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Inter‐brain synchrony occurs between individuals who feel connected socially, but how synchrony relates to felt connectedness under naturalistic social interaction has remained enigmatic. We hypothesized that inter‐brain synchrony between naturally interacting individuals might be associated with the internalization of a social identity, a link between an individual's personal identity and the social group to which the individual belongs. A convenience sample of sixty participants were split into dyads and interacted naturalistically on a social task. Through mapping EEG oscillatory waveforms onto a conceptual model categorizing the formation of a social identity within a naturalistic conversation, greater inter‐brain synchrony was observed in the emergent stage within the formation of a social identity compared to earlier stages, where a social identity was not present. We provide evidence for greater neural synchrony related to higher socio‐psychological connectedness during the development of social identity under naturalistic social interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

All animals exhibit some combination of spatial and social behaviours. A diversity of interactions occurs between such behaviours, producing emergent phenomena at the spatial–social interface. Untangling and interrogating these complex, intertwined processes can be vital for identifying the mechanisms, causes and consequences of behavioural variation in animal ecology. Nevertheless, the integrated study of the interactions between spatial and social phenotypes and environments (at the spatial–social interface) is in its relative infancy. In this theme issue, we present a collection of papers chosen to expand the spatial–social interface along several theoretical, methodological and empirical dimensions. They detail new perspectives, methods, study systems and more, as well as offering roadmaps for applied outputs and detailing exciting new directions for the field to move in the future. In this Introduction, we outline the contents of these papers, placing them in the context of what comes before, and we synthesize a number of takeaways and future directions for the spatial–social interface. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial–social interface: a theoretical and empirical integration'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals simultaneously navigate spatial and social environments, and their decision-making with respect to those environments constitutes their spatial (e.g. habitat selection) and social (e.g. conspecific associations) phenotypes. The spatial–social interface is a recently introduced conceptual framework linking these components of spatial and social ecology. The spatial–social interface is inherently scale-dependent, yet it has not been integrated with the rich body of literature on ecological scale. Here, we develop a conceptual connection between the spatial–social interface and ecological scale. We propose three key innovations that incrementally build upon each other. First, the use–availability framework that underpins a large body of literature in behavioural ecology can be used in analogy to the phenotype–environment nomenclature and is transferable across the spatial and social realms. Second, both spatial and social phenotypes are hierarchical, with nested components that are linked via constraints—from the top down—or emergent properties—from the bottom up. Finally, in both the spatial and social realms, the definitions of environment and phenotype depend on the focal scale of inquiry. These conceptual innovations cast our understanding of the relationships between social and spatial dimensions of animal ecology in a new light, allowing a more holistic understanding and clearer hypothesis development for animal behaviour. This article is part of the theme issue 'The spatial–social interface: a theoretical and empirical integration'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individuals of many species prefer to associate with familiar conspecifics from their established social group over unfamiliar conspecifics. Such familiarity preferences are thought to be adaptive and have been documented widely in many social fishes. Zebrafish (Danio rerio) are extensively studied, highly social fish that form stable shoals in the wild, however there is only mixed evidence for familiarity preferences in this species. Here, we test how a small variation in experimental design can influence preferences for familiar conspecifics in D. rerio by varying the distance between two stimulus shoals of fish in a shoaling choice paradigm. Individual subjects tested for their preference to shoal with familiar or unfamiliar groups of conspecifics showed a preference for familiar fish when the two shoals were 30 cm apart, but not when they were 45 or 60 cm apart. Thus, choice tests can be used to detect familiarity preferences in D. rerio, but only when alternate shoals are close together, as increased intershoal distances seemingly prevent subjects from displaying their preference. Longer distances may inhibit preference behavior due to the higher risk of crossing between shoals, alternatively subjects may be unable to reliably discern distinguishing cues of familiarity when the shoals are further apart. Our results demonstrate that while familiarity preferences exist in D. rerio, experimental test design is critical for detecting and measuring these successfully. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The errors young children make when recognising others’ emotions may be systematic over-identification biases and may partially explain the challenges some have socially. These biases and associations may be differential by emotion. In a sample of 871 ethnically and racially diverse preschool-aged children (i.e. 33–68 months; 49% Hispanic/Latine, 52% Children of Colour), emotion recognition was assessed, and scores for accuracy and bias were calculated by emotion (i.e. anger, sad, happy, calm, and fear). Child and family characteristics and teacher-reported social behaviour were also collected. Multilevel structural equation modelling revealed emotion-specific recognition accuracies varied between 36 and 65% whereas biases varied between 4 and 13%. Anger was the strongest bias followed by sad, happy, fear, and calm, in contrast to the pattern for accuracy – happy, sad, angry, fear, and calm. More variance was explained in emotion-specific recognition accuracies by child and family characteristics – 7–38% – than biases – 3–7%. Negatively-valanced emotion recognition biases associated with positively-valanced accuracies, and positively-valued emotion recognition biases associated with negatively-valued accuracies. Biases did not have meaningful associations with social behaviour. This study highlights that children’s emotion recognition errors may partially be systematic, but future studies are needed to understand the underlying cognitive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Season length and its associated variables can influence the expression of social behaviours, including the occurrence of eusociality in insects. Eusociality can vary widely across environmental gradients, both within and between different species. Numerous theoretical models have been developed to examine the life history traits that underlie the emergence and maintenance of eusociality, yet the impact of seasonality on this process is largely uncharacterized. Here, we present a theoretical model that incorporates season length and offspring development time into a single, individual-focused model to examine how these factors can shape the costs and benefits of social living. We find that longer season lengths and faster brood development times are sufficient to favour the emergence and maintenance of a social strategy, while shorter seasons favour a solitary one. We also identify a range of season lengths where social and solitary strategies can coexist. Moreover, our theoretical predictions are well matched to the natural history and behaviour of two flexibly eusocial bee species, suggesting that our model can make realistic predictions about the evolution of different social strategies. Broadly, this work reveals the crucial role that environmental conditions can have in shaping social behaviour and its evolution and it underscores the need for further models that explicitly incorporate such variation to study the evolutionary trajectories of eusociality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the modern perspective on evaluating animal welfare, it is important to consider both negative and positive experiences. This study investigated the impact of group composition and environmental enrichments on the behaviours of free-ranging pigs, focusing on anxiety-related behaviours, aggression, affiliation, post-conflict affiliation, excavation, and non-invasive exploration activities. Data were collected on three different groups (allfemale: N=10; all-male: N=13; mixed-sex: N=12) of free-ranging pigs raised in a natural woodland habitat at the ethical farm "Parva Domus" (Turin, Italy). To evaluate the impact of environmental enrichment, further data collection was carried out on the mixed-sex group under three different enrichment conditions (absence; dry leaves; straw) provided in a rotational scheme. Group composition did not affect levels of anxiety-related behaviours, aggression, and non-invasive exploration. However, it did impact other social aspects (affiliation: One-way ANOVA: p=0.003; post-conflict affiliation: Kruskal-Wallis: p=0.005). In particular, the mixed-sex and the all-male groups showed higher levels of affiliation than the all-female group and the mixed-sex group showed higher levels of post-conflict affiliation than the all-male group. Moreover, we found differences in excavation behaviour levels (Kruskal-Wallis: p=0.001), with higher levels of excavation behaviour in the mixed-sex group compared to the allfemale group. Regarding the impact of enrichments, we found differences in levels of anxiety-related behaviours (One-way ANOVA: p = 0.046), affiliation (One-way ANOVA: p = 0.006), excavation (One-way ANOVA: p<0.001), and non-invasive exploration activities (One-way ANOVA: p<0.001). In enrichment conditions with straw, we found a significant decrease in anxiety-related, affiliation, and excavation behaviours levels, and a significant increase in noninvasive exploration behaviours. A trend with lower levels of aggression was observed in straw enrichment condition compared to the absence of enrichment, although the difference was not significant. Moreover, there were no differences in post-conflict affiliation frequencies. Our findings suggest that forming mixed-sex groups and providing environmental enrichments such as the straw could be suitable solutions to effectively reduce invasive excavation behaviours without preventing pigs from expressing their natural behavioural repertoire, thus maintaining high standards of animal welfare. This study highlights behavioural aspects to be considered in extensive farming, confirming the importance of ethology as a tool for assessing pig welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Oral and social problems can exacerbate long‐term care. Understanding the relationship between social aspects and oral hypofunction can help identify high‐risk factors for long‐term care. Objective: This study aimed to investigate the social