutova
ReproductivebehaviourandmatepreferenceinJapanesequailselectedforcontrastingyolktestosterone
A36
DariaVodolazova
EffectofsocialenvironmentontimebudgetoftuftedpuffinLundacirrhata(Alcidae,Charadriiformes)onthe
colonysurface
A37
DavidNacar
Alternativestrategiesincognitivetaskssolvingingreattits
A38
DidoneFrigerio
Behaviouralobservationsonthefieldasapotentialtoolformutualenrichmentbetweenscienceeducationand
ethology:qualitativeresultsfromapilotstudy
A39
DorisReitschmidt
Ultrasonicvocalizationsofmiceenhancedbysexualexperience–thefirstimplementationofthenewAutomatic
MouseUSVDetector(A-MUD)
A40
ValerieDufour
Deceptioninthecontextofsociallearninginbrowncapuchins(Sapajouapella)
A41
EduardoSampaio
Habitatselectiondisruptionandenhancedboldnessofcrypticflatfishinawarm,acidandcontaminatedocean
A42
ElenaVolodina
Fromroartobugle:variationofreddeer(Cervuselaphus)ruttingcallsacrossnativepopulations
A43
EliaGatto
Doesmethodmatterinfishcognition?Evidencefromstudiesonnumericalabilities.
A44
ElisabethOberzaucher
TheOntogenyofSexualDimorphismsinCognitiveStrategies
A45
ElisavetZagkle
Crossingthebarriers:Stopoverbehavioroflong-distancemigratorybirdsinaMediterraneanisland
A46
EmilieC.Perez
WhatthebraintellsusaboutfoodneophobiaintheyoungchickenGallusgallusdomesticus
A47
EnricoSorato
Thegeneticarchitectureofpersonalitytraitsintheredjunglefowl
A48
EnriqueFont
Thermal-dependenceofsignallingbutnobehaviouralcompensationfordifferencesinconspicuousnessinacolour
polymorphiclizard
A49
ElkeZimmermann
Object-locationpaired-associateslearninginabasalprimate(Microcebusmurinus)
A50
ElkeZimmermann
Cognition,butnotpersonality,isrelatedtofaecalstresshormonemetabolitesinthesmallestnon-humanprimate
agingmodel(Microcebusmurinus)
A51
EszterPetro
Theabilityofinterpretingother'sintentindogs
A52
EugeniaRashkovetsky
AssociationbetweenpolymorphismsofcandidategenesandsexualbehaviorinDrosophilamelanogaster
A53
FanniLehoczki
Experiencedependentsensitivitytostrangerpupcriesinfamilydogs(Canisfamiliaris)
A54
FilipaCunhaSaraiva
Neolamprologuscaudopunctatus,FromCannibalstolovingparents:whentostopeggcannibalism?
A55
FloraSzantho
Dodogsuseemotionalexpressionstoinferpreference?
A56
FriederikeZenth
Behaviourofwolves(Canislupus)anddogs(Canislupusfamiliaris)inacomplextrainingsituation:learningtousea
treadmill
A57
GabrieleOddi
Dosocialinfluencesaffectriskpreferencesintuftedcapuchinmonkeys(Sapajusspp.)?
A58
GeoffGilfillan
Cross-modalindividualrecognitioninwildAfricanlions(Pantheraleo)
A59
GeoffreyMazue
Femalematechoice:doesmalematingratematter?
A60
GeoffreyMelotte
Interspecificvariationofwarningcallsinpiranhas:comparativeanalysis
A61
GlennBorgmans
TheeffectofcagesizeonstresslevelsinAnoliscarolinensis
A62
CharlotteGoursot
Investigatingmotorlateralisationpatternsindomesticpigs(Susscrofa)
A63
HanneLovlie
Dynamicsoftherelationshipbetweenpersonalityandcognitionintheredjunglefowl
A64
HaraldYurk
Interactionbetweensociallylearnedandnaturallyselectedcharacteristicsofkillerwhalecalls
A65
HenryLaurence
Socialvisualcontact,aprimary“drive”forsocialanimals?
A66
IlyaVolodin
Acousticstructureandindividualidentityinthedistressanddiscomfortcallsofneonategoitredgazellesandsaiga
antelopes
A67
InesVanBocxlaer
Side-by-sidesecretionofLatePalaeozoicdivergedcourtshippheromonesinanaquaticsalamander
A68
IsabellMarr
Sensorylaterality,stresshormonesandimmunoglobulinAinhorses(Equuscaballus)duringchangesinseminaturalenvironmentsandhumanmanagementregimes
A69
IsabellaBeinhauer
Prospectivevs.retrospectivetoolselectioninGoffin'scockatoos
A70
IvanMaggini
SexdifferencesinspringmigratorystopoverbehaviourofaNorthAmericansongbird
A71
IvoJacobs
Theroleofvisualfeedbackinstringpulling
A72
JanaBerankova
Personalityandthereactiontopredatoringreattits(Parusmajor)
A73
JaroslawWiacek
Theinfluenceofroadtrafficonbehaviourofwoodlandbirds
A74
JenniferEssler
Thenegotiationofrewardsbycaptivewolfdyadsinaloose-stringparadigm
A75
JessicaVitale
Experimentalmanipulationofspottedhyaena(Crocutacrocuta)communallatrinesandevidenceformulti-species
markingsites
A76
MartinSeltmann
TimingofmaternalnestbuildingandperinataloffspringsurvivalintheEuropeanrabbit
A77
JimMcGetrick
Doesinequityaversionindogsdifferaccordingtobreed?
A78
JitkaBartosova
Pre-copulatorybehaviourofthefemaleduringmatingpredictsreproductivesuccessindomestichorses
A79
JohannesGschwandegger
Emotionalcontagionincommonmarmosets.Experimentalsetup.
A80
JuliaHerzele
IsconflictbehaviourofmaleJapanesemacaquesassociatedwithpolymorphismsinFKBP5?
A81
JulienBourdiol
"Breakingbonds?Thesocialaftermathofinterventionsinaffiliativeinteractionsinravens(Corvuscorax)."
A82
KatarinaPera
Togroomornottogroom–thelinkbetweenallogroomingandneuroticisminbrowncapuchinmonkeys
A83
KaterinaBila
Responsesofurbancrowstocon-andheterospecificalarmcallsinpredatorandnon-predatorzooenclosures.
A84
KaterinaEnglerova
Curiousasamonkey?Novelobjectreactioninrhesusmacaques
A85
KatharinaMahr
EavesdroppingonInterspecificAlarmVocalizations:MaximizingInformation
A86
SophiaKimmig
Citizenscienceinurbanwildliferesearch:Anunusualcooperationbetweenaresearchinstituteandapublic
broadcastingcorporation
A87
KlaraKittler
Humanvs.conspecificdemonstrator-Understandingofpointingcuesinthreecaptivelemurspecies
A88
KristinaBeck
Movementpatternsandspatialorientationintadpoletransportingfrogs
A89
BertrandLaloux
Personalityinwildravens
A90
LarsLewejohann
Theglassisnotyethalfempty:ParasiticmitetreatmentandcognitivebiasinWesternhoneybees(Apismellifera)
A91
PatriciaC.Lopes
Sexuallyattractivetraitsasreliableindicatorsofcurrentdiseasestatusinhousemice
14.07.-15.07.2016
B01
LauraChabrolles
MultimodalcommunicationinthecichlidMaylandiazebra
B02
LucilleLeMaguer
Songlearningandcognitiveabilitiesinzebrafinches(Taeniopygiaguttata)
B03
AlbanLemasson
Beyondanapparentcacophony:thesocialbasesofblackhowlermonkeychoruses
B04
AgathaLievinBazin
Food-sharingandaffinity:alongitudinalcomparativestudyincockatielsandjackdaws
B05
LisaMariaSchulte
Parentalcarebehaviorinpoisonfrogs:fromhormone-treatmentsandabandonedtadpoles
B06
LivioFavaro
Vocalindividualityandacousticcorrelatesofbodysizeinthedisplaysongsofbandedpenguins
B07
LouisePeckre
HowsocialcontextinfluencesmultimodalcommunicationinEulemurrufifrons
B08
LucieMarhounova
Whosticksout:coralsnakesvs.kingsnakes,beautyvs.fear
B09
LucyMagoolagan
TheStructureandFunctionofMaleandFemaleSonginDippers
B10
MagdalenaErich
Brood-partitioningbehaviourinunpredictableenvironments:hedgingthebets?
B11
ManabiPaul
Dogsonstreetsdieyoung:Factorsaffectingearlylifemortalityinfree-rangingdogsofIndia
B12
ManuelaMerlingdeChapa
Thenortherngoshawk(Accipitergentilis)–Phantomoftheforest?
B13
MareikeStowe
Newmethodtotemporarilyblockandrogensynthesisinbirds
B14
MargotFortin
Malesprefervirginfemales,evenifparasitized,inaterrestrialisopod
B15
MariaGoncharova
AcousticvariablesindicateneedsinSiberiancranechicks(Grusleucogeranus,Gruidae)
B16
MariaHorvath
Doesdeeplitterhousinginduceoptimistic-likejudgmentinquails?
B17
MariaAdelaideMarconi
Ultrasonicvocalizationsofhousemiceinsemi-naturalconditions
B18
MarieDepenau
Getalife!SocialBehaviourinjuvenileGreylaggeese(Anseranser):fromfamilybondintoteenageandpair-bond
B19
MarinaScheumann
Greetingbeforeenteringhome:Vocalizationsduringmother-infantinteractionsinaninfant-parkingprimate
B20
MarketaHouskova
Theindividualvariationincognitiveperformanceinpigeonsandtheeffectofpersonalitycharacteristicsandstress:
preliminaryresults
B21
MarketaJanovcova
Evaluationofsnakefearandbeauty:Comparingcountrieswithdifferentrisklevelsofsnakebite
B22
MarketaRejlova
Numericalcompetenceinrhesusmonkeys:Moreisbetter?
B23
MarkoBracic
Socialdefencesofantcoloniesagainstbacterialinfection
B24
MarkusBoeckle
VocalTractLengthandSyringealStructuresofCommonRavens
B25
MartinSeltmann
Life-historyvariationinpersonalityinsemi-wildAsianelephantsofMyanmar
B26
MasayoSoma
Functionofaudio-visualcourtshipsignalsintheJavasparrow:therelativeimportanceofduetdanceandmalesong
B27
MathiasOsvath
Ravens,NewCaledoniancrowsandjackdawsperformsimilarlytothegreatapesinmotorself-regulationtask
despitesmallerbrains:implicationsforparallelevolutionfromadevelopmentalperspective
B28
MatjazHegedic
Howmanyravensdoesittaketopreenone?Aself-andsocialpreeningcomparison
B29
MatthiasLoretto
Navigationintherainforest:experiencedbasedhominginpoisonfrogs
B30
MatthiasNemeth
Dietaryfattyacidsmodulatesocialhierarchiesandphysiologicalstressloadsinguineapigs
B31
MichaelaMasilkova
Howlongdoesittake?Reliableassessmentofpersonalityfromeverydaybehaviourincotton-toptamarins
B32
MichaelaSyrova
Grunt-callsofpigsasatooltorecogniseanindividualpiglet
B33
MiloAbolaffio
Noninvasivedemonstrationofolfactorycuednavigationinpelagicbirds.
B34
MuktaWatve
Doesoffspringpresencetriggerdefensivebehaviourinparents?
B35
AlexandraMutwill
Theinfluenceofhandlingandhandleroncortisolresponsivenessinguineapigs
B36
NadejdaJosephineMsindai
ClimaticinfluencesonnestingIntheintroducedchimpanzees(PantroglodytesverusandP.t.troglodytes)of
RubondoIsland,Tanzania
B37
NataliaFedorova
ChimpanzeeGreetingBehaviour:ADescriptiveandFunctionalAccount
B38
NikitaFinger
Thefunctionalextensionofanacousticsignal:potentials,limitations,andthetrade-offbetweencommunication
andecholocationonsignalevolution.
B39
NiklasKaestner
EffectsofoestrouscycleonbehaviouralStability
B40
NiklasAaronHungerlaender
Acomparativeapproachtoprosocialbehaviourinchildren
B41
NikolettCzinege
Communicationornoisepollution?Theroleoftheacousticfeaturesofdogbarkingintheauditorynuisance
B42
OlgaGolosova
Effectsofcaptiveandfree-rangingmanagementonmaleruttingcallsinSiberianwapitiCervuselaphussibiricus
B43
OlgaSibiryakova
IndividualidentityinmotherandyoungcontactcallsoftheendangeredsaigaantelopeSaigatatarica
B44
PalmyreBoucherie
Alongitudinalnetworkanalysisofsocialdynamicsinrooks(Corvusfrugilegus):repeatedgroupmodificationsdo
notaffectsocialnetworkincaptiverooks
B45
PatriciaC.Lopes
Hostbehaviouralchangescanreducediseasespreadinwildmicenetworks
B46
PavelPipek
YELLOWHAMMERS.NET–invasivesongbirdshowsahigherdialectdiversityininvadedthaninnativesourcerange
B47
PetraSkalnikova
Spontaneouscolorpreferencesinrhesusmonkeysandhumans
B48
PhilippSchindler
'Animalpersonalities’ininbredC57andBALBmice
B49
PiaStephan
ThePerceptionofAltruisminBodyMotion
B50
RafaelaTakeshita
TouristimpactandbehavioralinfluencesonfecalsteroidconcentrationsinmaleJapanesemacaques(Macaca
fuscata)
B51
RaffaelaLesch
BabyTalkorCommand?Howhumanstalktotheirdogsindifferentsituations
B52
RaoulSchwing
Objectplayinateiidlizard
B54
RiccardaWolter
Theanalysisofsocialbondsinferalhorses
B55
HeleneRichter
Playmatters–Thesurprisingrelationshipbetweenjuvenileplayfulnessandanxietyinlaterlife
B56
RomanaGruber
CanGoffincockatoos(Cacatuagoffiniana)solvetheTrap-TubeParadigm?
B57
RupertMarshall
AnAcousticBarcodeforBuntings:SimpleIndividualIdentificationbySong
B58
PaulineSalvin
Functionsoffemalevocalizations:themate-choicecopyinghypothesisinthedomesticcanary(Serinuscanaria).
B59
SaraTorresOrtiz
ProblemsolvingcapabilitiesofPeach-frontedConures(Eupsittulaaurea)studiedbythestring-pullingtest.
B60
SarahZala
Whocallsforwhom?Ultrasonicvocalizationsofmicedependuponthesexofthesenderandreceiver
B61
MarinaScheumann
VocalbehaviorofinfantSouthernwhiterhinoceros:Firstinsightsintothecallrepertoire
B62
SarahSchulteDoeinghaus
Intra-sexualcompetitionshapestheevolutionofcheatingbehaviourinmalespiders
B63
SharinavanBoheemen
Automaticrecordingsasatooltodiscoverdetailsinthevocalbehaviorofapasserinespecies.
B64
SofiaBernstein
PossibleFunctionsofFemaleCopulationCallsinTibetanMacaques
B65
SonjaWindhager
Humanbiophilia—theeffectsofanaquariuminanurbanenvironment
B66
StephanieMercier
DoWildVervetMonkeys(Chlorocebusaethiops)CareWhotoGreet?
B67
SuleymanAkhan
Astudyonwhydoctorfish(GarrarufaHeckel,1843)nibbleshumanskin
B68
SusanneSangenstedt
AdaptiveStrategiesofFemaleWildCaviesunderLimitedConditions
B69
SzabolcsSzamado
Attention-seekingdisplays:theoryandexamples.
B70
GeorgineSzipl
ProductionandperceptionofdefensivecallsinCommonravens
B71
TamalRoy
Variationsinspatiallearningandmemoryacrossnaturalpopulationsofzebrafish,Daniorerio
B72
TamasFarago
Non-linearphenomenaindogwhinesaspotentialindicatorsofseparationanxiety
B73
TatianaForestier
Limitsofolfactorymarksforsocialtransmissionoffoodpreferenceinhousemice,Musmusculusdomesticus
B74
TerezaDrabkova
Colourpatterndoesnotplayakeyroleinformingamimeticcomplexofred-and-blackinsects.Experimentswith
naiveandadultgreattits
B75
TerezaNekovarova
Theoryofmindandself-awarenessinchildren
B76
TerezaPetruskova
Whoiswho?Acousticmonitoringofmigratorypasserinewithcomplexsongasatoolforindividualrecognition
B77
TimoThuenken
Presenceofdead-endhostcuescancelsparasiticmanipulationofanintermediatehost
B78
TomasMinarik
InterspecificinteractionsbetweentheEurasianTreecreeper(Certhiafamiliaris)andtheShort-toedTreecreeper
(Certhiabrachydactyla)
B79
TomislavPintaric
GroomingNetworksinCommonMarmosets(Callithrixjacchus)
B80
UtkuUrhan
Poorobservationalspatialmemorycapacityinafoodhoardingbird-ThemarshtitPoecilepalustris
B81
JeroenVanRooijen
Amoreparsimoniousexplanationof“referentialgestures”inraven.
B82
LisaClaireVanhooland
Reflectinguponmirrorreflection:acrows´grasponmirrors
B83
VerenaPuehringerSturmayr
SocialalliancesandtheirbenefitsinNorthernBaldIbis(Geronticuseremita)
B84
VictoriaWest
Exploringneophobiaandgroupdynamicsinjuvenilejackdaws(Corvusmonedula)
B85
YvanRussell
Immediatebutnotdelayedreciprocityinacaptivechimpanzeegroup
B86
ElkeZimmermann
Theroleofvocalizationsinspeciesdiversityandevolutionofbasalprimates
B87
ElkeZimmermann
Vocalsiganllingusedforpaircoordinationandspacinginanocturnalprimate(Avahioccidentalis)
B88
ZsofiaViranyi
Analternativeviewofdog-humancooperation:theDeferentialBehaviourHypothesis
B89
IlyaVolodin
AcousticvariationinruttingcallsofthePannonianreddeerCervuselaphuspannoniensis(Banwell1997)
B90
KatharinaMahr
Whenlightsarenotturnedoffanymore:night-at-lightaffectsnestlingconditioninbluetits(Cyanistescaeruleus)
B91
KristinaBeck
Tadpolecross-fosteringinducescomplexparentalandspatialbehaviorinpoisonfrogs
B92
FriederikeHillemann
Theroleofvocalrecruitmenttofoodpatchesinmixed-speciesflocks
Poster Abstracts
A01. Practicing for spring? A first look on thrush nightingale vocalization
in wintering grounds
Abel Souriau Bioacoustic team, Department of Ecology Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague Czech Republic
N. Geberzahn Universite Paris-Ouest Nanterre La Defense
V. Ivanitskii Lomonosov Moscow State University
I. Marova Lomonosov Moscow State University
J. Vokurkova Charles University in Prague
T. Petruskova Charles University in Prague
The study of bird songs has traditionally been a prolific field of research for behavioural sciences. Yet, most studies of
migratory species focused only on singing in breeding areas. As wintering in a distant location would imply changes
in both social and ecological environment, it may have an impact on the acquisition and development of songs. The thrush
nightingale (Luscinia luscinia), a songbird known for the diversity of its songs, migrates every year between
northeastern Europe and Sub-Saharan East Africa. Interestingly, although singing ceases after breeding in Europe,
“winter” singing have been reported from Africa. We aim to compare syllable consistency within performance of individual
birds, in breeding as well as wintering grounds. We obtained recordings from two breeding areas (Poland, Russia) and one
wintering area (Tanzania), and analyze 15 individuals per locality. In order to cover the wide diversity in syllable frequencies
and modulations we selected different categories of syllables, from highly repeated simple elements to more complex multielement syllables. We then compare syllable spectrograms within the same recordings to obtain similarity scores as a
measure of singing consistency. Our preliminary results show a substantial difference in syllable variability between
breeding and wintering grounds, with a higher consistency in songs from breeding areas. With no occurrence of clear
territorial or sexual interactions during winter, why would individuals display a costly behaviour? We hypothesize that
some males need a period of song practicing to master the songs they learned in their early life stages. Such study offers
a first insight on winter singing that may improve our understanding of song acquisition and development in migratory
bird.
A02. Do free-ranging and pet dogs differ in their problem-solving abilities and
human- directed behaviour?
Akshay Rao Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition; Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine,
Vienna; Medical University of Vienna; University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Z. Virányi Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition; Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna;
Medical University of Vienna; University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
F. Range Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine,
Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
S. Marshall-Pescini Clever Dog Lab, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary
Medicine, Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn,
Austria
Dogs inhabit a wide variety of environments – from comfortable sofas of loving families to the harsh roads of cities. Yet,
behavioural and cognitive research has mostly focused on studying pets whose socialization and selection for specific
working roles might make them different from other dog populations. Here we asked how similarly pet dogs and free ranging
dogs behave in a socio-cognitive task. Using the “unsolvable task” paradigm we tested 21 free-ranging dogs on the street in
India and 17 mixed-breed pets in dog walking areas in Vienna to compare their persistence (e.g. duration of interacting with
the apparatus) and human directed behaviour (e.g. gazing at a human). Preliminary analyses show that in the first, solvable
trial, free-ranging dogs were more persistent than pets (LM, t=3.38, p<0.001) and more persistent dogs from both groups
looked at a human more frequently (GLM, z=9.4, p=0.003). Controlling for persistence, free-ranging dogs looked back more
than pets (GLM, z=4.47, p<0.001) and were slower at obtaining the food (LM, t=3.62, p<0.001). In the unsolvable trial, dogs
in both groups were equally persistent (LM, t=58, p=0.56), and more persistent dogs tended to look back later (LM, F=3.78,
p=0.059) and less frequently (GLM, Chi2=16.36, p<0.001). Controlling for persistence, pets looked back more frequently
(GLM, z=3.9, p<0.048) than free-ranging dogs. These results suggest that free-ranging dogs behave differently from pets and
since they show the greatest genetic variability and represent 70-80% of the world’s dog population, should be included in
studies on dog behaviour and cognition.
A03. Investigating the relative influence of multimodal phenotypic genetic
and ecological differences in the extent of hybridisation at contact zones
of Pogoniulus tinkerbirds
Alex Kirschel Department of Biological Sciences, University of Cyprus
E. C. Nwankwo University of Cyprus, Cyprus
L. Hadjioannou University of Cyprus, Cyprus
K. G. Mortega Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
A. Monadjem University of Swaziland, Swaziland
When related species come into contact with each other they may coexist, possibly facilitated by character displacement, they
may hybridise, and/or they may competitively or reproductively exclude one another from their ranges. But little is known
about the levels of phenotypic, genetic, and ecological differentiation between interacting species that affect the extent of
hybridization in particular. Here we compare the extent of phenotypic and genetic differences between closely related
Pogoniulus tinkerbirds at different distances from the contact zone. Specifically, we examine the extent of similarity across
the contact zone in song, morphology and plumage coloration, and how these might be affected be levels of introgressive
hybridization. We compare results across different contact zones in Eastern and Southern Africa. To examine song
similarity we measure frequency and pace of songs and also perform playback experiments to determine the extent of
species recognition. We use spectrometry to compare coloration of plumage. We find that hybridization may occur in spite
of distinct differences in plumage coloration and high levels of genetic differentiation in mitochondrial DNA. Rather song
similarity appears to play a greater role in the extent of hybridization between related tinkerbird species. We discuss our
findings in the context of ecological gradients and their possible impact on reproductive interactions between related
species.
A04. Discomfort-related use of audible and ultrasonic calls across development in
pups of the fat-tailed gerbil Pachyuromys duprasi
Alexandra Zaytseva Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Zoo, Russia
Ilya A. Volodin Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia; Moscow Zoo, Russia
Olga G. Ilchenko Moscow Zoo, Russia
Elena V. Volodina Moscow Zoo, Russia
Ultrasonic calls (UCs) reflect discomfort in mice, rats and hamsters. We examined whether the ratios of audible and ultrasonic
call types reflect discomfort in fat-tailed gerbils Pachyuromys duprasi. We tested the use of call types in 40 fat-tailed
gerbil pups (17 males and 23 females from 11 litters) from birth to 40 days of age. The total test (420 s) was split to 4
sequential steps: Isolation, Touch, Rotation and Measuring. We considered that discomfort increased from the 1st to the
4th test step because of cumulative effects of handling and time of pup isolation from the nest. From the total of 590 tests,
83.3% contained audible clicks, 58.8% contained audible low-frequency calls, 4.2% contained audible high-frequency calls
and 45.6% contained UCs. Along ontogeny the audible clicks occurred in 70-100% tests in all ages. The audible lowfrequency calls were mostly used by 2-day pups (81.0% tests) and least by 40-day pups. The UCs emerged at 6 days
(9.8% tests), reached maximum at 14 days (77.8% tests) and then decreased (47-58% tests). The rarest audible highfrequency calls were presented from birth to 36 days, with maximum at 16 days (11.9% tests). With increase of
discomfort, the 2-6-day pups had not UCs and used more audible low-frequency calls and the same number of audible
clicks; the 8-18-day pups used less UCs, more audible low-frequency calls, the same number of audible clicks; the 20-40
day pups used more UCs and the same number of audible low-frequency calls and audible clicks. We conclude that
acoustic indicators of discomfort are age-dependent in the fat-tailed gerbil. The UCs are applicable as indicators of
discomfort only after 6 days of age. Support: the Russian Science Foundation, grant 14-14-00237.
A05. Seasonal and age fluctuations of intestinal parasite burden in ravens,
Corvus corax, and crows, Corvus corone
Alexandru Munteanu Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Haidlhof Research Station,
University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine, Bad Vöslau, Austria
Martina Schiestl Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Haidlhof Research Station, University of
Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine, Bad Vöslau, Austria
Jorg J. M. Massen Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Haidlhof Research Station, University
of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine, Bad Vöslau, Austria
Thomas Bugnyar Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Haidlhof Research Station, University
of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine, Bad Vöslau, Austria
Annett-Carolin Häbich Haidlhof Research Station, University of Vienna and University of Veterinary Medicine, Bad
Vöslau, Austria
Corvids have become increasingly popular in animal cognition studies over the last two decades. Cognitive studies often
require controlled conditions, with birds kept in captivity. Outdoor aviaries, while better simulating natural habitats where
corvids can be kept in social groups, may expose birds to a higher parasitic pressure than in the wild, due to limited space,
and access to faeces-contaminated ground where corvids can cache their food. Determining parasitic burden and the factors
that can influence parasitic infections is critical for keeping animals in good health and ensuring performance during
experiments. We monitored over a period of three years the endoparasitic burden of captive ravens (n=24) and crows (n=13).
We collected dropping samples (n=2514) and determined the number of parasite propagules per gram faeces, as a proxy for
parasite load. We further investigated whether parasite burden was influenced by individual factors, such as age and sex, by
environmental factors, such as season, temperature, relative humidity, or by periodic antiparasitic treatments. For both corvid
species we found a naturally occurring mix of protozoan (Isospora spp.) and helminthic (Capillaria spp., Syngamus trachea,
Raillietina spp.) infections. Capillaria load decreased with age in both species, and was lowest during summer for ravens.
High ambient humidity and low temperatures favoured Capillaria infections, while treatment against Capillaria significantly
reduced the burden. Isospora load decreased with age in untreated crows, but increased in those treated, suggesting the
development of a drug resistance. Raillietina spp. and Syngamus trachea were infrequently detected in either ravens or
crows, most likely due to an external cycle disruption. Altogether, age, season, ambient conditions, and antiparasitic
treatment have an impact on parasite burdens, revealing critical periods in a corvid’s life, and pointing to the importance of
maintaining a regular monitoring programme for the prophylaxis and treatment of endoparasitic infections in captive
corvids.
A06. Signature whistle development in bottlenose dolphins
Alina Loth Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews
L. Favaro Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
V. M. Janik Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St Andrews, Fife, UK
Bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) use whistles with an individually distinctive frequency modulation to broadcast
their identity. These so called “signature whistles” are mainly produced when an individual is isolated or when a group
is reunited. Dolphins are also capable of matching the signature whistles of conspecifics and show long term social
memory for the whistles of known individuals. Previous studies reported the dolphin calves develop their signature whistle
within the first months of their life and are suspected to adopt whistle parameters based on maximum difference to the
mother’s signature whistle. However, it remains unclear how and when exactly young dolphins adopt their signature whistle,
and which factors influence their respective whistle parameters (e.g. number of loops, frequency modulation). This
study aims at describing the process of vocal learning and signature whistle development in seven infants from four
different facilities by analysing recordings from their day of birth up to an age of 3 months. We found that early whistles
often had noisy side bands and that whistle rates were high in initial recording sessions with up to 45 whistles per min, but
decreased to as few as 12 whistles per min in later sessions. Peak frequency and duration of whistles increased with age,
and the final signature whistle frequency modulation pattern emerged as early as 1 month after birth, but in one animal took
more than 3 months to develop. Contrary to existing literature, two dolphins developed signature whistles that closely
resemble their mothers’ whistles. Future comparisons with the acoustic parameters from the whistle repertoire in the social
group are needed to investigate the role of vocal learning in signature whistle development.
A07. Behavioral Responses of Grey Duikers to Heterospecific Alarm Calls
Amy Kuczynski Texas Tech University, United States of America
K. Schmidt Texas Tech University, United States of America
Many organisms face a tradeoff between engaging in routine, daily activities and avoiding predation. Predation risk varies both
spatially and temporally, thus it behooves prey to obtain accurate and updated information about predation risk. However,
solitary or non-social species lack conspecific alarm networks that exist in many social and gregarious species. Public
information from the soundscape, such as heterospecific prey alarm calls, could provide an additional source of information
about current levels of risk for non-social or solitary species. When heterospecifics share the same predators, we predict
that prey species will eavesdrop on heterospecifics alarm calls. To test this hypothesis, we studied if grey duiker, a
territorial, solitary antelope, respond with increased perceived predation risk to the alarm calls of the bushbuck, a coexisting
antelope. We used giving-up densities (GUDs) and traditional vigilance measures to quantify duiker’s perceived predation
risk in response to experimental broadcast of alarm calls of the bushbuck. GUDs, scan rate and percent time vigilant
were significantly higher during alarm calls nights than control nights. In addition, changes in perceived risk was
influenced by habitat features, such as microhabitat and distance to nearest forest patch. Public information from
heterospecific callers may be important sources of information for solitary or non-social species, which do not have the
benefits of a conspecific alarm call network.
A08. Object permanence in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus)
Ana Perez Manrique University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
A. Gomila University of the Balearic Islands, Spain
Object permanence, the ability to represent hidden objects, is considered to be a fundamental element of spatial cognition
and it has been taken as an indicator of secondary representation. This capacity has not been extensively assessed in
cetaceans maybe because it was taken for granted, given the successes of dolphins in tasks requiring secondary
representation. However, in a recent study (Jaakkola et al, 2010), bottlenose dolphins failed a series of tasks involving
invisible displacements and transpositions, which raises the question of whether they do master object permanence. Lack of
understanding of containment or lack of experience tracking objects hidden from both sight and echolocation may explain
such unexpected results. The goal of the current study was to test these two possibilities in a series of transposition tasks
with bottlenose dolphins. First, dolphins received experience with the concept of “containment”; they were trained to
point/touch an object located on a sliding table or inside one of two opaque boxes that were turned over on their side so
dolphins could see the object inside the box. Then, dolphins were tested on their spontaneous ability to track the location
of the object when both boxes turned in full view of the dolphin. A second experiment assessed their ability to track the
invisible displacement of the object in a transposition task in which both boxes changed positions simultaneously. If a
dolphin failed the transposition task, it was tested in a “visible transposition task” to gain visual experience with the
movement of objects inside other objects and tested again in two different transposition tasks. Our preliminary results point
to an important role of visual experience in order to succeed in this type of task.
A09. How to recover after an endurance flight? Rest patterns in migratory birds
during stopover
Andrea Ferretti Department für Kognitionsbiologie, Universität Wien, Austria
N. Rattenborg Max Planck Institute for Ornithology Seewiesen, Germany
L. Fusani Department für Kognitionsbiologie, University of Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna,
Austria
Nocturnal migration has evolved in a number of migratory bird species. This implicates substantial behavioural and physiological changes, including rest patterns. During spring migration, birds minimize time spent at stopover sites to reach their
breeding grounds in the shortest time. The extension of the activity throughout the day leaves therefore little time for
rest. Previous studies showed that physiological conditions predict the duration of stopover. The aim of this study was to
investigate rest patterns during spring stopover in relation to body condition. Moreover, we investigated how food intake
influenced rest patterns. The study was carried out on Ponza island, an important stopover site for European passerines.
We caught garden warblers (Sylvia borin) using mist nets and we recorded extent of fat depots and pectoral muscles, body
mass, and length of third primary feather. Then birds were housed from 12 p.m. to the following morning into
soundproof cages to isolate them from external stimuli. Animals were provided with food and water ad libitum and their
behaviour was recorded continuously by videocameras. An index of condition was extracted by means of principal
component analysis from body mass, fat score and muscle score. The results confirmed that body condition predicts
stopover rest behaviour, in that birds in better condition rest longer than birds in worse condition during daylight hours.
Furthermore, we found that during the night, animals in bad conditions sleep mostly with their beak under the scapular
feathers, whereas birds in good conditions sleep with the head pulled in toward the body and facing forward. Therefore,
our study provides preliminary evidence that physiological conditions influence the patterns of rest behaviour during
stopover.
A10. Maternal nectar provisioning and its implications for vertical social learning of
dietary preferences in a flower-visiting bat
Andreas Rose Institute of Evolutionary Ecology and Conservation Genomics, University of Ulm, Germany
M. Knörnschild Animal Behavior Lab, Free University Berlin, Germany
Social learning describes the acquisition of knowledge from other animals. Horizontal social learning (from adult to adult)
influences the foraging behavior of several bat species, but there is little knowledge whether vertical social learning
(from parents to offspring) can shape the foraging behavior of bats as well. Nectarivorous Pallas’ Long-tongued Bats
(Glossophaga soricina) are well suited to study vertical social learning because mothers regularly regurgitate floral nectar
for their dependent, non-volant pups. This maternal food provisioning should provide the pups with ample opportunities
to learn their mothers’ dietary preferences. Therefore, we conducted an experiment in which two groups of lactating
females and their pups where temporarily kept in two flight-cages and had ad libitum access to different flavored nectar
(group 1: strawberry flavor, group 2: chocolate flavor). When pups became volant and thus had access to nectar on their
own, we provided unflavored nectar to prevent them from becoming acquainted with our experimentally induced flavors
without being fed by their mothers. Once pups were proficient in feeding by themselves, we conducted a choice experiment
on their flavor preferences (strawberry flavor vs. chocolate flavor) to investigate whether pups adopted the experimentally
dietary preference of their mothers. Our preliminary results indicate that pups preferred the flavor they encountered during
maternal food provisioning, thus suggesting that bats’ dietary preferences can be modified by vertical social learning. The
study was conducted in Santa Rosa National Park, Costa Rica.
A11. Formants in Elephants: Structure and Function
Angela Stoeger Mammal Communication Lab Department of Cognitive Biology University of Vienna
A. Baotic Mammal Communication Lab Department of Cognitive Biology University of Vienna
Recent comparative data reveal that formant frequencies are cues to body size in many animals. In human speech, formants
provide the acoustic basis for discriminating vowels and are thus a very important means of transferring information. In
several nonhuman primates, formant modulation also apparently plays a role in referential calling. In elephants,
compared to other species, little research has so far focused on the adaptive function of formants. Recent results, however,
reveal that their formant frequencies are highly variable. Applying sound visualization experiments Stoeger et al. 2012
showed that elephants control the vocal path from oral to nasal rumble (low-frequency sound) production, depending on
context and motivation. By using the nasal path during rumbling, an elephant lowers its formants about threefold versus
orally emitted vocalizations. Nonetheless, the adaptive significance of these observed formant modulations, and in
particular of the extremely low formant frequencies of nasal rumbles, remains unknown. Do the very low formants of
elephant rumbles reflect sexual or social selection pressures in order to sound larger? Do they reflect natural selection
pressures to maximize call propagation distances? In our current research project, we are investigating the potential
functional relevance of formants in elephants. This poster presents the first results showing that formant structure correlates
with physical attributes of the caller in male African elephant low-frequency rumbles. In addition, we provide a
methodological outlook on upcoming playback experiments designed to determine the perceptual and functional relevance
of specific formant characteristics in elephant vocalizations.
A12. Reproductive parameters of a semi-free ranging troop of Japanese macaques
Anja Boeck Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
L. S. Pflüger Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
B. Wallner Department of Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria;
Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
We analysed reproductive parameters, such as birth timing, interbirth intervals and birth rates, in a semi-free troop of
Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) at the Affenberg in Landskron, Austria. Japanese macaques are the northern most
living non-human primates. During their mating season (September to March) the temperature drops to minus degrees.
Therefore, climatic factors may play a crucial role for the reproduction of this species. In the present study we asked
whether sunshine duration, temperature and rainfall during the mating seasons, influences the reproductive outcome of
females. Since 1996 this group of macaques grew to 150 individuals. From 1996 birth rates during 18 birth seasons were
recorded. These longitudinal data were analysed in relation to the weather data of each foregoing mating season
recruited from the Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics. We found that (i) female interbirth intervals after
first-borns are greater than after any later born offspring. (ii) First-borns tend to be born earlier in spring than their
younger siblings. (iii) The sunshine duration during the mating period seems to influence the birth rates during the birth
season: increased sunshine hours were related to elevated birth rates. While our first two findings correspond with previous
studies, our finding, which indicates that elevated sunshine duration during mating seasons leads to higher birth rates has
not been documented in non-human primates so far. Given its impact on human gestation (e.g., facilitating prenatal
growth) the amount of sunshine expose may also affect physiological mechanisms underlying the reproductive success of
related primate species.
