The ability to perceive and recognise a reflected mirror image as self (mirror self-recognition, MSR) is considered hallmark of cognition across species. Although MSR has been reported in mammals birds, it not known occur any other major taxon. Potentially limiting our test for taxa that the established assay, mark test, requires animals display contingency testing self-directed behaviour. These behaviours may be difficult humans interpret taxonomically divergent animals, especially those...

The field of animal personalities claims to fill a gap in our understanding behavior, because it explicitly studies the adaptive significance behavioral differences. This is controversial claim given that ecology firmly places study behavior an evolutionary context. In fact, context differentiates from ethology and 2 fields were already concerned with nonhuman animals. So, if takes approach variation we ask what personality research about exactly? question particularly pertinent now focus...

An animal that tries to remove a mark from its body is only visible when looking into mirror displays the capacity for self-recognition (MSR), which has been interpreted as evidence self-awareness. Conservative interpretations of existing data conclude convincing MSR currently restricted great apes. Here, we address proposed shortcomings previous study on in cleaner wrasse Labroides dimidiatus , by varying preexposure mirrors and marking individuals with different colors. We found (1) 14/14...

Sleep and sleep-like states are present across the animal kingdom, with recent studies convincingly demonstrating in arthropods, nematodes, even cnidarians. However, existence of different sleep phases taxa is as yet unclear. In particular, study rapid eye movement (REM) still largely centered on terrestrial vertebrates, particularly mammals birds. The most salient indicator REM eyes during this phase. Movable eyes, however, have evolved only a limited number lineages-an adaptation notably...

Many animal species have been shown to discriminate between individual humans in captive settings and may use a variety of cues do so. Empirical evidence remains scarce for animals the wild, however, particularly aquatic contexts. For first time, we investigated discrimination by fish wild. We trained two fish, saddled sea bream Oblada melanura black Spondyliosoma cantharus , follow human diver obtain food reward. then whether they could divers correct one an operant-conditioning paradigm....

The theoretical underpinnings of the mechanisms sociality, e.g. territoriality, hierarchy, and reciprocity, are based on assumptions individual recognition. While behavioural evidence suggests recognition is widespread, cues that animals use to recognise individuals established in only a handful systems. Here, we digital models demonstrate facial features visual cue used for social fish Neolamprologus pulcher. Focal were exposed images showing four different combinations familiar unfamiliar...

Acquiring high resolution quantitative behavioural data underwater often involves installation of costly infrastructure, or capture and manipulation animals. Aquatic movement ecology can therefore be limited in taxonomic range ecological coverage.

Three main mechanisms have been proposed to explain divergent decisions between species faced with the same options: differences in sensory abilities, attentional capacities, or cognitive evaluations. While these well-established controlled settings, there is limited empirical evidence regarding ways which different make under varying perceptual loads. Here we investigated decision-making processes of two closely related cichlid species, Aulonocranus dewindti and Cyathopharynx furcifer, Lake...

The social intelligence hypothesis posits that animals living in more complex groups display better cognitive performances. However, this has mainly been investigated primates and studies using similar paradigms across different species are scarce. We tested three of wild Lamprologine shell-dwelling cichlids from Lake Tanganyika (Neolamprologus multifasciatus, Lamprologus ocellatus, ornatipinnis) vary their levels sociality, identical colour associative learning tasks. found differences...

The Cape bee ( Apis mellifera capensis ) is unique among honeybees in that workers can lay eggs instead of developing into males develop females via thelytokous parthenogenesis. We show this ability allows to compete directly with the queen over production new queens. Genetic analyses using microsatellites revealed 23 out 39 queens produced by seven colonies were offspring and not resident queen. Of these, eight laid workers, but majority parasitic from other colonies. parasites derived...

Phenotypically plastic mating behavior may allow males to modify their reproductive suit the prevailing social conditions, but we do not know if only react immediate stimuli or change inherent mate preferences according history. Here examine effect of experiences on subsequent male guppies under standard allowing us distinguish past and conditions. Males experienced experimental conditioning periods during which they interacted with three females, either variable size similar size. Females...

