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223 results for “Ecology: behavioral”
Data and code from: Life under leaves: Substrate-borne vibrations provide a window into the behavior and ecology of two miniaturized geckos
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Data from: Demographic, behavioral, and ecological data from a long-term field study of wild baboons in Amboseli, Kenya
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Vanellus chilensis dataset accompanying PLOS ONE paper "Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird"
<p>Southern Lapwing <em>Vanellus chilensis</em> dataset accompanying the PLOS ONE article</p> <p>O. Jahn, T. Ganchev, M.I. Marinez and K.L. Schuchmann: Automated Sound Recognition Provides Insights into the Behavioral Ecology of a Tropical Bird. DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0169041</p> <p>---<br> BL01:<br> Background Library 01 consists of</p> <p>BL01 >> BL_CHVACH_free_final:<br> 54 hand-cleaned (<em>Vanellus chilensis</em>-free) background files and</p> <p>BL01 >> PSC008_forest:<br> 36 original soundscapes recorded inside forest, which may contain a few target signals from overflying lapwings.</p> <p>---<br> PONE_VACH_AnnualCycle_Statistics:<br> Contains the Excel files<br> - 2013CHVACH_BreedingCycle_Statistics_PONE: statistics on <em>V. chilensis</em> activity patterns, Apr. 2013 to Sep. 2013.<br> - 2013CHVACH_FalseNegatives_PONE: determination of the false negative rate based on an expert-annotated sample of 26 soundcsape recordings<br> - 2013CHVACH_FalsePositives_PONE: determination of the false positive rate based on an expert-annotated random sample of 1250 automated <em>V. chilensis</em> detections.</p> <p>---<br> TL01_BIAVCHCHVACH_20130813v2_HandCleaned:<br> Training library for the development of the <em>V. chilensis</em> recognizer, consisting of 90 hand-filtered recordings of the target species.</p> <p>---<br> VACH_Detector_results >> VACHdetectorOutput_PONE.zip:<br> TXT detector output files, listing timestamps of potential <em>V. chilensis</em> sound events.</p> <p>---<br> VACH_FNrate_20160706:<br> Validation library used to determine the false negative rate. The library consists of 26 expert-annotated sound files. Annotations were made in Adobe Audion v3.0.</p> <p>---<br> VL01_VACH_MonoB<br> and<br> VL01_VACH_MonoB:<br> Validation library used for the fine-tuning of the recognizer settings.</p> <p>---<br> Important notes on the annotation of the VACH_FNrate_20160706 library:</p> <p>1) In general, we used the procedure described in Ganchev et al. 2015 for the annotation of VACH validation libraries (see next section).</p> <p>2) However, the detector-generated timestamps were not changed! For the following reasons, it is not possible to use the VACH_FN_rate library as a validation library for the development of improved recognizer versions:</p> <p>(a) The VACH detector overlooked many of the weaker signals within a VACH call series. Therfore the detector-generated annotations are incomplete.<br> (b) For the same reason some automatically-generated detections may refer to a single VACH call event (double hits).</p> <p>Details on the method used for the annotation of the VACH validation libraries are described in Ganchev et al. 2015, pp.6100f: 2.1.3.3.Vanellus chilensis validation dataset.</p>
Data from: Hunting behavior and feeding ecology of Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), Prairie Rattlesnakes (C. viridis), and their hybrids in southwestern New Mexico
<p>Predators must contend with numerous challenges to successfully find and subjugate prey. Complex traits related to hunting are partially controlled by a large number of co-evolved genes which may be disrupted in hybrids. Accordingly, research on the feeding ecology of animals in hybrid zones has shown that hybrids sometimes exhibit transgressive or novel behaviors, yet for many taxa empirical studies of predation and diet across hybrid zones is lacking. We undertook the first such field study for a hybrid zone between two snake species, the Mojave Rattlesnake (<em>Crotalus scutulatus</em>) and Prairie Rattlesnake (<em>C. viridis</em>). Specifically, we leveraged established field methods to quantify hunting behaviors of animals, their prey communities, and diet of individuals across the hybrid zone in southwestern New Mexico, USA. We found that, even though hybrids had significantly lower body condition indices than snakes from either parental lineage, hybrids were generally similar to non-hybrids in hunting behavior, prey encounter rates, and predatory attack and success. We also found that, compared to <em>C. scutulatus</em>, <em>C. viridis</em> was significantly more active while hunting at night and abandoned ambush sites earlier in the morning, and hybrids tended to be more <em>viridis</em>-like in this respect. Prey availability was similar across the study sites, including within the hybrid zone, with Kangaroo Rats (<em>Dipodomys</em> spp.) as the most common small mammal both in habitat surveys and frequency of encounters with hunting rattlesnakes. Analysis of prey remains in stomachs and feces also showed broad similarity in diets, with all snakes preying primarily on small mammals and secondarily on lizards. Taken together, our results suggest that the significantly lower body condition of hybrids does not appear to be driven by differences in their hunting behavior or diet, and may instead relate to metabolic efficiency or other physiological traits we have not yet identified.</p>