A13. Collective temperature homeostasis in bumblebee colonies
Anja Weidenmueller University of Konstanz, Germany
C. J. Kleineidam University of Konstanz, Germany
Bumblebee colonies maintain a stable brood temperature of 32°C. This collective feature allows colonies to raise
brood even under unfavorable ambient conditions; it is based on thermoregulative actions of individual workers. These
can either decrease brood temperature by fanning their wings or increase brood temperature by directly incubating it.
In both cases, the effect on brood temperature is local. Workers perform fanning or incubating for varying times and at
varying locations within the nest; and we find consistent inter-individual variability in thermal behavior. In order to
understand how individual thermoregulative behavior is integrated into a functioning, decentralized homeostatic unit, we
analyze both the properties of individual behavior and the feedback loops that modulate it. We test single workers in
experimental arenas with heat-controlled brood dummies; within groups of different size and within their colonies.
Comparing the response behavior of workers tested individually with their response within the colony, we unravel the
feedback mechanisms between workers. Manipulating group composition we analyze the effect of group diversity (interindividual variability in thermal behavior) on the collective homeostatic ability. Finally, using automated tracking methods
in combination with thermovision images, we have begun to document and analyze networks of thermoregulating bees and
how the properties of these networks change with e.g. stimulus intensity and distribution, group size and experience.
Collective control of temperature in bumblebees is a uniquely accessible model system. Understanding individual behavior
and its function within the collective will contribute to our knowledge of the mechanisms giving rise to emergent
phenomena in social insects.
A14. Does male genetic immune competence affect offspring vulnerability to
maternal androgens in chickens?
Asmoro Lelono Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, NL
B. Riedstra Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, NL
T. G. G. Groothuis Behavioural Biology, Groningen Institute for Evolutionary Life Sciences, University of Groningen, NL
Female birds deposit variable amounts of androgens in their eggs. These androgens stimulate growth and competitive
ability, but since yolk androgens also negatively affect the offspring’s’ immunity, it was hypothesized that only chicks
from immunologically superior fathers can bear the cost of prenatal exposure to high androgen levels. This would explain
variation in yolk hormone concentration among clutches and why females deposit more testosterone (T) in eggs when paired
with attractive males. To test this hypothesis, we paired roosters from selection lines for high and low natural occurring
antibodies (Hm and Lm) with hens from a control line, in combination with in ovo T or control injection (C) in a two by
two design. There were no differences in yolk T & A4 levels between females paired with either Hm or Lm. Currently
we are conducting a similar study in which females can first compare Lm an Hm in a mate preference test. Behavioral
and immunological tests on the offspring, reared without parental presence, revealed that: Sons, but not daughters of Hm
were more competitive than Lm sons, and Lm offspring had decreased cellular immune responses (CIS), indicating a
paternal effect of male quality independently of T manipulation. Testosterone stimulated growth and decreased the humoral
immune response, as found previously, but this was independent of father quality. So far the only interaction between father
quality and hormone treatment was opposite to expectation: Increased T decreased CIS in Hm sons and increased CIS in
Lm sons. In conclusion, although the analyses of several tests are still being analyzed, we already found an intriguing
prenatal paternal effect on offspring phenotype, but no support for the above mentioned hypothesis.
A15. The role of female social strategies and female characteristics in successful
male immigration
Astrid Rox Animal Science Department Biomedical Primate Research Centre Utrecht University; Animal Ecology, Utrecht
University, The Netherlands
A. L. Louwerse Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, The Netherlands
E. H. M. Sterck Animal Science Department, Biomedical Primate Research Centre, The Netherlands; Animal Ecology,
Utrecht University, The Netherlands
Natural migration patterns are often mimicked when managing captive groups. Changing the composition of captive primate
groups is risky and may result in high stress levels and severe, occasionally fatal, injuries. More knowledge on the behaviour
of resident and immigrant animals during captive introductions is needed to decrease these severe risks, and optimize success
rates. Therefore, resident female to immigrant male behaviour was studied during introductions of three adult male rhesus
macaques (Macaca mulatta) - each into a different captive social group. All three males were successfully introduced into
their respective new group. Female acceptance levels of the immigrant male differed between the introductions. Female
characteristics influenced female acceptance: female age predicted the timing of female acceptance during two
introductions, female fertility predicted female acceptance during the other introduction. Female to immigrant aggression
decreased during all three introductions, female to immigrant affiliation increased non-significantly. Altogether, female
acceptance of immigrant males may be predicted by a different factor during each introduction. The consistent changes in
female to immigrant aggression and affiliation during all three introductions suggest the presence of a general behavioural
pattern during introductions. However, this general pattern appears flexible, and every group behaves after its own fashion.
A16. Blocking secretion of exosomes from accessory gland secondary cells enhances
paternity share and decouples the ’sperm effect’ in Drosophila melanogaster
Ben Hopkins Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
I. Sepil Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
T. Pizzari Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
C. Wilson Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
S. Wigby Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, United Kingdom
Evolutionary and molecular biologists are increasingly recognising the ejaculate’s complex architecture. In addition to sperm,
males may transfer lipids, microbes, sugars, nucleic acids, and seminal fluid proteins (Sfps). In the male fruit fly,
Drosophila melanogaster, these proteins carry out various fitness enhancing functions such as blocking female receptivity
to mating and inducing ovulation. On top of this functional diversity, the packaging of seminal fluid components into cargobearing vesicles adds a higher level of geometric complexity. Recent work has shown that a group of vesicles termed
exosomes, which bind to sperm and interact with the female reproductive tract, are produced in large numbers by a small
population of ‘secondary cells’ in the D. melanogaster accessory gland. I confirm previous work that prevention of
secondary cell exosome (SCE) secretion, via localised suppression of BMP-signalling, renders males unable to reduce
female receptivity but does not impede stimulation of fecundity. I suggest this indicates that SCEs differentially affect two
components of the female post-mating response thought to be under the control of the Sfp sex peptide. Furthermore, I show
for the first time that SCE deficient males perform better in P1 sperm competition assays than wild-type males, but not in
P2 assays, suggesting an enhanced resistance of their sperm to displacement by rival males but with no effect on their
ability to displace others. Matings using spermless competitor males demonstrate that this effect is dependent on second
male sperm receipt rather than being mediated by Sfps alone. Finally, I discuss upcoming proteomics and spermtagging work to further probe the effect of SCEs on ejaculate composition and post-insemination sperm dynamics.
A17. Perception of animacy in dogs (Canis familiaris)
J. Abdai Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
C. Baño Terencio Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; University of Valencia, Spain
B. Ferdinandy Department of Biological Physics, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; 4MTA-ELTE Comparative
Ethological Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
Á. Miklósi Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethological
Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
We tested whether dogs similarly to humans can perceive animacy based on simple motion cues. We applied a method that has
been successfully used in human infants and adults. Results suggest that dogs perceive interaction between geometric shapes based
on their motions. Perceptual animacy is defined as observers’ tendency to interpret simple motion cues as interactions between
objects; one of the most often used movement pattern to investigate the phenomenon is chasing. Researchers found that while
young infants prefer to look at a chasing pattern, older infants and adults tend to look longer an independent movement, probably
due to the quick recognition of the chasing pattern. Due to general mammalian homology we suggest that dogs may also be able to
spontaneously recognize the chasing pattern based on simple motion cues. Here we investigated whether dogs are able to
discriminate between chasing and independent movement patterns performed by simple geometric shapes, by using the side-byside video display of the two stimuli (two trials following each other). We hypothesized that at the beginning dogs will be
interested to both stimuli, but look longer at the independent motion later, due to the rapid recognition of the chasing pattern.
Results suggest that in Trial 1 dogs looked equally long both stimuli, but in Trial 2 they showed preference to the independent
movement. We also found a decrease in the looking time toward the chasing stimuli between trials. We suggest that dogs
recognized the chasing pattern in Trial 1 and habituated to it rapidly, while they continued to show interest for the independent
movement, the “puzzling pattern”. Based on this we propose that dogs are able to perceive interaction between geometric shapes
based on their motions. Similar result result has been found in humans; however, further comparisons are needed.
A18. Social learning of tool use in jackdaws (Corvus monedula).
Berenika Mioduszewska Max Planck Institute for Ornithology
X. Schleuning University of Zurich, Switzerland
A. Brunon Paris 13 University, France
I. Federspiel University of Vienna, Austria
A. Auersperg Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany; University of Oxford, England
A. M. P. von Bayern Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany; University of Oxford, England
Social learning can base upon a multitude of mechanisms. Some of the most commonly referred to include social facilitation,
stimulus/local enhancement, emulation, and imitation. This study presents a new method for investigating social learning
mechanisms by exposing which elements of an observed action sequence result in learning. Juvenile jackdaws were
confronted with a novel task requiring several actions and the use of a tool. Different experimental conditions
manipulated the (social) information the subjects received on the task’s solution, thus allowing a differentiation between
possible underlying social learning mechanisms. The conditions included (a) three types of social demonstrations with a
conspecific demonstrator. Here subjects observed another jackdaw solving either the entire (=“full demo”) or parts of the
solution action sequence (=partial demos: “stone” or “rim”). Further conditions comprised (b) a social facilitation control
where subjects observed another jackdaw consuming the reward without solving the task, and (c) a ghost control where
subjects observed the task being solved without a demonstrator. Two out of eight subjects solved the task in a social
condition, yet the non-successful individuals exhibited changes in their tool-oriented behaviour. No subject learned to solve
the task in social facilitation and ghost control trials. Our results suggest that jackdaws are capable of learning a complex
tool use task by social learning. End-state emulation seems to be the most plausible mechanism, however the limited
number of successful individuals hampers a clear conclusion. We hope that this new design will encourage more studies
investigating social learning mechanisms in various species.
A19. Decoding song amplitude structure in Drosophila
Birgit Bruggemeier University of Oxford
M. A. Porter University of Oxford
J. O. Vigoreaux University of Vermont
S. F. Goodwin University of Oxford
Males in numerous species across the animal kingdom use acoustic signals to attract females and intimidate competitors.
The amplitude of mating signals can play an essential role in mate choice and fitness evaluation, which has been
explained by loud signals efficiently exciting receivers. However we demonstrate that amplitude structure is a signal itself,
rather than a mere amplification of a signal. We show that temporal variations in song amplitude carry biological meaning
that can affect mate choice, signal species type, and muscle power in Drosophila courtship song. We develop a simple
mathematical model that gives a basis for decoding the novel song parameter song amplitude structure (SAS). We show that
our model successfully predicts reduced SAS by males with reduced muscle power, thereby demonstrating that SAS
communicates muscle power. We also demonstrate that females and males of the closely related species D. melanogaster
and D. simulans prefer their species- specific SAS, demonstrating a potential role for SAS in speciation. Our work
complements the recent finding that male flies control song amplitude by showing that receivers can decode messages in
the amplitude of fly song. Importantly, our work provides a framework for quantifying and interpreting temporal patterns
in amplitude of a wide range of animal vocalisations, which have been associated with muscle dynamics.
A20. Meat and Greed - effect of pair bond quality on breeding success in
Corvus corax and Corvus corone
Boehm Friederike Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle Grünau, Core Facility, University of Vienna, Austria; University of
Greifswald, Germany
D. Schwarz Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle Grü nau, Core Facility, University of Vienna, Austria; University of Graz,
Austria; Haidlhof Research Station, University of Vienna and University of Veterinarian Medicine Vienna, Austria
J.J.M. Massen Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle Grü nau, Core Facility, University of Vienna, Austria; Dept. Cognitive
Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
T. Bugnyar Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle Grü nau, Core Facility, University of Vienna, Austria; Haidlhof Research
Station, University of Vienna and University of Veterinarian Medicine Vienna, Austria; Dept. Cognitive Biology, University
of Vienna, Austria
Long-term partnerships for one or more breeding seasons are common for most bird species. The biparental care for their
offspring increases the survival of the young and therefore their parents’ reproductive success. There is some evidence
that differences in the quality of the pairs’ bond predict variation in breeding success. Here we examine pair bond quality
and its outcome on breeding success among two long-term monogamous corvid species: common ravens, Corvus corax,
and hybrids of carrion- and hooded crows, C. corone & C. cornix. We observed the affiliative, agonistic and self-directed
behaviour among partners of seven pairs of captive ravens and six pairs of captive crows. In addition, we used an
experimental approach to again record affiliative, agonistic and self-directed behaviour among partners, as well as
tolerance and coordination around a food source. In our experiments we placed highly attractive food on either one or
two sides of the aviary and this food was either fixed or loose. Consequently, we varied the degree to which the food
was monopolizable. We run these experiments throughout all phases of reproduction; i.e. from March until July of this
year. Consequently, we will only be able to present preliminary results at the conference. We will focus specifically on
whether there are species differences and most importantly, whether pair bond quality and coordination improve breeding
success.
A21. Diurnal and reproductive stage-dependent variation of parental behavior
in captive zebra finches
Boglarka Morvai Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
S. Nanuru Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of
Gronin- gen, Centre for Life Sciences, Groningen, Netherlands
D. Mul Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of
Groningen, Centre for Life Sciences, Groningen, Netherlands
N. Kusche Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
G. Milne Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
T. Székely Department of Biology and Biochemistry, University of Bath, Bath, United Kingdom
J. Komdeur Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University
of Groningen, Centre for Life Sciences, Groningen, Netherlands
Á. Miklósi and Á. Pogány Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Parental care is an important behavioral trait due to its key role in life-history trade-offs, sexual selection and intra-familial
conflict. Studies focusing on causes and consequences of variation in parental effort need to quantify parental behavior
accurately. The applied methods are diverse even for a given species and type of parental effort, yet rarely validated for
accuracy and reliability. We used nest box cameras to record parental effort in a captive population of zebra finches,
Taeniopygia guttata. We investigate diurnal and reproductive stage-dependent variation in parental effort (incubation,
brooding, nest attendance and number of feedings) based on 12h and 3h video-recordings taken during early, middle and late
incubation and chick provisioning. We then investigate the effects of duration and timing of sampling period on estimating
overall parental effort and division of labor. Our study confirmed female-biased division of labor during incubation, and
showed that the difference is diminishing with advancing reproductive stage. We found individually consistent parental
effort over given days, but consistency over the reproductive stage was limited for incubation effort and female brooding.
Parental effort during incubation did not predict parental effort during chick provisioning. Longer sampling (3h) was needed
for more consistent estimates of overall parental effort. We suggest using a single longer sampling period may provide
consistent and accurate estimate for overall parental effort during incubation, while overcoming the effects of diurnal
variation. Due to the large within-individual variation during chick provisioning we suggest repeated longer sampling over
the reproductive stage may be necessary for accurate estimation of overall parental effort
A22. Social neurocardiology. The case of heart rate variability and cooperation
in healthy human adults.
Brice Beffara Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium; University Grenoble Alpes, France; CNRS, France
A. G. Bret Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium; University Grenoble Alpes, France; CNRS, France
N. Vermeulen Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium; FNRS, Belgium
M. Mermillod University Grenoble Alpes, France; CNRS, France
Variability in heart rate characterizes the dynamics of heart-brain interactions. The vagus nerve connects the heart and the
brain and induces variability in the millisecond scale (High Frequency Heart Rate Variability, HF-HRV). HF-HRV is
maximal in a calm resting state and reflects the default stress level in several mammals. Resting HF-HRV positively
predicts emotion recognition and self-reported social engagement in humans. This corroborates the polyvagal theory
proposing that heart-brain interactions and social behaviors should be interdependent in vertebrates. The theory posits
that social skills observed in many mammals are underpinned by vagal activity which fosters self-soothing and safety
perception. Lower baseline levels of stress allow more flexible activation of the organism depending on the metabolic needs
and finer adaptability to environmental demands, such as social targets. As a result, vagal functioning is supposed to
underlie prosocial behaviors while reducing fight/flight responses. To our knowledge, there is no evidence of i) a
relationship between HF-HRV and prosocial behaviors in healthy human adults and ii) a causal link between vagal
functioning and prosociality. In a first study, we found that HF-HRV predicted cooperation in a social dilemma but only
when the consequence of mutual defection was severe (vs. moderate). Secondly, we observed that HF-HRV biofeedback
training increased HF-HRV for low baseline participants. Two other experiments tested the impact of HF-HRV biofeedback
on socio-emotional skills. Preliminary results show variable evidence toward biofeedback effects, depending on the skill to
train. By contrast, this highlights the importance of ecological experiences in the association between vagal activity and
socio-emotional skills.
A23. Waiting dogs: reward value and coping strategies in a delay of gratification
paradigm
Brucks Desiree Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical
University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
M. Soliani Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical
F. Range Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical
S. Marshall-Pescini Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna,
Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
The ability to inhibit an immediate action in favour of an alternative more advantageous behaviour seems to be tightly
linked with success in life, especially in humans. Dogs, which have been living in the human environment for thousands
of years, are exposed to daily situations that require inhibition in context very different from other non-domesticated
species. One aspect of inhibitory control is the ability to delay gratification - the capacity to reject an immediate reward in
favour of a delayed but better reward. We tested sixteen dogs in an asocial delay of gratification task, conducting two
different conditions: a quality condition (immediate low vs. delayed high value reward) and a quantity condition (1 vs. 5
pieces of either low or high value reward). In addition to the dogs’ waiting success, we analysed the dogs’ behaviour - in
terms of posture, gaze and distance to rewards - during the delay maintenance phase. We found that dogs tolerated delays of
up to 140 seconds with the exception of one dog that waited for 920 seconds. Moreover, dogs had more difficulties in
waiting if the reward increased in terms of quantity than quality. Dogs were able to anticipate the delay duration and
decided to either wait or give up waiting at the beginning of a trial. Interestingly, we found that some dogs developed
behavioural patterns (i.e. looking away, laying down and keeping a distance from the reward) that facilitated the waiting
performance. These behaviours seem to be similar in many respects to ‘coping-strategies’ found in children, chimpanzees
and grey parrots, indicating that strategies to cope with impulsivity seem to be consistent and present across animal taxa.
A24. Long-tailed tits adapt their nest building to environmental conditions
Caitlin Higgott Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield
B. Hatchwell University of Sheffield
K. Evans University of Sheffield
Nests are built to provide a site to incubate eggs and rear nestlings, abiotic factors have been suggested to have an impact
on building and incubation behaviour. Even within a species much variation can often be seen between individual nests,
for example in size, materials used, quantity and quality of nest lining. This study hypothesised that temperature would
affect the construction of long-tailed tit (Aegithalos caudatus) nests, especially affecting the lining of each nest. Ambient
temperature was measured at each nest during nest building using temperature loggers (iButton). The cooling rate
coefficients of eggs at each nest were determined using model eggs attached to temperature loggers (Tinytag). Incubation
behaviour will also be recorded at each nest using Tinytags, which have been placed inside the nest for 48 hours. Once the
nests are no longer being used, they are collected and measurements of insulation quantity and quality are taken. We will
discuss how ambient temperature affects the amount of lining in the nest, and in turn, discuss how ambient temperature and
the amount of lining within each nest affect the incubation behaviour. This study will allow a better understanding of how
abiotic factors can influence behaviour.
A25. Benefits of adversity?! How life history affects the behavioral profile of mice
Carina Bodden Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center
for Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
S. H. Richter Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
R. S. Schreiber Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for
Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
V. Kloke Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive
and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
J. Gerß Institute of Biostatistics and Clinical Research, University of Münster, Germany
R. Palme Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
K.-P. Lesch Division of Molecular Psychiatry, Laboratory of Translational Neuroscience, Department of Psychiatry,
Psycho- somatics, and Psychotherapy, University of Würzburg, Germany
L. Lewejohann Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for
Cognitive and Behavioral Neuroscience, University of Münster, Germany
S. Kaiser Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive
N. Sachser Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany; Otto Creutzfeldt Center for Cognitive
Behavioral profiles are influenced by both positive and negative experiences. Traditionally, accumulating adversity over
lifetime is considered to predict increased anxiety-like behavior (‘allostatic load hypothesis’). The alternative ‘mismatch
hypothesis’ suggests increased levels of anxiety if the early environment differs from the later-life environment. Thus, there
is a need for a whole life history approach to gain a deeper understanding of how behavioral profiles are shaped. The aim of
this study was to elucidate the effects of life history on the behavioral profile of male mice. For this purpose, mice grew up
under either adverse or beneficial conditions during early phases of life. In adulthood, they were further subdivided so
as to face a situation that either matched or mismatched the previous condition, resulting in four different life histories.
Subsequently, mice were tested for their anxiety-like and exploratory behavior. The main result was: Life history profoundly
modulated behavioral profiles. Surprisingly, mice that experienced early beneficial and later adverse conditions showed
less anxiety-like and more exploratory behavior compared to mice of other life histories. Our findings neither confirm the
allostatic load nor the mismatch hypothesis. They indicate, however, that the absence of adversity does not necessarily cause
lower levels of anxiety than accumulating adversity. Rather, some adversity may be beneficial, particularly when following
positive events. Altogether, we conclude that for an understanding of behavioral profiles, not only single phases of life, but
the whole life history has to be considered.
A26. Does personality predict training success in common marmosets?
Christina Graf Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
V. S lipogor University of Vienna, Austria
Research, husbandry and clinical procedures with animals have been eased in recent years by using positive reinforcement
techniques, in terms of rewarding the animals for desired behavioral outcomes. Some studies have shown that animal
personality, defined as a distinctive patterns of behavior that are consistent across time and/or situations, may predict
individual learning capabilities. However, surprisingly few studies used personality scores as a predictor for the trainability
of animals in learning tasks. We here investigated the feasibility of such an approach in a Neotropical primate species, the
common marmoset. We first tested 13 marmosets for their personality traits in a series of behavioral tests: i) General
Activity, ii) Novel Food, iii) Novel Object, iv) Predator and v) Foraging Under Risk. We then trained the same
individuals using positive reinforcement techniques in different tasks: touching a target, using a novel experimental room,
sitting on a measurement scale and working with a touch - sensitive screen. We used the obtained personality scores to
predict the training success of monkeys in the learning tasks, measured in the total time and number of sessions each
individual needed to reach criterion. Preliminary results point in the expected direction that shy and/or non-explorative
individuals need more time to complete a task than bold and/or more explorative individuals. We discuss potential
implications of our study on the planning of training regimes.
A27. Cognitive Processes in Executive-Control Paradigms
Christina Meier University of Exeter, UK
S. Lea University of Exeter, United Kingdom
I. McLaren University of Exeter, United Kingdom
The cognitive flexibility to adapt one’s behavior to changing demands of the environment, i.e., to quickly execute actions
that are required and inhibit inappropriate actions, is considered to rely on executive control, which has only been attributed
to a small range of species. In humans, executive control is investigated in task-switching or stop-signal paradigms and is
thought to manifest in poor performance in trials that require changing or inhibiting the task that was required previously. To
investigate whether this difference in performance does indeed rely on an executive control of behavior or whether it can be
mediated by cognitively less demanding processes, we tested pigeons, who presumably do not possess this cognitive ability
but instead act non-analytically on the basis of stimulus-response associations, in two executive-control paradigms. In a taskswitching setting, pigeons performed two discrimination tasks on the same set of stimuli. A task cue indicated, which
task was relevant on a given trial; it could be either the same or the opposite task to the one that was relevant in the
previous trial. When the required task changed from one trial to the next, pigeons did not suffer any costs to performance,
though they are typically reported for human participants. In a stop-signal task, pigeons responded to a colored stimulus; on
some trials, the color changed after a variable interval to indicate that any response to the stimulus should be withheld. The
pigeons’ ability to suppress a response decreased the longer the signal to do so was delayed; this pattern matched the
performance of humans in an identical task. We discuss the implications of these results for the cognitive processes
required to flexibly change one’s behavior.
A28. Do mice really show a fear response when confronted with TMT?
An assessment using infrared thermography
Christophe Feron LEEC, Université Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
B. Lecorps LEEC, Université Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
H.G. Rödel LEEC, Université Paris 13 - Sorbonne Paris Cité, Villetaneuse, France
The best way to escape predation is to avoid predator encounters. Thus, there is strong selective pressure on the development
of ability to detect predator cues and to respond accordingly. Exposure to such cues is often believed to release a fearlike response. This idea has led to an extensive use of natural or synthetic predator odor compounds to study the
behavioral, hormonal and neurobiological correlates of fear. However, mainly due to methodological difficulties in
rodents, fear-related autonomic responses to specific compounds found in predator odors remain difficult to assess. Here,
we test the efficiency of a frequently used predator odor compound (i.e. 2,4,5-Trimethylthiazoline, TMT) in inducing fear,
by a novel and non-invasive method to assess physiological correlates of emotions: infrared thermography (IRT). By this
method, changes in peripheral body temperature caused by blood flow modifications occurring during emotional
responses can be detected. We exposed house mice (Mus musculus domesticus) to TMT and to control stimuli. While
exposure to TMT was the only condition that provoked a clear thermal response in animals, this response was to the
opposite direction as the one expected for fear. Our results consequently urge the question whether TMT really releases a
fear-like response in mice. And more importantly, our results stress that thermal responses to environmental stimuli can vary
probably depending on the type of emotion these stimuli involve.
A29. An analysis of collective escape patterns in of starling flocks under predation
Claudio Carere Laboratory of Experimental and Comparative Ethology University Paris, France
R.F. Storms University of Groningen, The Netherlands
C.K. Hemelrijk University of Groningen, The Netherlands
F. Zoratto National Institute of Health, Italy
A major reason why animals group is protection against predation. However, the complex patterns occurring during predator
avoidance remain elusive. Starling flocks adopt a great diversity of patterns of collective evasion. Most of them include
coordinated actions. For instance, starling flocks become denser and blacken. They twist and turn in the air and display
propagating waves. They split into sub-flocks or suddenly explode. These patterns are anecdotally reported but a
classification and quantification is missing. Using video-footage of 182 interaction sequences between predator and flock,
recorded at two roosting locations in Rome, we addressed the following questions: i) which escape patterns are
displayed and how do they interrelate? (ii) how do flocking patterns depend on the behaviour of the predator? Flock
responses were identified and scored. The attacks were categorized in terms of speed, relative location in the flock, their
number during a hunting sequence and their success. A higher attack frequency during a hunting sequence was associated
with a higher frequency of propagating waves, blackening and exploding of a flock. Wave and blackening events preceded
attacks, whereas explosions occurred in response to attack. These data provide a first empirical basis for understanding
collective reactions of starling flocks to predators. They are crucial for testing hypotheses on their mechanisms and
evolution.
A30. The influence of unrewarded object play on tool selection in Goffin’s Cockatoos
Cornelia Habl University of Vienna, Austria
A. Auersperg University of Veterinary Medicine, Messerli Research Institute, Vienna, Austria
Object play can serve as ontogenetic precursor of functional behaviour such as technical problem solving skills. Furthermore,
combinatorial play behaviours can serve the detection of functional object properties and can be linked to spatial
reasoning abilities as well as tool use abilities. In this study, we investigate whether and how non-specialised tool using
Goffin’s cockatoos transfer knowledge about object properties gained during unrewarded object play to functional tool
selection tasks. One group of birds received unrewarded play-experience with a given set of shape matching toys, while
another had no such pre-experience. In the functional tool selection task, distinctly shaped objects (=keys) were used as
tools to be inserted in a keybox apparatus. Birds had to choose the correct key to fit into the keybox wall in order to
receive a food reward. Preliminary results indicate that birds from both groups are able to select the correct keys for the
respective walls, but play-experience does not seem to enhance their performance.
A31. Recognition of an interaction based on simple motion cues in dogs
(Canis familiaris)
Cristina Bano Terencio Department of Ethology, Eö tvö s Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; University of Valencia,
Valencia, Spain
Judit Abdai Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Ádám Miklósi Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary; MTA-ELTE Comparative
Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
The perception of interaction between moving inanimate objects, which is based on simple motion features, has been
investigated in human infants and adults. Researchers used different types of video and interactive displays to test perceptual
animacy, however, these methods are difficult to apply in non-human species. In this study we present a novel approach
to investigate whether dogs (Canis familiaris) differentiate between unfamiliar, moving inanimate agents based on their
movements demonstrated in a live action. We hypothesise that if dogs are able to recognise the interaction between two
agents then they show a preference toward them. In the observation phase dogs (N=24) watched two inanimate agents which
were displaying a chasing scenario or moved independently in a large arena. The two possible scenarios were presented to
the dogs in a balanced order. In the test phase, the dogs were presented with two agents: one agent form the chase scenario
and one agent from the independent scenario. Both agents had a ball in front of them, and the dogs could approach them
freely. Our results show that most dogs approached first the agent that participated in the chasing scenario and chose first
the ball attached to this agent. All dogs took away at least one of the balls with one exception. Considering that dogs
were equally attentive during both scenarios, we suggest that they differentiated between the agents by recognising the
specific movement pattern in case of the chasing. Thus, it seems that dogs could perceive an interaction between the
unfamiliar inanimate agents based simply on their motion pattern. We propose that this method can be used widely to test
the perception of animacy in non-human animals.
A32. Year-round acoustic behavior of captive bearded seals
Daisuke Mizuguchi Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Japan
M. Tsunokawa Otaru Aquarium, Japan
M. Kawamoto Otaru Aquarium, Japan
S. Kohshima Wildlife Research Center, Kyoto University, Japan
Acoustic communication is important for animals living in the water, where sound is transmitted much more effectively than
light. Bearded seals produce complex sounds underwater, which are suggested to have territorial and/or reproductive
function. However, little is known about the behavioral context of the vocalization mainly because direct observation is
difficult in the wild. In this study, we aimed to estimate the function of vocalization in bearded seals by linking call types to
specific behaviors in captivity. Underwater sounds of 3 bearded seals (an adult male and two adult females) were recorded in
Otaru aquarium, Japan, between March 2012 and April 2016, using a hydrophone and a linear PCM recorder (frequency
range: 20 Hz to 20 kHz). Behavioral observation was conducted simultaneously to identify the caller of sounds and to
record social behaviors. The adult male continuously vocalized from December until April with a peak in March. In
contrast, the females vocalized only for 1-2 weeks from March to April, which was much shorter than those by males.
During the breeding season, when the male and females vocalized at the same time period, the frequency distribution of the
vocal intervals between individuals were significantly different from that expected from the assumption that two individuals
vocalized independently (e.g., at their own pace), and had a sharp peak at 4.0 sec., suggesting the “vocal exchange”
between two seals. No social behaviors were observed except muzzling by females against the throat of vocalizing male
in March, which might be a signal to advertise their estrus. Our findings provide the first evidence that bearded seals use
sounds for vocal exchange that might be useful for long-range communication to advertise their reproductive status.
A33. Looking on the bright side of bias - validation of an affective bias test
for laboratory mice
Dana Marie Graulich Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
S. Kaiser University of Münster, Germany
N. Sachser University of Münster, Germany
S. H. Richter University of Münster, Germany
The affective bias test represents a novel approach for the assessment of emotions in animals. In this task, animals encounter
two independent discrimination sessions on separate test days and learn that digging in one out of two substrates is
rewarded with food. While one pair of substrates is associated with an affective manipulation, the other functions as a
neutral control. Potential affective biases are quantified by a preference test in which both initially rewarded substrates are
tested against each other. The paradigm was originally developed for rats, thus the aim of the present study was to
translate the test from rats to mice. To examine the overall testing procedure, we established two control groups. One
control group experienced equal reward values for both rewarded substrates, hypothesizing that this would prevent any
substrate preference. In the second control group, we tripled the reward for one substrate and hypothesized that mice
would bias their choice towards this “more positive” experience. Indeed, these hypotheses could be confirmed, thus mice
were able to associate different reward values with respective digging substrates. To investigate an affective manipulation, a
third group was implemented in the study: Here, mice experienced a highly enriched cage associated with one pair of
substrates. Since enrichment is known to influence rodents mostly in a positive way, we expected to observe a preference for
the rewarded substrate associated with the enriched cage. However, mice did not show any substrate preference, suggesting
that the enrichment was probably not sufficient to induce measurable changes in affective state.
A34. Limits to imitative learning: Ontological development of song in
cross-fostered house finches
Daniel C McBride Mann Linguistics Program, Graduate Center, City University of New York
P. Mundinger Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York; The Rockefeller University
L. Waddick The Rockefeller University
D. Lahti Department of Biology, Queens College, City University of New York
The ability to learn and mimic acoustic signals is a rare trait found in just a few taxa of birds and mammals. However,
it has been known for several decades that the ontological development of vocalizations is not a simple learning vs. instinct
dichotomy. Learned vocalizations are often biased to change the input signal and there is considerable variation among
species in how faithfully they mimic the input, even among members of the same genus. The house finch (Haemorhous
mexicanus) shows evidence of dialect variation, signal modification during a temporary environmental disruption, as well as
wild mimicry of heterospecific song. However, there has been little published work which has experimentally investigated
vocal production learning, song development, or learning biases in this species. We have analyzed unpublished
experimental data from Dr. P. Mundinger and L. Waddick that directly inform these topics. From 1971-1974, twenty-nine
house finches were exposed to either canary tutor songs, house finch tutor songs, and/or white noise for the first two
months of their lives. Their songs were recorded throughout their development. We analyzed these songs in FinchCatcher
and Sound Analysis Pro which allow for a more detailed and less subjective analysis than would have been available in the
1970s. Preliminary analysis suggest that while house finches clearly learn from their tutors, there are constraints on that
learning; some features (e.g., syllable diversity) are more invariant than others (e.g., song duration). In addition to strongly
suggesting a complex nature/learning interaction in this understudied species, these data provide another data point in
understanding Tinbergen’s four questions with respect to vocal learning.
A35. Reproductive behaviour and mate preference in Japanese quail selected
for contrasting yolk testosterone
Daniela Blahutova Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak
Republic; Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava,
Slovak Republic
M. Zeman Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak
Republic, Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University, Bratislava,
Slovak Republic
L. Kostal Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovak
Republic
M. Okuliarova Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Sciences, Comenius University,
Bratislava, Slovak Republic
Embryonic development is a dynamic period during which physiological and behavioural phenotype is formed and can be
profoundly influenced by early events. In the egg, avian embryos are able to respond to maternal androgens. Since
endogenous sex steroids represent key factors in sexual differentiation of brain and behaviour, embryonic exposure to
maternal androgens can have long-term impact on traits and behaviour involved in reproduction. In our study, we analysed
the link between yolk androgens and behaviour in reproductive and social context using Japanese quail divergently selected
for high (HET) and low (LET) egg testosterone (T) content. Male reproductive behaviour was evaluated in two trials on two
consecutive days. First, males were tested with females from the same line (MATCH pairs) and in the second trial, with
females from the other line (CROSS pairs). In the next experiment, we assessed female’s affiliative preference for the
males from the same and opposite line. Male copulatory behaviour did not differ between lines. However, LET males
displayed shorter latency to copulate and higher number of copulations in CROSS than MATCH pairs. No differences
between MATCH and CROSS pairs were found in HET males. LET females showed preference for males from the same
line, while HET female’s preferences for males from any of the lines did not differ. Our results demonstrate that high egg T
deposition does not interfere with sexual differentiation of reproductive behaviour in males but may modify mate choice
and affiliative preference in both males and females with potential impact on reproductive success. This study was
supported by grant APVV 0047-10, VEGA 1/0686/15 and VEGA
2/0196/14.
A36. Effect of social environment on time budget of tufted puffin
Lunda cirrhata (Alcidae, Charadriiformes) on the colony surface
Daria Vodolazova Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University
A. Klenova Department of Vertebrate Zoology, Biological Faculty, Lomonosov Moscow State University
Colonial seabirds are good objects for studying acoustic and visual communication, and analyses of species-specific time
budgets lay a basis for such investigations. Here we studied time budget of tufted puffin on the colony surface, the effect of
social environment on it and compared it with three other closely related auk species. We collected data in June-August
2013-2015 on Talan Is. (Sea of Okhotsk, Russia). We recorded behavior of focal birds and analyzed 41 videos (1 video of
210-1100 s per bird) in Observer XT software. We composed ethogram containing 3 types of self-maintenance (vertical
and horizontal postures, self preening) and 11 types of social behaviors (moving, agonistic behavior, manipulation with
nesting material and displays: duet, duet rejection, demonstrative gait, bow display, landing display, weak and expressive
threat displays, demonstrative scrutinizing). We found that puffins spent 89.6% of their time on self-maintenance and 10.4%
- on social behaviors. As other auks, they performed nearly all behaviors with the same frequency before and after chicks
hatching during breeding season (Kruskal-Wallis ANOVA, p>0.05). Unlike other auks, the presence of conspecifics in
immediate proximity (no more than 2 corpuses) had almost no effect on the occurrences of puffins behaviors (MannWhitney U-test, p>0.05). Amount of conspecifics at farther distance (no more than 9 corpuses) also did not influence on
the occurrences of behaviors (K-W ANOVA, p>0.05) with few exceptions. So as in other auks, the time budget of tufted
puffin mainly consists of self-maintenance behavior and almost doesn’t depend on breeding season stage, but, unlike the
species, it doesn’t depend on social environment too. Supported by the Russian Science Foundation (grant 14-14-00237).