Significance The attributes allowing individuals to attain positions of social power and dominance are common across many vertebrate systems: aggression, intimidation, coercion. These traits may be associated with influence, but also socially aversive, thereby decrease influence dominant individuals. Using a cichlid fish, we show that males aggressive, central, group movement. Yet, poor effectors consensus in more sophisticated association task compared passive, peripheral subordinate males....

Members of animal groups face a trade-off between the benefits remaining with familiar group and potential dispersing into new group. Here, we examined membership decisions Neolamprologus pulcher, group-living cichlid. We found that subordinate helpers showed preference for joining groups, but when choosing two unfamiliar did not preferentially join maximized their social rank. Rather, preferred containing larger, more dominant individuals, despite receiving significantly aggression within...

Abstract The reproductive effort that a male directs to familiar female declines over time, suggesting decreasing marginal returns. But is this diminishing returns function of increasing costs or benefits sustained effort? Here, we use the restoration with unfamiliar females differentiate role and lifetime increased guppies. We kept males throughout their lives manipulated ability either court mate females. found novel mates lead an immediate trade‐off in form reduced foraging effort....

The success of health care provider counseling-based interventions to address vaccine hesitancy is not clear. In 2011, Washington State implemented Senate Bill 5005 (SB5005), requiring counseling and a signed form from licensed obtain an exemption. Evaluating the impact intervention can provide important insight into population-level that focus on interpersonal communication by provider.We used segmented regression interaction aggregation indices assess SB5005 immunization coverage exemption...

Theory suggests that living in large social groups with dynamic interactions often favours the evolution of enhanced cognitive abilities. Studies how animals assess their own contest ability commonly focus on a single task, and little is known about diversity or co-occurrence abilities species. We examined highly cichlid fish Julidochromis transcriptus uses four major situations; direct experience, winner/loser effects, eavesdropping transitive inference (TI). conducted experiments which...

Many animals can modify the environments in which they live, thereby changing selection pressures experience. A common example of such niche construction is use, creation or modification environmental resources for use as nests shelters. Because these often have correlated structural elements, it be difficult to disentangle relative contribution elements resource choice, and preference functions underlying niche-construction behaviour remain hidden. Here, we present an experimental paradigm...

The subspecies of honeybee indigenous to the Cape region South Africa, Apis mellifera capensis, is unique because a high proportion unmated workers can lay eggs that develop into females via thelytokous parthenogenesis involving central fusion meiotic products. This ability allows pseudoclonal lineages establish, which are presently widespread as reproductive parasites within populations Africa. Successful long-term propagation parthenogen requires maintenance heterozygosity at sex locus, in...

Reproduction by workers is rare in honey bee colonies that have an active queen. By not producing their own offspring and preventing other from theirs, are thought to increase inclusive fitness due higher average relatedness towards queen-produced male compared with worker-produced offspring. But there one exception. Workers of the Cape bee, Apis mellifera capensis, able produce diploid female via thelytokous parthenogenesis thus clones themselves. As a result, worker reproduction tolerance...

Animals make use a range of social information to inform their movement decisions. One common rule, found across many different species, is that the probability an individual moves area increases with number conspecifics there. However, in cases, it remains unclear what cues produce this and other similar rules. Here, we investigate are used by damselfish (Dascyllus aruanus) when repeatedly crossing back forth between two coral patches experimental arena. We find individual's decision move...

Extended phenotypes offer a unique opportunity to experimentally manipulate and identify sources of selection acting on traits under natural conditions. The social cichlid fish Neolamprologus multifasciatus builds nests by digging up aquatic snail shells, creating an extended sexual phenotype that is highly amenable experimental manipulation through addition extra shells. Here, we find both positive opposing this trait; augmenting shell increases access mates, but also aggression predation...