Antipredator behaviors in urban settings: Ecological experimentation powered by citizen science
<p><span>1. Animal behaviors are often modified in urban settings due to changes in species assemblages and interactions. The ability of prey to respond to a predator is a critical behavior, but </span><span>urban populations may experience altered predation pressure, food supplementation, and other human-mediated disturbances that modify their responsiveness to predation risk and promote habituation.</span></p> <p><span>2. Citizen-science programs generally focus on the collection and analysis of observational data (e.g., bird checklists), but there has been increasing interest in the engagement of citizen scientists for ecological experimentation.</span></p> <p><span>3. Our goal was to implement a behavioral experiment in which citizen scientists recorded antipredator behaviors in wild birds occupying urban areas. In North America, increasing populations of Accipiter hawks have colonized suburban and urban areas and regularly prey upon birds that frequent backyard bird feeders. This scenario, of an increasingly common avian predator hunting birds near human dwellings, offers a unique opportunity to characterize antipredator behaviors within urban passerines. </span></p> <p><span>4. For two winters, we engaged citizen scientists in Chicago, IL, USA to deploy a playback experiment and record antipredator behaviors in backyard birds. If backyard birds maintained their antipredator behaviors, we hypothesized that birds would decrease foraging behaviors and increase vigilance in response to a predator cue (hawk playback) but that these responses would be mediated by flock size, presence of sentinel species, body size, tree cover, and amount of surrounding urban area. </span></p> <p><span>5. Using a randomized control–treatment design, citizen scientists at 15 sites recorded behaviors from 3,891 individual birds representing 22 species. Birds were more vigilant and foraged less during the playback of a hawk call, and these responses were strongest for individuals within larger flocks and weakest in larger-bodied birds. We did not find effects of sentinel species, tree cover, or urbanization. </span></p> <p><span>6. By deploying a behavioral experiment, we found that backyard birds inhabiting urban landscapes largely maintained antipredator behaviors of increased vigilance and decreased foraging in response to predator cues. Experimentation in citizen science poses challenges (e.g., observation bias, sample size limitations, reduced complexity in protocol design), but unlike programs focused solely on observational data, experimentation allows researchers to disentangle the complex factors underlying animal behavior and species interactions. </span></p>
Data from: Underlying mechanisms and ecological context of variation in exploratory behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile
Uncovering how and why animals explore their environment is fundamental for understanding population dynamics, the spread of invasive species, species interactions, etc. In social animals, individuals within a group can vary in their exploratory behavior, and the behavioral composition of the group can determine its collective success. Workers of the invasive Argentine ant (Linepithema humile) exhibit individual variation in exploratory behavior, which affects the colony's collective nest selection behavior. Here, we examine the mechanisms underlying this behavioral variation in exploratory behavior and determine its implications for the ecology of this species. We first establish that individual variation in exploratory behavior is repeatable and consistent across situations. We then show a relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of genes that have been previously linked with other behaviors in social insects. Specifically, we found a negative relationship between exploratory behavior and the expression of the foraging (Lhfor) gene. Finally, we determine how colonies allocate exploratory individuals in natural conditions. We found that ants from inside the nest are the least exploratory individuals, whereas workers on newly formed foraging trails are the most exploratory individuals. Furthermore, we found temporal differences throughout the year: in early-mid spring, when new resources emerge, workers are more exploratory than at the end of winter, potentially allowing the colony to find and exploit new resources. These findings reveal the importance of individual variation in behavior for the ecology of social animals.