A37. Alternative strategies in cognitive tasks solving in great tits
David Nacar Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
E. Landova Charles University, Czech Republic
R. Fuchs University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
T. Nekovarova Institute of Physiology, Czech Academy of Science, Czech Republic
Primary aim of this experiment was to compare efficiency of different training procedures in spatial cognitive task in great
tit (Parus major). Birds searched for food hidden in one of four caches placed on the floor of home cages. Information
about cache with food was provided by specifically shaped 2D-stimulus placed in the area among the caches. Differences in
training procedures for particular tits based on different positions of stimuli: 1) stimulus placed close to the
corresponding cache - information about correct cache was provided by both the shape and the position of stimulus (2
tits in group); 2) stimulus placed in the center at the same distance from each cache - shape but not position of
stimulus provided information about position of correct cache (2 tits); 3) stimulus placed anywhere in the - position of
stimulus was confusing (1 tit). Experiment consisted of 30 sessions (24 trials each). Only tits in group 1 were able to use
stimuli for finding the food. Other tits (groups 2, 3) were not able to match the presence of specific stimulus shape with
food position. But these tits were able to develop alternative strategy how to find the food under conditions of
experimental design, but in completely unexpected way. After incorrect respond tits were allowed to search the food in
other caches for learning reinforcement. That possibility caused that birds learned to visit caches in stereotyped way
ignoring the presence of stimulus. But this possibility was necessary to keep motivation to solve the task. Tits are evidently
able to extract information provided by stimulus position (1), but not only by its shape (2, 3). Suggested alternative
strategy provides the simpler way to find food than more complicated association of abstract shape with the food
position.
A38. Behavioural observations on the field as a potential tool for
mutual enrichment between science education and ethology:
qualitative results from a pilot study
Didone Frigerio Core facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Gruenau im Almtal (Austria);
Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Verena Puehringer-Sturmayr Core facility KLF for behaviour and cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal,
Austria; Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Katharina Anderlik Bundesgymnasium und Bundesrealgymnasium Gmunden, Austria
Recent scientific research provides increasing evidence for the importance of promoting scientific skills already among
children. In the frame of the research programme Sparkling Science promoted by the Austrian Federal Government
Department of Science, Research and Economy 25 pupils of an Austrian secondary school were actively involved in a
scientific project with wild birds. In order to train their capability in observing animal behaviour in the field as well as let
them experience the scientific bearing of ethology, the pupils were invited to monitor the behaviour of the highly social and
long-lived greylag goose (Anser anser). The N = 15 focal animals (8 males and 7 females) belonged to different social
categories within the semi-tame and individually marked flock of the Core Facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition
(University of Vienna), which indeed offers a unique opportunity for school-children to work with free-living animals, as
they are habituated to the close presence of humans. A qualitative analysis of the collected 51 observation protocols
confirms the well-known behavioural patterns of Greylag geese during the mating season: females forage more often than
males, males are more often aggressive and show the social status signalling behaviour called Beak-Up more often than
females, etc. Our results show that pupils can be reliable observers of animals’ behaviour. More interestingly, our
experience with schools suggests new form of collaborations between research and education. On the short-term the
scientific community could obtain larger quantities of data in shorter time while on the long-term it would contribute from
an early phase on to the formation of future scientist as well as to broader science awareness in the society. Funded by SPA05/026.
A39. Ultrasonic vocalizations of mice enhanced by sexual experience – the
first implementation of the new Automatic Mouse USV Detector (A-MUD)
Doris Reitschmidt Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
A. Noll Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
P. Balazs Acoustics Research Institute, Austrian Academy of Sciences, Vienna, Austria
DJ. Penn Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
SM. Zala Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
House mice communicate through ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which have features of song similar to songbirds and
they are thought to facilitate courtship. Mice do not use vocal learning for USVs, though experience may still
influence USV emission. The aim of this study was to test whether wild derived male mice (Mus musculus musculus)
increase USV emission following an exposure to an unfamiliar female mouse (sexual priming), and whether the effects of
sexual experience on vocalizing are long-lasting. We recorded males while interacting with a stimulus female through a
perforated separation wall after they had experienced a direct sexual encounter (sexually primed) or not (unprimed). We
recorded USV emission 1, 10, 20 or 30 days after sexual priming (n=10/group). Since manual methods for analyzing USVs
are time-consuming, we developed a method for automatic mouse USV detection (A-MUD, used with the software STx).
We found that A-MUD has a significantly lower error rate than a commercially available method and provides results
comparable to manual methods. To our knowledge, this is the first study to report error rates of automatic USV-processing
methods. We found that USVs of mice were rarely emitted by unprimed mice, whereas USV emission was enhanced one
day after sexual priming, and then declined over time. Our findings indicate that sexual experience increases courtship
vocalizations in subsequent sexual encounters, and they are consistent with the hypothesis that male courtship USVs
provide reliable indicators of sexual motivation.
A40. Deception in the context of social learning in brown capuchins (Sapajou apella)
Dufour Valerie CNRS, UMR7178, DEPE, IPHC, Unistra
A. Whiten SPRG, School of Psychology, St-Andrews University
In many species, social life can induce conflicts of interests between group members, which includes competition for
resources or for partners. To guarantee access to those resources, individuals which are neither dominant nor highly
socially connected can use elaborated cognitive strategies such as deception. In this study involving two groups of
capuchins from the Living Links Centre of Edinburgh, we trained a low-ranking member of each group to open a plexiglas
box to receive a piece of food. The box could be opened with two different techniques involving several successive
manipulations. First, technique A in group 1, and technique B in group 2 were acquired by each demonstrator out of view
of the other group members. The study was then conducted in each group as an open diffusion experiment where all group
members including the initial demonstrator were free to interact or not with the box, which was refilled after each
successful opening. We investigated whether knowledgeable low ranking individuals would deploy deceptive tactics to
prevent others from learning (which would deprive them from their priority of access). Results show that low ranking
individual adapted the speed with which they opened the box according to the rank of the observing individuals. These
results will be discussed in relation to their implications for the understanding of social learning in social species.
A41. Habitat selection disruption and enhanced boldness of cryptic flatfish in a
warm, acid and contaminated ocean
Eduardo Sampaio MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laborató rio Marı́timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cincias
da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Divisão de Aquacultura e Valorização (DivAV), Instituto Português do Mar e da
Atmosfera (IPMA, I.P.), Lisboa, Portugal
A. L. Maulvault MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laboratório Marı́timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cincias
da Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal; Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University
of Porto, Porto, Portugal; Divisão de Aquacultura e Valorização (DivAV), Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA,
I.P.), Lisboa, Portugal
V. M. Lopes MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laboratório Marı́timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cincias da
Universidade de Lisboa, Portugal
J. R. Paula MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laboratório Marı́timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cincias da
V. Barbosa Divisão de Aquacultura e Valorização (DivAV), Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA, I.P.), Lisboa,
Portugal
R. Alves Divisão de Aquacultura e Valorização (DivAV), Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA, I.P.), Lisboa,
Portugal
P. Pouso-Ferreira Divisão de Aquacultura e Valorização (DivAV), Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA, I.P.),
Lisboa, Portugal
T. Repolho MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laboratório Marı́timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cincias da
A Marques Interdisciplinary Centre of Marine and Environmental Research (CIIMAR), University of Porto, Porto, Portugal;
Divisão de Aquacultura e Valorização (DivAV), Instituto Português do Mar e da Atmosfera (IPMA, I.P.), Lisboa, Portugal
Rui Rosa MARE - Marine Environmental Science Centre, Laboratório Marı́timo da Guia, Faculdade de Cincias da
In the future, marine organisms will have to cope with combined effects of ocean warming and acidification. However, little is
known about the impact of these climate change variables interacting with contaminants. Habitat selection is a vital
component in flatfish ecology, and impairment in bottom-choosing judgment may prove disastrous. Likewise, disruption of
lateralization has been shown to diminish success in a number of cognitive tasks and predator response behaviors. Within
this context, our goal was to determine the acclimation potential of a benthic flatfish, Solea senegalensis, to future
climate change scenarios and methylmercury (MeHg) neurotoxicity. After 28 days of exposure under three-factor crossed
treatments of MeHg exposure (ΔMeHg = 8.50 0.15 kg-1 dry weight), high CO2 (ΔCO2 ≈ 500 ppm), and temperature
(ΔT = 4C), we investigated brain mercury accumulation, habitat preference and relative/absolute lateralization, as well as
acetylcholinesterase (AChE) activity in five brain regions. Our results registered decreased brain mercury accumulation under
hypercapnia. MeHg contaminated flatfish displayed decreased AChE activity, as well as impaired lateralization and bottom
choosing judgment. Contaminated fish spent significantly higher amounts of time in the complex habitat, where they
could neither bury nor match the background (i.e. increased boldness). While warming led to higher enzymatic activity,
acidification lowered Hg accumulation, but also negatively affected AChE activity and spatial cognition. We argue that
maintaining current MeHg environmental concentrations may lead to severe disruption of behavioral and neurological
functions, which combined with ocean warming and acidification, might further jeopardize the ecological fitness of
flatfish.
A42. From roar to bugle: variation of red deer (Cervus elaphus) rutting calls
across native populations
Elena Volodina Moscow Zoo, Moscow, Russia
I. Volodin Moscow Zoo, Russia; Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
We report about the acoustic variation among subspecies of red deer Cervus elaphus, with involvement of own data on
Pannonian, Iberian, Siberian and Far Eastern subspecies. The acoustic variation of red deer diverges into two branches,
Eastern, with low-frequency rutting roars (52-274 Hz) and Western, with very high-frequency rutting bugles (660-2080 Hz).
The presumable ancestral patterns found in modern Bactrian subspecies in Central Asia contain both the high and low
fundamental frequencies given simultaneously. This ancestral pattern can be traced in Siberian wapiti, in which the weak
low frequency given simultaneously to the strong high fundamental frequency occurs in 65% of male rutting calls. The
larynx morphology does not differ between Eastern and Western subspecies. Within Corsican, Canadian, Iberian and Siberian
subspecies males and females vocalize at the same frequency. In Canadian and Siberian wapiti, females produce calls, very
similar to male rutting bugle. Male Siberian wapiti, in their order, produce female-like contact calls and often use them in
male-male conflicts. The subspecies-specific use of either high or low fundamental frequency results in distinctive
ontogenetic pathways between the Eastern and Western subspecies. In the Western Iberian red deer, the fundamental
frequency descends to adulthood, similarly to vocal ontogeny in humans. In the Eastern Siberian red deer, the fundamental
frequency remains high along ontogeny from newborns to adults, similarly to vocal ontogeny reported for grounds squirrels.
Unusual for mammals, the fundamental frequency correlates positively with body mass, with the lowest calls in the smallest
and the highest calls in the largest subspecies. Support: RFBR grant 15-04-06241.
A43. Does method matter in fish cognition? Evidence from studies on
numerical abilities.
Elia Gatto University of Padova, Italy
M. Dadda University of Padova, Italy
T. Lucon-Xiccato University of Padova, Italy
A. Bisazza University of Padova, Italy
The methods to study cognitive abilities in fish are becoming more and more numerous. In human psychology, methodological
differences may cause differences in the results between studies, but this issue has received little attention in fish. We
investigated numerical abilities in guppies, Poecilia reticulata, with a test based on spontaneous behaviour and one based
on training, but we used modified procedures compared to previous studies. Numerical abilities are promising as a means to
compare different studies as fish can be tested along a continuum of discriminations of increasing difficulty. In previous
works with the shoal choice test, guppies spontaneously discriminated (i.e., preferred the largest one) between shoals of
4vs8 fish (ratio: 0.50), but no preference was found between shoals of 4vs6 fish (ratio: 0.67). By modifying three
simple aspects of the procedure (subjects were confined in a transparent cylinder, water was enriched with conspecifics’
cues, and stimuli lived permanently in the apparatus), we found that guppies can discriminate also between 4vs6 and 4vs5
fish (ratios: 0.67 and 0.8). With a training procedure that exploited the natural tendency of this species to displace small
objects on the bottom to find hidden food, guppies learned to discriminate 2vs3, 3vs4, and 4vs5 objects. We used a
more conventional operant conditioning procedure in which guppies received a food reward if they selected the correct
stimulus presented on a monitor, and we found that only a few subjects achieved even the easy 2vs3 discrimination. The
assessment of numerical abilities in fish is therefore strongly affected by the method adopted. This issue may confound the
interpretations of past studies on fish cognition and needs to be carefully considered in future ones.
A44. The Ontogeny of Sexual Dimorphisms in Cognitive Strategies
Elisabeth Oberzaucher University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences, Vienna, Austria; Urban Human, Vienna, Austria
S. Schmid Urban Human, Vienna, Austria; Sacre Coeur, Pressbaum, Austria
R. Freimann Urban Human, Vienna, Austria; Sacre Coeur, Pressbaum, Austria
Schmehl University of Vienna, Faculty of Life Sciences; Urban Human, Vienna, Austria
Error management is a fast and frugal algorithm that allows to make decisions quickly and adaptively. As all decision
processes are prone to err to a certain extend, the adaptive solution tries to avoid costly mistakes by allowing for some
cheaper mistakes. In the case of mate choice, erring in the assessment of the interest of a potential mate bears different
costs for the two sexes due to asymmetric investment: Women who overestimate the interest of a man risk to have to go
without parental support. Thus the adaptive solution for women is to underestimate male interest (type II error). Men risk
loosing reproductive opportunities by underestimating female interest and have therefore evolved an error management
favouring overestimation of female interest (type I error). This sexual dimorphism can be observed in contexts unrelated
to reproduction. In the present study we address the question whether this sex difference is activated during puberty. We
carried out an experiment with a patience game, requiring to remove a star from a circle. Our participants were 60 elevenyear olds and 60 16-year olds. We showed the task to our subjects and asked them whether they thought they could solve the
puzzle within two minutes. After having manipulated the puzzle for two minutes, subjects gave their assessment whether
they thought they could solve it given more time. In addition, our subjects were asked to solve three different Wason
tasks: One abstract, one describing a general social rule, and one referring to a social rule that applied to their personal
lives. We compare the degree of sexual dimorphism in the pre- and post-puberty groups, and discuss proximate
mechanisms and developmental aspects of error management.
A45. Crossing the barriers: Stopover behavior of long-distance migratory birds
in a Mediterranean island
Elisavet Zagkle Faculty of Biology, Ludwig-Maximilians University of Munich, Germany
C. Barboutis Antikythira Bird Observatory, Hellenic Ornithological Society
W. Goymann Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology
Most of the avian migration time is spent in stopover habitats where birds refuel by foraging, rest and avoid adverse
weather conditions. Studying stopover habitats along migration journeys is a key factor in understanding the overall
migration performance and success, while reaching their breeding or wintering sites. In one of the main routes of the AfroPalaearctic region, long-distance migratory birds have to face two vast ecological barriers, the Sahara Desert and the
Mediterranean Sea. Crossing the barriers is a highly demanding task in which migratory birds have limited or no
opportunities for refuelling or resting. We will study long-distance migratory birds that stopover on a Mediterranean island
immediately after crossing those ecological barriers. Our lack of knowledge in stopover behaviour is due to difficulties to
estimate exact arrival or departure body condition of birds and the time of arrival and departure. Ringing stations have
collected such data over years, but only few of these data have been analysed and published. We will use current and
historical data from a ringing station in Antikythira Island in Greece. Capture-recapture data will provide us valuable
information for the estimation of the fuel deposition rate (FDR) and stopover duration for many species for which
individual tracking is not possible. Weather conditions and more specifically tailwinds are shaping a pivotal factor in a
bird’s speed. Thus, we want to establish a relationship between FDR, stopover duration, and weather conditions by
integrating empirical data and model frameworks. This study will contribute significantly on migration field regarding
stopover decisions after crossing ecological barriers for thousands of individuals.
A46. What the brain tells us about food neophobia in the young chicken
Gallus gallus domesticus
Emilie C. Perez , Marion Georgelin, Paul Constantin, Fabien Cornilleau, Maryse Meurisse, Aline Bertin and Ludovic
Calandreau
Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique INRA, UMR85 Physiologie de la Reproduction et des Comportements,
Nouzilly, France; CNRS, UMR6175 F-37380 Nouzilly, France; Université de Tours, F-37041 Tours, France; Haras
Nationaux, F-37380 Nouzilly, France
Food neophobia is a complex behaviour that involves the complete or partial rejection to eat a new source of food. While
described in a large variety of mammalian and bird species in terms of behavioural changes, there are still very few studies to
date interested in its neurobiological bases. However, understanding the neuronal bases of food neophobia will bring new
insights to reduce this behaviour in farm birds, thus increasing their welfare. We propose here for the first time a
comprehensive study in the domestic chicken, from a detailed description of the behaviour to the neural activity associated
with food neophobia. Using both behavioural and immunohistochemistry procedures on one-week chicks, our study focuses
on several brain structures suspected to play an important role in food neophobia, including: five amygdala structures
implicated in emotions, the nucleus accumbens that plays a central role in the reward circuit, and the olfactory bulb so as to
understand the possible olfactory dimension of the behaviour.
A47. The genetic architecture of personality traits in the red junglefowl
Enrico Sorato IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
J. Zidar IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
H. Lovlie IFM Biology, Linköping University, Linköping, Sweden
Animal personality, defined as consistent individual differences in behaviour across times and/or contexts, has been described
in a wide range of taxa. However, the underlying mechanisms generating and maintaining this inter-individual variation
are still poorly resolved. While past research has supported the importance of environmental effects, fewer studies have
explicitly investigated the genetic control of different personality traits. We therefore investigated the genetic architecture of
personality traits using a captive population of red junglefowl, spanning five generations and with detailed pedigree
information available. We assayed behaviour of more than 400 chicks in standard novel arena, novel object and tonic
immobility tests, and used animal models to estimate individual repeatability and heritability of behavioural traits, as well
as their phenotypic and genetic correlations. We found significant heritability and covariation between personality traits.
We discuss our findings in the light of current theoretical models for the evolution of animal personality.
A48. Thermal-dependence of signalling but no behavioural compensation
for differences in conspicuousness in a colour polymorphic lizard
Enrique Font Cavanilles Institute of Biodiversity and Evolutionary Biology, University of Valencia (Spain)
G. Pérez i de Lanuza CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto,
Portugal
M. A. Carretero CIBIO Research Centre in Biodiversity and Genetic Resources, InBIO, Universidade do Porto, Portugal
Selection for signal efficacy (detectability) is an important factor driving the evolution of chromatic signals. Theory predicts
that colour signals should evolve to show those properties that maximize conspicuousness to receivers in their own
visual environment. In the ventrally polymorphic lizard Podarcis muralis, visual modelling has shown morph-specific
differences in conspicuousness (orange > yellow > white). Although this suggests that morphs may incur different
detectability costs, the differences in conspicuousness could be compensated behaviourally if individuals of the more
conspicuous morphs adopted postures that made their colour patches less visible. We quantified the degree of exposure of
the lizard ventral and ventrolateral (ultraviolet-blue) colour patches in the field using a classification based on four lizard
postures, from ventral surface completely hidden to full exposure of the ventrolateral and ventral colour patches (when
lizards extend their forelegs and raise the head). Results did not reveal differences among morphs in the frequency with
which they adopt postures that expose their colour patches. Therefore, it seems that the differences in conspicuousness are
not compensated behaviourally. This suggests that the alternative colour morphs incur different costs and benefits due their
detectability. In contrast, we found a strong relationship between body temperature and lizard posture. Overall, our results
support the view that, regardless of colour morph, perching wall lizards adopt the elevated postures that maximize
exposure of their colour patches only when their body temperature is high enough to allow for an efficient predator
avoidance response.
A49. Object-location paired-associates learning in a basal primate
(Microcebus murinus)
Zimmermann Elke Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER, Center for
Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Hannover, GER
M. Joly Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER, Centre for Comparative
and Evolutionary Psychology, Portsmouth, United Kingdom
S. Ammersdörfer Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER, Center for
In order to embed the cognition of a basal primate into the evolution of primate intelligence, we investigated object-location
paired-associates learning in the grey mouse lemur (Microcebus murinus). We trained 15 individuals in the highly
standardized CANTAB dPAL task: subjects had to memorize three paired-associates between pictorial stimuli and their
rewarded location on a touchscreen and to correctly respond to them in the presence of a distracting stimulus. A total of 5
subjects could successfully be trained to reach an a priori learning criterion (>80% correct choices in 2 consecutive
sessions). Successful young adults (6 years; N=2) needed substantially longer (5/9.5 months). We further compared the
performance data of M. murinus to that of a human sample (male adults, N=12). As expected, human subjects generally
performed much better (i.e. learned faster; 2-5 sessions) than mouse lemurs, but their error profiles helped to interpret
performance in mouse lemurs and suggest that at least 4 of the 5 successful individuals used a spatial, hippocampusbased strategy for dPAL, while one individual might have solved the task using a conditional strategy. To our best
knowledge, this is the first empiric evidence for standardized object-location paired-associates learning in a basal primate.
By allowing the direct comparison of cognitive data from mice to men, the touchscreen-based, standardized dPAL protocol
provides a unique tool for comparative research and we highly recommend the utilisation of human-comparable tasks in
mammals to illuminate the evolution of intelligence. Funding: EC-FP7/2007-2013/no278486 “DEVELAGE”
A50. Cognition, but not personality, is related to faecal stress hormone
metabolites in the smallest non-human primate aging
model (Microcebus murinus)
Zimmermann Elke Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER, Center for
Jennifer Wittkowski Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER
Sandra Ammersdörfer Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER; Center for
Systems Neuroscience Hannover, Hannover, GER,
Michael Heistermann Leibniz Institute for Primate Research, German Primate Center, Göttingen, GER
Daniel Schmidtke Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Hannover, GER; Center for
From mammals it is known that individual stress hormone concentrations are linked to interindividual differences in
personality and cognition. The goal of the present study was to examine for the first time the relationship between cognitive
abilities, personality traits, and individual mean faecal glucocorticoid-metabolite (FGCM) levels - as a measure for the
subject’s stress level - in the smallest primate aging model, the grey mouse lemur (M. murinus). In total, a group of 42
individuals (22 females, 20 males; 32 young adults ≤ 4 years, 10 aged adults ≥ 7 years) was used. Individual
personality scores for “anxiety“ and “exploration” were determined using a behavioural test battery (i.e. emergence-, openfield-, and novel-object-test) and a subsequent principle component analysis. Learning performance and cognitive
flexibility were assessed using a touchscreen-based visual pairwise discrimination/reversal (CANTAB PD/PDR; N=16)
paradigm. Faeces were collected every 7 days (≥3 samples/animal) and analysed by an enzyme immunoassay. Findings did
not reveal sex- or age-differences in mean FGCM concentrations. Neither anxiety nor exploration correlated significantly
with FGCM, whereas cognitive flexibility was significantly linked to FGCM: individuals with a low FGCM level made
less perseverance errors during reversal learning and were faster in reaching the re-acquisition criterion in the PDR
task. Thus, FGCM level predicts cognitive flexibility in a standardized task. Cognitive deficits in Alzheimer’s (AD)
patients are also discussed to be linked to chronic stress and personality changes. Since mouse lemurs are used in AD
research, FGCM measurements may represent a predictive tool for AD-like neuropathologies. Funding: European
Community (FP7/2007-2013; #278486-DEVELAGE)
A51. The ability of interpreting other’s intent in dogs
Eszter Petro Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Sz. Toth Szent István University of Budapest, Hungary
A. Miklosi Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
The most basic prerequisite for any social behaviour is that individuals recognise each other and are able to engage in
interactions. The recognition of others is based on (1) identification (conspecific, predator etc.) and (2) the representation
of the other’s goal, (3) as well as predicting the possible outcome of the interaction. The attribution of goal directed
behaviour to another is a complex skill which enables the observer to predict the behaviour of the partner in novel situations
before the observing behaviour. We hypothesise that this cognitive skill forms during ontogeny as the subject experiences
that others are capable of goal-oriented behaviours and these experiences amount to the skill of goal intentionalityattribution. In our study we used an unidentified moving object (UMO) as social partner toward which goal attribution
can be developed de novo and we investigated whether dogs initiate interaction with the UMO after having specific
experiences with it (in 4 different interactions) We established three experimental groups (social UMO, mechanic UMO,
social human): The social UMO helps the dog in different ways (e.g. protects the dog from a threatening person). The
mechanic UMO did not help the dog (behaves mechanically) and in the social human group the partner was a human,
who behave the same way as the social UMO. Our results show that dogs can predict the UMO’s behaviour in new
situation based on earlier. If the UMO behaves appropriately in a situation to the dogs’ advantages then dogs predict UMO’s
goal in a new situation before they can observe the UMO’s action. According to our definition this ability can be described
as recognition of other’s intent. Our new method can solve some of the important problems in cognitive ethology.
A52. Association between polymorphisms of candidate genes and sexual
behavior in Drosophila melanogaster
Eugenia Rashkovetsky Institute of Evolution, University of Haifa, Israel
I. Zamorzaeva Institute of Evolution,University of Haifa, Israel
A. Korol Institute of Evolution,University of Haifa, Israel
We studied sequence polymorphism of genes related to sexual behavior in D. melanogaster from the Nahal Oren canyon.
These genes proved polymorphic in different environments. The very first reports of Drosophila interslope differentiation
in the canyon have generated extensive debate. We found interslope differences in the period gene, which is involved in
circadian rhythms and affects sexual behavior. Variants of the 5th exon repeat encoding for (Thr-Gly)n, abundant in African
and European populations were found to predominate in the canyon. The less abundant “European” variant was more
frequent on the North facing slope, reflecting some advantages of this allele to flies inhabiting the less warm slope. Femalechoice tests showed that females distinguish between males with specific period alleles. Desat2 gene, responsible for the
female cuticular hydrocarbon synthesis, also plays an important role in mate choice. Two major isomers of this
hydrocarbon are known, and two types of ratios of their frequencies were established in different geographical populations:
“High” (African) type and “Low” (European) type having a low ratio. In our analysis, all tested Israeli populations belong
to the “Low” type. An additional deletion leading to the appearance of a stop codon was found in the canyon’s populations.
To estimate the effect of desat2 status on courtship behavior, we performed a series of mating experiments between carriers
of various alleles. The results suggest that allele with the additional deletion plays certain role in mating success, expressed
in a shorter courtship latency and duration. Maintenance of this allele in the canyon’s populations may reflect adaptation to
peculiar microscale conditions and may be associated with incipient sympatric differentiation.
A53. Experience dependent sensitivity to stranger pup cries in family
dogs (Canis familiaris)
Fanni Lehoczki ELTE, Ethology Department, Hungary
Zs. Szamosvölgyi MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Hungary
T. Faragó MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Hungary
In separation, infants emit distress calls to draw their mother’s attention, reduce distance between them, and get maternal
care. Previous studies suggest that these calls arouse the caregiver’s attention because of their acoustic structure. It could be
interesting whether these calls, evolved to this function, have any effect on non-parent conspecifics. In this study, we aim
to test this in the case of family dogs. This species is especially interesting in this regard, as parental care is unknown in
males, in contrast with wolves. We assume that in a playback of separation calls of pups we will find lower reaction in
male than female dogs. Moreover, in the case of females, experience can also modify their sensitivity. Our study aims
to assess the reaction of sexually mature dogs to strange puppy sounds, displayed from a hidden speaker. We recorded all
reactions of 47 dogs in 3 groups (former mothers, inexperienced females, inexperienced males) to 6 repeated, different 10s
long playbacks of pup distress call bouts. We measured the length of orientation to the sound source, and besides testing
the habituation effect of repeated playbacks and the group differences, the acoustical parameters of the playbacks were
also taken into account. Results suggest that all dogs show habituation, and experienced females paid less attention to the
playbacks than others. The fundamental frequency and jitter affected negatively the strength of the response, while the call
length affected positively the attention of the inexperienced females, while negatively the other two groups. Our results
suggest stronger experience and no gender effect. Based on the lower reaction of experienced females, this is probably
driven by the sounds’ novelty for the inexperienced individuals.
A54. Neolamprologus caudopunctatus, From cannibals to loving parents: when to
stop egg cannibalism?
Filipa Cunha Saraiva Konrad-Lorenz-Institut fü r Vergleichende Verhaltensforschung Department fü r Integrative Biologie
und Evolution Veterinärmedizinische Universität Wien
S. Balshine Aquatic Behavioural Ecology Laboratory, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience, and Behaviour,
McMaster University, Ontario, Canada
R. Wagner and F. Lemmel-Schädelin Konrad-Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department for Integrative Biology and
Evolution, University of Veterinarian Medicine, Vienna, Austria
Neolamprologus caudopunctatus, is an endemic cichlid fish from Lake Tanganyika, Africa. It is a biparental substrate breeder,
where both, female and male, actively participate in brood care. Non-breeding individuals in contrast are vicious egg
cannibals. On the onset of reproduction egg cannibalism behaviour has to be suppressed to care and protect future offspring.
Thus at one point a shift in behaviour, from egg cannibalism to protective and caring parental behaviour, must occur. Does
egg cannibalism behaviour stop as soon as a breeding pair is formed or only after spawning? Do the eggs have to be present
continuously after spawning and how quickly egg cannibalism behaviour sneaks in again? In order to investigate this shift
between egg cannibal and loving parent, we developed a series of experiments: 1) cross-foster experiments (both
partial and complete clutches were cross-fostered between spawning pairs and complete clutches were given to nonspawning pairs) and 2) egg removal experiments (eggs were removed for 5min, 3h and 9h). We observed parental care
behaviour before and after experimental manipulation and counted the eggs. The results of the cross-foster experiments
indicate that pair formation alone is not sufficient to stop egg cannibalism and spawning is needed. The experiment showed
that the continuous presence of the eggs prevents egg cannibalism and extended egg removals (9h) deteriorate the
parental state, resulting in filial cannibalism events. Parental care effort was independent of the portion of foster eggs
present and differed between the sexes. Our results highlight the importance of investigating proximate mechanisms
behind behavioural turnaround.
A55. Do dogs use emotional expressions to infer preference?
Flora Szantho Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Ethology, Hungary
Á. Miklósi MTA–ELTE Comparative Ethological Research Group, , Budapest, Hungary
E. Kubinyi MTA–ELTE Comparative Ethological Research Group, , Budapest, Hungary
Previous researches showed that dogs use the human emotions as communicative cues to find hidden food in the two-object
choice task. Moreover, dogs preferred the object associated with the owners’ happy emotion and avoid the other which was
marked with disgust emotion. In these task when the dogs followed the owner’s preference there were directly rewarded.
Our aim was to test how dogs differentiate between their own preference and the owner’s preference and how dogs consider
the owner’s positive emotional expression in the absence of direct food reward? We used two different objects, which
one was clearly preferred by dogs (dog toy), while the other was neutral for them (bracelet). In the experimental group the
owner preferred the bracelet (showed by happy emotion), in contrast with the matching group where the owner preferred the
toy, like dogs did (according to the preference test). After the owner demonstration, the experimenter took the objects out of
reach, and the owner let the dog to choose between the objects. The results showed in the experimental group, that the dogs
who looked more at the owner during the test looked more at the object preferred by the owner (bracelet) too.
According to results the owners’ demonstration influenced their dogs’ behavior in the object choice test. The dogs showed
higher interest toward the object which was preferred by the owners even if it is not matched with their preference and
they were not rewarded for it. This suggests that dogs were able to infer that a human held a desire.
A56. Behaviour of wolves (Canis lupus) and dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)
in a complex training situation: learning to use a treadmill
Friederike Zenth Christian-Albrechts-University zu Kiel, Germany; Wolf Science Center, Austria
K. Kotrschal Wolf Science Center, Austria; Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad
Lorenz Research Station, Core Facility University of Vienna, Austria
L. Jeanson Wolf Science Center, Austria; Ludwig-Maximilians-University Munich, Germany
K. Kortekaas Wolf Science Center, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Research Station, Core Facility University of Vienna, Austria;
Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria,
Based on previous studies it is assumed that dogs are generally easier to train than wolves, due to domestication effects,
such as reduced fear of humans and differences in understanding human communicative cues. To test the generality of
this hypothesis, we compared the relevant behavioural repertoire of identically raised and kept wolves and dogs in a complex
training situation: learning to freely use a treadmill (2.5 x 10 m), with the final goal of using the treadmill paradigm to
study sociality and cooperation. Towards this, all animals were clicker-trained and supported by a target; the trainer was
located behind a fence, but within a few meters of the animal. Behaviour was coded with the “Observer XT 10” program,
focusing on time spent near and on the treadmill, orientation of the animal, social support from the trainer, and stress-related
behaviours. In a previous study, Kortekaas and Kotrschal (subm.) found that compared to dogs, wolves were faster to use the
treadmill. To understand and explain this difference behaviourally, we predicted that: (1) wolves would be more explorative
and would orient more towards the treadmill than dogs; (2) during training dogs would need/receive more support via
trainer (ostensive) communication than wolves and would orient more towards the trainer, and (3) dogs would exhibit more
stress-related behaviours during the initial training stages than wolves, which would negatively affect their learning curve.
The results of this study seem to support our predictions. We conclude that dogs are not simply “easier to train” than wolves;
rather, the differences between wolf and dog trainability rely on (training) context, complexity of a task, and the dependence
on human support during the training process.
A57. Do social influences affect risk preferences in tufted capuchin
monkeys (Sapajus spp.)?
Gabriele Oddi ISTC-CNR Unit of Cognitive Primatology and Primate Center; Sapienza Università di Roma, Dipartimento
di Scienze della Terra, Rome, Italy
F. De Petrillo Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, Roma;
Sapienza Università di Roma, Dipartimento di Biologia Ambientale, Rome, Italy
E. Gori Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, Roma
A. Micucci Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, Roma
F. Paglieri CNR, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, Goal-Oriented Agents Lab, Rome, Italy
E. Addessi Unità di Primatologia Cognitiva, Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, Roma
In humans, stress level does affect risk preferences. Since non-human primates are social animals, the presence and the
behavior of others can influence their decisions. This may be critical when facing risky decisions, defined as situations
with a variable rate of gains. So far, only one study has investigated how social context affects risk preferences in nonhuman primates, showing that chimpanzees and bonobos were more risk seeking when tested in a competitive situation with
a human opponent than in a neutral or play situation. We investigated, for the first time, how the presence of a group mate
affect risk preferences in 12 pairs of capuchins presented with choices between a constant option (4 food items) and a
variable option (1 or 7 food items with 30% chance of getting the larger quantity) in two conditions: Alone and Social
(i.e., paired with a conspecific bystander). We also scored stress-related behaviors (scratching and alarm calls) in both pair
members. In the Social condition focal subjects scratched more and chose the risky option less than in the Alone condition.
Whereas for focal subjects alarm calls significantly decreased and scratching did not significantly vary across sessions,
for bystanders both behaviors increased over time, likely due to the frustration of not being rewarded during the task.
Although bystander’s behavior was not specifically related to focal subject’s choice, bystander’s scratching and alarm
vocalizations, respectively, were positively related to focal subject’s scratching. Thus, the stress experienced by the focal
subject in the Social condition because of bystander’s presence and stress-related behaviors may have reduced its risk
proneness. Overall, our findings suggest a role of social stress in decision-making under risk.
A58. Cross-modal individual recognition in wild African lions (Panthera leo)
Geoff Gilfillan The University of Sussex, U.K
K. McComb University of Sussex, U.K
Individual recognition is considered to have been fundamental in the evolution of complex social systems, and is thought to
be a widespread ability throughout the animal kingdom. Although robust evidence for individual recognition remains
limited, recent experimental paradigms that examine cross-modal processing have demonstrated individual recognition in
a range of captive non-human animals. It is now highly relevant to test whether cross-modal individual recognition
exists within wild populations and thus examine how it is employed during natural social interactions. We address this
question by testing audio- visual cross-modal individual recognition in wild African lions (Panthera leo) using an
expectancy-violation paradigm. When presented with a scenario where the playback of a loud-call (roaring) broadcast from
behind a visual block is incongruent with the conspecific previously seen there, subjects responded more strongly than
during the congruent scenario where the call and individual matched. These findings provide the first clear evidence for
audio-visual cross-modal individual recognition in a wild population.
A59. Female mate choice: does male mating rate matter?
Geoffrey Mazue Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, & Department of Biology,
University of Konstanz, Konstanz, Germany
P. Hopwood University of Exeter, UK
G. Mazué University of Konstanz, Germany; Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
M. Carter Universidad de Chile, Chile
M. Head Australian National University, Australia
A. Moore University of Georgia, USA
N. Royle University of Exeter, UK
Sexual conflict occurs when selection to maximize fitness in one sex does so at the expense of the other sex. In the burying
beetle (Nicrophorus vespilloides), males burying beetles repeatedly mate with females but increased frequency of mating,
while improving paternity assurance, is associated with direct costs to females reproductive output. To look at whether
females avoid costly males with high repeated mating rates we offered females a dichotomous choice of males on a
carcass: one male from a line selected for high repeated mating rates and one from a line selected for low repeated
mating rates. Each female was then allocated her preferred or non-preferred male to breed, and the number of larvae
successfully reared was used to measure female reproductive output. Females showed no preference for males based on
whether they came from lines selected for high or low mating rates. Pairs containing males from high mating rate lines
copulated more often than those with low line males but there was a negative relationship between female size and number
of times she mated with a non-preferred male. When females bred with their preferred male the number of offspring reared
increased with female size but there was no such increase when breeding with non-preferred males. Females thus benefited
from being choosy, but this was not directly attributable to avoidance of costly male repeated mating.
