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A population of the black-footed tree-rat Mesembriomys gouldii was studied between September 1980
and January 1983 in tropical open-forest in the Northern Territory. Twenty-four males and 32 females
were captured over 2900 wire-cage trap-nights. Abundance peaked in May-June and October-November
of each year, reflecting increased trappability of adults and/or influxes of immature animals following
breeding pulses in an otherwise non-seasonal reproductive pattern. There was a marked increase in
population during 1981, followed by a general decline to very low numbers during 1982. Females
outnumbered males throughout most of the study, and particularly between March and July each year
when more young females than males entered the trappable population. Marked seasonal differences
in composition, transiency and trappability were apparent between the male and female populations,
suggesting a relatively non-social behavioural pattern. The preference shown by M. gouldii for relatively
stable, structurally diverse open-forest areas, which are characterised by shrubs and trees with conspicuous
and/or fleshy fruits, accords with the limited data on diet. It is further suggested that a geographically
but not temporally restricted food resource may explain the patchy distribution and non-seasonal breeding
pattern recorded for this species. Climatic variability (particularly rainfall), through its influence on plant
phenology and food availability, may strongly influence demographic changes, however, and was deemed
responsible for both the population increase in 1981 and the subsequent marked decline during 1982.
Long-term studies are needed in the wet-dry tropics to clarify the relationship between many such
mammal species and their environment.

The relationship between sociology and the natural Sciences is one of contention and debate. Especially with reference to the potential interaction with sociobiology, discussions have run high. In the course of its development, sociobiology gained from theoretical evolutions in behavioural ecology and evolutionary psychology, resulting in a fairly comprehensive evolutionary-biological model of human social behaviour. In a relatively short time span, developments in this paradigm resulted in many data and insights concerning fields as social networks, power relations, sociodemographic phenomena, social interaction, ... At the same time, both anthropology and psychology encourage interaction with evolutionary biology. This is the background for a discussion on the relationship between sociology and the evolutionary biology of social behaviour. First, we assert the reasons for the lack of interdisciplinarity, despite a number of attempts in this direction. After an exposition on the nature of the evolutionary paradigm on social behaviour, we identify the fundamental conceptual differences between sociology and evolutionary biological frameworks. This, among other things, is basis then, for a plea in favour of clearly structured and defined interdisciplinary research program. This can be based on a hierarchically structured theoretical program.

© The Author(s), 2018. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Aquatic Biology 27 (2018): 13-23, doi:10.3354/ab00692. ; Experiments in marine behavioural ecology rely heavily on observations made in tanks. However, when studying acoustic behaviours of marine animals in confined volumes, the effects of reverberation must be characterized, something that has been overlooked in parts of the marine ecology literature. In this study, we characterized reverberation in tanks using an artificial sound source and examined the implications for bioacoustic studies using sounds emitted by the European lobster Homarus gammarus during feeding and in response to stress. Broadband and transient sounds commonly produced by crustaceans were severely impacted by reverberation such that their spectral characteristics and pulse width durations could not be assessed. In contrast, low-frequency sounds could be characterized in tanks, but not their source level. Based on these observations, we describe a simple methodology to identify which sound characteristics can be measured in tanks. When feeding, the lobsters produced broadband and transient sounds called 'rattles', similar to sounds reported for tropical spiny lobsters Palinurus longipes and P. argus. When stressed, H. gammarus vibrated its carapace, producing a low-frequency sound analogous to the 'buzzing' sound of the American lobster H. americanus. The potential role of species-specific sound is discussed; however, although our observations represent the first bioacoustic characterization of H. gammarus, additional behavioural studies are necessary to understand their ecological meaning. ; J.C.G.'s contribution was supported by the 'Laboratoire d'Excellence' LabexMER (ANR-10-LABX-19) and co-funded by a grant from the French government under the program 'Investissements d'Avenir'. J.B.'s contribution was supported by ENSTA Bretagne (France) and by the Investment in Science Fund at WHOI ...

