The social network structure of a wild meerkat population: 2. Intragroup interactions

Madden, Joah R.; Drewe, Julian Ashley; Pearce, G.P.; Clutton‐Brock, Tim

doi:10.1007/s00265-009-0820-8

Cited by 74 publications

(60 citation statements)

References 39 publications

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“…To compare overall network structures (Aim 1), we calculated some of the most basic and commonly used network descriptors [Croft et al, 2008;Kasper & Voelkl, 2009;Madden et al, 2009]: density based on binary (presence/absence) data (indicating the proportion of all possible links present in the network, where density of 0 indicates no connections between individuals); mean density of the valued (interaction frequency) data (indicating overall average interaction frequencies); clustering coefficient of valued data (indicating how closely connected neighborhoods are, i.e. the extent to which the network consists of individual clusters); and average shortest path length (indicating how closely individuals in general are connected within the network, where distance of 1 indicates that all individuals interact directly with each other).…”

Section: Network Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Individual roles and positions can also be compared across networks based on different behaviors. Recent SNA studies have revealed the importance of different behavioral dimensions to measure how individuals are embedded in their social world [Lea et al, 2010;Madden et al, 2009;. Both Wey and Blumstein [2010] and Lea et al [2010] found that affiliative and agonistic networks describe different dimensions of marmot sociality; surprisingly, seemingly costly agonistic relationships were found to be beneficial and heritable, whereas affiliative relationships appeared to be less important for individual reproductive success [Lea et al, 2010] and network cohesion as measured by affiliative relationships was mainly due to yearlings' affiliative behaviour .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Baboon (Papio anubis) social complexity—a network approach

Lehmann

Ross

2011

American J Primatol

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Although many studies have analyzed the causes and consequences of social relationships, few studies have explicitly assessed how measures of social relationships are affected by the choice of behaviors used to quantify them. The use of many behaviors to measure social relationships in primates has long been advocated, but it was analytically difficult to implement this framework into primatological work. However, recent advances in social network analysis (SNA) now allow the comparison of multiple networks created from different behaviors. Here we use our database of baboon social behavior (Papio anubis, Gashaka Gumti National Park, Nigeria) to investigate (i) to what extent social networks created from different behaviors overlap, (ii) to what extent individuals occupy similar social positions in these networks and (iii) how sex affects social network position in this population of baboons. We used data on grooming, aggression, displacement, mounting and presenting, which were collected over a 15-month period. We calculated network parameters separately for each behavior. Networks based on displacement, mounting and presenting were very similar to each other, whereas grooming and aggression networks differed both from each other and from mounting, displacement and presenting networks. Overall, individual network positions were strongly affected by sex. Individuals central in one network tended to be central in most other networks as well, whereas other measures such as clustering coefficient were found to vary depending on the behavior analyzed. Thus, our results suggest that a baboon's social environment is best described by a multiplex network based on affiliative, aggressive and sexual behavior. Modern SNA provides a number of useful tools that will help us to better understand animals' social environment. We also discuss potential caveats related to their use.

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Section: Network Parametersmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Baboon (Papio anubis) social complexity—a network approach

Lehmann

Ross

2011

American J Primatol

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“…Social network analysis has provided new insight into the social organization of species like guppies (Poecilia reticulate) [Croft et al, 2004] or spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) [Ramos-Fernández et al, 2009] and has revealed differences in the social organization of closely related species [Grevy's zebras (Equus Grevyi) & Onagers (Equus hemionus khur): Sundaresan et al, 2007; Tonkean macaques (Macaca tonkeana) & Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta) : Sueur & Petit, 2008;Sueur et al, 2010]. Moreover, it has shown that group structures can vary in a single species depending on the type of social interaction and the group studied [Meerkats (Suricata suricatta): Madden et al, 2009]. Finally, social network analysis has proven to be a useful tool in investigating animal well-being and husbandry [Rhesus macaques (Macaca mulatta): McCowan et al, 2008].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Grooming network cohesion and the role of individuals in a captive chimpanzee group