aspects of oral hypofunction among medical outpatients. Methods: This retrospective cross‐sectional study included patients who visited an outpatient clinic for frailty. The oral function was assessed using seven items: oral hygiene, occlusal force, masticatory function, tongue‐lip motor function, tongue pressure, oral dryness and swallowing function. Participants with three or more functional declines were classified as having 'oral hypofunction'. Social aspects were assessed using 21 items in four categories: general resources, basic social needs, social resources and social behaviours/activities. We analysed the relationship between oral hypofunction and each social aspect. Results: A total of 316 participants (age 78.5 ± 6.4 years) were included, and 128 (41%) had oral hypofunction. Participants with oral hypofunction were significantly more likely to have limited education, require long‐term care, not use transportation, depend on others for shopping, not participate in events, lack association membership and not engage in charity or volunteer work. After logistic regression analysis, 'long‐term care' and 'no association membership' remained significantly associated with oral hypofunction (odds ratios 2.3, 2.3; 95% CI 1.1–5.0, 1.1–4.7, respectively). Conclusion: Participants with oral hypofunction faced challenges in 'general resources' and 'social behaviour/activities', which were linked to oral function issues. Future longitudinal studies are necessary to further investigate this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fluctuations in estradiol levels at each stage of life in women are considered one of the causes of mental diseases through their effects on the central nervous system. During menopause, a decrease in estradiol levels has been reported to affect the serotonin nervous system and induce depression‐like and anxiety symptoms. However, the regulation of brain and behaviour during childhood and adolescence is poorly understood. Moreover, the role of oestrogen receptors α and β in the regulation of the serotonergic nervous system has been reported, but little is known about the involvement of G protein‐coupled receptor 30. Therefore, in this study, we used an ovariectomized childhood mouse model to analyse behaviour and investigate the effects on the serotonin nervous system. We showed that ovariectomy surgery at 4 weeks of age, which is the weaning period, induced a decrease in spontaneous locomotor activity during the active period and a preference for novel mice over familiar mice in the three‐chamber social test at 10 weeks of age. In addition, the administration of G‐1, a protein‐coupled receptor 30 agonist, to ovariectomized mice suppressed spontaneous locomotor activity and the preference for novel mice. Furthermore, we demonstrated that childhood ovariectomy induces increased tryptophan hydroxylase gene expression in the raphe nucleus and increased serotonin release in the amygdaloid nucleus, and administration of G‐1 ameliorated these effects. Our study suggests that G protein‐coupled receptor 30‐mediated regulation of serotonin synthesis is involved in changes in activity and social‐cognitive behaviour due to decreased estradiol levels during childhood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of subgroups can allow group-living animals flexibility to balance the costs and benefits of sociality over time. Subgrouping dynamics emerge from individual decisions about whether and with whom to maintain cohesion, with these decisions potentially influenced by ecological, physiological and social factors. We GPS-tracked the movements of nearly all members of three wild white-nosed coati, Nasua narica , social groups that differed in their demographic profiles to better understand how these highly social, frugivorous carnivores weight the relative importance of these different factors in their grouping decisions. Quantifying group movements and subgrouping patterns, we found that two of the three groups we tracked exhibited fission–fusion behaviours, with groups splitting into subgroups that persisted over varying time spans from minutes to days. In contrast, the third group remained together across the entire observation period. When groups split, they did not do so randomly; instead, individuals tended to form subgroups with the same individuals consistently over time. Assessing the drivers of subgrouping patterns revealed that subgroup membership was associated with genetic relatedness, but not physiological similarity as quantified by age and sex homophily. Our results demonstrate great variation in subgrouping patterns within a single species, while also highlighting a consistent role of relatedness in driving social preferences when subgroups form. • Whole group tracking revealed fission-fusion dynamics in white-nosed coatis. • The duration and distribution of subgrouping patterns varied between groups. • Group members consistently split with the same individuals over time. • Relatedness, rather than age and sex homophily, predicted subgroup membership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animal sociality, the extent and manner in which conspecifics associate with each other, ultimately affects an individual's survival and reproductive success. It is shaped by the spatiotemporal configuration and composition of the social units (e.g. individual, pair, group) in a population. Here, we assessed the formation and structure of social networks of a presumed nonsocial species with individual-based movement data of 153 GPS-marked brown bears, Ursus arctos. We explored changes in the frequency of dyadic associations in relation to distinct seasonal patterns (i.e. mating, hyperphagia and hunting seasons) that affect bear behaviour. We found