Abstract
Conservation ethics (i.e. moral concern for non-human organisms) are widespread, but we lack a comprehensive explanation for why people care about other species at all, and why they express strong moral concern for some species but not others. Recent theory suggests that conservation ethics might be rooted in cooperation between humans and members of other species. Building on central predictions of this eco-evolutionary theory, we conducted an online study (N = 651) and exploratory factor analysis to develop two scales that independently measure perceived fitness interdependence (PFI) and conservation ethics. The PFI scale measures perceived shared fate as a proximate indicator of human fitness interdependence with non-human organisms (i.e. the degree to which humans and other organisms influence each other's evolutionary success, that is, survival and reproduction). We designed the conservation ethics scale to measure moral beliefs and attitudes regarding those organisms. Both scales are composed of two factors and demonstrate good internal reliability. By combining insights from various branches of the evolutionary human sciences, including evolutionary anthropology, evolutionary psychology and human behavioural ecology, we offer empirical tools to investigate eco-evolutionary foundations of conservation ethics and behaviour.

Abstract
Global health interventions increasingly target the abolishment of 'child marriage' (marriage under 18 years, hereafter referred to as 'early marriage'). Guided by human behavioural ecology theory, and drawing on focus groups and in-depth interviews in an urbanising Tanzanian community where female early marriage is normative, we examine the common assumption that it is driven by the interests and coercive actions of parents and/or men. We find limited support for parent–offspring conflict. Parents often encouraged early marriages, but were motivated by the promise of social and economic security for daughters, rather than bridewealth transfers alone. Moreover, forced marriage appears rare, and adolescent girls and young women (AGYW) were active agents in the transition to marriage, sometimes marrying against parental wishes. Support for gendered conflict was stronger. AGYW were described as being lured into unstable relationships by men misrepresenting their long-term intentions. Community members voiced concerns over these marriages. Overall, early marriage appears rooted in limited options, encouraging strategic, but risky choices on the marriage market. Our results highlight plurality and context dependency in drivers of early marriage, even within a single community. We conclude that engaging with the importance of context is fundamental in forging culturally sensitive policies and programs on early marriage.

Neophobia (fear of new stimuli) is an important component of mammalian
behavioural ecology. In addition, information on neophobia in pest species
could be of great significance in targetting control measures and predicting
changes in responses to them. Novel objects and an auditory stimulus were
presented to individually marked wild rabbits living socially in clumped
warrens in southern British farmland. Avoidance of stimuli was measured by
scan sampling of rabbits' locations, in replicated experiments. Rabbits
avoided a variety of novel objects by staying below ground, and by changing
their activity ranges. Responses to different stimuli were correlated within
individuals. There were non-significant differences in the degree of avoidance
elicited by novel visual stimuli. The most important factors in avoidance were
distance from the stimulus, number of previous presentations, and rabbit
identity. Individual characteristics, including sex, social rank, and
trappability, were less important determinants of neophobia, although dominant
females were significantly more neophobic than were non-dominant ones. Only
one or two presentations were required for attenuation of avoidance, so novel
objects would be of limited application to crop protection. However, equipment
used for delivering control measures should also quickly become accepted by
rabbits. The measured avoidance and its attenuation indicate that rabbits
assessed and responded to their surroundings with high precision, with
significant individual variation consistent over stimuli.

Context The ecology of cryptic animals is difficult to study without invasive tagging approaches or labour-intensive field surveys. Acoustic localisation provides an effective way to locate vocalising animals using acoustic recorders. Combining this with land cover classification gives new insight into wild animal behaviour using non-invasive tools. Aims This study aims to demonstrate how acoustic localisation – combined with high-resolution land cover classification – permits the study of the ecology of vocalising animals in the wild. We illustrate this technique by investigating the effect of land cover and distances to anthropogenic features on coyote and wolf vocal behaviour. Methods We collected recordings over 13 days in Wisconsin, USA, and triangulated vocalising animals' locations using acoustic localisation. We then mapped these locations onto land cover using a high-resolution land cover map we produced for the area. Key results Neither coyotes nor wolves vocalised more in one habitat type over another. Coyotes vocalised significantly closer to all human features than expected by chance, whereas wolves vocalised significantly further away. When vocalising closer to human features, coyotes selected forests but wolves showed no habitat preference. Conclusions This novel combination of two sophisticated, autonomous sensing-driven tools permits us to examine animal land use and behavioural ecology using passive sensors, with the aim of drawing ecologically important conclusions. Implications We envisage that this method can be used at larger scales to aid monitoring of vocally active animals across landscapes. Firstly, it permits us to characterise habitat use while vocalising, which is an essential behaviour for many species. Furthermore, if combined with additional knowledge of how a species' habitat selection while vocalising relates to its general habitat use, this method could permit the derivation of future conclusions on prevailing landscape use. In summary, this study demonstrates the potential of integrating acoustic localisation with land cover classification in ecological research.