A60. Interspecific variation of warning calls in piranhas: comparative analysis
Geoffrey Melotte Laboratory of Functional and Evolutionary Morphology University of Lige (ULg) Belgium
R. Vigouroux Hydreco Guyane, French Guiana
C. Michel University of Lige, Belgium
E. Parmentier University of Lige, Belgium
Fish sounds are often considered as species-specific with unique temporal and spectral features. Differences between acoustic
signals of closely related species could be considered as pre-zygotic barrier and could be related to the evolutionary
history of the species. In the present study, sounds were recorded and compared in eight piranha species (Serrasalmus
elongatus, Serrasalmus marginatus, Serrasalmus compressus, Serrasalmus manueli, Serrasalmus spilopleura, Serrasalmus
rhombeus, Serrasalmus eigenmanni and Pygocentrus nattereri) in order to evaluate the potential role of acoustic
communication as a driving force in the clade diversification. The same kind of sound-producing mechanism was found in
all the species: sonic muscles originate on vertebrae and attach to a tendon surrounding ventrally the bladder. Contractions
of the sound-producing muscles force swimbladder vibration. Having the same kind of sound-producing mechanism, the
calling features of the eight piranha species show logically many common characteristics. In all the species, the calls are
harmonic sounds composed of several pulses without inter-pulse interval. It was possible to discern species-specific
sounds, but the differences among species could be, in part, explained by the size. Only the sounds of Serrasalmus elongatus
are really distinguishable from the other species by having a higher number of pulses and high-pitched dominant frequency.
In the framework of this study, acoustic communication cannot be considered as the main driving force in the diversification
process of piranhas. Behavioral studies are however needed to clearly understand the role of the calls during the spawning
events.
A61. The effect of cage size on stress levels in Anolis carolinensis
Glenn Borgmans Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium; Centre for
Research and Conservation, Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, Belgium
A. Sannen Ethology & Animal Welfare, Agro- & Biotechnology, HUB-ODISEE University college, Sint-Niklaas, Belgium
H. Vervaecke Ethology & Animal Welfare, Agro- & Biotechnology, HUB-ODISEE University college, Sint-Niklaas,
Belgium
R. Palme Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences,
University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
R. Van Damme Department of Biology, University of Antwerp, Belgium
The occurrence of stress in animals held in captivity can lead to a general decrease in welfare and have negative effects on
research outcomes. More specific, it could lead to incorrect data due to, for example, a change in behaviour or hormone
levels. Numerous studies have been conducted investigating stress in model species of small mammals (rats, mice, rabbits),
birds and fish but, although reptiles are becoming increasingly popular as pets and research models, their susceptibility to
stress factors has been relatively understudied. One of the possible reasons for this neglect could be that it is more difficult
to assess stress levels in reptiles in an objective manner. Furthermore, although it is widely accepted that variables such as
dimensions of the enclosures or level of environmental enrichment can have an effect on stress levels, little research
investigating this has been done. In this study, we investigate how differences in cage size influence stress levels in
Anolis carolinensis. Stress levels were measured through a number of variables both behavioural and physiological.
Individual behaviour was scored via direct observations. The physiological parameters used were fecal corticosterone
metabolite level, body condition, reflectance of the skin using photospectrometry and heterofyl/lymphocyte ratio in the
blood. We hypothesize that a smaller cage size will lead to increased stress levels for the different variables measured.
A62. Investigating motor lateralisation patterns in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa)
Charlotte Goursot Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf
S. Dpjan Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf
C. Kalbe Institute of Muscle Biology and Growth, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf
E. Kanitz Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf
B. Puppe Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf;,
Behavioural Sciences, Agricultural and Environmental Sciences Faculty, University of Rostock, Rostock
A. Tuchscherer Institute of Genetics and Biometry, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf
L. M. C. Leliveld Institute of Behavioural Physiology, Leibniz Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Dummerstorf
Understanding cerebral lateralisation in farm animals represents a promising novel approach in the study of their welfare.
However, we do not know of the existence of laterality in domestic pigs (Sus scrofa), one of the most intensively farmed
species. In this study, we aimed to develop methods to investigate motor lateralisation in domestic pigs. We assessed
laterality in 80 male piglets that were between 6 and 7 weeks old of age, for three motor functions: sideward snout use (the
organ of exploration in pigs) for accessing a food reward, foot use to go down/up a step, and the tail curling direction. For
each function, we used a binomial test to categorize them as either L, R (significant left or right bias), or A (ambilateral, no
significant bias). A majority of our subjects were ambilateral for down or up foot use (R+L=8% or 22%, A=92% or 78%;
p<0.001, n=60), but 80% of our population were lateralised (R+L) for snout use (p=0.0388, n=76) and right-biased (62%) for
tail curling direction (p=0.0415, n=78). We found no associations between these functions, which suggests that the different
motor functions involved different cerebral processing. The lack of biases in foot use and of associations suggests that
laterality may be dependent on the nature and/or complexity of the task. To further investigate the tail posture, a putative
simple behaviour gaining interest in laterality research, we analysed histomorphology of two selected muscles involved in
lateral movements of the tail. Moreover, our preliminary results indicate interactions between tail bias and personality
indices. This study hence is a first basis for future research on laterality in pigs, which can provide insight into their
personality and emotionality in order to improve pig welfare.
A63. Dynamics of the relationship between personality and cognition in the
red junglefowl
Hanne Lovlie Linköping University, Sweden
J. Zidar Linköping University, Sweden
E. Sorato Linköping University, Sweden
H. Lovlie Linköping University, Sweden
While recent theoretical and empirical studies support a link between personality and cognition, the nature of this relationship,
and particularly the directionality of it, in general remain unclear. We explore the link between personality and cognition
in the red junglefowl (Gallus gallus) by exposing individuals to a series of learning tasks and personality assays. We
observe a task- and age-related relationship between personality and learning where fast exploring chicks learn a
complex task fast, a relationship that is reversed in adult fowl where slow exploring individuals learn faster. Further, when
exploring the directionality of the relationship between personality and cognition, we observe that exposure to early
cognitive stimulation affects behaviour later in life by producing individuals that are more vigilant in personality assays as
adults. Our results confirm that personality and cognition are inter-related, and suggest an unappreciated causal link where
variation in cognitive stimulation can affect personality. Further, our results demonstrate that an experimental approach is
beneficial to further our understanding of individual variation in personality and cognition, including their dynamic
relationship.
A64. Interaction between socially learned and naturally selected characteristics
of killer whale calls
Harald Yurk JASCO Applied Sciences & Coastal Ocean Research Initiative
Cetaceans use sound to explore their aquatic environment, forage, and socialize in similar ways that terrestrial mammals
use vision. In particular, odontocetes, rely heavily on acoustic signalling to survive and reproduce. The killer whale or
orca is the largest member of the dolphin family occurring in all ocean basins. Non-interbreeding killer whale
populations living in sympatry can be distinguished by differing feeding ecology, such as prey preferences, and mate choice,
driven both by inconspicuous anatomical and morphological adaptions and more pronounced behavioural differences.
The latter being the result of social learning as the main transmission process. Transmission of learned traits from parent
generation to offspring generation in stable matrilineal groups is a common feature in well studied populations. This
strong preference for social learning is the likely reason for very stable traditions in social behaviour, vocal behaviour and
feeding ecology. This stability can be traced through vocal traits, such as very stable vocal dialects, which are group,
community or population specific. At the same time as selective social learning leads to long lasting vocal traditions
that appear to play a role in recognition of ecotype membership among sympatric populations, acoustic divergence can
be seen as a driver for mate choice within some populations. In addition, natural selection, appears to influence the
overall structural design of acoustic signals allowing ecological differences to arise. Here, I will present how social
learning and natural selection may have interacted shaping the structural differences occurring in killer whale calls
including spectral energy distribution in signals that may point to differences in habitat use and prey preference.
A65. Social visual contact, a primary “drive” for social animals?
Henry Laurence UMR-CNRS 6552 - Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université Rennes, France
A. Perret UMR-CNRS 6552 - Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université Rennes, France
M. Coulon UMR-CNRS 6552 - Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université Rennes, France
H. Cousillas UMR-CNRS 6552 - Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université Rennes, France
M. Hausberger UMR-CNRS 6552 - Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université Rennes, France
I. George UMR-CNRS 6552 - Ethologie Animale et Humaine, Université Rennes, France
Social animals are always searching for con-specifics, thereby expressing a genuine ‘social need”. This need is illustrated
by the fact that social isolation can induce isolation syndromes that can be attenuated by devices such as mirrors.
Social contacts appear to be so vital for social animals that they may be ready to work to obtain social stimulations. We used
here operant conditioning to investigate the possibility to use visual contact (through pictures of same sex conspecifics) as a
primary reinforcer. Isolated males European starlings (Sturnus vulgaris) were offered the choice of seeing either social
images (i.e. pictures of con-specifics) or non-social images (i.e. pictures of landscapes or pictures of monkeys) by
triggering sensors. In contrast with most studies, our subjects were presented still pictures of conspecifics and not videos.
Moreover, these pictures were used as primary reinforcers and thus were not paired with food. Our data show that starlings
were ready to work and to use the apparatus (i.e. sensors) to see pictures in the absence of any other reward. Moreover,
they actively and significantly preferred pictures of conspecifics to pictures of inanimate objects (landscapes) or of
heterospecifics (monkeys). This suggests that 2D pictures with a social overtone can be used as primary reinforcers for
isolated social birds.
A66. Acoustic structure and individual identity in the distress and discomfort
calls of neonate goitred gazelles and saiga antelopes
Ilya Volodin Biology Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Zoo, Russia
O. Sibiryakova Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
R. Frey Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
K. Efremova Pirogov Russian National Research Medical University, Russia
N. Soldatova Ecocenter ”Djeiran”, Bukhara, Uzbekistan
S. Zuther Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
T. Kisebaev Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
A. Salemgareyev Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
E. Volodina Moscow Zoo, Russia
Degrees of discomfort affect animal vocal responses. We compared acoustic structure and individuality of distress and
discomfort calls in neonate goitred gazelles (Gazella subgutturosa) and saigas (Saiga tatarica). Distress calls were emitted
by human-captured neonates during censuses or conservation measures in the wild. Discomfort calls were produced in
anticipation of nursing in captivity (gazelles) or in the wild (saigas). In gazelles, distress calls (36 callers, up to 15
calls averaged per caller) were higher in fundamental frequency (f0) and the 1st and 2nd formants than discomfort calls
(24 callers, up to 15 calls averaged per caller). The accuracy of classifying individuals by 6 variables in their distress calls
(67% correctly assigned calls, 15 callers, 8-10 calls per caller) was lower than that of the discomfort calls (84% correctly
assigned calls, 15 callers, 8-10 calls per caller). In saiga, only the 3rd formant was higher in distress calls (69 callers,
up to 15 calls averaged per caller) than in discomfort calls (22 callers, up to 15 calls averaged per caller). The accuracy
of classifying individuals by 6 variables in saiga distress calls (82.7% correctly assigned calls, 22 callers, 8-10 calls per
caller) did not differ significantly from that of the discomfort calls (87% correctly assigned calls, 22 callers, 8-10 calls per
caller). Higher vocal individuality in saiga neonates might result from their “follower” anti-predator strategy, as vocal
individuality is crucial for mother-offspring communication in herds, whereas neonate goitred gazelle use a “hider” strategy
that involves environmental cues. Support: the Russian Scientific Foundation, grant 14-14-00237.
A67. Side-by-side secretion of Late Palaeozoic diverged courtship pheromones
in an aquatic salamander
Ines Van Bocxlaer Amphibian Evolution Lab, Biology Department, Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB),
Brussels, Belgium
D. Treer Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
M. Maex Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
S. Janssenswillen Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
F Bossuyt Amphibian Evolution Lab, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium
Males of the advanced salamanders (Salamandroidea) attain internal fertilization without a copulatory organ by depositing
a spermatophore on the substrate in the environment, which females subsequently take up with their cloaca. The
aquatically reproducing modern Eurasian newts (Salamandridae) have taken this to extremes, because most species do not
display close physical contact during courtship, but instead largely rely on females following the male track at
spermatophore deposition. Although pheromones have been widely assumed to represent an important aspect of male
courtship, molecules able to induce the female following behaviour that is the prelude for successful insemination have not
yet been identified. Here, we show that uncleaved sodefrin precursor-like factor (SPF) protein pheromones are sufficient to
elicit such behaviour in female palmate newts (Lissotriton helveticus). Combined transcriptomic and proteomic evidence
shows that males simultaneously tail-fan multiple ca 20 kDa glycosylated SPF proteins during courtship. Notably,
molecular dating estimates show that the diversification of these proteins already started in the late Palaeozoic, about 300
million years ago. Our study thus not only extends the use of uncleaved SPF proteins outside terrestrially reproducing
plethodontid salamanders, but also reveals one of the oldest vertebrate pheromone systems.
A68. Sensory laterality, stress hormones and immunoglobulin A in horses
(Equus caballus) during changes in semi-natural environments and human
management regimes
Isabell Marr Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Nuertingen, Germany
Vanessa Weiss University of Hohenheim, Germany
Andrea Dobler Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Germany
Volker Stefanski University of Hohenheim, Germany
Konstanze Krüger Nuertingen-Geislingen University, Germany
The study aimed to investigate sensory laterality and the concentration of fecal immunoglobulin A (IgA) in situations of
semi-natural stress (SNS, splitting and re-merging of social groups) and human management stress (HMS, individual housing
and initial training). The non-established measurement of sensory laterality and the poorly established measurement of fecal
IgA were supported by well-established stress parameters such as fecal glucocorticoid metabolites (GCM) and motor
laterality. Eleven 3-year old male, castrated, domestic horses were exposed to the stress situations. SNS resulted in a
significant increase of IgA (p<0.001) and GCM (p<0.001). Motor laterality showed a significant left shift (p<0.05). Sensory
laterality showed a slight and insignificant change to the left in SNS. HMS resulted in a significant increase of GCM
(p<0.001) and in a significant left shift of motor (p<0.05) and sensory laterality (p<0.05). IgA concentration in HMS was at
baseline level. Elevated GCM during HMS may have suppressed the IgA response, that was significantly lower compared to
SNS (p<0.001). The left shift in sensory laterality tended to be stronger during HMS compared to SNS (p<0.1). Especially
the increased left shift of sensory laterality and the baseline values of IgA in HMS compared to almost normal sensory
laterality and high IgA in SNS indicate that the horses may have perceived the HMS as long term stressors and the SNS as
short term stressors.
A69. Prospective vs. retrospective tool selection in Goffin’s cockatoos
Isabella Beinhauer Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
A. M. I. Auersperg Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
The ability to select the means for a task while the task or the respective tools are currently out of sight suggests a simple
form of planning. Here we investigate how non-specialized tool using birds, Goffin’s cockatoos are able to prospectively
or retrospectively select the functional tool for an upcoming task. The experiment involved two types of apparatuses, and
two types of tools. Each apparatus could only be employed with one specific type of tool. The subjects were never able
to see the tools and the apparatus at the same time before being able to make a binary choice. In the prospective
condition the apparatus and in the retrospective condition the tools were visually occluded prior to a choice. Preliminary
results indicate that at least some individual birds are able to solve both conditions. Paralleling previous results in apes
subjects seem to have more problems with the retrospective condition.
A70. Sex differences in spring migratory stopover behaviour of a North
American songbird
Ivan Maggini University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Y. E. Morbey University of Western Ontario, Canada
I. Maggini University of Western Ontario, Canada, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
J. M. Brown University of Western Ontario, Canada
S. Mackenzie Bird Studies Canada
C. G. Guglielmo University of Western Ontario, Canada
In many species of migratory songbirds, males reach their breeding grounds earlier than females, a phenomenon known as
protandry. This strategy increases their chances of maximizing mating opportunities. The proximate mechanisms through
which males achieve earlier arrival are still poorly known. We tracked Black-throated Blue Warblers (Setophaga
caerulescens) at a stopover site in Long Point, Ontario, Canada, using an automated radiotelemetry system (Motus
Wildlife Tracking System), to determine activity patterns and departure decisions. During two years of study we found
no differences between sexes in the onset or duration of diel foraging activity, the minimum length of stay before
departure, the departure time, or the post-departure movement paths.
A71. The role of visual feedback in string pulling
Ivo Jacobs Lund University, Sweden
A. von Bayern Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany, and University of Oxford, United Kingdom
The string-pulling paradigm is one of the oldest and most widely used tests in comparative psychology: over 160 bird and
mammal species have been tested in more than 200 studies. Despite this extensive research, many conceptual issues
remain. Most string-pulling tests could be solved by relying on visual feedback - seeing the reward move closer with
every pull. In the first study involving both mammals and birds, we investigated how an absence of visual feedback affects
performance in chimpanzees, orangutans, New Caledonian crows, jackdaws, common ravens, a hooded crow, a rook and
peafowl. We used two coiled strings so that a pull would not immediately move the reward closer. Relying on the
location of a reward would be unproductive because there was a gap between reward and string for the incorrect choice.
Although only a few subjects significantly chose the correct string, they always pulled in the correct string completely and
sometimes stopped pulling the incorrect string. Follow-up experiments with straight strings showed that the gap did not
pose a major problem for most subjects. The apes and corvids performed at similar levels, which adds to mounting
evidence of similar cognitive abilities in these taxa. Although means-end understanding without reliance on visual feedback
is suggested by ceasing to pull the incorrect string only, it is unclear why most subjects did not initially choose the correct
string. Several subjects had side biases or played extensively with the strings, which points to the potential weakness of
choice experiments in uncovering cognitive mechanisms.
A72. Personality and the reaction to predator in great tits (Parus major)
Jana Berankova Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia
R. Fuchs Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia
The results of our previous studies, dealing with predator recognition in great tits (Parus major), were often influenced by
variability in individual birds’ reactions. Personality in the great tits was repeatedly proved and therefore we tested its
role in the process of recognition and reaction to predators. Wild-caught great tits were kept individually in the cage for
6 days. They underwent a set of 4 test to assess their personality: novel environment test, startle test and reaction to novel
food (violet sunflower seeds) and novel feeder (blue dish). Great tits’ behaviour during the each of that tests was scaled
from 1 to 4 points. The tits were assessed as either “slow” (4-8 points) or “fast” (8-16 points). Four dummies
(sparrowhawk, pigeon, pigeon with sparrowhawk beak and pigeon with hawk beak) were presented to the tits in random
order during the following 4 days. Reactions to the dummies were consequently evaluated using Principal Component
Analysis (PCA). Slow tits were generally showing more fear. Also the females were more fearful during the experiment.
On the other hand, there was no statistical effect of age, season nor order of presented dummy. On the contrary to our
previous results, there was no significant effect of presented dummy. Explanation of that could be that the previous
personality tests caused habituation to the experimental conditions resulting in generally lower amount of fear regardless
of the presented dummy.
A73. The influence of road traffic on behaviour of woodland birds
Jaroslaw Wiacek, M. Polak, M. Kucharczyk Department of Nature Conservation Biology and Biochemitry Institute
Curie Sklodowska University, Lublin, Poland
The main effects of very rapid development of road infrastructure is loss or deteriorating quality of habitats, mortality of
animals in collisions with vehicles, withdrawal of birds as a results of noise in the neighbourhood of roads. In our study we
attempted to define the influence of a busy road on woodland birds during breeding season, autumn migration and
wintering periods. Birds were counted using the point method at 54 or 36 observation points located at three distances
from the road (60, 310 and 560 m). The field work was carried out in the Janowskie Forest in south-eastern Poland.
The traffic intensity was 6673 motor vehicles per 24 h. During the breeding season the number of birds per point
increased with distance from the road. Similarly, density nine common species increased from distance from the road.
Species diversity was lower near the road. Great Tit Parus major and Song Trush Turdus philomelos preffered the
neighbourhood of the road. Noise levels below 53 dB did not influence the number of birds or species richness. During
autumn migration period the number of birds and species diversity were lower near road. The number and species diversity
of birds were correlated with road noise propagation across study area. Noise level below 49 dB did not influence the
number of birds or species richness. Great tit and species foraging on invertebrates preferred the proximity of the road.
During winter study the abundance and species richness did not depend on distance from the road or traffic noise in
December, but in next months (January and February) the number of species and bird abundance were lower near the road.
A74. Testing Inequity Aversion in Wolves and Dogs
Jennifer Essler Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical
University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Sarah Marshall-Pescini Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research
Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna,
Austria
Friederike Range Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria, Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute,
University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
A test to induce inequity between two conspecific partners was run with 10 wolves and 10 pack-living dogs. Responses in the
test conditions were compared to those in multiple controls to determine the existence of an inequity aversion response in
both wolves and pack-living dogs. Similarities and differences between the two groups were then compared. Inequity
aversion refers to an individual responding negatively when its conspecific partner receives a more highly valued
compensation compared to what they have received for the same action. Studies show that domestic dogs are inequity averse
(Range et al., 2009; Range et al., 2012). It is unclear whether this is an effect of domestication and/or socialization, or
whether it was already present in wolves. As inequity aversion is likely linked to cooperation, it is possible that wolves also
show this response. In this study, we tested wolves that engage in high levels of cooperation both in the foraging and parental
context, and pack-living dogs that have been domesticated by humans, and no longer depend to the same degree on
intraspecific cooperation. We tested wolves and domestic dogs raised and kept in the same conditions. In our task, an
experimenter alternated between asking two subjects to press a buzzer in exchange for a reward, while the reward given
varied depending on the condition. Preliminary results indicate that both dogs and wolves react to being treated unequally. In
the inequity condition, when the subject received no reward but the partner did, participants stopped participating earlier than
in the equity condition when both subjects were rewarded equally (dogs, T=-2.805, p=0.005; wolves, T=-2.201, p=0.028).
However, this effect did not emerge when subjects received a lower quality reward compared to their partner (dogs, T=1.342, p=0.18; wolves, T=-1.342, p=0.180).
A75. Experimental manipulation of spotted hyaena (Crocuta crocuta)
communal latrines and evidence for multi-species marking sites
Jessica Vitale University of Nottingham, U.K.
T. Reader University of Nottingham, U.K.
The use of communal latrines is a conspicuous method of olfactory communication employed by spotted hyaenas (Crocuta
crocuta) in which faeces, urine, and glandular secretions accumulate at marking sites. Hyaena latrines are an
advantageous system in which to study the relative importance of multimodal signals, given the varying visual and olfactory
characteristics of hyaena scent marks. We investigated the relative role of visually-conspicuous white hyaena faeces in
intraspecific communication and the occurrence of eavesdropping by heterospecific receivers, through experimental
manipulation of known latrine sites. Naturally-occurring hyaena scats were collected from latrines located within resident
and foreign clan ranges, and translocated to vacant sites equidistant from a known (‘original’) latrine that had been cleared
of all hyaena scats. Remote motion-triggered infrared cameras were placed at each site to monitor behavioural responses of
all mammal species for one month. We observed 38 species encountering these sites, where 71% of these species
responded with investigatory and/or marking behaviours. On the whole, carnivores were more likely to display
investigatory and marking behaviours at original (cleared) latrines than at translocated scats, whereas prey species
exhibited the opposite pattern. Hyaenas preferentially visited and responded to original latrines, showing very little interest
in translocated scats regardless of the scats’ origin. This is the first study to examine the relative role of scats for hyaena
intraspecific communication at latrines, and the first to provide evidence that hyaena latrines are utilized as multi-species
marking sites to which several species respond.
A76. Timing of maternal nest building and perinatal offspring survival in
the European rabbit
Martin Seltmann Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
M. Rangassamy Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée,
Villetaneuse, France
K. L. Hoffman Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal CIRA, Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala CINVESTAV,
Tlaxcala, Mexico
D. von Holst Department of Animal Physiology, University of Bayreuth, Germany
H. G. Rödel Université Paris 13, Sorbonne Paris Cité, Laboratoire d’Ethologie Expérimentale et Comparée, Villetaneuse,
France
Maternal care in small altricial mammals frequently includes the construction of a burrow or nest where mothers will give
birth and raise their young. As burrow and nest building typically comprise a complex sequence of behaviours, delays in the
timing of those behaviours as well as disturbances causing such delays, might potentially interfere with mothers’
successful reproduction. We investigated such potential effects by analysing long-term data from a field enclosure study on
group-living European rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus). Mothers gave birth in naturally constructed burrows, usually
including a grass nest lined with abdominal fur. We hypothesized that unusually late maternal burrow and nest building
increases the occurrence of perinatal offspring mortality. Additionally, we aimed to identify causes for the occurrence of
such late burrowing and nest building behaviour. Most mothers dug their nursery burrow well before the last 24 h prior
to parturition, and only built the grass nest or lined the nest with abdominal fur during the last day pre-partum. When
mothers carried out all these tasks during the last 24 h pre-partum (late burrow and nest building), the probability of
perinatal litter mortality was increased by around 25%. Social constraints might have directly affected the mothers’
patterns of burrow construction and nest building. Late burrow and nest building occurred with a significantly higher
probability when at least some of the females of the social group reproduced synchronously, i.e. when competition for
breeding sites is expected to be high. This study sheds light on the patterns and causes of perinatal mortality in altricial
mammals under natural conditions and suggests a mechanism how mothers’ social environment influences perinatal
mortality.
A77. Does inequity aversion in dogs differ according to breed?
Jim McGetrick Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and
University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
D. Brucks Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and
S. Marshall-Pescini Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna
and University of Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
F. Range Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and
University of Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria
Inequity aversion is defined as the rejection of inequitable outcomes and is thought to be a mechanism supporting stable
cooperation among animals. Negative responses to inequity have been demonstrated in primate and corvid species that
exhibit high levels of cooperation with conspecifics. Similarly, domestic dogs have repeatedly been shown to display inequity
aversion. Interestingly, however, large variability exists in their response, with some individuals apparently more inequity
averse than others. Breed differences might explain this variability; recent evidence indicates that selection for
cooperativeness with humans has led to dog breed differences in performance on a number of socio-cognitive tasks. Here we
investigated whether dog breeds differ in their response to inequity based on the extent to which they have been selected
for cooperativeness with humans. We compared the response of so-called cooperative (e.g. herding dogs) and independent
(e.g. sled dogs) worker breeds using the same paradigm as Range et al. (2009). 12 dogs from each of the two breed
groups were tested with a familiar partner. The dogs in each pair were alternately asked for their paw with rewards
being distributed equally or unequally depending on the condition. Preliminary results suggest that cooperative breeds are
inequity averse whereas independent breeds are not. This provides evidence to support the hypothesis that breed differences
account, at least in part, for variation in the response of dogs to inequity. However, large variation is still evident even
within these groups; thus, further genetic or environmental factors are likely to contribute to individual differences in
inequity aversion in dogs.
A78. Pre-copulatory behaviour of the female during mating predicts
reproductive success in domestic horses
Jitka Bartosova, J. Dubcová, M. Pokorná, L. Bartos̆ Department of Ethology, Institute of Animal Science, Prague,
Czech Republic
Mating with preferred partner was suggested to increase the chance of successful reproduction in females. We investigated
behaviour during sexual encounter (N=109) in domestic horses where the stallions were selected by the breeder and
both, the mare and the stallion, were handled by people during mating (so called in-hand mating). This kind of mating
may lead to unfavourable or stressful perception of the situation by the mare due to low level of control of the situation by
the mare, including human assistance, physical immobilizing, almost no social interaction with the stallion, etc., which may
have negative impact on the reproductive outcome. We predicted that conflict behaviours (restlessness, aggression, flight or
fight reactions) expressed by a mare during mating lowered her chance to deliver a foal after this mating. We recorded 51
different behaviours in mares during pre-copulatory phase of mating. Heart rate and cortisol levels in saliva samples,
measured before and after mating, differed (p < 0.0001) among mares according to behaviour they expressed. Some
behaviours well predicted reproductive outcome, such as biting the bit, frequent ears movements, walking, headshaking
or tendency to flight. More than 70 % of mares failed to reproduce when exhibiting one or more of behaviours usually
described as conflict behaviours. In conclusion, conflict behaviour and consequent physiological variables of female during
mating resulted in reproductive failure.
A79. Emotional contagion in common marmosets
Johannes Gschwandegger University of Vienna
J. J. M. Massen University of Vienna, Austria
S. E. Koski University of Helsinki, Finlan
The study of animal emotions is of growing interest and is now established as a wide tradition in several scientific fields.
To study the phylogenetic basis of the role of emotions in empathic processing, specifically non-human primates have
been investigated. Thus far the majority of research has concerned great apes and some Old World monkeys. Little is,
however, known about New-World monkeys, even though they are very interesting due to their early split in the primate
phylogenetic tree. Common marmosets (Callithrix jacchus), known for their cooperative breeding system, high social
tolerance, and high levels of cooperative and prosocial behavior may be a good starting point to study the basic
mechanisms of emotional processing. In our study we investigate emotional contagion, in 19 marmosets living in 6
different groups. Specifically, we looked at the contagious properties of one of the most basic emotions, namely fear. Using
a frightening stimulus like a predator dummy, we experimentally induced fear in our subjects, and took video-recordings of
all animals’ expressions. In the test we presented these video-clips to group members and recorded the response behavior of
these observers. We compared the frequency of indicators of fear to the same subjects’ reactions to a control video-clip,
which presented a group-member in an affectively neutral state, i.e. relaxed though attentive. We will discuss our preliminary
results in relation to evidence of emotional contagion in nonhuman primates. The study contributes to our understanding of
the evolution of emotional processing in social interactions.
A80. Is conflict behaviour of male Japanese macaques associated with
polymorphisms in FKBP5?
Julia Herzele Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
E. Kalcher-Sommersguter Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
C. Franz-Schaider Department of Zoology, University of Graz, Graz, Austria
D. R. Gutleb Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; Department of
Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Behavioral Ecology, JohannFriedrich-Blumenbach Institute for Zoology and Anthropology, Georg August University, Göttingen, Germany
R. Steinborn Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
B. Wallner Department of Behavioural Biology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
L. S. Pflüger Genomics Core Facility, VetCore, University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria; Department of
Anthropology, Faculty of Life Sciences, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata) live in groups with a strict dominance hierarchy that bears a high potential of aggression.
We investigated the conflict behaviour of 30 males of a semi-free ranging troop located at the Affenberg Landskron,
Austria, by analyzing their reaction to fights. In line with previous findings the social rank position influenced the
conflict behaviour as all high ranking males interfered in fights, while low ranking males exhibited avoidance and
scratching behaviour while witnessing a fight of group members. The latter can be seen as a measure of stress or anxiety.
This stress-related behaviour, however, was also displayed by high-ranking males before entering a conflict and highly
variable among all investigated males. Investigating the genetic background of these individual differences showed a
possible contribution of the protein-coding gene FKBP5 (FK506 binding protein 5), a co-chaperone of the glucocorticoid
receptor. As a key component of the hypothalamus- pituitary-adrenal axis it is involved in the regulation of acute stress.
Sequence analysis around the orthologous human SNP site revealed two novel intronic SNPs, T/A and C/A substitutions.
Pilot data from five high-ranking males suggests that the presence of the A allele correlated with males’ scratching-tointervening-relation in answer to fights of group members. Whether the FKBP5 alleles contribute to individual differences
of conflict behaviour needs to be clarified. Currently we increase the number of focal males and evaluate the functionality
of this allelic variant and its interaction with other stress-related genes such as the dopamine-catabolizing genes MAOA
and COMT.
A81. ”Breaking bonds ? The social aftermath of interventions in
affiliative interactions in ravens (Corvus corax).”
Julien Bourdiol Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility, University of Vienna, Austria; University of Burgundy,
France.
J. Massen Dept. Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility,
T. Bugnyar Dept. Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Forschungsstelle, Core Facility,
Forming and maintaining social bonds is a key feature of animals living in structured social groups, as through social support,
bonding partners increase their chances of accessing resources and winning conflicts. Recently, wild ravens have been
reported to selectively intervene in others’ affiliative interactions, possibly in an attempt to prevent bonding and/or break
up recently formed bonds. We here studied the immediate effect of such interventions, testing the hypothesis that breakingup affiliating dyads has no immediate benefit for the intervener, and inhibit subsequent affiliative interactions for the
targets. The study was conducted on a population of free-ranging ravens in the Northern Austrian Alps, foraging
regularly at the Cumberland Wildpark (Grünau im Almtal, Austria). We used behavioural sampling to record affiliative
interactions of individually marked birds; in case these interactions were intervened by a third party, we recorded the
ravens’ behaviours in the first three minutes after the intervention. We expected that the interveners would display
aggressive and status-related signals and that targets of interventions would not re-unite and affiliate with each other
shortly after intervention. In contrast, our preliminary results show that targets of an intervention tend to engage in
affiliative interactions with each other or even with the intervener. We discuss how these patterns fit with conflict
management strategies described for corvids.
A82. To groom or not to groom - the link between allogrooming and neuroticism
in brown capuchin monkeys
Katarina Pera University of Zagreb, Croatia
T. Pintarić University of Zagreb, Croatia
Allogrooming is the act of tending another individual by removing dirt or parasites from their skin and fur. Its purpose is
ambiguous - not only does it maintain the good condition of animal’s skin coverage, but it also promotes social bonding
On top of that, the data suggest that, for females, grooming might play an important role when it comes to coping with
stress. That is because fight-or-flight model, the one predominantly referred to in literature, emerges from the research
conducted on males and is not suitable for understanding the behavior of females. The latter is due to the fact that the
females are bound to care for infants and, thus, unable to neither fight nor flee without endangering their offspring. On the
other hand, by gathering together and maintaining good social relations, they are able both to prevent stressful events and
to seek help from the others. Therefore, the current research examined the relationship between allogrooming received
and neuroticism (as an indicator of long-term exposure to stress) in brown capuchin monkeys. Observations were
conducted on a group of captive capuchin monkeys, and personality data was gathered by assessing the individuals on
Hominoid Personality Questionnaire, a questionnaire created for the purpose of assessing the Big Five personality traits in
non-human primates. Results showed that there was a negative correlation between neuroticism in female capuchin monkeys
and the amount of grooming received, while among males no such pattern was observed. This result is consistent with the
tend-and-befriend theory of coping with stress. The findings of this study will be discussed in terms of evolutionary
paradigm and conclusions of different behavioral patterns derived from sex differences will be drawn.
A83. Responses of urban crows to con- and heterospecific alarm calls in
predator and non-predator zoo enclosures.
Katerina Bila Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
J. Berankova Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
P. Vesely Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budĕjovice, Czech Republic
Ch. Schwab Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Urban animals and birds particularly have been shown to be able to cope with all novel threats in the city environment.
Appropriate response to alarm calls including revealing the fake calls and also probably not responding to calls of other
species differing in their ecology should be among the skills of urban birds. In the present study, we observed responses
of crows (Corvus corone) living in the urban area of Vienna and foraging within the Schönbrunn Zoo to the conspecific
alarm calls and heterospecific alarm calls of jackdaws (Corvus monedula). Jackdaws and crows do not form mixed-species
flocks and do not forage together. They differ in their antipredatory ecology as well at the same time. Both these alarm calls
were given during feeding the zoo animals, which were divided in two types: predators (wolf, polar bear) and harmless
animals (eland antelope with cranes and peccaries). These two contexts did not affect the responses of crows to con- as
well as heterospecific calls. Both of them always elicited flyoffs of most crows present. The crows flight away also
when a control great tit song was played back, but only in the predator species enclosures. This suggests that crows are not
sure about the threat the particular animals in zoo represent. Any alarm elicits high fear response. At the enclosures of
animals, which occasionally killed the crows (wolf, bear) the crows are also cautious and respond to any conspicuous
call.
A84. Curious as a monkey? Novel object reaction in rhesus macaques
Katerina Englerova National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles
University in Prague, Czech Republic
M. Rejlova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague,
Czech Republic
R. Rokyta Faculty of Science,Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
T. Nekovarova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in
Prague, Czech Republic; Faculty of Science,Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
Exploratory behaviour is crucial for surviving (e.g. recognition of palatable food or potential risks and predators, finding an
appropriate partner). Neophobia and neophilia could be evolutionary advantageous, however in excessive form both of
them can cause a serious problems. Reactions to novel objects are mostly studied via food-preference experiments or
ethological observations of time-unlimited behaviour toward new objects. The goal of our study was to compare
reactions of rhesus monkeys in conditions of time-limited and time-unlimited experiments. The first part of our
experiment was designed as a modification of a one-choice test. Two same pieces of food were hidden into two different
cups. First cup was familiar to the monkey while the second one represented the novel object. In the following session,
previous novel object was presented as familiar and another one was added. In the second part a series of free
exploration of different objects was carried out. In the first session a completely new object was presented to the monkey.