seasonally distinctive frequencies in brown bear associations throughout their active period and that reproduction was the main driver for associations in the population, that is, the highest frequency of associations occurred during the mating season and male–female dyads during the mating season included the majority (73%) of observed associations. We also observed dyadic associations during the hyperphagia and hunting seasons, but found no significant changes in frequency during these seasons. In addition, we found that social structures during both the mating and nonmating periods were nonrandom, that is, dyadic associations occurred more often than expected. Animal sociality is commonly viewed as a classification of social versus nonsocial, but our results suggest that it is rather a dynamic continuum primarily influenced by variation in a species' spatiotemporal configuration (i.e. seasonal movements, social unit structure) and demographic composition (i.e. age, sex). Our results also support the contention that studies focusing on animal sociality should include a sociospatial perspective, as both components are tightly linked. Since sociality can affect individual fitness, and vice versa, advancing the knowledge on assumed 'solitary' species is paramount for the conservation and sustainable management of their populations. • Animal sociality is a dynamic continuum instead of a binary classification. • The sociospatial environment of a population is under constant change. • We performed a network analysis using a GPS location database from a solitary species. • In brown bears, a 'solitary species', sociality is driven by reproduction. • Brown bear social interactions are nonrandom outside the mating season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT In recent decades, the integration of horses (Equus ferus) in European rewilding initiatives has gained widespread popularity due to their potential for regulating vegetation and restoring natural ecosystems. However, employing horses in conservation efforts presents important challenges, which we here explore and discuss. These challenges encompass the lack of consensus on key terms inherent to conservation and rewilding, the entrenched culture and strong emotions associated with horses, low genetic diversity and high susceptibility to hereditary diseases in animals under human selection, as well as insufficient consideration for the social behaviour of horses in wild‐living populations. In addition, management of wild‐living horses involves intricate welfare, ethics and legislative dimensions. Anthropocentric population‐control initiatives may be detrimental to horse group structures since they tend to prioritise individual welfare over the health of populations and ecosystems. To overcome these challenges, we provide comprehensive recommendations. These involve a systematic acquisition of genetic information, a focus on genetic diversity rather than breed purity and minimal veterinary intervention in wild‐living populations. Further, we advise allowing for natural top‐down and bottom‐up control – or, if impossible, simulating this by culling or non‐lethal removal of horses – instead of using fertility control for population management. We advocate for intensified collaboration between conservation biologists and practitioners and enhanced communication with the general public. Decision‐making should be informed by a thorough understanding of the genetic makeup, common health issues and dynamics, and social behaviour in wild‐living horse populations. Such a holistic approach is essential to reconcile human emotions associated with horses with the implementation of conservation practices that are not only effective but also sustainable for the long‐term viability of functional, biodiverse ecosystems, while rehabilitating the horse as a widespread wild‐living species in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural tourism promotes sustainable development through economic, socio-cultural, and environmental means. To embrace rural tourism development, communities need to thoroughly evaluate the benefits and drawbacks associated with such changes. The challenges of this process entail assessing the consequences of the decision made in response to the social interactions occurring within the community. This study conducts a systematic review to identify research gaps in the application of Social Exchange Theory (SET), focusing on how attitudes, networking, and participation influence community decisions towards rural tourism. The findings reveal that these factors significantly shape local communities' perspectives and involvement in tourism development. Concluding with a conceptual framework grounded in SET, the paper provides insights into how attitudes, networking, and participation can drive sustainable rural tourism and facilitate cultural heritage conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The background of this research is based on the growth of social media usage as the primary channel for sharing experiences and emotions online. The phenomenon of sadfishing, which involves the use of sad or vulnerable stories with the aim of garnering attention or empathy from others, has become an intriguing topic to investigate in the context of using the #TumpukdiTengah hashtag on Instagram. This study aims to investigate the phenomenon of sadfishing in the context of using the #TumpukdiTengah hashtag on the Instagram social media platform. The research method used is netnography, which allows for in-depth observation of social interactions, behavioral patterns, and motivations within the online community associated with this hashtag. Data was collected through direct observation of content related to the hashtag