Abstract
Urbanization represents a multi-dimensional ecological 'filter' for birds determined by a myriad of variables that can change over time. Birds colonising an urban system or staying in a habitat that has been recently urbanised need to overcome both the extrinsic (e.g. food predictability, human activities, and inter-specific interaction) and intrinsic filter variables, ranging from genetic to behavioural changes and/or adjustments. An increasing body of knowledge has identified the behavioural component as crucial for individuals facing the spatiotemporal dynamic urban filters, often after other traits and mechanisms have played their role. Through both developmental (i.e. variability in the expression of genes during ontogeny) and activation plasticity (i.e. alteration of behaviour as a result of individual experience), studies have shown that the identification of cues in novel systems—often determined by extrinsic factors—and learning processes, among other factors, have important impacts on decision-making and innovation. The latter are crucial behavioural traits for thriving in urban settings. Thus, we propose an integrative mechanistic framework based on the process experienced by birds who reach a city and manage to persist in the novel system (becoming urban 'utilisers') or those that dwell in an urbanised region who increase their fitness through behavioural responses and adaptations, leading to population persistence (becoming 'dwellers'). Future field research efforts ought not only to widen the range of focal species, regions, and temporal scales of studies, but also to assess behavioural responses in highly urbanised settings, given that much of our knowledge comes from studies performed in urban greenspaces. Additionally, experimental studies are needed to complement the evidence from field research and to determine causal links.

1 Introduction -- 1.1 The ethological approach to the study of behaviour -- 1.2 A brief outline of classical ethological theory -- 1.3 The modern study of animal behaviour -- 1.4 An outline of the book -- 2 The description and measurement of behaviour -- 2.1 Describing behaviour by its function -- 2.2 Describing behaviour by its form -- 2.3 Describing and measuring the relationship between an animal and its environment -- 2.4 What is the point of all this sophisticated analysis? -- 3 The study of the causes of behavioural change -- 3.1 What constitutes a causal explanation of behaviour? -- 3.2 The different kinds of causal explanation -- 3.3 Motivational models -- 3.4 Studying external influences on behaviour -- 3.5 Studying internal influences on behaviour -- 3.6 What is the nature of the mechanisms which cause behavioural change? -- 3.7 Studying the physiological bases of behavioural change -- 4 The development of behaviour -- 4.1 Problems with the instinct-learning dichotomy -- 4.2 Why is the term innate still used? -- 4.3 Describing the ontogeny of behaviour -- 4.4 Characterizing the factors which influence the development of behaviour -- 4.5 Classifying the factors which influence the development of behaviour -- 4.6 Some general features of behavioural development -- 5 The adaptive significance of behaviour -- 5.1 Sources of evidence about the adaptive significance of behaviour -- 5.2 Difficulties in studying the adaptive significance of behaviour -- 5.3 The state of the art -- 5.4 The adaptive significance of the way animals pattern their behavior in time -- 5.5 The adaptive significance of the way animals use space -- 5.6 The adaptive significance of an animal's aggressive responses -- 5.7 The adaptive significance of an animal's breeding habits; mating systems -- 5.8 Adaptive significance of behaviour accompanying mating -- 5.9 The adaptive significance of parental care -- 5.10 The adaptive significance of living in groups -- 5.11 Behaviour which cannot be explained by classic natural selection theory -- 5.12 Overview; sociobiology and behavioural ecology -- 6 The phylogeny of behaviour -- 6.1 Sources of evidence about the phylogeny of behaviour -- 6.2 Some representative behavioural phylogenies -- 6.3 Deriving general principles of behavioural evolution -- 7 The role of behaviour in the evolutionary process -- 7.1 The behaviour of other animals as a major selective force -- 7.2 Behaviour dictates the selection pressures to which an animal is exposed -- 7.3 The impact of behaviour on population structure -- 8 Behavioural genetics -- 8.1 The objectives of research into the inheritance of behaviour -- 8.2 Potential contributions of genetics to the study of animal behaviour -- 8.3 Quantitative genetics -- 8.5 Screening known genetic variants for behavioural differences -- 8.6 Characterizing the precise behavioural effects of genetic differences -- 8.7 The mechanisms whereby genes influence behaviour -- 8.8 Genetic mosaics -- 8.9 Animal behaviour and behavioural genetics -- 9 Applied ethology -- 9.1 Clarification of terms; what is applied ethology? -- 9.2 Ways in which etiological research can be applied to practical problems -- 9.3 Pest control -- 9.4 Increasing the productivity of commercially important species -- 9.5 Animal welfare -- 9.6 Conservation -- 9.7 Human behaviour -- References -- Author index -- Species index.