In the second session another object was added to the previous one; this procedure was repeated once more. Differences
between approach toward familiar and new objects were analysed as well as the distinctions between sessions. The results
show that the monkeys do not have any uniform behaviour pattern. Complete results indicate that in time-limited
experiment our monkeys tend to response in slightly more neophobic way than in free exploration. This project was
supported by the GAUK 1508414, by Prvouk P34 and by “NIMH-CZ”, g.n. ED2.1.00/03.0078, the ERDF, and
“Sustainability for the National Institute of Mental Health”, g.n. LO1611, with a financial support from the MEYS of CZ
under the NPU I program, AV CR M200111204 and RVO: 6798582
A85. Eavesdropping on Interspecific Alarm Vocalizations: Maximizing Information
Katharina Mahr Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of
Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
C. L. Seifert Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia and Biology Center, The Czech Academy of Sciences, České
Budějovice, Czech Republic
H. Hoi Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of
Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
Predation can be considered as one of the major factors reducing the survival of the brood and hence lifetime reproductive
success. Therefore individuals should be able to maximize the information received about their environment. A crucial
source of information about predator abundance is eavesdropping on interspecific alarm vocalizations. Blue tits (Cyanistes
caeruleus) and great tits (Parus major) produce two distinctive types of alarm calls directed towards different predators, one
specifically for snakes and the other for aerial raptors. Those specific alarm vocalizations are mainly used in parent offspring communication to manipulate the behaviour of fledglings in the breeding cavity. Given, that both species breed in
close vicinity two questions arise (i) do breeding individuals also perceive ”private” communication patterns of neighboring
species and (ii) do they estimate the risk for their own offspring and respond accordingly? To investigate whether Blue tits
eavesdrop on predator specific alarm vocalizations of Great tits, we conducted a playback experiment using alarm calls of
both species. Our results reveal that Blue tits respond with mobbing towards the snake-call, which presents a high risk
towards the nestlings but not the adults. In contrast, individuals kept greater distance towards the playback of the aerial
raptor specific call. These findings indicate that birds respond not only towards general alarm vocalizations but also
recognize predator specific alarm calls involved into parent offspring communication of other species. Furthermore they
differentiate between predator type and display risk dependent defence behaviour.
A86. Citizen science in urban wildlife research: An unusual cooperation between
a research institute and a public broadcasting corporation
Sophia Kimmig Leibniz Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
H. Hofer Leibniz Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
S. Kiefer Leibniz Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
M. Brandt Leibniz Institute for Zoo- and Wildlife Research (IZW), Berlin, Germany
Successful citizen science depends to a large extent on the successful recruitment of participants. How can this be quickly
and efficiently accomplished? We describe the results of a collaboration between an academic institution and the key
player in the regional media landscape. In 2015, the public broadcasting corporation Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg started
a media campaign on red foxes in the city of Berlin, designed to operate as the starting point for a citizen science
component in a research project on red foxes and their adaptability to urban environments, run by the IZW. The topic
was covered from many angles in numerous TV and radio shows, and the audience was asked to send in photos, videos
and narratives of fox encounters which were then published on a dedicated website. Since urban dwellers are increasingly
alienated from nature, our goal was to increase people’s awareness of the presence of urban wildlife. The response exceeded
the expectations: around 900 “fox watchers” submitted their contributions and more than 350.000 people followed a TVshow on “city foxes”, presenting a mixture of scientific information and entertainment. The resulting publicity is used to
kick-start a citizen science project with increased level of citizen participation. We provide an interactive map of Berlin,
offering different tasks on collection of spatial data. We will highlight the importance of media collaboration as a key
factor for participant recruitment and motivation. If suitable for specific research questions, citizen science has high
potential for gaining geo-information that is not available in GIS data bases. However it is important to implement
measures of data validation, by comparing citizen scientists’ data with those collected with established methods.
A87. Human vs. conspecific demonstrator - Understanding of pointing cues in
three captive lemur species
Klara Kittler Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
P. M. Kappeler University of Göttingen, Germany; German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
C. Fichtel German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
One of the advantages of group living is the exchange of information among group members. In this context, it might
be beneficial to be able to follow the gaze of conspecifics and understand their gestures. This ability has been studied
in various non-human primates by conducting object-choice experiments offering social-visual cues by human
demonstrators for locating a reward. However, compared to conspecifics, human demonstrators may not be an appropriate
model for some species. Therefore, we used an object-choice task to compare the performance of three lemur species
(Microcebus murinus, n=13; Lemur catta, n=27; Varecia variegata, n=13) with the cues (looking or looking & pointing) for
the location of a hidden food reward either given by a human or a conspecific model depicted in pictures. The same
methodology has already been used with children, apes and monkeys, but only using humans as demonstrators. All three
lemur species performed equally well or even better than the ape and monkey species when dealing with a human
demonstrator. However, since we worked with several lemur groups living under different housing conditions, our results
additionally indicate that performance may depend on general experience with previous interactions with humans.
Lemurs performed considerably better with a human experimenter when they were used to regular close contact with
humans, whereas individuals of the other population performed better with a depicted conspecific as a demonstrator. Thus,
lemurs can make use of social-visual cues. However, the exact nature of the stimulus (conspecific/human), as well as
the experience with demonstrators (human), seems to have important consequences for performance in these experiments.
A88. Movement patterns and spatial orientation in tadpole transporting frogs
Kristina Beck Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
M-C. Loretto Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
M. Ringler Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
W. Hödl Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
A. Pas̆ukonis Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Accurate orientation during goal directed movements reduces costs such as exposure to predators or energetic expenditure.
Among vertebrates, navigation mechanisms of free-living animals have been mainly studied in long distance migrants, such
as birds. Overall, amphibians are considered to be the most sedentary vertebrates but many species show occasional
directional movements ranging over a few hundred meters. Most studies on amphibian movements have focused on pondbreeding temperate-region species while very little is known about tropical frogs, which show a variety of complex spatial
behaviors. Dendrobatidae (dart-poison frogs) exhibit some of the most complex spatial behaviors among amphibians such as
territoriality and tadpole transport from terrestrial clutches to widely, distributed larval deposition sites. We studied the
movement patterns of the neotropical frog Allobates femoralis during tadpole transport by tracking male frogs using a
harmonic direction finder with miniature transponders to artificial deposition sites and back to the territory. In addition, we
investigated the navigation mechanisms of tadpole transporting males using translocation experiments. Our results reveal
highly accurate orientation to deposition sites and back to the home territory. Translocated frogs flexibly adjusted their
paths to artificial deposition sites even when the pools themselves were removed. The results strongly suggest that poison
frogs rely on a flexible use of spatial memory for orientation in their habitat.
A89. Personality in wild ravens
Bertrand Laloux Université catholique de Louvain, Belgium; Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungstelle, University of
Vienna, Austria
J. J. M. Massen Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungstelle, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Cognitive
T. Bugnyar Core Facility Konrad Lorenz Forschungstelle, University of Vienna, Austria; Department of Cognitive
Research on animal personality, i.e. long-term consistency in inter-individual differences of behavioural traits across time
and contexts, has developed dramatically in the past two decades. In highly social animals, personality patterns are
particularly dependent on social context. Therefore, ecological validity of personality studies in captivity is often limited and
so far field research on long-lived species remains rare. Here we conducted a field study on personality of common ravens
(Corvus corax), a long-lived social bird species displaying complex socio-cognitive abilities. At our long-term study site
at the Cumberland Wildpark Grünau, Austrian Alps, we combined focal observations and an experimental approach during
the feedings of captive boars and wolves, as well as in a non-feeding context. We studied behavioural responses of the
ravens when faced with food sources: (1) in the presence and absence of boars (possibly hinting at exploration,
boldness); (2) in the presence of wolves (boldness); and (3) in the presence of novel objects (neophobia). We repeated
these experiments multiple times over the course of ca. 4 months and tested for consistency along this period of both the
behavioural responses to our experiments, as well as the ravens’ overall behaviour in focal observations. We expected longterm consistency through interclass correlations between approach order and latency, interactions with zoo animals, and
general behaviour across the study period. However, after two months preliminary results showed only limited consistency
across time. We will discuss our results in light of the ecological validity for testing personality traits and with regard to
study limitations, and suggest further work that will be needed to assess personality in wild ravens.
A90. The glass is not yet half empty: Parasitic mite treatment and cognitive bias
in Western honeybees (Apis mellifera)
Lars Lewejohann, H. Schlüns, H. Welling, J. R. Federici Behavioral Phenotyping Unit University of Osnabrueck
Honey bees (Apis mellifera) are prone to judge an ambiguous stimulus negatively if they had been agitated through shaking
which simulates a predator attack. Such a cognitive bias has been suggested to reflect an internal emotional state analogous
to humans who judge more pessimistically when they do not feel well. In order to experimentally test cognitive bias, an
animal is conditioned to respond to two different stimuli, where one is punished while the other is rewarded.
Subsequently a third, ambiguous stimulus is presented and it is measured whether the subject responds as if it expects a
reward or a punishment. Generally it is assumed that negative experiences lower future expectations, rendering the animals
more pessimistic. Here we tested if a most likely negatively experienced formic acid treatment against the parasitic mite
Varroa destructor also affects future expectations of honey bees. We applied an olfactory learning paradigm (i.e.,
conditioned proboscis extension response) using two odorants and blends of these odorants as the ambiguous stimuli.
Unlike agitating honey bees, exposure to formic acid did not significantly change the response to the ambiguous stimuli
in comparison to untreated bees. Hence, there is no evidence that the commonest treatment against one of the most harmful
bee pests has detrimental effects on cognitive bias in honey bees.
A91. Sexually attractive traits as reliable indicators of current disease status in
house mice
Patricia C. Lopes Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich,
Switzerland
B. König Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
In sexually reproducing species honest signalling of health is important for female choice of a mating partner. However,
given that a number of different species are able to overcome behavioural symptoms of infection when mating opportunities
are available, not all signals may be honest. Male mice produce ultrasonic vocalizations (USV) during sexual encounters and
these appear to act as secondary sexual characters. To understand whether USVs convey information on current male
condition, we manipulated sickness status by administering lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injections, and recorded the behaviours
and vocalizations of brother pairs receiving opposite injections (Control or LPS) when simultaneously exposed to a female
overnight. Additionally, we assessed darcin (a sexually attractive urinary protein) and testosterone levels of these males, as
well as female visits to each male. LPS-injected males had lower levels of testosterone and darcin and lower regular
ultrasonic syllable production than control-injected males, while producing a larger number of high-frequency ultrasonic
syllables. Female mice distinguished between LPS-injected and control males. Given that both ultrasonic vocalization and
urinary protein production are androgenic control, the decrease in testosterone of immune-challenged mice may enforce the
reliability of these signals as indicators of current health status.
B01. Multimodal communication in the cichlid Maylandia zebra
Laura Chabrolles, J. Attia, I. Ben Ammar, N. Boyer, M. Beauchaud Equipe de Neuro-Ethologie Sensorielle
(ENES/Neuro-PSI), CNRS UMR 9197, Université Etienne, France.
C. Amorim Mare–Marine and Environmental Sciences Centre, ISPA Instituto Universitário, Lisboa, Portugal
P. Fonseca Centro de Biologia Ambiental, Universitário de Lisboa, Portugal
Communication during social interactions engages multiple channels and decoding information carried by each of them and
their relative importance is challenging. Cichlids of the African lakes primarily rely on the use of five sensory channels: the
vision, the olfaction, the hearing, the mechanosensation and the taste. They constitute therefore an ideal model for
studying the multimodal communication during social interactions. In this study we were more particularly interested in a
species, Maylandia zebra. We looked into the information conveyed by the vision, the olfaction and the hearing during
territorial fights between males. To decode the information carried by these channels, we first studied them separately. For
that purpose, a single resident male was tested with playbacks of visual (alive opponent in a jar), acoustic (agonistic
sounds) or chemical (urine from dominant male) signals. We performed the testing during three consecutive days. Each
individual received randomly one modality (acoustic or chemical or visual) per day. We measured the behavioural response
of the tested individual, by counting the agonistic and territorial behaviours. Our results showed that a visual stimulation
caused aggressive behaviours from the tested individual. On the other hand, the response to sound and chemical playbacks
was essentially characterized by territorial acts as the maintenance: the tested fish moved more the substratum (sand) in his
tank. Visual, acoustic and chemical channels may convey different information and visual channel may be predominant. The
present study brings new insights on multimodal communication in fishes. It is then of prior importance to present
channels at the same time.
B02. Song learning and cognitive abilities in zebra finches
(Taeniopygia guttata)
Lucille Le Maguer, N. Geberzahn Laboratoire Éthologie Cognition Développement, EA3456, Université Paris Ouest
Nanterre La Défense, Nanterre cedex France; Université Paris Lumières; Institut Francilien d’Éthologie
S. Deregnaucourt Laboratoire Éthologie Cognition Développement, EA3456, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense,
Nanterre cedex France; Université Paris Lumières; Institut Francilien d’Éthologie; Institut Universitaire de France
Despite a recent interest in studying cognitive abilities in oscine songbirds, few studies focus on connecting these capacities
to singing behaviour in general and to song learning in particular. Song learning itself is a challenging cognitive task
and there is evidence in many oscine songbirds that sexual selection favours precisely-learned song. However, few studies
so far addressed whether the accuracy with which songs are learned may serve as an indicator of other cognitive abilities.
Here we measured the performance of adult male zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) in a cognitive task. We used male
offspring of a captive colony where founder males were originally trained to produce the same song. Using a semiautomated procedure, we measured: a similarity score between the song of the offspring and the founders and a song
complexity index. We observed an inter-individual variability in the song: some individuals have learned to produce a very
close copy of the founders’ song while others produced a poor copy. We observed a positive correlation between the
similarity score and the song complexity index, suggesting that the more the songs are similar to founders’ songs, the more
they are difficult to produce. We investigated whether these proxies of song learning (similarity score, complexity index)
were linked to the cognitive abilities of the males by evaluating their performance during a reversal learning (colour
association) task. We did not observe a significant correlation between proxies of song learning and male performance to
solve the cognitive task. Our results do not support the idea that the acoustic structure of song could signal cognitive skills
in the zebra finch. Several alternative hypotheses inspired by studies on language will be discussed.
B03. Beyond an apparent cacophony: the social bases of black howler monkey
choruses
Alban Lemasson Rennes 1 University (France)
M. Briseño-Jaramillo National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
A. Estrada National Autonomous University of Mexico, Mexico
Howler monkeys are amongst the most popular primates because of their impressive howling bouts, but little is known about
their vocal flexibility. At first sight, howling bouts sound like a cacophony with little apparent acoustic diversity and
temporal organisation. We faced the challenge by sampling every single sound unit in the bouts of several free-ranging
groups of black howler monkeys. First, we described twelve acoustically discrete and contextually varied call types. Adult
males and females shared ¾ of the repertoire but participated to howling bouts at different rates, male being the “talkative
sex”. Second, we found individual acoustic variations in the two call types the most frequently emitted. We demonstrated,
by exposing neighbouring groups to (in)congruent socio-spatial playback situations, males’ ability in individual auditory
recognition. Third, we found a non-randomness pattern of call coordination. While adult males avoided call overlap, adult
females produced most of their calls in superposition, especially with other females. Fourth, we described a particular male
gesture (i.e. placing a hand in front of the mouth while roaring). It was found only in a subset, geographically close, of the
29 study groups. It was audience-dependent, triggered vocal responses and modified the acoustic structure by lowering the
voice. This innovated and culturally transmitted communication signal plays a role in inter-group competition and intragroup cohesion. In sum, we demonstrate a flexibility in howler monkeys in terms of call production and usage, auditory
perception, vocal interactions and multimodal communication. In line with the coevolution hypothesis, we found that
social factors (e.g. caller social status and call social function) guide this flexibility.
B04. Food-sharing and affinity: a longitudinal comparative study
in cockatiels and jackdaws
Agatha Lievin Bazin Laboratoire Ethologie, Cognition, Développement, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre la Défense, France;
Ludwig- Maximilians-Universität München, Germany Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewisen, Germany
M. Le Covec Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Ouest-Nanterre-la Défense, Nanterre,
France
L. Grosboillot Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Ouest-Nanterre-la Défense, Nanterre,
France
M. Pineaux Université Laval, Quebec city, Canada
D. Bovet Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, Université Paris Ouest-Nanterre-la Défense, Nanterre, France
A. M. P. von Bayern Max-Planck-Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
Food-sharing occurs largely in birds, especially during courtship and parental care. This behavior has been the subject of
much attention because of its apparent altruistic nature, its link with prosociality and its possible impact on the evolution of
complex cognition in human and non-human primates. One of the functions of food-sharing may be to build and strengthen
bonds between kin and non-kin individuals. Birds such as psittacids and corvids usually form pair-bonds for life so
choosing a reliable partner as a mate is crucial. It has been shown in previous studies with young jackdaws (Corvus
monedula) that food-sharing strongly correlated with other socio-positive behaviors, peaked in the 2-months period postfledging and decreased by the time that individuals formed exclusive relations with one affiliative partner. We extended
these research using this time a group of cockatiels (Nymphicus hollandicus) including 5 siblings and 5 non-apparented
birds in order to compare our results and better explain the function of food sharing and its consequences in affiliative
partners choices. We chose to compare food- sharing in corvids and psittacids because they are, the two most cognitiveadvanced bird families. We collected data during 2 years and monitored this behavior over time and its correlations with
affinity and kinship. We observed a dramatic decrease of food-sharing over time and that cockatiels were more encline to
share food with siblings than with other conspecifics. But contrary to jackdaws, two-years-old cockatiels were still keen
to share food with several partners (siblings mainly). Despite these differencies, it seems that food sharing evolves over
time the same way in these two species, with a global decrease of food sharing.
B05. Parental care behavior in poison frogs: from hormone-treatments and
abandoned tadpoles
Lisa Maria Schulte Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Belgium Biology Department - Amphibian Evolution Lab
K. Summers East Carolina University, USA
Anurans have evolved a great diversity of reproductive strategies including advanced levels of parental care. Neotropical
poison frogs of the genus Ranitomeya evolved different ways to care for their offspring. While some species guard and
moisten their terrestrial eggs before transporting the tadpoles to small pools in plants, others directly place their clutches on
the water surface of such pools and only come back to transport their cannibalistic tadpoles singly to other pools - or let
them hatch into the same pool, where usually only one of them survives. Two studies regarding the different strategies were
conducted: The first one focused on possible hormones influencing parental care in R. imitator. Injections of the peptide
hormones vasotocin and mesotocin, which are known to trigger aggression and parental care, respectively, did not trigger
changes in the egg-guarding and tadpole transportation behavior in these frogs. Thus, the question about which hormones
trigger the parental care in poison frogs remains open. The second study was focused on tadpoles that did not
experience parental care (i.e. transportation). Raising cannibalistic R. variabilis tadpoles of the same clutch together, their
reaction to frogs entering their pool was analyzed. Being their only way to escape their siblings, tadpoles were highly
attracted to con- and heterospecific frogs, occasionally even trying to climb their backs. These results change our perception
of the tadpoles being passive participants in the transportation process. They rather seem to actively seek transport out of the
pool. With these two studies a first overview about the answered and unanswered questions regarding parental care
strategies in poison frogs is given, possibly leading to new aims and ideas in this field
B06. Vocal individuality and acoustic correlates of body size in the
display songs of banded penguins
Livio Favaro Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Via Accademia Albertina, 13 – 10123
Turin, Italy
M. Gamba Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
C. Gili Acquario di Genova, Costa Edutainment SpA, Genoa, Italy
V. Bertone Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
G. Todino Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
D. Pessani Department of Life Sciences and Systems Biology, University of Turin, Italy
Animal vocalisations can be used for individual discrimination or even recognition. Moreover, where the acoustic features of
vocalisations are linked to anatomical constraints that cannot be faked, the vocal signal can provide “honest” information
about the body size of the emitter. In penguins, acoustic variation in vocalisations originates from distinctiveness in the
morphology or size of the vocal apparatus. Using the source-filter theory approach, we investigated vocal individuality cues
and correlates of body size in vocalisations of banded penguins (Spheniscus spp.). We recorded several ecstatic display
songs (vocalisations uttered during the breeding season) from two ex-situ colonies of Humboldt (S. humboldti) and
Magellanic (S. magellanicus) penguins housed at the Acquario di Cattolica and Acquario di Genova, respectively. For
each bird recorded, we collected a total of eight skeletal measurements as indicators of the body size. Moreover, to the
longest syllable of each ecstatic display song, we measured the duration and several source (f0)- and filter (formants)related vocal parameters in Praat v.5.4.0173. Using a stepwise Discriminant Function Analysis, we demonstrated that
both f0 and formants (F1-F4) were essential vocal features to discriminate among individuals. However, using a series
of Generalised Linear Mixed Models, we showed that only call duration and f0 are honest indicators of the body size.
Our findings provide novel insights into the role of vocal displays as both social signals and quality signals in penguins.
Finally, we added important information to a growing body of literature on the role of the different vocal parameters in
conveying biologically meaningful information in monomorphic seabird vocalisations.
B07. How social context influences multimodal communication
in Eulemur rufifrons
Louise Peckre Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
P. Kappeler Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany; Department of
Sociobiology and Anthropology, University of Göttingen, Germany
C. Fichtel Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology Unit, German Primate Center, Göttingen, Germany
The influence of a species’ social environment on its communication has long been acknowledged, but it has only recently
become a major focus of research. Within this framework, the “social-complexity hypothesis for communication” suggests
that groups with greater social complexity will possess greater complexity in their signalling systems. Evidence in diverse
taxa and for three different communicative modalities (auditory, visual and chemical) currently supports this hypothesis.
However, despite the fact that most of the communicative signals are at least bimodal, none of these studies considered
communicative complexity using a multimodal approach. Yet, social factors might, at both the ultimate and proximate
levels, importantly impact variation in communicative systems. As strepsirrhine primates are conspicuously vocal, but also
rely heavily on olfactory communication and have a well-developed visual sense, they are particularly interesting to study
multimodal communication. We aim to test the effect of social context, defined as the nature or status of the individuals
present in the signal range (including the sender, the intended and non-intended receivers), on the multimodal
communication of Eulemur rufifrons, a Malagasy primate living in small multimale-multifemale groups with egalitarian
dominance relationships. This study will be conducted from March - May 2016 in Kirindy Forest on several habituated
groups. Testing the “social-complexity hypothesis for communication” at the proximate level and integrating a
multimodal approach of communication should provide interesting cues to understand the main socio-contextual factors
driving communicative flexibility.
B08. Who sticks out: coral snakes vs. king snakes, beauty vs. fear
Lucie Marhounova Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; National
Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
L. Průs̆ová Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Vinic̆ná,
D. Nácar Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biological Science, University of South Bohemia, České Budějovice, Czech
Republic
S. Lis̆ková Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; National Institute
of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
L. Marhounová Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; National
Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
D. Frynta Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; National Institute
of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic
Aposematic colouration plays an important role of a warning signal for predators to avoid dangerous prey. The colour pattern
of highly venomous coral snakes (a model) is imitated by harmless king snakes (a mimic). Despite their high resemblance
some animals have learned to recognize a deadly snake from an innocuous one. Could humans do the same? We compiled a
set of 16 pairs of images with one coral snake and its mimic in each pair. A total of 140 respondents then rated the images on
a beauty and fear scale. A model-mimic comparison of mean ranks revealed differences neither in beauty nor fear ratings, i.e.
the coral snakes were not perceived as more threatening. Thus, we focused on the attention people pay to these snakes. An
eye-tracking camera has been used to measure the number of fixations and length of gaze on snakes presented in pairs (a
model with its mimic) to 30 respondents on a computer screen. Each of the 16 pairs was shown twice to alternate the model’s
position (right or left side). Following the pair presentation, the subject was asked which snake he/she found more attractive.
Results were computed in R software using a lme model. The king snakes were found more attractive than coral snakes
(p<0.0001). The more attractive snake was looked at for longer time, no matter its position (p<0.0001). People spent more
time looking at the king than coral snakes no matter which one of them received a higher beauty rating (p=0.0064) and
longer gaze was also directed to the left side (p<0.0001). In conclusion, when sorting snake images based on beauty and fear,
the dangerous coral snakes are not sorted differently than king snakes, but when these are presented at the same time more
attention is paid to harmless king snakes which are perceived as more attractive.
B09. The Structure and Function of male and female Song in Dippers
Lucy Magoolagan PhD student at Lancaster University, UK
S. Sharp Lancaster University, UK
Female song is rare in birds and relatively little is known about how the structure and function compares with that of
conspecific males, especially in non-duetting species. Here I describe the song of male and female Dippers (Cinclus
cinclus), a highly territorial songbird with a complex song of up to 150 distinct syllables given in an apparently random
order with frequent repetition. The song of individually marked birds was recorded opportunistically over three years and
the behavioural context noted. Unpaired males recorded early in the breeding season sang longer, more complex songs than
males that were paired up and nest building or whose partners were incubating. This provides evidence for male song
being used for mate attraction, with those seeking a female putting the most energy into song production. Female song was
found to be structurally similar to that of males, with comparable frequency and temporal characteristics and with
individuals using a similarly sized repertoire of distinct syllables to unpaired males. However, females were more likely to
sing when with a partner than when alone, suggesting that mate attraction is not the primary function. Females rarely sang
after they had begun laying, and song may therefore help to coordinate breeding activities. Singing in order to defend the
territory appears to be shared by males and females.
B10. Brood-partitioning behaviour in unpredictable environments: hedging the bets?
Magdalena Erich University of Vienna
M. Ringler University of Vienna, Austria
W. Hödl University of Vienna, Austria
E. Ringler University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
Spreading reproduction across time or space can optimize fitness by minimizing the risks for offspring survival in varying
and unpredictable environments. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are characterized by complex spatial and reproductive
behaviour, such as territoriality, prolonged courtship and parental care. The partitioning of larvae from terrestrial clutches
across several water bodies is mainly known from species with carnivorous tadpoles that allocate their tadpoles in very small
pools, where limited food availability is accompanied by an increased risk of cannibalism. However, little is known
about the deposition behaviour of noncarnivorous species that use medium-sized to large pools. In the present study, we
investigated whether the Neotropical poison frog Allobates femoralis exhibits brood-partitioning behaviour when males
transport tadpoles 3 weeks after oviposition. We sampled 30 artificial water bodies for tadpoles, which we genotyped at
seven highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Based on the reconstructed pedigree, we show that A. femoralis males distribute
larvae of single and of successive clutches across several water bodies. The number of pools used was significantly
associated with the number of clutches per male. Ninety-three percent of the males that were assigned to more than one
clutch spread their tadpoles across several water bodies. Given the highly variable and unpredictable biotic and abiotic
conditions in tropical rainforest, at the spatial scale of the study species’ behaviour, we interpret this behaviour as bethedging to improve offspring survival.
B11. Dogs on streets die young: Factors affecting early life mortality
in free-ranging dogs of India
Manabi Paul Behaviour and Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and
Research – Kolkata, India
Sreejani Sen Majumder Behaviour and Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science
Education and Research - Kolkata, India
Shubhra Sau Behaviour and Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education
and Research - Kolkata, India
Anjan K. Nandi Department of Physical Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research – Kolkata, India
Anindita Bhadra Behaviour and Ecology Lab, Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of
Science Education and Research - Kolkata, India
Free-ranging dogs, a ubiquitous part of human habitations, have managed to survive on human wastes and generosity. While
a part of the human population shows affiliative interactions with dogs, often they are considered as a menace by people due
to some of their behavioural traits and as also reservoirs of zoonoses. Rapidly growing free-ranging dog populations, an
obvious outcome of the exponential growth of the human population, becomes a serious health issue in developing
countries where free-ranging dogs are not banned by law. Proper food waste management is often lacking, and animal birth
control programmes are too expensive to be regularly practiced. Moreover, due to their immense integrity with humans,
population management becomes all the more difficult, and management decisions need be founded on a precise
understanding of free-ranging dogs’ ecology and population dynamics. We carried out a five year-long census based study
to understand the pattern of population growth and factors affecting dogs’ early life mortality. Since most of the pup
births were recorded during winter when a drop in temperature might cause infections, especially those of the respiratory
tract, we have checked the effect of the diurnal temperature difference separately on the day of death on the mortality of
pups in the first month of their lives. We observed high rates of mortality, with only 19% of the 364 pups from 95
observed litters surviving till the reproductive age; 63% of total mortality being human influenced and 32% being natural
where temperature plays no role. While living near people increases resource availability for dogs, it also has deep adverse
impacts on their population growth, making the dog-human relationship on streets highly complex.
B12. The northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) - Phantom of the forest?
Manuela Merling de Chapa, O. Krone Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Department Wildlife Diseases,
Berlin, Germany
In former times the northern goshawk (Accipiter gentilis) was described as a species that you will never see; a phantom
of the forest. Nevertheless, times changed and so did the goshawk? Due to the increasing urbanisation of wild animals,
the question arises how these species are actually able to adapt to this challenging environment. One of those species
is the goshawk. The lack of human persecution in urban areas and the high abundance of prey in combination with the
high density of green areas in many cities probably favoured the colonisation of urban locations and lead to the worldwide
highest density of goshawks in German cities. Due to phenotypic plasticity, we assume behavioural adaptations to this new
environment. To examine this assumption, we measured different behavioural and ecological traits as diet analyses,
reproductive success and defending behaviour. But also possible costs were taken into account like an increased parasitic
risk, the mortality rate and causes of death. Preliminary results of 2014 and 2015 show strong differences between urban
and rural goshawk populations like a significantly higher breeding success in urban areas (Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test: W =
2890.5, N = 129, p < 0.001). For living at urban areas goshawks have to show behavioural adaptations to the permanent
presence of humans. In possible harmful situations for the offspring rural goshawks are still not attracting attention to
themselves, whereas urban goshawks are showing direct contact with humans (Wilcoxon Rank Sum Test: W = 1347, N =
82, p < 0.001). The results strengthen the conclusion that the phantom of the forest seems to be able to be a successful
city slicker with some challenges.
B13. New method to temporarily block androgen synthesis in birds
Mareike Stowe University of Veterinary Medicine, Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology
and Experimental Endocrinology, Vienna, Austria
L. Kawasch University of Veterinary Medicine, Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology,
Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Vienna, Austria
A. Michelitsch University of Veterinary Medicine, Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology,
Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Vienna, Austria
E. Möstl University of Veterinary Medicine, Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology
W. Müller University of Antwerp, Department of Biology, Behavioural Ecology and Eco-Physiology Group, Campus Drie
Eiken, Universiteitsplein 1, Antwerp, Belgium
R. Palme University of Veterinary Medicine, Department for Biomedical Sciences, Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology
Androgens have numerous regulating and organising functions in a wide range of organisms, and have, therefore, been of
central interest for behavioural ecologists and endocrinologists. An experimental temporal interruption of androgen
availability is thus of great interest, but up to date only androgen receptor blockers (e.g. Flutamide) have been used in
birds, which have a number of well-known drawbacks. In the present study we tested whether androgen synthesis can be
successfully inhibited using a 17,20-lyase blocker (TAK-700 produced by Selleckchem). The enzyme C17,20-lyase is
responsible for the synthesis of androgens from their progestagen precursors. The main advantage of inhibiting the
enzymatic activity instead of blocking androgen receptors pharmaceutically is that treatment effects can be abolished by
androgen administration (e.g. via food), which permits an additional control group in experimental set-ups. We added a
daily dose of 0.7 mg TAK-700 per individual to the food of single housed male canaries (Serinus canaria) for seven
consecutive days. Droppings were collected every morning to measure amounts of excreted testosterone metabolites noninvasively with an enzyme immunoassay. Control males received the same food but without TAK. The observed reduction
in singing behaviour suggests TAK-700 to be an effective inhibitor of androgen synthesis. Hormone analyses are currently
ongoing, soon allowing to draw definite conclusions on whether TAK opens new experimental possibilities for studies on
androgen functions and it’s modulating effects on behaviour in birds.
B14. Males prefer virgin females, even if parasitized, in a terrestrial isopod
Margot Fortin, C. Souty-Grosset, F. J. Richard Universite de Poitiers UFR Sciences Fondamentales et Appliquées
Laboratoire Ecologie et Biologie des Interactions - UMR CNRS 7267 Equipe Ecologie Evolution Symbiose - Batiment
B8-B35, Poitiers, France
In many species, males may increase their reproductive success by choosing high value females. In populations, males can
interact with virgin or mated females, potentially able to stock sperm in their spermatheca. Therefore, males may
elaborate strategies to avoid sperm competition. In the terrestrial isopod A. vulgare females are able to store sperm and
to produce several clutches. Moreover, this species can be parasitized by Wolbachia which feminize genetic males,
transforming them into functional females. Our study compared attractiveness and mate choice when male is exposed to
both virgin and experienced females, with or without Wolbachia. In our experiment, we used mated females that already
produced offspring and rested for 6 months before the tests (i.e. experienced females). A virgin male chose between two
females: (1) virgin vs. experienced female both Wolbachia free, (2) virgin vs. experienced female, both naturally infected
with Wolbachia, (3) virgin female naturally infected with Wolbachia vs. experienced one Wolbachia free. Short distance
attractiveness of females was tested with a Y-test choice, and behavioural interactions were observed in an open field
test choice. Our results revealed a higher attractiveness of males for virgin females compared to experienced ones, even if
parasitized. Males performed more and longer copulation attempts with virgin females while experienced ones refused new
copulation. Our results revealed male capacities to discriminate and prefer virgin females even infected with Wolbachia.
Such choices could minimize male sperm competition. Further investigation are necessary to understand the evolutionary
consequences of both male choice and experienced female resistance on their fitness by estimating costs of female
remating.
B15. Acoustic variables indicate needs in Siberian crane chicks
(Grus leucogeranus, Gruidae)
Maria Goncharova Lomonosov Moscow State University, Department of Vertebrate Zoology (Moscow, Russia)
A. V. Klenova Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia
It’s well known that chick calls can convey information about their needs and state. However, most studies have focused on
food begging behavior, while the data about vocal encoding of other chick needs, such as need of warm, is scarce. Here we
experimentally tested whether vocal activity and call variables of human-raised Siberian crane chicks are related with
cooling. In Oka Crane Breeding Centre (Russia) we recorded calls of 10 5-15 day old chicks two times: in indoor pen at
comfort temperature of 25C (control) and in outdoor enclosure at temperature of 7-17C (experiment); each recording session
lasted 5 min. We measured 9 variables in 20 calls from the first half and in 8-20 calls from the second half of the recording
session (“first” and “last” calls respectively, 786 calls in total), as well as total time spent on vocalization. We found that
both “first” and “last” calls of warmth-deprived chicks were higher in all measured frequency variables; they also were
longer and followed each other through smaller gaps (e.g. peak frequency of “last” calls - 2.270.38 in control and
2.630.37 kHz in experimental recordings; F1,374=322.5, p less than 0.001). The total time of vocal activity in cooled
chicks was also greater than in control (F1,18=11.3, p less than 0.05). Thus the level of vocal activity, according to previous
studies of bird begging behavior, is quite universal indicator of need in chicks. We found also that unlike some other
species, temporal-frequency variables of Siberian crane chick calls are also good indicators of needs, both need of warmth
(this study) and need of food (our previous study). Hence we discuss how the way of need’ expression is related with
ecological traits of different species. Supported by Russian Science Foundation (14-14-00237).
B16. Does deep litter housing induce optimistic-like judgement in quails?
Maria Horvath Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Moyzesova 61, 90028 Ivanka
pri Dunaji, Slovakia
K. Pichová Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji,
Slovakia; Department of Animal Physiology and Ethology, Faculty of Natural Science, Comenius University, Bratislava,
Slovakia
Ľ. Košťál Institute of Animal Biochemistry and Genetics, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Ivanka pri Dunaji, Slovakia
The assessment of animal emotions is an important goal of the animal welfare science. One of the ways how to measure
emotional states in animals is to infer on them from altered cognitive judgements about the likely rewarding or punishing
nature of ambiguous stimuli. Our aim was to develop the concept of cognitive bias for the assessment of Japanese quail
welfare status in relation to housing. In 4 independent experiments adult hens were trained in touch-screen operant chamber
to discriminate visual cues - peck to a positive stimulus (to get food/reward) and to refrain from pecking at the negative
stimulus (to avoid white noise/punishment). After reaching the criterion of successful discrimination quails were divided
into 2 groups according to housing conditions (wire cage vs. deep litter) and subjected to judgement bias tests. In these tests
in addition to the reinforced and punished stimuli 3 ambiguous cues were presented. There were no consistent effects of
housing on performance in the judgement bias tests. There was no difference in performance of quail kept under 2
housing conditions in Exp1 and Exp3. Higher proportion of responses to ambiguous cues (NN p
B17. Ultrasonic vocalizations of house mice in semi-natural conditions
Maria Adelaide Marconi, D. Reitschmidt, D. J. Penn, S. M. Zala Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of
House mice communicate with surprisingly complex ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which are emitted in different social
contexts, in particular during courtship and copulation. There is mixed evidence whether USV emission provides a
reliable indicator of male social status, but studies are needed on wild mice in more natural social conditions. To address this
question, we recorded the USVs of wild-derived male mice (Mus musculus musculus) living in large, semi-natural
enclosures (four populations with 12 mice/population, and equal sex ratio). Social status of each male was determined from
daily observations of agonistic behaviors, and vocalizations were recorded in-situ when males investigated novel, stimulus
females periodically introduced into the enclosures (held within a customized cage). We detected USV elements using a
specially designed script (Automatic Mouse USV Detector or A-MUD) and we assigned calls to individual males identified
through direct observations and video recordings. We will report comparisons of USVs of males that differ in social status,
and the effect of female estrous state on male vocalizations. This study is the first to record USVs of house mice in seminatural conditions to our knowledge, and should provide insights into the contexts and functions of male USVs.