and analysis of user responses and interaction dynamics on the Instagram platform. The research findings indicate that the motives for using the #TumpukdiTengah hashtag vary among Instagram users. Additionally, the research results also indicate the existence of several posts showing complexity in social interactions and emotional expressions in the use of the #TumpukdiTengah hashtag. Some posts may depict stories that are not entirely truthful or experience sadfishing, where users use their sad stories to gain attention or sympathy from others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analysing social behaviour provides valuable insights into the dynamics of species living in groups. An essential part of social behaviour is represented by lead-and-follow interactions as they influence group stability through individual needs and decision making. In horses, Equus ferus caballus , this behaviour plays a crucial role since individuals depend on the security and knowledge their group offers. Only one study has analysed the lead-and-follow behaviour of Przewalski's horses, Equus ferus przewalskii. However, no such study has been conducted on the wild population, nor on the potential impact of the horses' origin and experience. We filmed 34 wild-born and captive-bred individuals with different experiences (held in a fenced enclosure before release into the wild, long-term reintroduced and wild-born) in the Great Gobi B (Mongolia) over summer 2018, late spring 2019 and autumn 2019 to investigate Przewalski's horses' lead-and-follow behaviour in situ. We documented lead-and-follow interactions within 11 groups and used these data to construct lead-and-follow networks. We also examined the influence of various social factors (origin, sex, age, dominance rank, group size, parity, kinship and time belonging to the group) on different network measures. The analyses revealed that wild-born horses with greater experience in the area tended to exhibit well-defined lead-and-follow connections with few leading individuals, typical of stable groups of horses. In contrast, in inexperienced reintroduced groups, many (or all) members controlled the movement. The results show that newly formed groups of released Przewalski's horses require time to develop typical and stable lead-and-follow patterns. • We investigated lead-and-follow behaviour in Przewalski's horses in Mongolia. • Wild-born groups with more experience have well-defined lead-and-follow connections. • Reintroduced groups show less established networks, with many individuals leading. • Age significantly influences leading behaviour, with older horses leading. • Understanding lead-and-follow dynamics is important for the reintroduction success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Method Results Conclusion The traditional research on evaluating psychological interventions has primarily relied on behavioural measurements (e.g. self‐report questionnaires). This study aimed to investigate the effects of child‐centred play therapy (CCPT) on autistic children at both behavioural and neural levels, as well as the association between the changes in neural and behavioural measurements induced by CCPT. It is hypothesised that alpha power would increase after CCPT, along with improvements in social responsiveness, adaptive social behaviour and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) social symptom measures and that these changes would be correlated across participants.A total of 65 autistic children were randomly assigned to a CCPT experimental group (n = 34; M age = 7.50) or a waitlist control group (n = 31; M age = 7.47). Electroencephalography (EEG) alpha power and behavioural data were recorded during pre‐ and post‐intervention assessment sessions. The behavioural measurements included the Social Responsiveness Scale‐2, Autism Spectrum Quotient—Child (social skill subscale) and Adaptive Behaviour Assessment System‐II (social domain). t‐Tests and correlational analyses were conducted to examine the CCPT effects and brain–behaviour associations.The results confirmed the effects of CCPT at both neural and behavioural levels and the association between these two levels across participants. Specifically, individuals with larger increases in alpha power after CCPT also showed greater behavioural improvement.This study marks an initial endeavour, providing the first cross‐validation of CCPT effects on autistic children by demonstrating the brain–behaviour association. This approach advances the understanding of the therapeutic intervention effects of CCPT by presenting its multilevel impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study extended the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and applied it to analyse influencing factors of food waste separation intention (FSI) among households in central Vietnam. Partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM) was employed to analyse the data. The heterogeneity of factors contributing to FSI in cities of three levels was examined using multi-group analysis (MGA). The results indicate that attitudes, subjective norms (SN), perceived behavioural control (PBC), awareness of benefit (AB), information publicity (IP), facility availability (FA), and trust significantly affected FSI of households. MGA results indicated the heterogeneity of impacts of PBC and attitude on FSI of households among three municipal levels. The results will serve as basic data for waste officers, solid-waste management project leaders, non-governmental organisations (NGOs), and other related stakeholders to lay the foundation of food waste management planning in terms of regional scale and local scale. This study will also aid the creation of a circular economy by providing a scientific base for enhancing food waste separation at source in central Vietnam. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social interactions with heterospecifics can yield important insights into the flexibility of behaviour and the role of learning in communication. Recently, the honeybee dance, a unique symbolic communication system to communicate positions in space, has been shown to involve learning. We asked if this communication system could potentially be learned by members of a species not normally using this communication system, the bumblebee(Bombus terrestris)—indicating that learning might have been at the origins of dance communication. We used mixed-species colonies of bumblebees and honeybees (Apis millefera) to investigate how the readiness to first establish contact with dancers might develop in uninformed bumblebee foragers. Over a month of observations, we recorded and classified a series of behavioural patterns in newly emerged honeybees introduced into queenright bumblebee colonies. A small subset of the introduced honeybees was able to establish in the nests and displayed their typical behavioural patterns, including homing, dance communication, trophallaxis, and social grooming. Remarkably, grooming and trophallaxis were also displayed to heterospecifics, and bumblebees accepted both, including food offered through trophallaxis, even though this behaviour is not normally used by bumblebees. However, bumblebees never attended honeybees’ waggle dances. Our results contribute to insights about bee social behaviour and cognition by providing a fascinating example of the adaptive use and modification of innate behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dendrobatid frogs are famous for their amazing body design colours and poisonous skin. The male perspective is the focus of most studies, with males known as caregivers, persistent singers, and assiduous flirts. Little is known about what females do other than reproduce or very rarely be territorial and care for their tadpoles. Two interesting questions that remain to be answered are whether dendrobatid frogs can organize themselves into a complex social system and what males and females do outside of reproductive periods. We studied the multicolour species Adelphobates galactonotus in a delimited natural environment, with 11 females and 6 males with three different body colours. Over 27 months, the individuals interacted and conducted their life histories together since their metamorphosis. Continuous daily samplings revealed that females and males are organized in a female dominance hierarchy based on aggression, with resource defence: the territory. The social repertoire involved touching, visual and sound communication, fights and grouping of individuals associated with dominant females and territorial males. Herein, we describe the social repertoire, and we tested the behavioural trait that most influences successful reproduction: fighting a lot or being a popular individual in groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social traits are expected to experience highly context-dependent selection, but we know little about the contextual factors that shape selection on social behaviours. We hypothesized that the fitness consequences of social interactions will depend on the age of social partners, and therefore that population age structure will shape evolutionary pressures on sociality. Here, we investigate the consequences of age variation at multiple levels of social organization for both individual fitness and sexual selection on social network traits. We experimentally manipulated the age composition of populations of the forked fungus beetle Bolitotherus cornutus, creating 12 replicate populations with either young or old age structures. We found that fitness is associated with variance in age at three different levels of organization: the individual, interacting social partners, and the population. Older individuals have higher reproductive success, males pay a fitness cost when they interact with old males and females achieve lower fitness in older populations. In addition to influencing fitness, population age structure also altered the selection acting on social network position in females. Female sociality is under positive selection only in old populations. Our results highlight age structure as an understudied demographic variable shaping the landscape of selection on social behaviour. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Understanding age and society using natural populations'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Individual differences in social behaviour can result in fine-scale variation in spatial distribution and, hence, in the social environment experienced. Given the expected fitness consequences associated with differences in social environments, it is imperative to understand the factors that shape them. One potential such factor is age. Age-specific social behaviour—often referred to as 'social ageing'—has only recently attracted attention, requiring more empirical work across taxa. Here, we use 29 years of longitudinal data collected in a pedigreed population of long-lived, colonially breeding common terns (Sterna hirundo) to investigate sources of variation in, and quantitative genetic underpinnings of, an aspect of social ageing: the shaping of the social environment experienced, using the number of neighbours during breeding as a proxy. Our analyses reveal age-specific declines in the number of neighbours during breeding, as well as selective disappearance of individuals with a high number of neighbours. Moreover, we find this social trait, as well as individual variation in the slope of its age-specific decline, to be heritable. These results suggest that social ageing might underpin part of the variation in the overall multicausal ageing phenotype, as well as undergo microevolution, highlighting the potential role of social ageing as a facilitator for, or constraint of, the evolutionary potential of natural populations. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Understanding age and society using natural populations'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The age of individuals has consequences not only for their fitness and behaviour but also for the functioning of the groups they form. Because social behaviour often changes with age, population age structure is expected to shape the social organization, the social environments individuals experience and the operation of social processes within populations. Although research has explored changes in individual social behaviour with age, particularly in controlled settings, there is limited understanding of how age structure governs sociality in wild populations. Here, we synthesize previous research into age-related effects on social processes in natural populations, and discuss the links between age structure, sociality and ecology, specifically focusing on how population age structure might influence social structure and functioning. We highlight the potential for using empirical data from natural populations in combination with social network approaches to uncover pathways linking individual social ageing, population age structure and societal functioning. We discuss the broader implications of these insights for understanding the social impacts of anthropogenic effects on animal population demography and for building a deeper understanding of societal ageing in general. This article is part of the discussion meeting issue 'Understanding age and society using natural populations'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background Social behaviour plays a key role in mental health and wellbeing, and developing greater understanding of mechanisms underlying social interaction—particularly social motivation—holds substantial transdiagnostic impact. Common rodent behavioural assays used to assess social behaviour are limited in their assessment of social motivation, whereas the social operant conditioning model can provide unique and valuable insights into social motivation. Further characterisation of common experimental parameters that may influence social motivation within the social operant model, as well as complementary methodological and analytical approaches, are warranted. Methods This study investigated the effects of biological sex, housing condition, and time-of-day, on social motivation using the social operant model. This involved training rats to lever press (FR1) for 60-s access to a social reward (same-sex conspecific stimulus). Subjects were male and female Wistar rats, housed under individual or paired conditions, and sessions were conducted either in the mid-late light phase (ZT6-10) or early-mid dark phase (ZT13-17). A behavioural economics approach was implemented to measure social demand and the influence of stimulus partner sex (same- vs. opposite-sex stimulus) on social operant responding. Additionally, video tracking analyses were conducted to assess the degree of convergence between social appetitive and consummatory behaviours. Results Biological sex, housing conditions, the interaction between sex and housing, and stimulus partner sex potently influenced social motivation, whereas time-of-day did not. Behavioural economics demonstrated that sex, housing, and their interaction influence both the hedonic set-point and elasticity of social demand. Video analysis of social interaction during social operant sessions revealed that social appetitive and consummatory behaviours are not necessarily convergent, and indicate potential social satiety. Lastly, oestrus phase of female experimental and stimulus rats did not impact social motivation within the model. Conclusions Social isolation-dependent sex differences exist in social motivation for rats, as assessed by social operant conditioning. The social operant model represents an optimal preclinical assay that comprehensively evaluates social motivation and offers a platform for future investigations of neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in social motivation. These findings highlight the importance of continued consideration and inclusion of sex as a biological variable in future social operant conditioning studies. Plain English summary Humans are social creatures—our everyday interactions with others and the support this provides play a key role in our wellbeing. For those experiencing mental health conditions, people’s motivation to engage with others can wane, which can lead them to withdraw from those who support them. Therefore, to develop better treatment strategies for these conditions, we need to gain a deeper understanding of social motivation. Studying social behaviour in animals can facilitate this investigation of social motivation as it allows for a causal understanding of underlying neurobiology that is not possible in human experiments. An optimal way to study social motivation in animals is using the social operant conditioning model, where rats learn to press a lever that opens a door and allows them to interact with another rat for a short time. This study characterised the social operant model by testing whether sex, housing conditions, time-of-day, and the sex of the stimulus partner influence rats’ motivation to seek interaction with another rat. We found that female rats were more socially motivated than males, and that rats living alone were more motivated than those living with another rat; interestingly, this effect of housing affected females more than males. Regardless of sex, rats were more motivated to interact with a rat of the opposite sex. These findings provide insights into sex differences in social motivation in rats and new insights into the social operant model which will help guide future research into social motivation and other mental health conditions.