Kanngießer¹,

Sueur²,

Riedl³

et al. 2010

American J Primatol

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Social network analysis offers new tools to study the social structure of primate groups. We used social network analysis to investigate the cohesiveness of a grooming network in a captive chimpanzee group (N 5 17) and the role that individuals may play in it. Using data from a year-long observation, we constructed an unweighted social network of preferred grooming interactions by retaining only those dyads that groomed above the group mean. This choice of criterion was validated by the finding that the properties of the unweighted network correlated with the properties of a weighted network (i.e. a network representing the frequency of grooming interactions) constructed from the same data. To investigate group cohesion, we tested the resilience of the unweighted grooming network to the removal of central individuals (i.e. individuals with high betweenness centrality). The network fragmented more after the removal of individuals with high betweenness centrality than after the removal of random individuals. Central individuals played a pivotal role in maintaining the network's cohesiveness, and we suggest that this may be a typical property of affiliative networks like grooming networks. We found that the grooming network correlated with kinship and age, and that individuals with higher social status occupied more central positions in the network. Overall, the grooming network showed a heterogeneous structure, yet did not exhibit scale-free properties similar to many other primate networks. We discuss our results in light of recent findings on animal social networks and chimpanzee grooming. Am. J. Primatol. 73:758-767, 2011.

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“…Networks are based on interactions between individuals, and a variety of measures have been developed to quantify how connected individuals are with others in the group (9). Although studies of nonhuman species have explored the development of social networks (10) as well as the causes (11)(12)(13) and consequences (14-16) of network structure and individual position, no study has addressed the heritability of social network traits. If networks are to be useful tools for studying the evolution and maintenance of sociality, there must be heritable variation in network parameters.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Heritable victimization and the benefits of agonistic relationships

Lea

Blumstein²,

Wey³

et al. 2010

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

100

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Here, we present estimates of heritability and selection on network traits in a single population, allowing us to address the evolutionary potential of social behavior and the poorly understood link between sociality and fitness. To evolve, sociality must have some heritable basis, yet the heritability of social relationships is largely unknown. Recent advances in both social network analyses and quantitative genetics allow us to quantify attributes of social relationships and estimate their heritability in free-living populations. Our analyses addressed a variety of measures (in-degree, out-degree, attractiveness, expansiveness, embeddedness, and betweenness), and we hypothesized that traits reflecting relationships controlled by an individual (i.e., those that the individual initiated or were directly involved in) would be more heritable than those based largely on the behavior of conspecifics. Identifying patterns of heritability and selection among related traits may provide insight into which types of relationships are important in animal societies. As expected, we found that variation in indirect measures was largely explained by nongenetic variation. Yet, surprisingly, traits capturing initiated interactions do not possess significant additive genetic variation, whereas measures of received interactions are heritable. Measures describing initiated aggression and position in an agonistic network are under selection (0.3 < |S| < 0.4), although advantageous trait values are not inherited by offspring. It appears that agonistic relationships positively influence fitness and seemingly costly or harmful ties may, in fact, be beneficial. Our study highlights the importance of studying agonistic as well as affiliative relationships to understand fully the connections between sociality and fitness.animal model | animal social networks | yellow-bellied marmots B ehavioral ecologists have long viewed sociality and social relationships as adaptive traits shaped by evolution (1, 2). However, if we are to study the evolution of sociality and social relationships, there must be heritable variation in traits describing individual social behavior. Numerous studies have identified heritable variation in animal dispositions (3, 4), morphological characteristics, and behavioral traits (5) that may affect how individuals interact with conspecifics, yet the role of genetics in social interactions themselves is poorly understood. If traits affecting social interactions are heritable, we may expect measures of social relationships to be explained somewhat by additive genetic factors.There has been a recent upsurge in using animal social networks as tools for studying the ecology, evolution, and adaptive significance of sociality (6-8). Networks are based on interactions between individuals, and a variety of measures have been developed to quantify how connected individuals are with others in the group (9). Although studies of nonhuman species have explored the development of social networks (10) as well as the causes (11-13) and...

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The social network structure of a wild meerkat population: 2. Intragroup interactions

Abstract: One contribution of 14 to a theme issue 'Challenges in the fight against neglected tropical diseases: a decade from the London Declaration on NTDs'.

Cited by 74 publications

References 39 publications

Baboon (Papio anubis) social complexity—a network approach

Baboon (Papio anubis) social complexity—a network approach

Grooming network cohesion and the role of individuals in a captive chimpanzee group

Heritable victimization and the benefits of agonistic relationships

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