B18. Get a life! Social Behaviour in juvenile Greylag geese (Anser anser): from
family bond into teenage and pair-bond
Marie Depenau Core facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Austria;
Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Osnabruck, Osnabrück, Germany
Kurt Kotrschal Core facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Austria;
Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Josef Hemetsberger Core facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Austria;
Didone Frigerio Core facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im Almtal, Austria;
Greylag geese (Anser anser) form large flocks with complex social relationships depending in an annual cycle which consists
of mating, breeding, molt, the consolidation of the flock in autumn and merging into a stable winter flock. Each season
is characterized by specific social challenges for individuals. Particularly during their first three years of life, geese are
undergoing dynamic changes in their social status: From hatching, they first stay with their family until the next mating
season. In their second year, they integrate into the flock and finally find a long-term mate. We presently ask the question
how juveniles cope behaviourally with these dynamic social challenges - Are there differences between males and
females? Is the social status and familiar background influencing behaviour? These questions were answered by observing
N= 44 juvenile Greylag geese hatched in three different years (2013 to 2015). Focal animals belonged to the semi-tame
and individually marked flock of the Konrad Lorenz Research Station in Grü nau im Almtal (Upper Austria).The juveniles’
behaviour was monitored over five month divided into three different biologically relevant seasons (stable winter flock,
mating, breeding) by using the app prim8. We recorded social and agonistic behaviour and the spatial proximity towards
conspecifics. Preliminary results point at the role of social support by family members (i.e. parents and siblings) in
modulating aggressive behavior. Further results illustrating behavioural patterns of juvenile Greylag geese during their
integration into the flock will be presented and discussed.
B19. Greeting before entering home: Vocalizations during mother-infant interactions
in an infant-parking primate
Marina Scheumann University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover Institute of Zoology, Germany
Sabrina Linn University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Institute of Zoology, Germany,
Elke Zimmermann Zoo Frankfurt, Germany,
Greeting behavior plays an important role during social interactions in human societies signaling social acceptance. In
humans, greeting rituals emerged first in parent-infant interactions after separation. To investigate whether vocal motherinfant greeting rituals can also be observed in a non-human primate, we investigated vocal exchanges between mother and
infants after mother-infant separation in the gray mouse lemur. This primate is an ideal model due to its infant-parking caretaking system, where separations of mother and infant occur regularly during infant development. We audio- and videomonitored 11 families in the Hannover mouse lemur breeding facility (24 hours/d for the first month after birth). We
analyzed the occurrence of mother and infant vocalizations when infants were 0/1 and 10/11 days old for three conditions:
Return (=mother returned to the infant at sleeping sites), Together (=mother and infants were together at sleeping site) and
Isolation (=infants were alone at the sleeping site). Mothers produced calls significantly more often in the Return compared
to the Together condition suggesting that mothers vocally greet their infants upon return to the nest. Infants produce variable
streams of tonal syllables significantly more often when the mother is present (Return and Together) compared to the
Isolation condition. Calling probability of infant vocal streams, matching over time more to mother’s greeting calls,
increased with age. These findings suggest that infants practice the production of the adult-like greeting call during
interactions with the mother. Thus, vocal exchanges between mother and infants in an infant-parking primate may represent
a first crucial step for the evolution of greeting rituals in primates.
B20. The individual variation in cognitive performance in pigeons and
the effect of personality characteristics and stress: preliminary results
Marketa Houskova Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University
in Prague, Czech Republic
L. Marhounova Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in
Prague, Czech Republic
I. Janska Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in
E. Landova Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in
Cognitive abilities are not easy to measure, since the individual performance can be influenced by many factors such as
personality, individual coping with stress or hierarchy. Our question is how these factors can form an individual
performance in different cognitive tasks. In the last decade many studies focused on interaction between animal cognition
and personality types. Inter-individual variability is often measured from different values taken from novel-object (NOT) and
novel-environment (NET) tests, which represent just one personality axis - exploration. We believe that inconsistent
conclusions of these studies can be caused by correlation only between exploration and performance in one type of
cognitive task (typically reversal- learning task). We investigated reactions in two personality tests (NOT, NET) and
simple cognitive tasks (e.g. searching for the centre position) in pigeons (Columba livia). Personality types can reach
different status in hierarchy; moreover they can differ in stress sensitivity as well. We focus on any interaction between
these variables. We also looked for proximate causes by measuring of hormone levels (CORT, testosterone, oestrogen),
body weight and age. These factors can form individual coping with stress. Our preliminary results indicate that pigeons
show consistent behavioural reactions in different personality tests and their personality characteristics are related to the
index of dominance, which seems to be linked with different factors in males and females. Individuals with slightly
increased levels of baseline CORT were more successful in simple cognitive tasks. However, the preliminary results do not
indicate any interaction between performance in personality tests and cognitive tasks in pigeons.
B21. Evaluation of snake fear and beauty: Comparing countries with different risk
levels of snake bite
Marketa Janovcová Charles University in Prague,Czech Republic; NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) Klecany,
Czech Republic
N. Bakhshaliyeva Baku State University, Azerbaijan
E. Landová Charles University in Prague,Czech Republic; NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) Klecany, Czech
Republic
A. Guliyev Baku State University, Azerbaijan
D. Frynta Charles University in Prague,Czech Republic; NIMH (National Institute of Mental Health) Klecany, Czech
Republic
According to the fear module theory, humans are evolutionarily predisposed to perceive snakes as prioritized stimuli and
exhibit a fast emotional and behavioural response to them. In Europe and adjacent areas, highly dangerous species of snakes
are distributed almost exclusively in the Mediterranean and Caspian areas. We compared responses of people from Central
Europe (a low risk of snake bite) with those from Azerbaijan, i.e., the area with a high occurrence of the deadly poisonous
Levant viper (Macrovipera lebetina). We hypothesized that cohabitation with this highly dangerous viper shapes human fear
evaluation of snake stimuli resembling it. For that purpose, we asked respondents to rank photographs depicting 36 snake
species according to perceived fear and beauty. The results revealed high cross-cultural agreement in evaluation of both
emotions (beauty r2=0,816 p <0, 0001; fear r2=0,683 p<0,0001). Interestingly, snakes species eliciting higher fear tend to
also be perceived as more beautiful. Nevertheless, the multivariate axes fitting fear and beauty evaluation are still clearly
distinct. Thus, people can clearly distinct between these two emotions elicited by snakes. The deadly poisonous species
representing serious danger for humans are evaluated by both Azerbaijan and Czech respondents as highly fear eliciting. This
is especially true for the vipers and allies (pitvipers) possessing characteristic body shape with a distinct triangular head,
narrow neck and thick body. The “viper” type is generalized as the most fear evoking appearance of snake in both countries.
Thus, the fear response to snakes is not directly explainable by the observed current environmental and cultural differences.
B22. Numerical competence in rhesus monkeys: More is better?
Marketa Rejlova National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group,
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
E. Landova National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group,
D. Frynta National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group,
R. Rokyta Department of Normal, Pathological and Clinical Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
T. Nekovarova National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Normal, Pathological and
Clinical Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; Ecology and
Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague,
Czech Republic
Numerical competence is one of the many aspects of animal cognition, which we can find - in different levels - in various
animal species. In our study we focus on numerical competence in rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). First, we tested
monkeys in relative numerosity discrimination task with real objects. We have trained them in repeated one-choice tasks.
The monkeys have to choose one of two cups in which we had visibly hide different number of food reward. We
observed whether the monkeys were able to choose a bigger rewards. The number of objects (rewards) varied between 1 and
5. In the second experiment, we tested whether monkeys prefer size or number of reward - the monkeys choose between
one bigger reward and few smaller; the total weight of both types of rewards would be the same. Our preliminary data
demonstrated that tested monkeys are able to perform relative numerosity discrimination with the real objects, whereas they
have no tendency for either size or number in case that object has the same weight. Acknowledgement: This project was
supported by Project Prvouk P34, by the project “National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH-CZ)”, under grant number
ED2.1.00/03.0078, and the European Regional Development Fund, and by the project “Sustainability for the National
Institute of Mental Health”, under grant number LO1611, with a financial support from the Ministry of Education, Youth and
Sports of the Czech Republic under the NPU I program, and by the projects GA UK number 94215 and 1508414.
B23. Social defences of ant colonies against bacterial infection
Marko Bracic Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria) University of Zagreb, Department of Biology
B. Milutinović Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria)
S. Cremer Institute of Science and Technology Austria (IST Austria)
Group living has many benefits compared to a solitary lifestyle. Cooperation among individuals results in increased efficiency
in brood care, foraging, or anti-predator defences. However, living in social groups also has drawbacks; diseases can
potentially spread more easily between the group members, especially among eusocial insects with reduced genetic diversity.
Therefore, social insects have evolved sophisticated behaviours that act as collective anti-pathogen defences and
intensive health care toward pathogen-exposed group members. Currently, the understanding of collective defences of
insect societies is mostly based on studies focusing on ’external infections’ induced by fungal pathogens that penetrate
through the insect cuticle, and some studies using bacterial pathogens, introduced via injection/septic injury. However,
many pathogens enter their hosts via the oral route, through contaminated diet or via cannibalism. Especially in the
social insects, pathogens may easily be further transmitted orally via food exchange between colony members (larval
feeding, food regurgitation). We have established a laboratory system to induce bacterial infections in the Argentine ant by
oral route and study the individual and collective disease defences of the ants against these infections. We found
characteristic behaviour changes in both self- and allogrooming, which indicate early pathogen detection and likely reduce
the risk of disease outbreak in the colony.
B24. Vocal Tract Length and Syringeal Structures of Common Ravens
Markus Boeckle Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Forschungstelle, Core
Facility of the University of Vienna, Austria; Danube-University Krems, Krems an der Donau, Austria
Georgine Szipl Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Forschungstelle, Core
Facility of the University of Vienna, Austria
Fabio Cavalli Department of Psychology, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy
Paolo Zucca Department of Psychology, University of Teramo, Trieste, Italy
Thomas Bugnyar Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Forschungstelle,
Core Facility of the University of Vienna, Austria
Tecumseh S. Fitch Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Understanding vocal production in animals helps to better interpret function and meaning of the produced acoustic signals.
Acoustic parameters that correlate with phenotypic characteristics of the vocalizer might be utilized as cues by
perceivers. It has been shown that based on the source-filter theory various predictions can be made on signal structure.
Especially the filter i.e. the vocal tract length has been discussed to be a reliable indicator for body size in many
species. Differences in the vocal tract length between individuals as well as changes within individuals during phonation
should be perceivable in changing formant frequencies in vocalizations with pulsated or chaotic structures, or in low
fundamental frequencies and many harmonics. We here analysed vocal tract length of 23 dead ravens in order to test for
correlations with body-size measurements and body weight. Additionally we predict that due to sex dimorphism in size and
possible changes of the vocalizing apparatus during maturing, sex and age differences might occur in vocal tract length. We
could show that vocal tract length is correlated with body size and age differences are evident. We suggest that vocal tract
length influence formant frequencies that can be used by perceivers during decision making processes.
B25. Life-history variation in personality in semi-wild Asian elephants of Myanmar
Martin Seltmann Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
M. Lahdenperä Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland
M. J. Adams Division of Psychiatry, University of Edinburgh, Royal Edinburgh Hospital, Edinburgh, UK
V. Lummaa Department of Biology, University of Turku, Finland; Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of
Sheffield, UK
Evidence for personality in animals is numerous; however, data on personality in large, long-lived, highly-social wild
mammals is rare. In elephants, only zoo populations and wild African elephants have been studied, with sample sizes being
small. Here we investigated personality dimensions in Asian elephants (Elephas maximus), from which data is sparse, by
using a semi-wild timber elephant population of Myanmar. Data was collected with questionnaires, where oozies (elephant
riders) scored 30 behavioural traits on each elephant on a scale of 1 (very rarely) to 4 (most time). Whenever possible,
multiple questionnaires were obtained for each elephant from different raters, resulting in 497 questionnaires on 217
elephants. Furthermore, we studied the relationships between personality and life-histories traits (age, sex and origin (wild
vs captive-born)). Life-history data was gathered from a demographic dataset of these timber elephants. Elephants expressed
five personality factors, which were named as Agreeableness, Openness, Neuroticism, Dominance and Curiosity (extracted
from the 30 traits with factor analysis). Females were more agreeable than males, whereas males were more curious than
females. Captive-born elephants were more dominant and open compared to wild-caught individuals. Curiosity slightly
decreased, while dominance moderately increased with age. These results from a large dataset provide the basis for
future research on the link between personality and reproductive success in this endangered species. More generally, our
findings will help in resolving the selective pressures on personalities in long-lived, highly-social species.
B26. Function of audio-visual courtship signals in the Java sparrow: the relative
importance of duet dance and male song
Masayo Soma Hokkaido University, Japan
M. Iwama Hokkaido University, Japan
Mutual interactions between the sexes have multiple signalling functions. For instance, duet singing in songbirds serves for
mutual mate guarding, joint resource defence, or signalling commitment to each other. Coordinated visual displays of
mating pairs show similar properties with duet songs, but their function is less well studied. When trying to understand the
evolution of audio/visual signals mutually exchanged between the sexes, Estrildid finches are interesting as they all have
male song and dance for courtship, but show interspecific diversity in the presence of female song and dance. In this
study, we focused on an Estrildid species, to explore the relative importance of duet dance and male song in mating of first
met birds. When Java sparrows (Lonchura oryzivora) court prospective mates, only males sing songs while both males and
females perform courtship dance that are often mutually exchanged, which is typically terminated by copulation solicitation
displays (CSDs) of females. We predicted higher mating success when courtship dances were mutually exchanged (duet
dance), and when males sang songs (male song). We also predicted that mating was more successful when females initiated
courtships (female initiating) than when males did because females are assumed to be the choosier sex. We determined
mating success based on the rates of CSDs, mountings, and copulations. We found that female initiating had no effect
while both duet dance and male song contributed to higher mating success. Most females showed CSDs after duet dance
but before listening to whole song phrases, suggesting that duet dance played a crucial role in mating of this species. These
results indicate that mutually interactive components of sexual signals are essential for pair formation.
B27. Ravens, New Caledonian crows and jackdaws perform similarly to the
great apes in motor self-regulation task despite smaller brains: implications
for parallel evolution from a developmental perspective
Mathias Osvath Department of Cognitive Science, Lund University, Sweden
C. Kabadayi Department of Cognitive Science, Lund University, Sweden
L. A. Taylor University of Oxford, UK
A. M. P. von Bayern University of Oxford, UK; Max-Planck Institute for Ornithology, Germany
Overriding prepotent impulses instigated by salient perceptual stimuli constitutes a basic inhibitory skill. Such motor selfregulation underpins various complex cognitive processes including decision-making. Recently, MacLean et al. compared
motor self-regulation across taxa by conducting a large-scale study involving thirty-six species. Their results suggested that the
absolute brain size was the best predictor of the performance across taxa, while great apes were the best performing species.
However birds were underrepresented in the study. Given birds’ small absolute brain size and yet flexible behaviour, testing
more bird species can likely yield important comparative data. We therefore tested three corvid species, ravens, New
Caledonian crows and jackdaws, in the so-called cylinder task. Corvus species performed similarly to the great apes despite
having vastly smaller brains. Both absolute and relative brain size were significant predictors of the performance within
Aves. In another study we looked at the development of motor self-regulation in ravens. We used both the cylinder task as
well as a mesh barrier task. Raven juveniles are as proficient as adults at week 10 after hatching (i.e. on the same level as
adult chimpanzees). The results have implications for our understanding of independent evolution of complex cognition.
Similarities in fundamental skills that underlie more complex cognition suggest parallel evolution as it implies similar
developmental pathways when constructing their respective complex cognition.
B28. How many ravens does it take to preen one? A self- and social preening
comparison
Matjaz Hegedic MEi:CogSci, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia; Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna,
Austria
Grooming and its bird equivalent, preening, are ubiquitous activities in the animal kingdom. Social grooming - the grooming
of others - has been emphasized to play an important part in the creation and maintenance of social bonds in primates, with
strong implications regarding the cognitive abilities of a species. However, its role in the social lives of non-primates
has received little attention. Therefore, we investigated and compared self- and social preening in common ravens (Corvus
corax), who have complex social lives considered analogous to those of primates. We collected observational data on a
group of 10 captive birds during the course of one year, by recording ’focal’ videos, and coding them for preening behavior.
We specifically coded the frequency, duration of preening, the body parts preened, and the identity of the preener. We found
that social preening typically targets the areas harder to reach by individuals themselves, that it occurs predominantly
between dyads with strong relationships, and that the amount of daily activity dedicated to it was found to be comparable to
that of many primates. Our study provides the first in-depth investigation of bird preening, and its results challenge the
assumption of primates’ uniqueness with regard to social grooming and its proximate and ultimate causes. It also
provides additional compelling evidence that social intelligence of corvids may rival that of great apes.
B29. Navigation in the rain forest: experience based homing in poison frogs
Matthias Loretto Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Ian Warrington Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Max Ringler Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
Walter Hödl Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna, Austria
Animal navigation has become one of the most comparative fields in behavioral biology. However, orientation under natural
conditions has been mostly studied in animals moving in open spaces, such as birds and honeybees in flight, ants and
amphibians in open field, or sea-turtles and fish in open water. Little is know about how animals find their way in the
understory of the rain forest, where many cues, such as distant landmarks are limited. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) are
small inhabitants of the Neotropical rain forest understory and they show some of the most complex spatial behaviors
among amphibians, such as long distance tadpole transport. We studied the homing behavior of two territorial poison frog
species in the field using telemetry. We revealed that males of Ameerega trvittata return to their home territory via a direct
path after experimental translocations of up to 800 m. We also found that a small dendrobatid frog Allobates femoralis
relies on experience to find the way home from up to 400 m. Taken together, our results suggest that poison frogs form a
spatial map of a large area but the exact landmarks being used remain unknown.
B30. Dietary fatty acids modulate social hierarchies and physiological stress loads
in guinea pigs
Matthias Nemeth Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
E. Millesi Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
V. Pühringer-Sturmayr Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
A. Kaplan Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
K. H. Wagner Department of Nutritional Sciences, University of Vienna, Austria
B. Wallner Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
An unpredictable and challenging social environment can profoundly affect physiological and behavioral stress responses,
which are suggested to be differently modulated by dietary intakes of saturated (SFA) and polyunsaturated (PUFA) fatty acids.
In this context, we analyzed physiological stress loads, by measuring saliva cortisol levels, social behaviors and dominance
indices in male and female guinea pigs, maintained on control, high-PUFA, or high-SFA diets. Dietary influences were
compared in established single-sexed groups and during subsequent social confrontations with unfamiliar individuals.
Significant increases in saliva cortisol concentrations were found in control and PUFA animals in response to the social
confrontations, while cortisol levels did not change in SFA animals, but already appeared to be elevated in the established
groups. PUFA males additionally showed high rates of sociopositive and agonistic behaviors and also gained the highest
dominance index among males. Social behaviors and dominance ranks in females were, in contrast to males, not affected by
the dietary treatments. Our results therefore suggest that PUFAs enabled adequate physiological and behavioral responses to
challenging social confrontations only in male guinea pigs, allowing them to become dominant in this new social
environment. As no effects were found for females, the results may be indicative for a sex-specific effect of dietary
fatty acids on individual performance in the establishment of dominance hierarchies.
B31. How long does it take? Reliable assessment of personality from everyday
behaviour in cotton-top tamarins
Michaela Masilkova Department of Zoology Faculty of Science University of South Bohemia Czech Republic
A. Weiss University of Edinburgh, United Kingdom
M. Konec̆ná University of South Bohemia, Czech Republic
Most animal personality studies usually investigate individual differences on a single personality trait like boldness. However,
many species may exhibit consistent variation in more than one trait simultaneously. Behavioural coding, based on
classical ethological recording of common behaviours, may represent a tool for describing the entire hierarchically structured
personality model. This method, however, is considered to be time consuming. Through systematic evaluation of behavioural
coding we determined the minimal number of observational hours needed for a stable personality model in cotton-top
tamarins (Saguinus oedipus). Data were collected on 20 captive individuals and we obtained 15 hours of observation per
individual. Principal components analysis based on the full dataset revealed a personality model with 2 components
labelled as Extraversion and Confidence. We created 15 subsets comprising observations from 1 to 15 hours per individual.
Using Procrustes rotations, we compared the results of PCA. The final model with 2 components was stable after only 5
observational hours. This is the first study that systematically evaluates the relationship between observational time and
personality model development. These findings could enrich animal personality research both from practical and theoretical
points of view.
B32. Grunt-calls of pigs as a tool to recognise an individual piglet
Michaela Syrova Dept of Ethology, Institut of Animal Science, Praha - Uhrineves, Czech Republic; Dept of Zoology,
Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia, Ceske Budejovice, Czech Republic
P. Linhart Dept of Ethology, Institut of Animal Science, Praha - Uhrineves, Czech Republic
R. Policht Dept of Ethology, Institut of Animal Science, Praha - Uhrineves, Czech Republic
M. Špinka Dept of Ethology, Institut of Animal Science, Praha - Uhrineves, Czech Republic
Individual recognition is one of the most important ability for social living animals. It helps parents to clearly identify
their offspring as well as identify their mating partners or group members. The aim of our study was taken apart to three
questions: 1) if there is vocal individuality in piglets (Sus scrofa f. domestica); 2) if voices of piglets from the same
litter are similar to each other and 3) if the vocal individuality gets stronger during ontogeny. We recorded domestic
piglet’s voice in two situations - isolation and backtest; and in two ages - 3 and 25 days. Low-frequency calls, ’grunts’,
were measured in Avisoft and LMA programs and then statistically analysed by stepwise DFA to test the accuracy of
individual identification in SAS program. Completely, we recorded 92 piglets from 13 litters and analysed 1826 grunts
from isolation and 1602 grunts from backtest context. Our results show that 1) our ability to recognize individuality
according to grunts is approximately 34% (cross validation procedure) in both ages and both situations. 2) Grunts of
piglets are significantly more similar among littermates than among piglets from different litters (on the average 43% in
both situations), but quantitatively, the effect is not very strong. 3) Nor this similarity neither the individuality increases
during ontogeny.
B33. Non invasive demonstration of olfactory cued navigation in pelagic birds.
Milo Abolaffio Department of Physics, University of Padua ISC-CNR Firenze, Italy
S. Focardi ISC-CNR Firenze, IT
A. Reynolds Rothamsted Research,Harpenden, UK
The Lévy flight foraging hypothesis predicts that a Levy walk is the optimal search strategies in a poor environment whether
the Levy exponent is 2. A Levy-walk is a random walk in which the step-lengths have a heavy-tailed probability distribution.
Lévy walks have been first detected in albatrosses but this result appeared to be biased by erroneous data
interpretation and statistical analysis. However, following a harsh debate, it is now clear that several organisms (including
several species of procellariformes (albatrosses and shearwaters) do indeed Levy walks. Our analyses show indeed that
shearwaters’ displacements are distributed as an exponentiallt-truncated power law, but with a Levyn exponent around
3/2, a finding which challenges the predictions of the Lévy flight foraging hypothesis. Olfactory-cued navigation was
proposed as an explanation for these findings as an appropriate navigation strategy for birds moving in a featureless
environment. Analyzing shearwater’s gps-track data taken from several colonies in Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic Ocean
and correlating these data with satellite wind data we were able to find the first mechanistic evidence for olfactory-cued
navigation in bird navigation. We discuss implications of our findings and we propose innovative approaches for studying
olfactory navigation.
B34. Does offspring presence trigger defensive behaviour in parents?
Mukta Watve Division of Behavioural Ecology Institute of Ecology and Evolution University of Bern, Switzerland
B. Taborsky University of Bern, Switzerland
Ambient predation risk can influence animal life history strategies like growth trajectories or the decision between philopatry
or dispersal. If the assessment of predation risk can be made during early life and environmental cues are reliable, it can
help animals develop a better adapted phenotype. Animals should hence start sampling the environment from a young age.
As direct sampling of predators would greatly enhance mortality risk, it should be safer for young animals to sample
indirect cues from the behavior of adults, parents or other group members. Conversely,for parents it may be beneficial to be
more defensive against predators when vulnerable offspring are present. In some mammals and birds, parents can provide
their offspring signals with specific cues about the proximity and type of predators. In the cooperatively breeding cichlid
Neolamprologus pulcher,predation is a major driver of group living. Adult N.pulcher show differential aggression towards
different types of predators and potential intruders. A previous study has shown that fry develop different juvenile and
adult behavioral phenotypes in the presence of perceived predation risk when reared with or without the protection by
family members. It is therefore likely that fry pick up cues from adults to assess predation pressure. However,it is not known
how much the fry learn from the adults or if adults modulate their aggression towards predators depending on the presence
of fry. Here we present results on the differential aggression of N.pulcher breeding pairs towards their natural predator
L.elongatus when small offspring were either in physical contact with parents or separated by an opaque barrier. We discuss
our results with respect to the potential information offspring may obtain from parental defence behavior
B35. The influence of handling and handler on cortisol responsiveness in guinea pigs
Alexandra Mutwill Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Germany
Z. Morbach Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Germany
S. Kaiser Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Germany
N. Sachser Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Germany
Human-animal relationships can have a profound effect on animal welfare. In the present study the impact of handling and
handler on cortisol responsiveness was investigated in female juvenile guinea pigs. For this purpose, pairwise housed
guinea pigs were after weaning either exposed to daily handling sessions of 30 minutes for 5 days a week (including talking,
feeding, petting), or experienced only basic care taking routines. Handling sessions were thereby conducted nonprescribed in two animal groups, each by a different female person (A and B). After a handling or only maintenance
phase of three weeks, handled and control animals were tested for their cortisol responsiveness to a novel environment.
Handling by person A but not person B resulted in a significantly decreased stress response compared to controls.
Correspondingly, during the three-week period before testing, weight development in animals handled by person A
resembled that of controls, whilst animals handled by person B gained significantly less weight. The present study showed
that talking, feeding, and petting can have a profound impact on the stress responsiveness of guinea pigs. Interestingly,
these effects depended on the person that performed the handling procedure.
B36. Climatic Influences on Nesting in the Introduced Chimpanzees
(Pan troglodytes verus and P.t. troglodytes) of Rubondo Island, Tanzania
Nadejda Josephine Msindai University College London
Each day post-weaning great apes build platforms (“nests”) in trees and occasionally on the ground to sleep in at night.
Ecological hypotheses suggest thermoregulation, predator or pathogen avoidance as primary reasons for why chimpanzees
construct nests. Climatic influences on tree-nest construction were investigated in chimpanzees inhabiting Rubondo Island
National Park, in Tanzania. 809 night-time nests (<1 month old) were measured between 2012-2014. It is predicted that on colder
days with high rainfall, great apes should build their nests higher up in trees in order to benefit from early sun and to reduce
disturbance from dripping water above once rain has stopped. In contrast to previous findings, predictions for the thermoregulation
hypothesis were not met. In this population there was no difference in nest height between dry (<100 mm) and wet days (>100 mm)
(R2 = 0.002, N = 207). Suggesting that there is a learnt component to nest site selection. Rubondo's chimpanzee founders were
taken from the wild at a young age and lived in captivity for between 1-9 years prior to their release onto Rubondo Island in 196669. Therefore, perhaps they did not learn how to modify the height of their nests in response to variation in rainfall. However, the
chimpanzees showed high selectivity for certain trees, as 82% of nests were built in just three species: Synsepalum brevipes,
Pancovia turbinata and Drypetes gerrardii. Despite the fact these trees represent only 25% of specimens found on random
phenology transects. The leaves of Synsepalum sp. are known to contain terpenoids, which is used by the plant as a defence
mechanism against insects and fungus. By nesting in Synsepalum trees the chimpanzees are perhaps gaining protection from biting
insects and any pathogens the insects may harbour.
B37. Chimpanzee Greeting Behaviour: A Descriptive and Functional Account
Natalia Fedorova University of St Andrews
T. Matsuzawa Kyoto University, Japan
C. Hobaiter University of St Andrews, UK
Greetings may provide important conflict management in fission-fusion societies; allowing animals to negotiate tension and
relationship uncertainties arising from periods of separation. Here we provide the first systematic description of
chimpanzee greeting behaviour, and test two functional hypotheses: Formal Submission (FS) and Tension Reduction
(TR). We coded video data from the Bossou chimpanzee community in Bossou Guinea, to assess associations between
demographic and signal features in greeting interactions. We describe the effect of sex, signaller rank, and rank
directionality, on the signal type and modality, and the direction of greeting initiation. The Formal Submission Hypothesis
(FSH) suggests that greetings function as submission signals and predicts greetings should be given to higher-ranking
individuals. Our results suggest that while vocal signals supported FSH, greetings overall did not. The Tension Reduction
Hypothesis (TRH) suggests that greetings help to reduce the tension present at fusion events. Our data support TRH,
with male-male greetings occurring more often than expected by chance. Our data provide support for a more holistic
approach to the understanding of chimpanzee communication, with the integration of different signal types (gestural and
vocal) and different social roles required to fully investigate social communication.
B38. The functional extension of an acoustic signal: potentials, limitations, and
the trade-off between communication and echolocation on signal evolution.
Nikita Finger University of Cape Town
A. Bastian University of Cape Town
D. Jacobs University of Cape Town
The ability of a receiver to discriminate between different classes of conspecifics is an integral part of intra-specific
communication. In acoustic communication this discrimination is reliant on variation in call parameters between
different classes of signalers or through increased perception abilities of receivers. The amount of variation needed to encode
a particular intra-specific signature is dependent on the complexity of the classes of information being conveyed. In signals
with additional functions to communication, variation in signal design for communication may be limited. To better
understand the limitations of multifunctional traits, we investigated the potential use of echolocation in intra-specific
communication. In bats, echolocation is used for foraging and orientation but there is increasing evidence that it can also be
used for communication. In habituation- dishabituation playback experiments Geoffroy’s horseshoe bat, Rhinolophus
clivosus, discriminated between echolocation calls of different genders and individuals. A detailed analysis of the acoustic
structure of their calls showed that R. clivosus carry both gender and individual signatures. However, individual signatures
were weakened the more individuals were included in the analysis. We also detected echolocation calls with modified
terminal components which yielded greater variation and therefore stronger individual signatures in larger groups. These
findings suggest that adaptations for better orientation and detection of obstacles constrain the evolution of
communication signals that are unique enough for communication in all contexts. The required level of uniqueness for an
effective communication system is probably obtained through the integration of echolocation calls with social calls.
B39. Effects of oestrous cycle on behavioural Stability
Niklas Kaestner Department of Behavioural Biology, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Germany
S. H. Richter Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
S. Kaiser Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
S. Sachser Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Münster, Germany
Over the last years, consistent inter-individual differences in behaviour have been discovered in many animal species,
including invertebrates and even genetically identical mice. However, not much is known about the development of such
personality traits and variability in their stability across different life stages and physiological states. This study aimed at
investigating whether behavioural stability over time in mice is affected by the oestrous cycle, i.e. the periodic
transition between two distinct states: being and being not receptive. For this purpose, 44 female mice were tested twice at
an interval of 8 weeks in two social interest tests as well as two tests measuring anxiety-like behaviour and exploratory
locomotion (Elevated Plus Maze and Open Field Test). While one half of the animals was tested when in late pro-oestrus
or oestrus, one half was tested when in di-oestrus. Most interestingly, although there were no differences between the two
groups on the mean level, they differed in the degree of behavioural stability over time: social interest as well as
emotional behaviour of mice tested in late pro-oestrus/oestrus was less stable than that of mice tested in di-oestrus. As it
is discussed that animal personalities might have evolved because it is too costly to adapt behaviour freely to each
situation, a functional explanation for the lower stability during late pro-oestrus/oestrus could be, that around the receptive
phase, when looking for a mating partner, it pays off to take the costs of higher behavioural flexibility.
B40. A comparative approach to prosocial behaviour in children
Niklas Aaron Hungerlaender Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
L. Horn Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
S. Windhager Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
J. Massen Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Humans frequently help nonrelatives and they do so even when interactions are unobserved and unlikely to be repeated.
Recently, this so-called prosocial behaviour has been subject to many speculations in regard to how the human ability to
cooperate evolved and how it develops during ontogeny. Here we are interested in two fundamental questions: Firstly,
whether prosocial behaviour in humans is comparable to prosocial behaviour in other animal species and secondly, which
socio- ecological factors may affect human prosocial behaviour. We used a resource allocation paradigm to test prosocial
behaviour in 6-9 year old primary school children. Children could allocate valuable items like stickers to themselves and
to a familiar same-gender receiver. They had to decide between a selfish option (i.e. only one sticker for themselves) and a
prosocial option (i.e. one sticker for themselves and one for the receiver). As in animal studies, we used an apparatus, which
did not need any instructions and children were tested in real life interactions. Further, we tested whether friendship,
dominance and prenatal androgen exposure had an influence on prosocial behaviour. Friendship and dominance were
identified via questionnaires, observations during free play, and a game that could be monopolized by individual children.
Prenatal androgen exposure was measured via the ratio of second to fourth digit length. We hypothesised that children
would act more prosocially when being tested with a friend and when they have a higher social dominance rank and a lower
2D4D ratio, indicating a higher prenatal testosterone exposure. We discuss our results in relation to those from non-human
animals in similar set-ups.
B41. Communication or noise pollution? The role of the acoustic features of dog
barking in the auditory nuisance
Nikolett Czinege Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
T. Faragó MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Hungary
P. Pongrácz Eötvös Loránd University, Hungary
Excessive dog barking is among the leading sources of noise pollution world-wide; however, the biological causation of
barking annoyance remained uninvestigated. Previous research proved that human listeners can predict the barking’s
context and the inner state of the dog based on the acoustic parameters of the dog bark. Our questions were: is the
nuisance rating affected by the acoustic parameters of barks; does the attributed inner state of the dog and the nuisance
caused by its barks correlate; does the gender and country of origin affect the subjects’ sensitivity to barking. Participants
from Hungary (N=100) and Brazil (N=60) were tested with sets of 27 artificial bark sequences. Subjects rated each bark
according to the inner state of the dog and the nuisance caused by the particular bark. Subjects from both countries
found high-pitched barks the most annoying but level of annoyance was also high in case of harsh, fast-pulsing, lowpitched barks. Men found the high-pitched barks more annoying than the women did. Nuisance ratings showed positive
correlation with assumed negative inner states of the dog, positive emotional ratings showed negative correlation with the
nuisance level. Using dog barks as a model, we concluded that vocalizations with emotionally intense, negative valence
can annoy humans. Comparison of our results with previous studies show, that this nuisance effect can be connected to
some of the social contexts and inner-states of the dog, where barking can be adaptive from the evolutionary aspect, by
recruiting the attention of the owner.
B42. Effects of captive and free-ranging management on male rutting calls in
Siberian wapiti Cervus elaphus sibiricus
Olga Golosova Biology Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia
I. Volodin Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia;, Moscow Zoo, Russia
I. Isaeva State Natural Reserve ”Khakassian”, Russia
In red deer Cervus elaphus, captive and free-ranging management potentially affects rutting calls, responsible for male
reproductive success. We collected rutting calls using automated recording systems SongMeter2+ in rut periods of 2013
and 2015 from three populations of Siberian red deer C. e. sibiricus originated from the Altai/Khakasian region of Central
Siberia. We examined the total of 435 rutting calls, 145 calls per each population: Farmed (density 2.0 animals/ha at 70
hectares), Fenced (density 0.08 animals/ha at 5000 hectares) and Wild (density 0.00206 animals/ha in the wild). We analysed
calls, given singly (81.6% of all calls) or longest calls given in bouts (18.4% of all calls). The fundamental frequency
contour patterns were “trapeze, “down” and “saddle” (respectively 74.3%, 23.7% and 2.1% of the 435 calls). The
“trapeze” pattern prevailed in Farmed (84.8% calls), was less often in Fenced (71.0% calls) and still less often in Wild
males (66.9% calls). In contrast, the “down” pattern was more often in Wild (30.4%), less often in Fenced (27.6%) and
rarest in Farmed males (13.1%) calls. The maximum fundamental frequency f0max ranged from 0.52 to 2.56 kHz
(1.360.29 kHz), with well-defined plateau of f0. However, compared to Fenced and Wild males, in Farmed males, the
entire call duration and the plateau duration were significantly shorter (F2,432=10.1 and F2,432=17.2), whereas the f0max
was significantly higher (F2,432=12.2). This could be related to better food availability and therefore better physical
condition of Farmed males as well as their elevated emotional arousal in dense surrounding of potential mates and male
competitors. Similar effects were reported for other deer. Support: the Russian Scientific Foundation, grant 14-14-00237.