Data for: Ecology and behavior predict an evolutionary trade-off between song complexity and elaborate plumages in antwrens (Aves, Thamnophilidae)
<p>The environment can impose constraints on signal transmission properties such that signals should evolve in predictable directions (Sensory Drive Hypothesis). However, behavioral and ecological factors can limit investment in more than one sensory modality leading to a trade-off in use of different signals (Transfer Hypothesis). In birds, there is mixed evidence for both sensory drive and transfer hypothesis. Few studies have tested sensory drive while also evaluating the transfer hypothesis, limiting understanding of the relative roles of these processes in signal evolution. Here, we assessed both hypotheses using acoustic and visual signals in male and female antwrens (Thamnophilidae), a species-rich group that inhabits diverse environments and exhibits behaviors, such as mixed-species flocking, that could limit investment in different signal modalities. We uncovered significant effects of habitat (sensory drive) and mixed-species flocking behavior on both sensory modalities, and we revealed evolutionary trade-offs between song and plumage complexity, consistent with the transfer hypothesis. We also showed sex- and trait-specific responses in visual signals that suggest both natural and social selection play an important role in the evolution of sexual dimorphism. Altogether, these results support the idea that environmental (sensory drive) and behavioral pressures (social selection) shape signal evolution in antwrens.</p>
Organismal effects of heat in a fixed ecological niche: Implications on the role of behavioral buffering in our changing world
<p>Increasingly frequent and intense heatwaves generate new challenges for many organisms. Our understanding of the ecological predictors of thermal vulnerability is improving, yet, at least in endotherms, we are still only beginning to understand one critical component of predicting resilience: exactly how do wild animals cope with sub-lethal heat? In wild endotherms, most prior work focuses on one or a few traits, leaving uncertainty about organismal consequences of heatwaves. Here, we experimentally generated a 2.8<span><span><span> </span></span></span><span>°</span>C heatwave for free-living nestling tree swallows (<em><span>Tachycineta bicolor</span></em>). Over a week-long period coinciding with the peak of post-natal growth, we quantified a suite of traits to test the hypotheses that (a) behavioral or (b) physiological responses may be sufficient for coping with inescapable heat. Heat-exposed nestlings increased panting and decreased huddling, but treatment effects on panting dissipated over time, even though heat-induced temperatures remained elevated. Physiologically, we found no effects of heat on: gene expression of three heat shock proteins in blood, muscle, and three brain regions; secretion of circulating corticosterone at baseline or in response to handling; and telomere length. Moreover, heat had a positive effect on growth and a marginal, but not significant, positive effect on subsequent recruitment. These results suggest that nestlings were generally buffered from deleterious effects of heat, with one exception: heat-exposed nestlings exhibited lower gene expression for superoxide dismutase, a key antioxidant defense. Despite this one apparent cost, our thorough organismal investigation indicates general resilience to a heatwave that may, in part, stem from behavioral buffering and acclimation. Our approach provides a mechanistic framework that we hope will improve understanding of species persistence in the face of climate change.</p>
Data from: Ecological and behavioral implications of multiple paternity in the Smooth-fronted caiman in French Guiana
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Data from: Character displacement of a learned behavior and its implications for ecological speciation
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Data from: Ecological and behavioral determinants of sex-biased predation of katydid prey by a bat predator
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Coping with feast and famine: Integrated behavioral and metabolically flexible responses of wild orangutans to ecologically driven dietary variation
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Data from: Underlying mechanisms and ecological context of variation in exploratory behavior of the Argentine ant, Linepithema humile
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Data from: Hunting behavior and feeding ecology of Mojave Rattlesnakes (Crotalus scutulatus), Prairie Rattlesnakes (C. viridis), and their hybrids in southwestern New Mexico
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Ecological and behavioral mechanisms of density-dependent habitat expansion in a recovering African ungulate population
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Organismal effects of heat in a fixed ecological niche: Implications on the role of behavioral buffering in our changing world
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Antipredator behaviors in urban settings: Ecological experimentation powered by citizen science
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Data from: Comparative ecological and behavioral study of Macaca assamensis and M. mulatta in Shivapuri Nagarjun National Park, Nepal
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Data for: Ecology and behavior predict an evolutionary trade-off between song complexity and elaborate plumages in antwrens (Aves, Thamnophilidae)
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Identification of a genetic network for an ecologically relevant behavioral phenotype in Drosophila melanogaster
<p>Pupation site choice of <i>Drosophila </i>third-instar larvae is critical for the survival of individuals, as pupae are exposed to various biotic and abiotic dangers while immobilized during the 3-4 days of metamorphosis. This singular behavioural choice is sensitive to both environmental and genetic factors. Here we developed a high-throughput phenotyping approach to assay the variation in pupation height in <i>Drosophila melanogaster, </i>while controlling for possibly confounding factors. We find substantial variation of mean pupation height among sampled natural stocks and we show that the <i>Drosophila</i> Genetic Reference Panel (DGRP) captures this variation. Using the DGRP stocks for genome wide association (GWA) mapping, 16 loci involved in determining pupation height could be resolved. The candidate genes in these loci are enriched for high expression in the larval central nervous system. A genetic network could be constructed from the candidate loci, which places <i>scrib</i> at the centre, plus other genes known to be involved in nervous system development, such as <i>Egfr</i> and <i>p53</i>. Using gene disruption lines, we could functionally validate several of the initially identified loci, as well as additional loci predicted from network analysis. Our study shows that the combination of high throughput phenotyping with a genetic analysis of variation captured from the wild can be used to approach the genetic dissection of an environmentally relevant behavioural phenotype.</p>
ScienceDex guides
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Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.