SummaryThere is contradictory evidence of having fewer live births and higher embryonic mortality among high-altitude populations than their counterparts at lower altitude. This study explores the geospatial differences in selection intensities among human populations living in different ecological settings. Reproductive data from post-menopausal women were collected from 75 women from near Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, at an altitude of 2150 m above sea level and 100 women from Jind, Haryana, at an altitude of 227 m. Secondary data were taken from 85 women from the Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh at an average altitude of 3420 m. A comparison of the study data was made with similar data from different populations living in the western and eastern Himalayas. The total selection intensity index based on Johnston and Kensinger's index was highest in Shimla and lowest in Kinnaur. The fertility selection component was highest in Shimla and lowest in Kinnaur. The prenatal mortality contribution to the total selection was highest in Shimla (30.76%) and lowest in Kinnaur (2.14%), while the contributions of normalized postnatal mortality were 16.39% and 57.80% in Shimla and Kinnaur, respectively. The fertility component of selection was higher than the mortality component in Shimla, while in the other two places the reverse was observed. Hypoxic conditions at high altitude seem to have little effect on the fertility and embryonic mortality rates of indigenous people. The geospatial differences in the selection intensities may be due to differences in ethnic, behavioural ecology, environmental, cultural and socioeconomic factors.

SummaryRecent work in human behavioural ecology has suggested that analyses focusing on early childhood may underestimate the importance of paternal investment to child outcomes since such investment may not become crucial until adolescence or beyond. This may be especially important in societies with a heritable component to status, as later investment by fathers may be more strongly related to a child's adult status than early forms of parental investment that affect child survival and child health. In such circumstances, the death or absence of a father may have profoundly negative effects on the adult outcomes of his children that cannot be easily compensated for by the investment of mothers or other relatives. This proposition is tested using a multigenerational dataset from Bangalore, India, containing information on paternal mortality as well as several child outcomes dependent on parental investment during adolescence and young adulthood. The paper examines the effects of paternal death, and the timing of paternal death, on a child's education, adult income, age at marriage and the amount spent on his or her marriage, along with similar characteristics of spouses. Results indicate that a father's death has a negative impact on child outcomes, and that, in contrast to some findings in the literature on father absence, the effects of paternal death are strongest for children who lose their father in late childhood or adolescence.

Abstract
Recent human-induced transformations to the environment are significantly impacting wild animal populations. Whereas some animals thrive due to these changes, others are being extinguished. Many studies have attempted to identify behavioural traits (e.g. personality, diet versatility, cognition) that allow some animals to succeed in human-dominated landscapes, but few have studied multiple traits or environmental contexts concurrently, despite the fact that different environments may require different types of behavioural performance. We presented house finches (Haemorhous mexicanus) captured from urban, suburban, and rural sites with two different environmental problems to solve (escaping from a confinement and finding food in multiple feeding structures) and measured the success and speed of solving the challenge as well as activity levels and stress behaviours of the birds. We found that urban birds were better at solving the escape challenge, but there was no difference in finding a hidden food source. In addition, we found that birds who solved the escape challenge were more active than those who did not solve this problem, although we observed no such behavioural difference in the food challenge. These results indicate that, because problem-solving challenges can vary across environments, certain types of innovation may be prioritized over others in urban-dwelling species.

