Search

We investigated factors leading to variation in social complexity or 'social systems' among plateau pika family groups within a contiguous local population across 2 years. Plateau pikas are small, diurnal, nonhibernating, sexually monomorphic lagomorphs that occupy family home ranges on open alpine meadows on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Expression of the social organization, social structure, mating system and parental care system in plateau pikas did not follow expectations from traditional ecological or evolutionary explanations. Variability in plateau pika family group size and the transitions of group size between years allowed us to investigate potential advantages and disadvantages of group living. Evidence that group living served to protect pikas against predation was weak. Although social huddling could have minimized thermoregulatory costs during the extremely cold Tibetan winters, there was no correlation of overwinter survivorship among pika families of different sizes. There was no apparent group-living benefit with regard to foraging, and the occurrence of cohesive social families on the flat, continuous meadow contradicts the hypothesis that sociality is related to patchiness of critical resources. Cost of maintaining burrows appeared unrelated to group size. Most interactions between pikas occurred within family groups and were affiliative (99% of adult interactions; 97% of adult–juvenile interactions), and most interactions between adult males of different family groups were aggressive (96% of interactions). Matings were primarily within families (88% of copulations). Pikas also possess a complex vocal repertoire that enhanced interactions within social families. Demographic constraints associated with variable overwinter survivorship appeared to be the dominant precondition that produced a given family size and mating system type, coupled with selective dispersal by some pikas before the start of the breeding season. Paternal care enhanced juvenile survival, and thus led to an equalization of reproductive success among adults in families with different mating combinations. • Plateau pikas live in families occupying exclusive burrow systems and home ranges. • Pika family group size varied from one to five adults within and between years. • Pikas failed to adhere to conventional explanations for establishment of group size. • Pika families exhibited multiple social mating system types. • Pika families did not adhere to explanations for establishment of mating system types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pair bonding is a psychological construct that we attempt to operationalize via behavioral and physiological measurements. Yet, pair bonding has been both defined differently in various taxonomic groups as well as used loosely to describe not just a psychological and affective phenomenon, but also a social structure or mating system (either social monogamy or just pair living). In this review, we ask the questions: What has been the historical definition of a pair bond? Has this definition differed across taxonomic groups? What behavioral evidence do we see of pair bonding in these groups? Does this observed evidence alter the definition of pair bonding? Does the observed neurobiology underlying these behaviors affect this definition as well? And finally, what are the upcoming directions in which the study of pair bonding needs to head? [Display omitted] • Pair bonding has been defined differently across animal taxa. • We review these definitions as well as the occurrence of probable pair bonding behavior. • We revise the definition of pair bonding, with an emphasis on affective components. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]