Be early or be tolerated: vervet monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, foraging strategies in a dispersed resource

Li, Ming Fei; Arseneau‐Robar, T. Jean M.; Smeltzer, Eve A; Teichroeb, Julie A.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2021.03.010

Cited by 7 publications

(10 citation statements)

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“…Other theoretical frameworks, such as the social foraging theory, analyse the costs and benefits of cooperation and competition in animals, predicting that the foraging strategies of group‐living individuals are influenced by the identity and actions of other group members (Giraldeau & Caraco, 2000). In addition to ecological factors, such as food productivity and distribution, foraging strategies and success are affected by social factors, such as dominance status, kinship and cooperative interactions (Keynan et al., 2015; Li et al., 2021). According to socioecological models (originally developed for primate species, but also applied to other species: elephants, Archie et al., 2006; feral cats, Bonanni et al., 2007; hyenas, Smith et al., 2007; rooks, Scheid et al., 2008), social foragers potentially face two types of intragroup feeding competition (Isbell, 1991; van Schaik & van Noordwijk, 1988; Sterck et al., 1997).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Foraging networks and social tolerance in a cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus)

Fuente

Sueur

Garber

et al. 2021

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. Within-group competition over food resources can be a major cost of social living.In the wild, foragers are confronted with social (e.g. hierarchical rank) and ecological (e.g. food availability and distribution) challenges that affect their foraging decisions and feeding success. Exhibiting prosocial behaviours, such as tolerance at feeding sites, can benefit group members by developing affiliative social relationships, enhancing access to resources and maximizing fitness.2. We examined social tolerance at feeding sites in Callithrix jacchus, a cooperatively breeding primate species. We investigated the set of social (rank, age and sex) and ecological (food availability) factors that influence the structure and dynamics of within-group foraging association networks.3. We designed and conducted an experimental field study of four wild groups of common marmosets in which we controlled food distribution (concentrated or scattered) and productivity (high, medium or low food rewards). Then, we used social network analyses to assess the number and strength of foraging associations among group members, their effects on individual food consumption, and whether recent experiences with conspecifics during foraging affected subsequent associations. 4. Overall, common marmoset foraging association networks were cohesive, as group members jointly occupied feeding sites. The number and strength of associations varied depending on the ecological context. Associations were stronger during conditions in which food was concentrated at a single site. Individuals obtained greater access to food resources when sharing a feeding site with conspecifics, but once a food item was obtained, the forager moved to a nearby tree and consumed it away from others. Additionally, the strength of previous foraging associations and subsequent levels of social tolerance at feeding sites were positively related, a relationship compatible with the ability of memorizing associations over time and recalling the information in future decision-making. 5. In sum, marmosets adjusted their partner choices and the strength of foraging associations in response to food availability. They exhibited increased social tolerance at feeding sites during conditions in which opportunities for contest competition were expected to be greatest. These cooperative breeding primates | 139

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Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Foraging networks and social tolerance in a cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus)

Fuente

Sueur

Garber

et al. 2021

Journal of Animal Ecology

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“…In line with this evidence, we expected higher curiosity and greater participation from juvenile vervet monkeys compared to adults. Following findings in previous studies described above (Bean, 1999;Li et al, 2021;van Horik et al, 2017), adult male vervet monkeys, being larger than adult females, could be expected to have higher rates of participation. However, co-dominance has been found in these study groups at IVP (Hemelrijk et al, 2020), and adult females as core group members have been trained as models in multiple field experiments (Borgeaud & Bshary, 2015;Botting et al, 2018;Gareta García et al, 2021;van de Waal et al, 2015).…”

Section: Aims and Hypothesesmentioning

confidence: 62%

“…In a scrounging test in vervet monkeys, males, who are larger and stronger than females, obtained more food by participating more and displacing others from artificial food patches (Li et al, 2021). In group-testing paradigms, in which individuals must compete to access a task rather than being offered it individually, the larger sex may therefore be more likely to participate.…”

Section: Individual Differences In Participation: Age and Sexmentioning

confidence: 99%

Lab cognition going wild: Implementing a new portable touchscreen system in vervet monkeys

Harrison

Mohr

Waal

2023

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. Touchscreen technology has provided researchers with opportunities to conduct wellcontrolled cognitive tests with captive animals, allowing researchers to isolate individuals, select participants based on specific traits, and control aspects of the environment.2. In this study, we aimed to investigate the potential utility of touchscreen technology for the study of cognition in wild vervet monkeys. We assessed the viability of touchscreen testing by comparing rates of participation between wild and sanctuary-housed vervets. Additionally, we compared performance on a simple associative learning task in order to verify that wild participants are able to engage meaningfully with a touchscreen task presented in their natural environment.3. We presented eight groups of vervet monkeys (four wild and four sanctuary groups, totalling 240 individuals) with a portable touchscreen device. The touchscreen displayed tasks in which food rewards could be gained by touching a stimulus displayed on the screen.We assessed individuals' likelihood of interacting with the touchscreen, their frequency of participation, and their performance on a simple associative learning task. 4. We found that sanctuary-housed monkeys were more likely to interact with the touchscreen. Participation in wild vervet monkeys was influenced by sex and age. However, monkeys in the two contexts (sanctuary versus wild) did not differ in their performance on a simple associative learning task.5. This study demonstrates that touchscreen technology can be successfully deployed in a population of wild primates. This gives us a starting point to test animal cognition under natural conditions that include varying group composition, environmental challenges, and ongoing activities such as foraging, which are challenging to recreate in captivity. While rates of participation were lower than those found in captivity, reasonable sample sizes can be achieved, and wild primates can successfully learn touchscreen tasks in a manner comparable to their captive counterparts.

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“…Focusing on one type of threat might affect the ability to detect the other, and so distinct strategies to monitor each threat might be needed. In addition, individuals might be looking for foraging opportunities nearby rather than monitoring distant threats [ 13 , 14 , 15 ]. Because visual monitoring strategies might be tailored to specific targets of vigilance, it is important to establish the targets of vigilance.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Visual Monitoring Strategies of Sentinels in a Cooperative Breeder

Beauchamp¹,

Bowman

2022

Biology

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Vigilance is important for early detection of threats. Previous studies have focused on the allocation of time to vigilance but neglected how animals monitor their surroundings during vigilance. Where animals look and how long each look lasts can affect the quality of visual monitoring and thus the ability to detect threats during vigilance. We examined visual monitoring strategies in the Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens), a cooperative breeder with sentinel behaviour. Sentinels in this species make head turns from vantage points to detect the arrival of predators and intruding neighbours. We found that sentinels initiated head turns at regular intervals and also returned their gaze to areas previously monitored at regular intervals, which is predicted when predators and intruders rely on surprise rather than stealth to approach. Sentinels made head turns in several directions, but often more frequently on one side of the body than the other, which was not predicted for regular vigilance. Average look duration during sentinel bouts was shorter in smaller groups and in juveniles. We argue that shorter looks are beneficial to increase visual coverage in more threatening situations. Our study highlights how visual monitoring strategies during vigilance reflect the risk posed by predators and intruders.

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Be early or be tolerated: vervet monkey, Chlorocebus pygerythrus, foraging strategies in a dispersed resource

Cited by 7 publications

References 87 publications

Foraging networks and social tolerance in a cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus)

Foraging networks and social tolerance in a cooperatively breeding primate (Callithrix jacchus)

Lab cognition going wild: Implementing a new portable touchscreen system in vervet monkeys

Visual Monitoring Strategies of Sentinels in a Cooperative Breeder

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