Although garter snakes at communal overwintering dens on the Canadian prairies have attracted considerable behavioural ecology research, previous studies have relied upon sampling of active animals to describe broad patterns of distribution and abundance of snakes within the den population. We conducted a mark–recapture study to directly quantify temporal and spatial variation in the phenotypic traits (sex, size, body condition) of snakes at the den itself, and those dispersing through woodland 50 m away. Captures of 909 snakes on the days they emerged, and 6653 snakes as they dispersed, revealed massive spatiotemporal heterogeneity in phenotypic traits among samples. Day-to-day variation in weather conditions affected numbers and sex ratios of emerging and dispersing snakes; for example, small females dispersed in greater numbers after unusually cold nights, when harassment by courting males was reduced. Most snakes stayed at the den only briefly (<5 days) prior to dispersal, so that sampling at the den itself (the only evidence available from most previous studies) underestimates the number of animals in the population, as well as the proportions of females, of small adult males and of juvenile animals. Overall, the heterogeneous and temporally dynamic distributions of phenotypic traits (such as sex and size) among our samples are predictable on the basis of the central roles of male–male competition and sexual conflict in the mating system of these snakes. Surprisingly, however, many of the snakes that overwinter at this den play no part in den-based breeding aggregations

Context Feral pigs represent a significant threat to agriculture and ecosystems and are disease reservoirs for pathogens affecting humans, livestock and other wildlife. Information on the behavioural ecology of feral pigs might increase the efficiency and effectiveness of management strategies. Aims We assessed the frequency of promiscuous mating in relation to oestrous synchrony in feral pigs from southern Texas, USA, an agroecosystem with a widespread and well established population of feral pigs. An association between multiple paternity of single litters and synchrony of oestrous may indicate alternative mating strategies, such as mate-guarding. Methods We collected gravid sows at nine sites in southern Texas during 2005–07. We used a panel of DNA microsatellite markers to estimate frequency of multiple paternity and the distribution of male mating among litters of feral pigs. Conception dates were determined by fitting average fetal crown–rump measurements within litters to expected fetal development relative to gestation time. Key results We found evidence of multiple paternity in 21 of 64 litters (33%) from seven of nine sites sampled. Synchrony of oestrous did not influence promiscuous mating, as we found multiple paternity at sites with synchronous and asynchronous oestrous. Males sired from 8 to 11 offspring at three sites where >10 litters were sampled. Mean litter size (5.4) was less than the best-fit value for the number of offspring, indicating that some males sired offspring with ≥ 2 females. Key conclusions Feral pigs in Texas appear to be promiscuous under a range of demographic conditions, unlike wild boar and feral pigs in other regions. The ecological and behavioural factors affecting multiple paternity are not clear, but may include male–male competition, harassment avoidance, genetic benefits for offspring, response to macro-habitat conditions, or selection. Implications A high incidence of sexual contact among individuals may increase the opportunity for diseases transmitted by oral or venereal routes, such as swine brucellosis and pseudorabies. In addition, fertility-control methods targeting males only are likely to be inefficient if female promiscuity is high; methods targeting females or both sexes jointly may be more effective.

Abstract
Urbanization is changing natural landscapes worldwide, pushing species to quickly acclimate or adapt if they are to survive in urban environments. Mountain chickadees (Poecile gambeli) readily nest in both urban and rural environments without suffering apparent reproductive costs. However, whether urban-nesting chickadees are successful in these environments due to differences in behaviour between urban and rural birds remains untested. We examined the behavioural responses of urban and rural nesting mountain chickadee females when presented with a novel object (red plastic cup) or simulated predator (imitation squirrel model) at the nest. Behavioural responses depended on both the type of model and the habitat. As expected, mountain chickadees responded more strongly to squirrel models than novel objects; however, the magnitude of the difference in response depended on habitat. Urban birds seemingly ignored the novel object, spending little time investigating, and re-entering the nest box quickly. In contrast, rural birds spent more time reacting to the novel object and alarm calling within 5 m of the nest. When presented with a predator model, the urban birds reacted relatively more strongly (compared to the novel stimulus) than rural birds, spending more time within 5 m of the nest and alarm calling. These results suggest that either mountain chickadees in urban environments quickly acclimatize to the presence of novel objects or, potentially, that less neophobic birds disproportionately settle in urban environments or experience positive selection in urban areas. Either way, reduced neophobia may aid in mountain chickadees' ability to readily and successfully nest in such habitats.