Taxonomic bias in animal behaviour publications

Rosenthal, Malcolm F.; Gertler, Matthew; Hamilton, Angela D.; Prasad, Sonal; Andrade, Maydianne C. B.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.02.017

Cited by 69 publications

(58 citation statements)

References 29 publications

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“…To do so, we suggest that future investigations on the evolution of communication should be as integrative as possible, considering potentially confounding selection pressure such as sexual selection or sensory biases together with the factors included here. The organisms studied must also be more taxonomically diversified than they are now if one wants to obtain a general understanding on the evolution of animal communication (Rosenthal et al, 2017;Troudet et al, 2017).…”

Section: Towards More Integrative Tests Of the Acoustic Adaptation Hymentioning

confidence: 99%

How the environment shapes animal signals: a test of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in frogs

Goutte

Dubois

Howard

et al. 2017

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Long-distance acoustic signals are widely used in animal communication systems and, in many cases, are essential for reproduction. The acoustic adaptation hypothesis (AAH) implies that acoustic signals should be selected for further transmission and better content integrity under the acoustic constraints of the habitat in which they are produced. In this study, we test predictions derived from the AAH in frogs. Specifically, we focus on the difference between torrent frogs and frogs calling in less noisy habitats. Torrents produce sounds that can mask frog vocalizations and constitute a major acoustic constraint on call evolution. We combine data collected in the field, material from scientific collections and the literature for a total of 79 primarily Asian species, of the families Ranidae, Rhacophoridae, Dicroglossidae and Microhylidae. Using phylogenetic comparative methods and including morphological and environmental potential confounding factors, we investigate putatively adaptive call features in torrent frogs. We use broad habitat categories as well as fine-scale habitat measurements and test their correlation with six call characteristics. We find mixed support for the AAH. Spectral features of torrent frog calls are different from those of frogs calling in other habitats and are related to ambient noise levels, as predicted by the AAH. However, temporal call features do not seem to be shaped by the frogs' calling habitats. Our results underline both the complexity of call evolution and the need to consider multiple factors when investigating this issue.

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Section: Towards More Integrative Tests Of the Acoustic Adaptation Hymentioning

confidence: 99%

How the environment shapes animal signals: a test of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in frogs

Goutte

Dubois

Howard

et al. 2017

J of Evolutionary Biology

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“…[599] Even within the field of zoology, entomology research is underrepresented in major ecology [600] and animal-behavior journals ( Figure 26D); [601] this ongoing "ghettoization" to specialized journals has likely contributed to a bleak funding landscape Figure 26. Decreases in the abundance and biodiversity of insects since the 1970s have coincided with a decrease in the stature and funding of entomology research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature: Functional Materials in Insects

2018

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Over the course of their wildly successful proliferation across the earth, the insects as a taxon have evolved enviable adaptations to their diverse habitats, which include adhesives, locomotor systems, hydrophobic surfaces, and sensors and actuators that transduce mechanical, acoustic, optical, thermal, and chemical signals. Insect‐inspired designs currently appear in a range of contexts, including antireflective coatings, optical displays, and computing algorithms. However, as over one million distinct and highly specialized species of insects have colonized nearly all habitable regions on the planet, they still provide a largely untapped pool of unique problem‐solving strategies. With the intent of providing materials scientists and engineers with a muse for the next generation of bioinspired materials, here, a selection of some of the most spectacular adaptations that insects have evolved is assembled and organized by function. The insects presented display dazzling optical properties as a result of natural photonic crystals, precise hierarchical patterns that span length scales from nanometers to millimeters, and formidable defense mechanisms that deploy an arsenal of chemical weaponry. Successful mimicry of these adaptations may facilitate technological solutions to as wide a range of problems as they solve in the insects that originated them.

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“…The lack of studies concerning the effects of starvation on annelid foraging speaks to the taxonomic bias in animal behaviour research. A recent study by Rosenthal et al (2017) quantifies the skew of this bias, indicating that the field has largely focused on higher order taxa, leaving other groups, which account for proportionally more of the earth's biodiversity, relatively understudied. Although it remains unclear why such a strong bias exists (e.g., tractability of study systems, innate human bias, easy to study or to capture), the authors call for a greater consideration of neglected taxa to help understand the scope and pervasiveness of commonly studied behaviours such as mate selection, predator avoidance, and foraging (Rosenthal et al 2017).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, as indicated in a recent review examining the effects of starvation on arthropods (Scharf 2016), there is room to expand on these studies given the rarity of experiments combining hunger level and predation threat. This is likely true for other invertebrate taxa, considering the existing taxonomic bias towards vertebrates and model organisms in animal behaviour research (Rosenthal et al 2017).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Worms make risky choices too: the effect of starvation on foraging in the common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)

et al. 2018

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Species should avoid risks to protect accumulated fitness. However, when faced with starvation, organisms may accept risks to enhance future reproductive opportunities. We investigated the effect of starvation on risk-taking behaviour in the common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris Linnaeus, 1758). Lumbricus terrestris are negatively phototactic annelids that feed on decaying plant matter at the soil surface. Feeding in high-light conditions is a potentially riskier choice, given the threats of visual predators and desiccation. We predicted that starvation in L. terrestris would increase risk-taking behaviour and decrease time taken (latency) to make choices. We manipulated the starvation level of L. terrestris individuals (nonstarved, half-starved, and fully starved) and presented them with a binary foraging choice. Lumbricus terrestris could choose either a low-food and dark condition (low-risk condition) or a high-food and light condition (high-risk condition). We found that starved individuals selected the high-risk condition more often than nonstarved individuals. Starved individuals also had a decreased latency to first choice. Risk-taking did not scale with level of starvation; there was no difference in foraging choice and latency between half- and fully starved individuals. Our results indicate that L. terrestris makes state-dependent foraging choices, providing insight into the importance of fundamental life-history trade-offs in this understudied species.

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Taxonomic bias in animal behaviour publications

Cited by 69 publications

References 29 publications

How the environment shapes animal signals: a test of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in frogs

How the environment shapes animal signals: a test of the acoustic adaptation hypothesis in frogs

It's Not a Bug, It's a Feature: Functional Materials in Insects

Worms make risky choices too: the effect of starvation on foraging in the common earthworm (Lumbricus terrestris)

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