Kirk Jacqui, Wascher Claudia A F
Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom.
Behavioural Ecology Research Group, Department of Biology, Anglia Ruskin University, United Kingdom.
Behav Processes. 2018 Dec;157:519-527. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2018.06.006. Epub 2018 Jun 18.
In group living animals, affiliative social interactions maintain cohesion between individuals. Involvement in these interactions is likely to differ between individuals, depending on their sex, age and life history stages. Here we investigated different social network measures to describe greeting interactions within two prides of captive-origin African lions (Panthera leo). We aimed to determine if the introduction of cubs to these prides altered the strength of greeting networks among female lions. We also tested if the strength of greeting interactions changed between the age classes as younger lions matured. We found that interactions amongst female lions decreased from the period before cubs were born (least square means [95% CIs] 15.3 [7.67-22.93]) compared to after their integration into a pride (5.63 [-1.99-13.26] χ = 210.03, p < 0.001). In contrast, greeting network strength increased as offspring matured, with adults directing more interactions towards younger lions from 30 months of age (12.89 [1.96-23.82]) compared to when offspring were cubs (-0.69 [-11.63--10.24] χ = 156.03, p < 0.001). We suggest that social interactions between age classes may mediate recruitment and dispersal in lion prides.
在群居动物中，亲和性的社会互动维持着个体之间的凝聚力。参与这些互动的程度在个体间可能存在差异，这取决于它们的性别、年龄和生活史阶段。在此，我们研究了不同的社会网络指标，以描述圈养来源的两支非洲狮（Panthera leo）狮群内的问候互动。我们旨在确定将幼崽引入这些狮群是否会改变雌狮之间问候网络的强度。我们还测试了随着幼狮的成熟，不同年龄组之间问候互动的强度是否会发生变化。我们发现，与幼崽融入狮群后相比，雌狮之间的互动在幼崽出生前的时期有所减少（最小二乘均值[95%置信区间]为15.3[7.67 - 22.93]），而融入后为5.63[-1.99 - 13.26]，χ = 210.03，p < 0.001）。相反，随着幼崽的成熟，问候网络强度增加，成年狮子在幼崽30个月大时比其为幼崽时（-0.69[-11.63 - -10.24]）更多地与幼狮互动（χ = 156.03，p < 0.001）。我们认为不同年龄组之间的社会互动可能会调节狮子狮群中的招募和扩散。