B43. Individual identity in mother and young contact calls of the endangered saiga
antelope Saiga tatarica
Olga Sibiryakova Lab. of Animal Behaviour, Dept. of Vertebrate Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Lomonosov Moscow State
University, Moscow, Russia
I. Volodin Lomonosov Moscow State University, Russia; Moscow Zoo, Russia
R. Frey Leibniz Institute for Zoo and Wildlife Research, Berlin, Germany
S. Zuther Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
T. Kisebaev Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
A. Salemgareyev Association for the Conservation of Biodiversity of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan
For 48h after birth, saiga offspring are hiders that are visited by their mothers only for nursing. Later, the young follow
the herd. Calls of newborn and mother saigas were collected on their natural breeding grounds in Northern Kazakhstan
during census of a 30.000-individuals herd in May 2014. Calls were collected in the absence of humans using automated
recording systems SongMeter SM2+ placed near the young. This enabled the recording of contact calls emitted before the
re-union of mother and young. In total, we analysed 235 hours of recordings. Saiga mothers vocalised more often than the
young (62.6% vs 33.2% sound files). Both mother and young produced oral contact calls more often than nasal contact
calls. Vocal identity was well expressed in both call types of mother and young: discriminant analysis based on 10
acoustic variables accurately classified individual identity in 97.9% oral calls of 21 mothers, 93.5% nasal calls of 18
mothers and 93.4% oral calls of 22 young. Variables contributing most to vocal individuality (fundamental frequency, 2nd
and 3rd formants) were the same in mother and young and in nasal and oral calls. In saiga mother and young, vocal
individuality exceeded that in contact calls of Iberian red deer mothers (77.0% oral and 61.8% nasal calls of 22 mothers)
and young (61.1% oral and 64.2% nasal calls of 17 young), which are hiders during the first 7-10 days of life. Vocal
tract lengths calculated by call formants in mothers (210 mm oral and 301 mm nasal) and young (111 mm oral) did not
differ from respective values obtained from saigas of a captive Russian population (199 mm, 304 mm and 110 mm
respectively). The role of individuality in relation to behavioural strategies of the young is discussed. Supported by RFBR,
grant 16-34-01230.
B44. A longitudinal network analysis of social dynamics in rooks
(Corvus frugilegus): repeated group modifications do not affect social network
in captive rooks
Palmyre Boucherie Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France;
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
S. Sosa Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France; Centre National
de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
C. Pasquaretta Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France; Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
V. Dufour Institut Pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien, University of Strasbourg, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France; Centre
National de la Recherche Scientifique, UMR 7178, Strasbourg, France
In social species, relationships are dynamic and vary in time according to various factors such as environmental conditions
and the attributes or social preferences of individuals. However, numerous internal mechanisms also play a role in
shaping and constraining the way individuals associate and interact, ensuring the coherence and continuity of social
structures. These mechanisms are of particular interest in fission-fusion like societies, where the group composition
fluctuates without damaging the main social unit. Here, we used a dynamic actor-based model, RSiena, to investigate the
mechanisms shaping the social structure of a group of captive rooks facing recurrent modifications of the group
composition (i.e. loss and introduction of individuals). Robust and consistent internal mechanisms sustained and modulated
the dynamics of relationships, whatever the group composition. Rooks did not interact randomly but selected their social
partners. As a rule, they were more likely to form relationships with the less connected group members (i.e. unpopular
attachment) and with individuals bonded to a current social partner (i.e. “my friends’ friends now become friends of mine”;
triadic closure). This structural mechanism formed the basis of an inter-connected network composed of sub-structures of
individuals which emerged from the enmeshment of dyadic and triadic motifs. The present study reveals crucial aspects of
the mechanisms allowing social species such as corvids to deal with constant demographic changes. By revealing how
consistent internal processes shape rook social networks, these results widen our understanding of different forms of society
in animals, and shed new light on how internal and external pressures respectively modulate and stabilise social structures.
B45. Host behavioural changes can reduce disease spread in wild mice networks
Patricia C. Lopes Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich
P. Block Department of Humanities, Social and Political Sciences, ETH, Zurich, Switzerland
B. König Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
Infection may modify the behaviour of the host and of its conspecifics in a group, with unpredictable effects on social
connectivity. Changes to social connectivity can, in turn, impact transmission dynamics. Here we ask how social
connectivity is affected by infection. We used automated tracking to monitor social interactions within a free-living
population of wild mice before and after an immune challenge. The immune-challenged animals showed reduced
connectivity to their social groups, which happened as a function of their own behaviour, rather than through conspecific
avoidance. We incorporated these changes of connectivity among individuals into models of disease outbreaks over the
empirically-derived networks. The models revealed that changes in host behaviour frequently resulted in the disease being
contained to very few animals, as opposed to becoming widespread. Our results highlight the importance of considering host
behaviour towards understanding heterogeneity in disease transmission.
B46. YELLOWHAMMERS.NET - invasive songbird shows a higher dialect
diversity in invaded than in native source range
Pavel Pipek Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; Institute of
Botany, Department of Invasion Ecology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic
T. Petrusková Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
A. Petrusek Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
L. Diblı́ková Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
M. A. Eaton RSPB Centre for Conservation Science, United Kingdom
P. Pys̆ek Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; Institute of Botany,
Department of Invasion Ecology, The Czech Academy of Sciences, Czech Republic; Centre for Invasion Biology,
Department of Botany & Zoology, Stellenbosch University, South Africa
In a citizen-science project Yellowhammer Dialects we aimed to compare distribution of dialects of yellowhammer (Emberiza
citrinella) in its native source (Great Britain) and invaded range (New Zealand) 150 years after the first introduction.
Recordings obtained within the project were supplemented by recordings found online or in digital archives, and by our own
field recordings. The resulting patterns of dialect diversity and distribution were subsequently compared with previously
reconstructed invasion history of the species. Although we expected lower dialect variability in exotic range, due to
strong founder effects, the opposite was true. We have identified 7 different dialects in New Zealand, five of which
were not detected in the current British population but were present in continental Europe. Another unexpected result
was that the identified localities of capture (Brighton, Sussex, UK) and release (Dunedin, Otago, NZ) do not have
similar dialect composition; in fact they have no dialects in common. As yellowhammers are sedentary and thus effect
of migration can be excluded, we are left with two mutually exclusive explanations for European dialects being
detected only in New Zealand. 1) These dialects, although identical to those in Europe, have emerged de novo in New
Zealand, through convergent cultural evolution; 2) The dialects have disappeared from Great Britain during the 20th
century when the local yellowhammer population declined, but were preserved in New Zealand.
B47. Spontaneous color preferences in rhesus monkeys and humans
Petra Skalnikova National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group,
D. Frynta National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group,
A. Abramjan Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles
University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
R. Rokyta Department of Normal, Pathological and Clinical Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University
in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic
T. Nekovarova National Institute of Mental Health, Klecany, Czech Republic; Department of Normal, Pathological and
Clinical Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic; Ecology and
Ethology Research Group, Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Prague,
Czech Republic
Colors and color-perception may play an important role in animal ethology (foraging, intra or inter-species communication).
However, trichromatic color vision is rare among mammals and occurs only in some primates. Humans, apes, and most of
the Old World primates are trichromatic, whereas color vision among New World primate species varies strikingly. In our
study, we focus on spontaneous color preference of rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) and also on color preference in
children. In monkeys, we tested color preferences in one-choice test. The pair of cups of ten different, precisely defined colors
was presented to the monkey. Both presented cups contain equal rewards. In each trial (presentation of the pair of cups) the
monkey has only one choice. For children we used same ten colors but we asked children to order ten cards with same
pictures of different colors. We used seven color set with different pictures (car, bird, circle etc.) Our results have not proved
clear color preference in rhesus monkeys in contrast to children, who tend to prefer red color. Acknowledgement: This
project was supported by Project Prvouk P34, by the project “National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH-CZ)”, under grant
number ED2.1.00/03.0078, and the European Regional Development Fund, and by the project “Sustainability for the
National Institute of Mental Health”, under grant number LO1611, with a financial support from the Ministry of Education,
Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic under the NPU I program, and by the projects GA UK number 94215 and
1508414.
B48. ‘Animal personalities’ in inbred C57 and BALB mice
Philipp Schindler Behavioural Phenotyping Unit, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
L. Lewejohann Behavioural Phenotyping Unit, University of Osnabrueck, Germany
Commonly, biomedical studies urge for standardised tests and model organisms in order to minimize variability. Standardisation includes inbreeding to eliminate genetic variability and standardised housing conditions to reduce environmental
variability. However, despite of inbreeding over many generations and standardisation of tests and housing conditions, a
considerable variability is still eminent in many animal experiments. We analysed two inbreed mouse strains (C57BL/6
and BALB/c) by using a holistic approach over a period of 31 weeks. After weaning, the activity of each individual was
measured by RFID technology in the home cages of group housed female mice. Furthermore, the individuals were
exposed to a battery of tests once during adolescence and two times in adulthood. We measured a variety of traits including
anxiety, boldness, exploration, social interest, and activity using an open-field test (OF), an object exploration test (OBX),
an elevated plus-maze (EPM), a dark-light test (DL), a social-investigation test (SI), and a free exploration task (FET).
Subsequently, an in-depth automated behavioural characterization of cognitive skills was conducted using the IntelliCageSystem. Our results point to consistencies over context and time, which can be interpreted in the light of ’animal
personality’ rather than mere variability of the data. Overall, we demonstrate that neither genetic uniformity nor
environmental standardisation precludes stratification into different ’animal personalities’.
B49. The Perception of Altruism in Body Motion
Pia Stephan Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
M. Koppensteiner University of Vienna, Austria
J. P. M. Jäschke University of Vienna, Austria
Human altruism stands out within the animal kingdom. Humans show high rates of pro-social behavior, not only towards
relatives or friends, but also towards strangers. According to the concept of indirect reciprocity individuals gain
reputation and status by helping others at their own cost. This reputation is observed and assessed by potential interaction
partners and translates into benefits in future social interactions. Increased reputation in the long run enhances the
probability of facing pro-sociality by others, resulting in a net benefit from helping. It thus might be assumed that
cognitive mechanisms for a fast detection of altruists have evolved. Previous studies indicate that people are able to
discriminate altruists from non-altruists on the basis of non-verbal cues such as facial photographs or videos. We expand such
research by investigating whether people also perceive altruistic behaviors in mere body motion. To examine the association
between body motion and altruism perception we transferred the movements of 60 politicians giving a speech onto
animated stick figures. In a rating study subjects judged these stick figure videos with regard to the probability of showing
several altruistic behaviors. In addition to this, we computed different motion measures (i.e. quantity of motion displayed by
several body parts) and related them to the ratings of altruistic behaviors. Analyses revealed several motion measures as
predictors of perceived altruism. Thus, results indicate that people are able to assess other individuals’ altruistic tendencies
on the basis of mere body motion. We discuss the results in the framework of evolutionary psychology, focusing on the
relationship of altruism and dominance perception.
B50. Tourist impact and behavioral influences on fecal steroid concentrations in
male Japanese macaques (Macaca fuscata)
Rafaela Takeshita Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan
F. B. Bercovitch Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan
M. A. Huffman Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University, Japan
Ecotourism helps to protect many habitats, but may also have negative impacts on wildlife. This research tested whether the
number of tourists and the social behavior affect fecal glucocorticoids (fGC) and fecal testosterone (fT) concentrations in
male Japanese macaques. The subjects were six free-ranging male Japanese macaques from Jigokudani Monkey Park,
Japan. We collected behavioral data (focal sampling), to generate the rates of agonistic (slaps, bites, chases, grimace,
flights, approaches, avoidances, threats) and affiliative (grooming) behaviors, and fecal samples during the non-mating
(April to June) and the mating (October to December) seasons. We determined fGC and fT concentrations using enzyme
immunoassay. Preliminary findings revealed a positive association between fGC and the number of tourists. During the
mating season, fGC levels were positively correlated with the rates of agonistic behaviors. Both fGC and fT concentrations
were higher in the mating season. Our results indicate that aggressive interactions and tourism both seem to induce a stress
response in males, with season also influencing fT and fGC in male Japanese macaques. The findings have implications
for ecotourism and can be useful for monitoring the stress levels of free-ranging populations.
B51. Baby Talk or Command? How humans talk to their dogs
in different situations
Raffaela Lesch Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
K. Kotrschal Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Konrad Lorenz Research Station,
Core Facility University of Vienna, Austria; Wolf Science Center, Austria,
Vocal communication opens a reliable window into an individuals’ emotional state, intentionality or relationship to another
individual. But not much is known on how humans talk to their companion dog. We recorded the vocal
communication from owner to dog in 53 human-dog dyads in a strange situation test (ASST) featuring two separations
and two reunions between owner and dog. The audio files were recorded by a microphone attached to the clothing.
Analysis of Hz and dB over standardized durations in both separation (3 seconds) and reunion (15 seconds) was done
by Praat in comparison to a reference text. In addition, via Solomon Coder vocalisations were observer-rated over the
entire ASST with regards to pitch, intensity and content. We asked three questions: (1) What kind of vocalisations are used?
(2) Do humans indeed use baby talk (“motherese”) while comforting their companion dogs in a stressful setting? (3) Is it
possible to measure the type and quality of the human dog relationship through the humans’ vocalisations? PCA (Varimax
rotation with Kaiser normalization; 71,4% of the total varianz explained) five main factors describing the way our subjects
talked to their dogs: 1. Talking High Pitched, 2. Talking Loud, 3. Motherese, 4. Reunion and 5. Steering/Commanding
Utterances. Motherese is used independently of the owners gender or dogs sex, but its use is influenced by the owner
personality dimension “agreeableness” (NEO-FFI; GLM: Fdf=12,6, p=0.001). Our results by and large, support the parentinfant model of human-dog relationships.
B52. Object play in a teiid lizard
Raoul Schwing Messerli Research Institute, Veterinary Medical University Vienna; Medical University Vienna, University
of Vienna, Austria
Play behaviour is fairly common in mammals and birds, whereas it has only been reported in few instances in other
vertebrates. This is most likely because defining play is difficult, as neither its structure nor its function are well
understood. However, it is also likely that the less overt behaviour of cold-blooded animals, and the different nature of their
needs, means that play behaviour is overlooked and/or the state of being for it to occur not generally met. Burghardt defined
play as occurring if the behaviour (1) does not contribute to the animal’s immediate survival; (2) is its own reward; (3)
differs structurally and/or temporally from normal behaviour; (4) is performed in repetition, but not as a stereotype; and (5)
happens when the animal is in a state of well-being.’ Based on these criteria we examine a frequently occurring behaviour in
a captive lizard, the Argentine black and white tegu (Salvator merianae). The explorative behaviours when encountering
specific items of differing novelty are analysed both qualitatively and quantitatively. All criteria are satisfied, as this type of
object play (1) has not nutritional value, despite an energetic cost; (2) is engaged in freely and frequently; (3) persist for
longer than similar yet purposeful behaviour (i.e. digging under log for shelter); (4) shows repeated motions and
movements; and (5) ceases when distressed or hungry.
B53. Environment, genetics or sexual selection? Acoustic communication in
a Brazilian tree frog
Renato Nali Programa de Pós-Graduao em Cincias Biológicas (Zoologia), Instituto de Biocincias, Universidade Estadual
Paulista ”Jlio de Mesquita Filho”, Rio Claro, SP, Brazil
K. R. Zamudio Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA
C. P. A. Prado Universidade Estadual Paulista, Jaboticabal, SP, Brazil
Variation among animal populations is common, yet studies rarely combine various traits and mechanisms to address adaptive
and neutral drivers of behavioral differentiation. We compared morphological and acoustic variation of a Neotropical tree
frog with complex reproductive behaviors across its distribution range. We then examined the roles of sexual selection,
genetic drift, and acoustic adaptation to forested habitats (Acoustic Adaptation Hypothesis; AAH) on call differentiation.
Calls varied more than morphology, suggesting stronger selective pressures on this behavioral phenotype. Acoustic traits
associated with individual discrimination or female attraction were significantly different among populations. Genetic
differentiation did not explain acoustic population distances. Likewise, forest cover did not explain acoustic differences
according to AAH predictions. Call traits that varied in contrast with AAH indicated a role of male competition associated
with likely increased density. Thus, individual recognition and female preferences may have shaped call differentiation in
this species, while intermale competition appears as an underlying mechanism (inter and intrasexual selection). Female
choosiness and male territoriality observed for this species support our results. This study shows that a multi-trait and
multi-mechanism approach can elucidate intricate processes leading to behavioral differences, and that species with complex
reproductive behaviors are particularly interesting models.
B54. The analysis of social bonds in feral horses
Riccarda Wolter University of Regensburg, Germany & University of Applied Sciences Nuertingen, Faculty Agriculture,
Economics and Management, Department Equine Management, Germany
K. Krüger University of Applied Sciences Nuertingen, Faculty Agriculture, Economics and Management, Department
Equine Management, Nuertingen, Germany; University of Regensburg, Biologie 1, Regensburg, Germany
In animal behaviour literature there is a large number of studies on social bonds, many with substantial variation in the
research design and the interpretation of measurements. Mutual grooming is used most often to evaluate social bonds, but as
it occurs comparatively infrequent in horses, measurements of spatial proximity are commonly used additionally. However,
the combination of mutual grooming and spatial proximity for the analysis of social bond is debatable, as in contrast to
mutual grooming, which must occur deliberately by both grooming partners, the spatial distribution can be influenced by
one partner alone. In the present study, we investigated the comparability of mutual grooming and spatial proximity as
measures of social bonds in feral horses. We observed 146 horses, five groups of Przewalski’s horses (Equus ferus
przewalskii) living in semi-wild conditions, and six groups of feral horses (Equus ferus caballus). We calculated the horses’
social ranks, recorded the distances between the animals, and observed the frequency of mutual grooming and friendly
approaches. We found that hierarchy did not affect social bonds, and grooming frequency seemed to be determined by
individual predispositions. Our results show a weak correlation between spatial proximity and mutual grooming in all
groups, and a stronger correlation between the frequency of friendly approaches and mutual grooming. We therefore
consider a combination of proactive behaviours, such as the frequency of mutual grooming and friendly approach, to be a
reliable approach to the analysis of social bonds in horses.
B55. Play matters - The surprising relationship between juvenile playfulness
and anxiety in later life
Helene Richter Department of Behavioural Biology University of Münster Badestraße 13 D-48149 Münster Germany
N. Kästner University of Münster, Germany
M. Kriwet University of Münster, Germany
S. Kaiser University of Münster, Germany
N. Sachser University of Münster, Germany
Play is a behavioural domain of considerable fascination that is far from being understood. With respect to functional
benefits, it has been suggested that animals in play learn to cope physically and emotionally with unexpected events. On an
individual’s level, a high level of playfulness may thus lead to better coping abilities, a prediction that has rarely been tested
before. To investigate whether differences in juvenile playfulness indeed coincide with behavioural differences in later
life, 30 female C57BL/6J mice were subjected to the following series of behavioural observations: (1) Quantification of
juvenile locomotor play, (2) behavioural testing in paradigms that assess state anxiety and exploratory locomotion in an
unfamiliar environment, and (3) observation of spontaneous behaviour in the home cage. Subsequently, a tertile split was
performed based on the observed play behaviour, resulting in three subgroups of ten individuals each that differ in the level
of playfulness. The outer tertiles (i.e. ‘playful’ and ‘less-playful’ individuals) were used to investigate differences in anxietylike and exploratory behaviour as well as in undisturbed home cage behaviour. Surprisingly, ‘playful’ individuals behaved
more anxious and less explorative in later life. While this relationship existed already in adolescence, it became even more
prominent in adulthood. By contrast, playful and less-playful mice did not differ with respect to home cage behaviour. While
these findings may indeed reflect better coping abilities in challenging environments in those mice that played the most
during juvenility, they may also argue for the emergence of individuality in genetically identical mice.
B56. Can Goffin cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana) solve the Trap-Tube Paradigm?
Romana Gruber University of Vienna Department of Cognitive Biology
A. Taylor University of Auckland, New Zealand
A. Auersperg University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria
The trap tube paradigm has previously served as a benchmark test for investigating causal reasoning in primates and birds.
Within birds, corvids seemed to not only pass the original task but also several transfers in which arbitrary features were
systematically removed. In contrary, all parrot species tested so far failed the original trap tube task. Nevertheless, the setups
previously used on parrots either allowed for an alternative successful solution or were highly abstract to avoid
requiring tool use. Therefore, it is yet unclear whether their poor performance was caused by failing to understand the
respective task affordances. We tested Goffin’s cockatoos on the trap tube problem, a non-habitually tool using parrot
which can acquire various forms of flexible tool use in captivity. For comparability, we replicated a setup previously
used on New Caledonian crows featuring a two-trap tube with a functional and a non-functional trap. Only 2 out of 6
individuals mastered the original trap tube task with a tool after extensive experience with the setup. Nevertheless, both
subjects showed high level performances in most of the 3 transfer task, in which arbitrary features of the task were
removed as well as in a trap table task.
B57. An Acoustic Barcode for Buntings: Simple Individual Identification by Song
Rupert Marshall Aberystwyth University
Acoustic communication in birds is used to attract mates, defend territories, warn of danger and identify individuals.
Individual identification by humans using acoustic cues can be difficult and time-consuming whether species sing
complex songs comprising large and varied repertoires, fixed song types or just basic calls. It is more difficult still when local
populations sing in regimented dialects with little apparent variation between individuals and strong selection for
individuals to sing the correct local song dialect. The corn bunting Emberiza calandra displays microgeographic variation
in song, with local dialects often covering only a few hectares, with territories directly abutting neighbouring dialects like
a patchwork quilt. Songs of different males within each dialect are largely indistinguishable. The species is now critically
endangered and identification of individual males via their song may help track them without the need for trapping. Here
I present a method for identifying individual males within dialect areas based on simple features of their song which can be
employed by non-experts. This technique may be applicable in related species and other species whose members sing nearidentical songs.
B58. Functions of female vocalizations: the mate-choice copying hypothesis in
the domestic canary (Serinus canaria).
Pauline Salvin Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, EA3456, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense,
France; Université Paris Lumières; Institut Francilien d’Éthologie
G. Leboucher Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, EA3456, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense,
France; Université Paris Lumières; Institut Francilien d’Éthologie
M. Amy Laboratoire Ethologie Cognition Développement, EA3456, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense, France;
Université Paris Lumières; Institut Francilien d’Éthologie
Several models of sexual selection assume that females choose their mate on the basis of genetically heritable mate
preferences. However, in recent years, some studies show that social factors may significantly influence mate choice,
such as mate-choice copying. In mate-choice copying, females observe a sexual interaction between a male and another
female and subsequently choose the same male as the previous female. Most studies of this phenomenon often focused on
lekking species where females can easily observe others’ females choice. Also, in brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus
ater), a promiscuous species, females copy the preferences of other females by listening to male-female vocal interactions.
The present study aimed to test if mate-choice copying can take place in a monogamous species, the domestic canary
(Serinus canaria), in which females are known to learn their sexual preferences during early experience but also during
adult life. Female canaries were daily exposed to three types of male-female vocal interactions during a reproductive
cycle. Moderate attractive male songs were broadcasted with either 1) a Female copulation solicitation trill, 2) Female
contact calls and 3) Female contact calls of zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as a control. We will discuss how female
vocal and behavioural responses vary according to the type of male-female interaction they heard.
B59. Problem solving capabilities of Peach-fronted Conures
(Eupsittula aurea) studied by the string-pulling test.
Sara Torres Ortiz Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
O. N. Larsen Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
M. Wahlberg Department of Biology, University of Southern Denmark, Denmark
Many studies have indicated advanced cognitive abilities in different species of parrots and ravens. Here we investigated basic
cognitive skills of Peach-fronted Conures (Eupsittula aurea) using the string-pulling test. These small Middle-American
parrots are often compared to dolphins due to their similar social structure and great variety of vocalizations, but their
problem-solving capabilities have not been studied before. Two to four strings were suspended in different configurations to
the underside of a perch. A food reward was attached at the end of one of the strings. The food could not be obtained by
flying or reached from the ground. By varying different spatial configurations of strings and rewards, different cognitive
skills could be investigated. Four conures (two females and two males) were tested. All four individuals solved three out of
four tested string configurations (four straight strings, two slant strings, two contact-no contact strings) within 14 seconds on
average, but all failed in a crossed two-string test. Subsequently we tested the birds with a vertical pulley that required the
birds to pull the string down to get the food reward within reach from below. In this test males performed significantly
better than females. The test showed that Peach-fronted Conures can generalize information from previous experiments and
transfer skills to novel situations. Apart from sex differences, there were also differences in the performance of different
individuals of the same sex for all experiments. These results suggest that Peach-fronted Conures are able to plan future
actions and that they have so-called ‘means-end’ understanding and ‘contact’ understanding.
B60. Who calls for whom? Ultrasonic vocalizations of mice depend upon the sex
of the sender and receiver
Sarah Zala Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
D. Reitschmidt Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
D. J. Penn Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology University of Veterinary Medicine, Vienna, Austria
House mice communicate with ultrasonic vocalizations (USVs), which are surprisingly complex and have features of song,
but their functions are unclear and controversial. Most studies on USVs have been conducted on domesticated laboratory
mice, and studies on USVs of wild mice are just beginning. We investigated the USVs of wild-derived house mice (Mus
musculus musculus) to determine whether USV emission or features depend upon the sex of the sender and receiver. We
recorded USVs from female and male mice during same- and opposite-sex interactions (n=40 pairs). To automatically detect
and quantify the large number of vocalizations, we used a specially designed script for detecting USVs (Automatic
Mouse Call Detector or A-MUD). We found that males emitted more vocalizations than females during interactions with
a female receiver and that females vocalize more for males than for females. We also found that more mice vocalized at
a high rate during oppositecompared to same-sex interactions. Interestingly, we found that the frequencies of
vocalizations of both sexes depended upon the sex of receiver, as mice vocalized at higher frequencies during oppositecompared to same-sex encounters. These results are the first comparisons of USVs between the sexes of wild house
mice, and the first evidence that mice alter the amount and frequency of their vocalizations depending upon the sex of
the receiver. Previous studies indicate that USVs are emitted by both sexes during initial contact and courtship, and our
findings suggest that mice modulate their vocalizations depending upon the sex of the receiver.
B61. Vocal behavior of infant Southern white rhinoceros: First insights into the
call repertoire
Marina Scheumann University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover Bünteweg 17 30559 Hannover
S. Linn University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Germany; Zoo Frankfurt, Germany
Infant acoustic communication plays an important role in the coordination of social interactions between infant and caregivers. Infant white rhinoceros are very vocal, but to date there is very little known about their call repertoire as well as
about the function of these calls. Thus, this study aimed to characterize the infant vocal repertoire of the Southern white
rhinoceros as well as to specify behavioral contexts in which these calls were uttered. The behavior of six infant white
rhinoceros (2 males, 4 females) was simultaneous audio and video taped at two zoos: the Dortmund Zoo and the
Serengetipark Hodenhagen. Age of infants ranged from 5 to 15 months. Based on spectrograms four call types were
visually distinguished: Pant, Threat, Snort and high frequency Tonal sounds. Pants, Threats and Snorts were recorded in
behavioral contexts comparable to adults whereas Tonal sounds occurred in infant specific contexts such as suckling or
suckling attempt, followed by cohesion behavior. Tonal sounds were characterized by a highly variable contour of the
fundamental frequency. Thus, a multi-parametric sound analysis was performed measuring temporal and spectral acoustic
parameters. A cluster analysis using these parameters built up five clusters implicating five Tonal subtypes. All in all, our
results showed that infants produce several distinct call types in different contexts. Tonal sounds play an important role
during mother-infant interactions but further research has to clarify the function of the Tonal subtypes and their role in
coordinating mother-infant interactions. Additionally more information on the ontogeny of Pants, Threats and Snorts are
needed, call types which play also an important role during social interactions of adults.
B62. Intra-sexual competition shapes the evolution of cheating behaviour in
male spiders
Sarah Schulte Doeinghaus Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Germany
A. Bastidas Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Germany
C. Tuni Ludwig Maximilian University Munich, Germany
Nuptial gifts are sexually selected traits consisting of male donations of food to females during courtship and mating. The
evolution of this mating system has been extensively studied in the spider Pisaura mirabilis, where males donate a prey item
wrapped in silk to the female to facilitate copulation and prolong mating duration. Gift-giving is costly in terms of hunting,
missed meal and silk wrapping. Pisaura mirabilis males are also able to reduce some of these costs offering gifts containing
inedible items as prey leftovers and plant parts. These males cheat females into mating, gaining similar mating success
but shorter copulations, and hence sperm transfer. In a field study we found increasing frequencies of cheating
behavior with increasing intensity of intra-sexual competition (male-biased sex ratios). This may be explained by reduced
male investment in matings due to low fitness benefits achieved under strong sperm competition. In order to confirm
our field observations with empirical results we conducted a laboratory experiment in which males were given two
treatments: I) a group of males experienced competition by being exposed to three other potential rival males II) a group of
control males had no rival male experience. All males were given standardized prey to construct nuptial gifts. The extent
to which spiders feed or wrap the given prey into gifts was measured. Experiments were repeated at three adult life stages
to control for possible age effects with the expectation that older males should further reduce investment in reproduction. We
discuss the effect of mating competition on male reproductive strategies with emphasis on its role in shaping the evolution
of cheating behavior in males.
B63. Automatic recordings as a tool to discover details in the vocal behavior
of a passerine species.
Sharina van Boheemen Department of Ecology, Faculty of Science Charles University, Prague
L. Heredero Complutense University of Madrid, Spain
O. Kauzal Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
T. Petruskova Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
Interactive acoustic behavior of birds is often studied through playback experiments. Automatic recordings however can
capture the natural variation in singing activity and song parameters that interacting birds display without manipulation. On
the Yellowhammer (Emberiza citrinella) as a model species with song structure highly variable among individuals (which
allows for individual recognition based on acoustic characteristics), we aim to investigate the function of song variation
in direct and indirect interactions. We expect that changes in singing activity and song parameters, which are signs of
territoriality and aggressiveness, will be more influenced by the activity of the close neighbors than the far neighbors. During
the breeding season of 2015, we have repeatedly placed recorders in 23 unique, adjacent and non-adjacent territories. On 8
recording events, with on average 7 recorders, we collected 45 recordings adding up to a total of 920 hours. The recording
times were synchronized, providing us with real-time data on singing interactions of close and far neighbors. The first
analyses of the data, done in Raven Pro 1.5 software, showed high singing activity in the morning, with the birds even
singing in other territories than their own. Direct neighbors had a tendency for the same patterns of variation in syllable
and song rate. This was however not extended towards the far neighbors, indicating that the birds directly adapt their
singing in interaction with their closest neighbors. Further qualitative and quantitative measures will give us more insight
into the function of varying song parameters. Automatic recordings offer a valuable insight into the acoustic behavior of
individuals and their interactions without the need to manipulate the natural conditions.
B64. A Sex-Specific Audience Effect on Female Tibetan Macaque Copulation Calls
Sofia Bernstein Primate Research Institute, Kyoto University
L. Sheeran Central Washington University, U.S.A.
R. S. Wagner Central Washington University, U.S.A.
J. H. Li Hefei Normal University, China
H. Koda Kyoto University, Japan
Existing hypotheses and a recent model concerning the evolutio of acoustic mating signals have focused on female
copulation calls as male-oriented signals of sexual receptivity and that female promiscuity predicts call production.
However, communication rarely occurs in a closed setting between the signaler and the receiver, and usually involves a
wider audience that may affect signal production. Few studies have assessed how these audience effects mediate both
mating behavior and vocal control of copulation calls. Previous research on the sexual behavior of Tibetan macaques has
focused on males, although females show unique behaviors that are rare in primates. Adult females harass copulations and
emit species-specific acoustically distinct copulation calls. We investigated the copulation calling behavior of wild female
Tibetan macaques (Macaca thibetana) and what social factors potentially influence call production. We analyzed the
effects of rank, promiscuity, harassment, and audience composition. Our results did not support the existing hypotheses
or model. There was no effect of promiscuity on call rate, and females did not call significantly more with high-ranking
males. Call rate was low overall and did not incite harassment by conspecifics. Instead, we found a sex-specific
audience effect. The number of males in the audience did not affect call production, but females called less the more
females were present. Our results suggest that female copulation calls are a flexible sexual strategy potentially influenced
by female-female competition, and it is necessary to reevaluate the role both sexes play in the evolution of this acoustic
signal. This study supports recent findings suggesting that signalers adjust signal output strategically depending on the
audience.
B65. Human biophilia? The effects of an aquarium in an urban environment
Sonja Windhager Department of Anthropology University of Vienna, Austria
K. Atzwanger Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
K. Schaefer Department of Anthropology, University of Vienna, Austria
Humans seem to appreciate certain characteristics of natural habitats (moving water, plants, large vertebrates). This “biophilia”
might reflect evolutionary adapted preferences from our hunter-gatherer past. There is discourse over the question how
intensely these preferences affect behavior and wellbeing in modern cities. Thus, the present study examined whether
urban Europeans pay increased attention to natural stimuli even in an unnatural environment. An aquarium was temporarily
installed in the window display of a shopping mall (SCS Voesendorf, Austria). Direct behavioral observation was used to
quantify locomotory behavior and pointing gestures. The total number of focal subjects was 1002 out of a total of 12,921
persons observed on the videotapes. When the aquarium was present, 8.5% of people stopped in front of the window
(compared to 3.3% when it was not on display). The percentage of people using pointing gestures more than trebled (26%
versus 7%). A significant aquarium effect on the time until the next focal subject stopped could only be observed when
the pedestrians’ flow was relatively high (> 10 passengers/minute in one direction; 90 s with aquarium versus 152 s), but
then it was as strong as the effect of one or more strangers already standing there. These results suggest that modern
citizens still focus on sign-stimuli indicative of environmental conditions favorable to ancestral survival. That the aquarium
affected people’s stopping behavior more in high- density conditions, and then as effectively as other people who stopped,
was unexpected and might be interpreted in terms of attention restoration theory and stress recovery. Studies like this
might inspire urban planning to meet universal aspects of humans’ needs.
B66. Do Wild Vervet Monkeys (Chlorocebus aethiops) Care Who to Greet?
Stephanie Mercier Department of Comparative Cognition University of Neuchatel, Switzerland; Inkawu Vervet Project,
Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi, South Africa
C. Neumann University of Neuchâtel, Institute of Biology, Department of Comparative Cognition, Switzerland
E. van de Waal Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi, South Africa; Anthropological Institute &
Museum, University of Zürich, Switzerland
K. Zuberbühler Inkawu Vervet Project, Mawana Game Reserve, Swart Mfolozi, KwaZuluNatal, South Africa
Ritualized exchanges between two individuals, known as greetings, often occur in tense situations. Despite their prevalence
in many species, the function of greetings remains poorly understood. Four groups of vervet monkeys have been
studied in order to test hypotheses regarding the potential function of vocal signals during encounters. Furthermore, little
is known about how the presence of conspecifics influences vocal behaviour. So far, audience effect in this species has
only been investigated in a predatory context. For this study, 206 hours of focal data have been collected on 23 individuals
(12 females, 11 males) in order to investigate the production of signals when approaching group members. Furthermore, ad
libitum data were collected whenever a greeting call was produced by either partner, focusing on male-male interactions.
We examined a total of over 600 encounters to investigate whether individual characteristics (identity, sex, age),
characteristics of the relationship between the two individuals (rank difference, friendship) or the composition of the
audience affected their greeting behaviour, while accounting for important ecological variables. Although greeting signals
were produced by both sexes, they were nearly exclusively produced while encountering adult males. Moreover, the
presence of the alpha female as well as any adult male in the audience increased calling, whereas the presence of strongly
bonded partners had an inhibitory effect. In addition, production of greeting calls increased with the proximity to open areas
where the risk of encountering predators is high. Our results suggest that greeting calls are used to recruit other group
members, especially males, in order to increase vigilance and protection, following the “hired-gun” hypothesis.
B67. A study on why doctor fish (Garra rufa Heckel, 1843) nibbles human skin
Suleyman Akhan Akdeniz University Faculty of Fisheries Department of Aquaculture Dumlupinar Blvd. Campus 07058
Antalya Turkey
N. Polat Akdeniz University, Faculty of Fisheries, Turkey
Garra rufa is a fish belonging to the cyprinidae family and distributes naturally in streams and rivers of South East
Turkey and the some Middle East countries. This species also called as “doctor fish” because they have been used for
ichthyotherapy. G. rufa was started to use for treatment of psoriasis at the first time in Kangal (Sivas, Turkey). Todays,
using these fish for pedicure or SPA is becoming very popular. In natural habitat, G. rufa normally feeds sucking algae
from rocks and detritus. But there is no scientific data why the doctor fish bites human skins? This question has been
waiting an answer for a long time. In this issue some authors claimed that G. rufa nibbles human skin because of their
high amount of protein demand. According to another, fish food scarce in high water temperature (35°C) so this fish are
offensive to human skin in hot spring. In this study, we aimed to find new information to answer this question, and to
determine impact of feed protein content, water temperature and material type on biting time and material preference
behavior of fish. For this, experimental fishes were divided to groups (10 fish for each aquarium which has a special
chamber where fish was imprisoned) and conducted serial experiment in order to detect biting time and swimming behavior
to different materials. Three water temperature, two different feed (with high protein content and boiled mashed potatoes)
and four different materials (naked and latex-gloved hand, plastic and wooden spoon) were tested. Results were showed,
starvation and water temperature stimulated to fish for biting rapidly all materials. Feed type has no effect on swimming
forward to all materials. However, rapid swimming and high biting rate were detected for naked human hand among all
materials
B68. Adaptive Strategies of Female Wild Cavies under Limited Conditions
Susanne Sangenstedt Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Muenster, Germany
N. Sachser University of Muenster, Germany
S. Kaiser University of Muenster, Germany
Behavioural profiles are shaped during ontogeny: from the moment the egg is fertilized until death of an individual.
Throughout life, subjects have to adjust themselves to their physical as well as to their social environment. The latter
can support welfare and health, but can also result in severe stress. Thus, the social environment represents a most
influential factor, which, during pregnancy, can even be crucial for the development of offspring. In wild cavies, the social
environment during pregnancy and lactation strongly affects female offspring: Daughters of mothers living in an
environment with frequent exchange of interaction partners exhibit a profound behavioural masculinization in contrast to
daughters of mothers living in an environment with a low degree of social interactions. This could be an adaption to the
motherly environment: a frequent exchange of interaction partners resembles high population densities, characterized by
social instability and scarce resources. Under such conditions, competitive abilities are important and masculine traits
facilitate the attainment of dominant positions, which in turn help to secure resources more efficiently. In contrast, a low
degree of social interactions mimics low population densities with a strong social stability and sufficient resources.
Behavioural masculinization brings no benefit in this situation. In the present study, we tested if daughters of mothers
living in unstable social environments have advantages over daughters of mothers living in stable social environments when
confronted with limited resources. We analysed cortisol reactivity, body weights and dominance establishment and will
discuss whether the different behavioural phenotypes are adaptations to prevailing or future environmental conditions.
B69. Attention-seeking displays: theory and examples.
Szabolcs Szamado MTA Centre for social Science H-1014, Budapest, MTA Research Group of Ecology and Theoretical
Biology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Animal communication abounds with extravagant displays. These signals are usually interpreted as costly signals of quality.
Almost all of the signalling models investigating costly signalling assume a pair-wise interaction between a given signaller
and a receiver. However, real life situations could be more complicated than the above simple scenario. For example,
receivers often have to find signallers. Signallers may help this process by giving signals that are easy to locate
(attention-seeking display: ASD). While there is abundant empirical evidence to show the importance of this stage, it is not
yet incorporated into standard signalling theory. Here I investigate a general model of signalling -based on a basic actionresponse game- that incorporates this searching stage. I show that giving attention-seeking displays and searching for them
can be an ESS. The model further predicts that: (1) ASDs may or may not be costly; (2) they may or may not reveal some
relevant quality of the signaller; (3) when they do not reveal the relevant quality of the signaller then they should be part of
a multicomponent display with signals of quality and or intent; (4) they should evolve to be highly detectable in the
natural environment of the given species. Here I discuss several examples and I argue that the theory of ASDs provides
an alternative to costly signalling in explaining so called extravagant displays and that these kind of displays are probably
more common than their current weight in the literature would suggest.
B70. Production and perception of defensive calls in Common ravens
Georgine Szipl Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria; Core Facility Konrad-Lorenz Research
Station, Austria
E. Ringler University of Vienna, Austria; University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Austria,
M. Spreafico University of Vienna, Austria; Core Facility Konrad-Lorenz Research Station, Austria
T. Bugnyar University of Vienna, Austria; Core Facility Konrad-Lorenz Research Station, Austria
Common ravens may fight over food at feeding sites, whereby the victims of aggression often produce defensive calls.
The bystander audience can eavesdrop on defensive calls to assess dominance rank relationships or to engage in an on-going
conflict. Defensive calls in a group of free-ranging ravens foraging in a zoo in the Austrian Alps were investigated from the
senders’ and the receivers’ perspective. Calling was found to be a function of the type of aggression, and dominance rank
and age of the opponents, with higher probabilities of calling to occur when the attack was severe, and high-ranking adults
attacked low-ranking juveniles. Victims produced calls that varied in measures related to fundamental frequency (F0),
amplitude, and call duration as a function of the intensity of the attack: calls were longer and showed higher F0- and
amplitude-related measures when the attack was severe, and decreased as the aggression became less severe. These findings
indicate arousal-based changes in defensive calls, which may be detected by conspecifics. To test whether ravens
responded to arousal-based call variations, defensive calls were manipulated in duration (50% longer or 50% shorter) and F0
(shifted up or down by 100 Hz). In a playback experiment, we played back unmanipulated calls and calls manipulated in
either duration or F0 in randomized order to a group of foraging wild ravens. No differences in response were found
when playing unmanipulated calls and calls that varied in duration. However, when testing responses to defensive calls
manipulated in F0, significantly more ravens responded to calls with higher F0. As F0 increases with arousal, ravens seem
to pay attention to the degree of arousal in attacked conspecifics.
B71. Variations in spatial learning and memory across natural populations
of zebrafish, Danio rerio
Tamal Roy Department of Biological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, India
A. Bhat Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, India
The study investigates inter-population variations in spatial learning & memory in zebrafish. 4 populations were collected
across India from waterbodies with contrasting ecological conditions. A square-shaped maze was constructed consisting of
an inner layer with edges connected to diagonal ends of tank-walls forming 4 separate chambers. Each chamber had a main
door in centre & 3 sections separated by 2 windows. A removable coloured window-pane (red/yellow/green/blue)
identified each main door. A food reward associated with a plant was always placed inside left-hand section of red-door
chamber. Fishes were sorted from population stock & kept individually for identification. A test fish was released into the
arena & allowed 20min to explore & find the food-reward. Individual fishes were trained through the maze for 8
consecutive days. Position of red door was shuffled each day. Following training, an intermission of 4 days was given
during which fishes were not subjected to trials. Post intermission, fishes were re-tested on day13 following same protocol
for ability to remember the task. Latency & tendency to explore on 1st day of training, performance time across trials &
number of mistakes made each day were recorded. Mechanism used by individuals (algorithm or associative cues) to
locate the reward each day was analysed. Individuals of populations didn’t differ in latency & tendency to explore. High
habitat-complexity populations had higher learning rates & stronger memory while low habitat-complexity populations had
lower learning rates & weaker memory. No relationship was found between exploration & learning across populations. High
habitat-complexity populations used associative cues more than algorithm while low habitat-complexity populations used
both equally.
B72. Non-linear phenomena in dog whines as potential indicators of
separation anxiety
Tamas Farago MTA-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research group, Budapest, Hungary
A. Marx Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
Although nonlinear phenomena (sudden changes in frequency, NLP) are often present in healthy vocalizations, their communicative functions are unclear. Fitch et al.’s (2002) ‘unpredictability hypothesis’ was tested in several species providing
support for their attention-evoking function, while Blumstein and Récapet (2009) suggested that nonlinearities can act as
honest stress level indicators. We suggest that dog whines, often carrying NLPs, provide an excellent model to study this,
with comparing whines from dogs experiencing different stress level during separation from their owner. Moreover,
Separation-related Anxiety is one of the most common behavioral problems among dogs, thus there is a great importance
to find novel diagnostic tools. In this study, we aimed to explore the possibility of the role of NLPs in stress level
communication. Using separation and vocal behavior questionnaires, we recruited 70 family dogs that whine during
separation, and according their owners have or lack separation-related anxiety. During 3 minute separation in the lab, we
recorded their whines and measured the occurrence of NLPs. We compared the number of nonlinear elements between
subjects reported to have separation-related problems and healthy ones. We found significantly more nonlinear
phenomena in the whines of the subjects with higher anxiety level (Binomial GzLM: χ2=4.209, p=0.04). Additionally we
are currently running quantitative acoustical analysis to find associations between the inner state of the subjects and other
acoustical parameters of their whines. Our preliminary results are promising, suggesting that nonlinear phenomena in
whines are possibly act as indicators of stress level in dogs.
B73. Limits of olfactory marks for social transmission of food preference in
house mice, Mus musculus domesticus
Tatiana Forestier LEEC - Université Paris 13 - France
C. Féron Université Paris 13 - France
P. d’Ettorre Université Paris 13 - France
P. Gouat Université Paris 13 - France
Mice can obtain information about a new diet through olfactory cues of conspecifics and consequently develop an attraction
for this diet. This social transmission of food preference (STFP) can be established either directly (during an encounter with
a conspecific) or indirectly (via olfactory marks). The neurobiological cascade promoting direct and indirect STFP is
prompted by the simultaneous perception of a key volatile element (present either in the breath or in faeces) and of the
odour of the eaten diet. Although these two types of STFP have similar underlying mechanisms, a difference in the
information collected about the eaten diet can exist. In direct STFP, the odour of the new diet comes from the breath or
food scraps present on the conspecific. In indirect STFP the diet that was consumed underwent a passage through the
digestive track before being available in faeces. Therefore we hypothesized that indirect STFP would be less effective than
direct STFP when reducing the available olfactive information. We thus tested direct and indirect STFP when the pertinent
information on the eaten diet was reduced to a single odorant molecule. Under these conditions only direct STFP was
effective showing that a single odorant molecule can be functional for STFP. Indirect STFP however failed indicating limits
of this way of transmission for food preferences. The degradation of diet cues during the digestion process might have
prevented the pairing between olfactory marks and food. Whatever the process involved, indirect STFP might be limited to
a narrower range of diets than direct STFP.
B74. Colour pattern does not play a key role in forming a mimetic complex of
red-and-black insects. Experiments with naive and adult great tits
Tereza Drabkova Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia
P. Vesely Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia
R. Fuchs Faculty of Science, University of South Bohemia
A mimetic complex of red-and-black insects is proposed to occur in central Europe. In our study, we tested the importance
of a colour pattern as the main factor in the formation of this putative mimetic by transferring patterns of seven
members of this ring onto a palatable prey using paper stickers. Wild-caught adult and hand-reared nave great tits (Parus
major) were used as predators. In general, reactions of birds to palatable prey carrying a conspicuous pattern differed from
their reactions to the real insect species demonstrated in previous studies. Nave great tits showed no innate avoidance to any
of our colour patterns. Adult birds avoided most often pattern Pyrrhocoris, supposedly because of their individual
experience with the real insect from the wild, since it is the most common amongst our chosen species. The second least
attacked pattern was pattern Corizus that is very similar to Pyrrhocoris and birds could generalize them. Hence these two
patterns can be considered as the only ones forming a mimetic complex defined on the basis of the colour pattern. In the
rest of patterns, most of great tits were not able to recognize the real insect species, contrary; a significant portion of them
was able to reveal the edible roach under the sticker. This could be explained by their higher willingness of birds to
examine the suspicious prey probably because the imperfection of the visual signal. The body shape is supposed to affect
the perfection of the visual signal.
B75. Theory of Mind and Self-Awareness in Children
Tereza Nekovarova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group,
Department of Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic; Department of Normal,
Pathological and Clinical Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
M. Kasalicka Department of Psychology, Faculty of Arts, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic
P. Skalnikova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of
Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
M. Rejlova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Ecology and Ethology Research Group, Department of
Zoology, Faculty of Natural Science, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
K. Englerova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Department of Normal, Pathological and Clinical
Physiology, Third Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Czech Republic
I. Fajnerova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic; Institute of Physiology, Academy of Sciences of the
Czech Republic, Prague
E. Kozakova National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic
F. Spaniel National Institute of Mental Health, Czech Republic
Theory of mind belongs to intrinsic human cognitive abilities. It allows to represent mental states of others, to anticipate
their behavior and to orient in social environment. Self-awareness is described as a consciousness of oneself as an
immediate subject of experience. The goal of our experiment is to study development of theory of mind (an ability to
attribute mental states to others) and self-awareness (as awareness of the characteristics and states that constitute one’s own
self) in early ontogeny, what parallels main issues from our previous fMRI studies. To address developmental aspects of
maturation of self and ToM capacities, we have carried out study in healthy children (age 3 - 6). Together with tasks of
self-concept and theory of mind we tested children’s memory and verbal abilities. We have compared children performance
in novel test of theory of mind with performance in standard test (“Sally Ann test”). We have studied the developmental
trajectory of self-awareness in motor task with distorted visual feedback. Moreover, we discuss the role of self in
development of autobiographical memory. Acknowledgement: This project was supported by GACR grants 13-23940S and
15-08577S, by IGA NT 14291-3, by Project Prvouk P34, by the project “National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH-CZ)”,
under grant number ED2.1.00/03.0078, and the European Regional Development Fund, and by the project “Sustainability
for the National Institute of Mental Health”, under grant number LO1611, with a financial support from the Ministry of
Education, Youth and Sports of the Czech Republic under the NPU I program, and by the projects GA UK number 94215
and 1508414.
B76. Who is who? Acoustic monitoring of migratory passerine with complex song as
a tool for individual recognition
Tereza Petruskova Department of Ecology Charles University in Prague
I. Pis̆vejcová Department of Ecology Charles University in Prague
A. Kins̆tová Department of Ecology Charles University in Prague
O. Caha Department of Ecology Charles University in Prague
T. Brinke Department of Ecology Charles University in Prague
A. Petrusek Department of Ecology Charles University in Prague
The most frequent method to individually identify birds in the field is the use colour rings. However, these are often
difficult to observe, especially in small species and dense habitats. Acoustic-based monitoring identifying individuals by
their characteristic vocalization is a potentially suitable alternative, but it is challenging in species with complex songs. On
the Tree Pipit, a small migratory passerine with such vocalization, we demonstrated that acoustic monitoring can be an
efficient tool for individual recognition. During a 5-year study, we obtained over 800 recordings from males from one
study population. All males were repeatedly recorded throughout the seasons, and their syllable repertoires were
determined from spectrograms for each recording. Repertoires of each unambiguously identified male were distinct and
stable within as well as between seasons; males also differed in syntax. Based on the congruence between identification
from spectrogram assessment, and that based on observation of colour rings, we inferred that reliable identification of
singing males was possible from assessing a repertoire and song syntax of less than 5-min recording (with 20-30 songs).
The acoustic-based data increased the overall estimated number of territorial males at the locality (from 58 ringed to 81),
improved estimates of their arrivals, revealed dynamic within-season changes in territory occupancy, and allowed
identification of returning birds. Our results suggest that some commonly used methods may substantially underestimate
return rates of migratory bird species. Individual acoustic monitoring should be applicable on various species with complex
song and stable repertoires, and may be particularly useful for those living in dense habitat or sensitive to handling.
B77. Presence of dead-end host cues cancels parasitic manipulation of an
intermediate host
Timo Thuenken University of Bonn, Germany; University of Bern, Switzerland
T. C. M. Bakker University of Bonn, Germany
S. A. Baldauf University of Bonn, Germany
J. G. Frommen University of Bern, Switzerland
Parasites with a complex life cycle often influence the behaviour of their intermediate host in such a way, that the transmission
to the final host is enhanced. In contrast, transmission to unsuitable hosts (dead-end hosts) should be reduced. Parasitic
manipulation to avoid dead-end hosts has received little attention. Here, we examined whether and how the trophically
transmitted acanthocephalan bird parasite Polymorphus minutus alters the phototactic behavior of its intermediate host,
Gammarus pulex, dependent on the presence of dead-end host cues. While uninfected gammarids are photophobic, P.
minutus infected ones are photophilic. This is interpreted as parasitic manipulation facilitating the transmission of P. minutus
to its definitive hosts, water birds. In the presence of dead-end hosts, however, photophilia may also increase predation by
dead-end hosts like fishes which clearly conflicts with the interests of the parasite. Therefore, we examined the
phototactic behaviour of P. minutus-infected G. pulex in the presence and absences of different fish cues. Overall, the
presence of dead-end host cues affected photophilia of infected gammarids. When exposed to fish, infected G. pulex were
no longer photophilic but instead showed photophobia similar to uninfected ones. These findings suggest fine-tuned
manipulation of intermediate hosts by a trophically transmitted parasite.
B78. Interspecific interactions between the Eurasian Treecreeper
(Certhia familiaris) and the Short-toed Treecreeper (Certhia brachydactyla)
Tomas Minarik University of South Bohemia Faculty of Science Department of Zoology Czech Republic
P. Veselý University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Czech Republic
A. Humlová University of South Bohemia, Faculty of Science, Department of Zoology, Czech Republic
The most common reason of the competition between well defined species is the niche overlap. The genus Certhia, represented
in Europe by two species - Certhia familiaris (Eurasian Treecreeper) and Certhia brachydactyla (Short-toed Treecreeper), is
a good example for the study of inter-specific competition. Both species are supposed to differ in their habitat demands,
which is true in their extreme preferences, but their habitat preferences may overlap remarkably. Treecreepers do not
vocalize much but their response to conspecific song is quite strong. To map the individual’s territory we used conspecific
playback stimulation (a male song). During the experiment we played song playbacks of a conspecific, a heterospecific (the
other treecreeper species) and of the European robin (Erithacus rubecula) as a control, inside the territory. Each playback
was played for 15 minutes, in random order, and was accompanied by a dummy (made of hobby mass for artists) of the
particular bird. Between each playback trial at least one hour lasting pause was left. We recorded and measured the
distance of the treecreeper from the dummy (loudspeaker), number of movements, voice response of the treecreeper
(numbers of particular call types), and other displays of stress behaviour. Our results suggest that Short-toed Treecreeper
could be more aggressive than supposed before, not only towards conspecifics but may even show higher aggressiveness
towards Eurasian Treecreeper than towards conspecifics. On the contrary, the Eurasian Treecreeper shows lower interspecific aggression. We hypothesize the niche breadth to be the main factor affecting the aggression towards the other
species.
B79. Grooming Networks in Common Marmosets (Callithrix jacchus)
Tomislav Pintaric Department of Psychology, University of Zagreb, Croatia
V. S lipogor Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
Allogrooming, or social grooming, is one of the most common forms of socio-positive behaviour in non-human primates. In
addition to the proposed basic role of cleaning the skin and hair of animals, this behaviour is associated with the
establishment, maintenance and strengthening of the social bonds, by either reducing social tensions or preserving and
improving affiliative bonds among group members. Grooming shows high variability between individuals, as many factors
influence grooming patterns, such as sex, dominance rank and social structure of the group. Common marmosets are a
cooperatively breeding species that live in extended family groups characterized by high genetic relatedness, and usually
comprise breeders and non- breeding members that assist in rearing of the young. Males and females differ in
reproductive strategies, which is assumed to lead to a difference in their social behaviours. Here we investigated grooming
interactions with regards to sex and kinship in 21 captive common marmosets, divided in six family groups. Focal
observations were collected twice a week, between January and April 2014. As competition between female marmosets
is high due to the suppression by the dominant female, and males show low levels of agonistic behaviour, we
hypothesized that males would engage in more affiliative interactions, and thus should be more central in grooming
networks than females. Furthermore, we expected an effect of breeding status, with the breeding pairs receiving more
grooming than non-breeding helpers. We discuss our findings in relation to possible consequences on social competence
and knowledge about group members in cooperatively breeding primates.
B80. Poor observational spatial memory capacity in a food hoarding bird - the
marsh tit Poecile palustris
Utku Urhan Lund University, Sweden
E. Emilsson Lund University, Sweden
A. Brodin Lund University, Sweden
Scatter hoarder birds make cryptic caches that are difficult to locate for other individuals. However, in nature, caches may
be retrieved by individuals other than the owner and these food pilferers can be both hetero- and conspecifics. If such
cache pilferers can memorize the exact positions of food items they have observed being cached, this will increase the
chances of pilferers to locate cryptic caches. Such an ability, however, is cognitively demanding and it may require
understanding of allocentric space (i.e. to understand the hoarder’s visual perspective). Previously we have shown that a
non-hoarding parid, the great tit can memorize cache positions of marsh tits and pilfer these caches even after 24 hours.
However it is unknown if such observational memory ability is general among parids and also occurs in other parid
species, including the food hoarding ones. We have tested a food hoarding parid, the marsh tit in an indoor facility for
observational spatial memory ability. They failed to memorize the cache locations of other conspecifics both after 1 hour
and 24 hours retention intervals. We argue that such ability is not common among parids and observational memory for
caches should be more important for non-hoarders than hoarders.
B81. A more parsimonious explanation of “referential gestures” in raven.
Jeroen Van Rooijen retired. Former behaviour researcher Center for Applied Poultry Research ”Het Spelderholt”.
The aim of this abstract is to discuss the interpretation of animal behaviour. Therefore, the interpretation of raven behaviour
in a more recent article (Pika and Bugnyar, 2011) is compared with the interpretation of bankiva behaviour in an older
article (Kruijt, 1964). Pika and Bugnyar (2011) described “referential gestures” in raven as showing and/or offering of
non-edible items to recipients, leading to frequent orientation of receivers to the object and the signallers and subsequent
affiliative interactions. Referential behaviour is considered to be an indication of the presence of a Theory of Mind
(the capability to think what the other thinks). The courtship behaviour “tidbitting” in the male bankiva is very similar.
This behaviour is also very flexible and its aim is also to attract the attention of another animal. Mostly it is
performed with edible items, however when these are absent non-edible items are used (Kruijt, 1964). This last behaviour
fits within Pika and Bugnyar’s description of “referential behaviour” however it is interpreted as ritualised food sharing.
One possible interpretation is that both behaviours are referential, another that both are ritualised food sharing. The
principal of parsimony (Morgan’s cannon, Ockham’s razor) may be helpful in this choice. The interpretation of ritualised
food sharing is only based on phylogeny and natural selection and seems therefore more parsimonious than an interpretation
based on a theory of mind. See Van Rooijen. Front. Ecol. Evol. 3:113. doi:10.3389/fevo.2015.00113
http://journal.frontiersin.org/article/10.3389/fevo.2015.00113/full This discussion may influence the interpretation of
behaviour in the cognitive ethology.
B82. Reflecting upon mirror reflection: a crows’ grasp on mirrors
Lisa Claire Vanhooland University of Vienna, Austria, Department of Cognitive Biology
T. Bugnyar University of Vienna, Department of Cognitive Biology,
J. J. M. Massen University of Vienna, Department of Cognitive Biology,
The use of mirrors in environmental enrichment is a widely applied method in animal husbandry. However, in 1970, Gordon
G. Gallup showed for the first time with the so-called mark test that chimpanzees are able to recognize themselves in
mirrors, which suggests some form of self-awareness. Since then, mirror self recognition (MSR) has been studied extensively
in primates and a consistent difference between great apes and monkeys emerged, suggesting an evolutionary gap for MSR
in the primate order. Other studies found, however, that MSR is not exclusive to great apes and that dolphins and elephants
also pass the mark test, suggesting convergent evolution of MSR in at least some highly intelligent mammals. Though,
recently MSR was also proven in birds; i.e. magpies, expanding the range of convergence. Nevertheless, attempts to find
MSR in other corvid species have so far failed, and with only few studies conducted it is difficult to explain these
differences. The present study aimed to expand the corvids tested and examines how hooded and carrion crows (n=8)
respond to mirrors. In a first experiment, we investigated the crows’ ability of MSR through a classical mark test
paradigm. Preliminary analysis of their performance in this test generated inconclusive results. Therefore, we conducted a
second experiment that explored a crow’s ability to use a mirror. The crow was given the opportunity to observe an
experimenter cache a food item either directly, through a mirror or not at all, before being allowed to search for it. With
this experiment currently running, at the conference I will present the first preliminary results, and will discuss the
findings of both experiments in a comparative and methodological perspective.
B83. Social alliances and their benefits in Northern Bald Ibis (Geronticus eremita)
Verena Puehringer Sturmayr Core Facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im
Almtal, Austria; Department of Behavioural Biology, University of Vienna, Austria
C. A. F. Wascher Core Facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna; Department of Life Sciences,
Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge CB1 1PT, UK
K. Kotrschal Core Facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im
D. Frigerio Core Facility KLF for Behaviour and Cognition, University of Vienna, Grünau im
Group living individuals are confronted with a variety of different stressors, with social context being among the most
potent ones. Affiliative interactions may buffer individual stress responses and ultimately enhance reproductive success.
In the present study, we investigated the relationship between affiliative interactions and excreted corticosterone immunereactive metabolites (CORT) in Northern Bald Ibis, a critically endangered bird. In individually marked focal animals
(N=40) of the free-ranging colony of the Konrad Lorenz Research Station in Grü nau im Almtal (Austria), the frequency
of affiliative interactions was monitored from May to November 2015. Five minute focal observations were evenly
distributed over the day. In addition, individual droppings were collected and CORT was determined by using an
enzyme-linked immunoassay. Individuals initiating and receiving affiliative behaviour with a higher frequency excreted lower
concentrations of corticosterone metabolites, compared to individuals less involved in affiliative behaviours. Furthermore,
adults were involved in more affiliative interactions as compared to subadults. This supports the idea that being well
embedded in a social network benefits individual stress management. Especially socially bonded adults seem to buffer their
stress load by exchanging high frequencies of affiliative behaviour. Funded by SPA-05/026.
B84. Exploring neophobia and group dynamics in juvenile jackdaws
(Corvus monedula)
Victoria West Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne,
UK
T. V. Smulders . Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon
Tyne, UK
E. E. Price . Centre for Behaviour and Evolution, Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne,
UK
Neophobia, aversive response to novelty, is linked with survival and breeding success. Within a population, individuals are
often consistent in responses to new spaces or objects. For group-living species, an individual’s network or rank position
is also linked to survival success. Group dynamics influence the environment an individual experiences by altering
access to food, nest sites, mates and social learning opportunities. For an individual maturing in this complex environment,
traits such as neophobia could be impacted. Whilst neophobia has been extensively studied, tests are often conducted on
subjects in isolation and the impact of the group environment is not considered. Furthermore, it is not known how group
dynamics and neophobia may interact. Jackdaws, members of the Corvid family, live in complex groups and are
neophobic. In order to investigate how individual differences in neophobia may be related to social interactions we
conducted Social Network Analysis (SNA) over two phases (Early: Nov-Dec 2015, and Late: Jan-Feb 2016) in two groups
of juvenile Jackdaws (N=16). We tested neophobia between phases by measuring latency to enter a new enclosure.
Individuals with stronger connections with others in the late phase made more approaches to the space before entering.
Clustering indices for both phases showed that more cliquish individuals made more visits to the space. Individuals
affiliated with well-connected conspecifics made more visits but spent less time in the space. Dominance scores and network
statistics were correlated across phases suggesting that juvenile jackdaws’ interactions with others are temporally
consistent, and these interactions have a lasting effect on group structure. Results suggest an interaction between
neophobia and group dynamics.
B85. Immediate but not delayed reciprocity in a captive chimpanzee group
Yvan Russell Middlesex University London, UK; University of Göttingen, Germany
S. Phelps Kings College London, UK
M. Musolesi University College London, UK
W. L. Ng University of Essex, UK
Reciprocity is often invoked as an underlying mechanism of ongoing social relationships. Here, we focused exclusively on
dyadic reciprocation (measured by time-matching of grooming effort). Without making assumptions of underlying cognition,
we looked for instances of dyadic time-matching within a captive group of 25 chimpanzees at Chester Zoo in the UK. The
chimpanzees were observed over several weeks, and grooming events were timed to the nearest second, allowing us to
analyze reciprocity over different time-horizons. We focused on the issue of immediate versus delayed time matching. Our
analysis shows that time-matching is only evident in the case of within-bout grooming, and not when events are separated by
a delay.
B86. The Role of Vocalizations in Species Diversity and Evolution of basal Primates
Elke Zimmermann Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Germany
A. F. Hasiniaina Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, Germany
M. Scheumann Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany,
B. Randrianambinina Faculté des Sciences, University of Mahajanga, Madagascar
S. Rasoloharijaona Faculté des Sciences, University of Mahajanga, Madagascar
U. Radespiel Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany
Acoustic signaling systems are discussed to mediate discrimination within and between species and play a major role in
speciation and evolution. Empirical research on this topic for primates is in its infancy. We aim to explore the hypothesis that
phylogeny predicts acoustic distinctiveness and explains micro- and macrogeographical divergences in vocalizations by
using the world’s smallest basal primate radiation, the species-rich and cryptic mouse lemurs. We apply an integrative
bioacoustic, behavioral, and genetic approach. Findings of five genetically distinct mouse lemur species originating from four
different study sites will be presented. First comparative data on the most common call types support a prominent effect of
phylogenetic distance on acoustic divergence. Thus, genetically closely related rufous-colored mouse lemur species showed
smaller differences to each other in the acoustic pattern of harmonically structured calls than to the phylogenetically more
distinct grey mouse lemur. Further, acoustic differentiation precedes morphological distinctiveness. Thus, an integrative
approach provides a fundamental framework for illuminating the role of vocalization in primate species diversity and
evolution with implications for taxonomy and conservation biology. Supported by the German Academic Exchange Council
(DAAD) and the Small Rufford Fund.
B87. Vocal Signaling used for Pair Coordination and Spacing in
a nocturnal Primate (Avahi occidentalis)
Elke Zimmermann Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany; Faculté des Sciences,
University of Mahajanga, Madagascar
R. Ramanankirahina Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany; Faculté des Sciences,
M. Joly Centre for Comparative and Evolutionary Psychology, Department of Psychology, University of Portsmouth, United
Kingdom
M. Scheumann Institute of Zoology, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Germany; Faculté des Sciences,
How social groups govern their distribution in time and space is a central question in socioecology. Our aim was to explore
the role of acoustic signaling for spacing and group coordination in a nocturnal, pair-living basal primate. In the
Ankarafantsika National Park in northwestern Madagascar, six pairs of Avahi occidentalis were radio-collared and home
range usage, vocalizations and call-associated behavior assessed (see Ramanankirahina et al. DOI: 10.1002/ajpa.22898 for
methods and analysis). Three major acoustically distinct, frequently used call types were identified: the loud avahee and
whistle call, and the soft growling call. Individually-specific call types were used by both sexes primarily in the locomotion
context in the non-core-area of home ranges. The least common avahee call is responded by the avahi call from farther away.
The more common whistle call, given when partners become visually isolated, and the growling call, emitted at close
distances, was answered by the whistle and the growling call. Results suggest a spacing function for the avahee call and
group coordination functions for the latter two call types. Our study provides first empirical evidence for a nocturnal,
cohesive pair-living basal primate that vocal signaling represents an important mechanism for spacing, group coordination
and decision making. Findings contribute to a better understanding of the evolutionary roots of primate vocal communication
Supported by the German Academic Exchange Council
B88. An alternative view of dog-human cooperation: the Deferential Behaviour
Hypothesis
Zsofia Viranyi Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical
University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Austria Wolf Science Center, Austria
F. Range Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical
University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Austria Wolf Science Center, Austria
Dog-human cooperation has been suggested to rely on human-like cognitive skills and tolerant emotional temperament of
dogs, facilitated by a convergent evolution and development of dogs and humans. Our results at the Wolf Science Center
comparing the behaviour of similarly raised and kept dogs and wolves socialized with humans as well as with conspecifics
are, however, in contrast with current domestication hypotheses that predict lower fear and aggression in dogs than in wolves.
In intraspecific contexts, in two co-feeding tasks we found that captive dog packs displayed a steeper dominance hierarchy
than wolves, which was characterized with stronger aggression on part of the dominant dogs and with high sensitivity to
social inhibition on part of the subordinate animals. This later component of the despotic social style of dogs was apparent in
context of human-animal interactions as well: a human experimenter could also easily inhibit the dogs whereas she could
rarely prevent the wolves from taking some meat. Therefore, we suggest that dogs have been selected for and learn to display
rather a deferential than a tolerant and cooperative temperament (Deferential Behaviour Hypothesis). This is likely to make
the control and management of dogs easier and poses reduced risks on the safety of humans sharing their life with dogs. This
hypothesis also suggests that dog-human cooperation relies rather on human leading than the high tolerance and human-like
cognitive comprehension of dogs.
B89. Acoustic variation in rutting calls of the Pannonian red deer
Cervus elaphus pannoniensis (Banwell 1997)
Ilya Volodin Biology Department, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia; Moscow Zoo, Russia
A. Nahlik University of West Hungary, Hungary
T. Tari University of West Hungary, Hungary
In red deer Cervus elaphus, rutting calls are good indicators of subspecies. However, the puzzle of acoustic variation is
incomplete without studies of the Central European subspecies. Rutting calls of the Pannonian red deer (common roars, harsh
roars and grunt roars) were collected in the largest native population of the Cervus elaphus pannoniensis (Banwell 1997) in
South Hungary (46.067 N, 17.492 E) in September 2015 using an automated recording system SongMeter2+. We analysed
673 bouts consisting 1-15 roars per bout (3.51+/-2.30), a total of 2360 roars. Single-call bouts comprised 19.61% and twocall bouts 20.80% of the total number. The average duration of the longest (main) roar of a bout was 1.21+/-0.52 s; min-max
0.55-4.44 s. In a total of 673 main roars within bouts, 428 (63.6%) were common roars and 245 (36.4%) were harsh roars
(containing over 50% of deterministic chaos). Compared to common roars, main harsh roars were significantly shorter
(0.90+/-0.27 s vs 1.38+/-0.55 s, t=12.62) and lower in the maximum fundamental frequency f0max (133.3+/-40.5 Hz vs
163.9+/-59.7 Hz, t=6.99). In bouts containing one or two calls, the f0max was significantly higher than in multi-call bouts.
Comparison with other subspecies indicates that the Pannonian subspecies is distinctive by the acoustics of its rutting roars.
For instance, in the Pannonian red deer compared to the well-studied Iberian red deer (C. e. hispanicus), the number of calls
per bout was higher, the main roars were shorter, the harsh roars occurred more often and were shorter and lower in f0max
compared to the common roars. Only 52% of the longest roars within bouts were also the highest in f0 compared to 94% in
the Iberian red deer. Support: RFBR grant 15-04-06241.
B90. When lights are not turned off anymore: night-at-light affects nestling
condition in blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus)
Katharina Mahr Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of
C. Leutgeb Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
H. Hoi Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary
There is growing evidence, suggesting that artificial light sources have negative impact on a large number of organisms.
Nevertheless, light pollution is a relatively new term, since artificial light affects the environment in more subtle ways than
any other anthropogenic factors, e.g. habitat destruction or noise. Birds are important model species in regard to this, since
their behaviour and reproductive cycle is known to be highly sensitive towards light conditions. To investigate how light-atnight affects the reproductive performance of passerines, we conducted an experiment on a population of wild living blue tits
(Cyanistes caeruleus). We combined results of a correlative long term study with an experimental approach. Therefore we
established artificial light sources at nest boxes during the nest-building period and compared breeding phenology and
nestling condition between (i) natural habitats, (ii) experimental groups and (iii) street-lamp territories. Our results reveal that
birds choosing to breed around street lamps are not affected in breeding performance, whereas birds forced to breed under
changed ambient light conditions produce nestlings with lower body condition in comparison to natural habitats. Our results
support the idea that artificial light sources affect the breeding performance of birds and bring additional knowledge
important for conservation.
B91. Tadpole cross-fostering induces complex parental and spatial behavior in
poison frogs
Kristina Beck Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
E. Ringler Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna; Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary
Medicine Vienna
M.-T. Fischer Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
S. Weinlein Department of Integrative Zoology, University of Vienna
A. Pašukonis Department of Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna
To study causes and consequences of behavioral patterns in animals we rely on repeated observations and mechanisms to
experimentally trigger and manipulate the behavior of interest. Parental care for example can often be induced by simple
external (e.g. begging) or internal stimuli (e.g. hormonal changes). Experimental studies on triggers inducing parental
behavior in different species usually focused on individuals actively providing care. In the present study we asked whether
parental behaviors can also be experimentally induced and manipulated in individuals that do not perform care at the time of
intervention. Poison frogs (Dendrobatidae) show a remarkable diversity of parental care and display complex spatial
behaviors. The dendrobatid species Allobates femoralis exhibits uniparental care where males transport tadpoles from
terrestrial clutches to distributed aquatic deposition sites. However mothers flexibly take over parental duties when fathers
disappear. In this study we tested whether tadpole transport can be triggered by transferring unrelated tadpoles to the backs of
surrogate parents and whether there are any differences between sexes. According to the asymmetrical parental duties in A.
femoralis we expected the females to be less likely to show transport behavior compared to males. However, our results show
that all males and females transported the transferred tadpoles to deposition sites and no differences between the sexes
regarding deposition success, transport speed or accuracy were found. Our study confirms that parental behaviors can be
experimentally induced in originally non-caring individuals. This novel technique will be particularly valuable for studying
specific questions regarding parental and spatial behavior in poison frogs.
B92. The role of vocal recruitment to food patches in mixed-species flocks
Friederike Hillemann Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford,
U.K.EGI Dep. Zoology University of Oxford
Sara Keen Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.;
Bioacoustics Research Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, United States
Damien Farine Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.;
Department of Collective Behaviour, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
Ben Sheldon Edward Grey Institute of Field Ornithology, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, U.K.
Acoustic communication plays an important role in spreading information about the presence of resources, and effective
vocal recruitment to a food site has been documented in several socially foraging species. However, acoustic recruitment in
mixed-species foraging assemblies has received little attention. We studied vocal behaviour during foraging in mixed-species
flocks of tits (Paridae) to determine whether group members acoustically signal the discovery of a shareable food source. We
recorded calls from PIT-tagged birds at feeders filled with sunflower seeds, as well as at empty feeders. Feeder visits were
recorded automatically, facilitating identification of foraging flocks based on the temporal arrival of individuals. At full
feeders, multi-species flocks forage throughout the day, whereas empty feeders were visited only sporadically by isolated
single or few individuals. We hypothesize that calls given upon discovery of a novel food source function to recruit flock
members, and therefore predict that call rate should be negatively correlated with the number of flock members present at the
food source. To test this, we considered calls produced upon feeder discovery and analysed call rates across different flock
sizes and flock compositions, and discuss their potential recruitment function in the establishment of mixed-species foraging
flocks.

ECBB 2016 Abstract book.

Transcription

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