Background: Social behaviour plays a key role in mental health and wellbeing, and developing greater understanding of mechanisms underlying social interaction—particularly social motivation—holds substantial transdiagnostic impact. Common rodent behavioural assays used to assess social behaviour are limited in their assessment of social motivation, whereas the social operant conditioning model can provide unique and valuable insights into social motivation. Further characterisation of common experimental parameters that may influence social motivation within the social operant model, as well as complementary methodological and analytical approaches, are warranted. Methods: This study investigated the effects of biological sex, housing condition, and time-of-day, on social motivation using the social operant model. This involved training rats to lever press (FR1) for 60-s access to a social reward (same-sex conspecific stimulus). Subjects were male and female Wistar rats, housed under individual or paired conditions, and sessions were conducted either in the mid-late light phase (ZT6-10) or early-mid dark phase (ZT13-17). A behavioural economics approach was implemented to measure social demand and the influence of stimulus partner sex (same- vs. opposite-sex stimulus) on social operant responding. Additionally, video tracking analyses were conducted to assess the degree of convergence between social appetitive and consummatory behaviours. Results: Biological sex, housing conditions, the interaction between sex and housing, and stimulus partner sex potently influenced social motivation, whereas time-of-day did not. Behavioural economics demonstrated that sex, housing, and their interaction influence both the hedonic set-point and elasticity of social demand. Video analysis of social interaction during social operant sessions revealed that social appetitive and consummatory behaviours are not necessarily convergent, and indicate potential social satiety. Lastly, oestrus phase of female experimental and stimulus rats did not impact social motivation within the model. Conclusions: Social isolation-dependent sex differences exist in social motivation for rats, as assessed by social operant conditioning. The social operant model represents an optimal preclinical assay that comprehensively evaluates social motivation and offers a platform for future investigations of neurobiological mechanisms underlying sex differences in social motivation. These findings highlight the importance of continued consideration and inclusion of sex as a biological variable in future social operant conditioning studies. Plain English summary: Humans are social creatures—our everyday interactions with others and the support this provides play a key role in our wellbeing. For those experiencing mental health conditions, people's motivation to engage with others can wane, which can lead them to withdraw from those who support them. Therefore, to develop better treatment strategies for these conditions, we need to gain a deeper understanding of social motivation. Studying social behaviour in animals can facilitate this investigation of social motivation as it allows for a causal understanding of underlying neurobiology that is not possible in human experiments. An optimal way to study social motivation in animals is using the social operant conditioning model, where rats learn to press a lever that opens a door and allows them to interact with another rat for a short time. This study characterised the social operant model by testing whether sex, housing conditions, time-of-day, and the sex of the stimulus partner influence rats' motivation to seek interaction with another rat. We found that female rats were more socially motivated than males, and that rats living alone were more motivated than those living with another rat; interestingly, this effect of housing affected females more than males. Regardless of sex, rats were more motivated to interact with a rat of the opposite sex. These findings provide insights into sex differences in social motivation in rats and new insights into the social operant model which will help guide future research into social motivation and other mental health conditions. Highlights: Female Wistar rats exhibited greater social motivation than male rats in the social operant conditioning model. Isolated housing produced higher social motivation than paired housing, but this isolation-induced increase was either more marked for, or only present in, female rats. Both female and male rats demonstrate higher motivation for opposite-sex than same-sex stimulus conspecifics. Time-of-day and oestrus phase (of female experimental and stimulus rats) did not appear to impact social motivatio. Both between- and within-session behavioural economics in conjunction with video tracking analyses can be applied to better assess social motivation and interaction during social operant conditioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social discrimination is used as a territorial cost-mitigation behaviour across several taxonomic groups. However, whether this phenomenon is similar across populations or varies due to local ecological traits remains an open field. Here, we tested whether social discrimination ability exhibited by pairs of Rufous Horneros (Furnarius rufus) varies between two spatially distinct Brazilian populations (Brasília and Juiz de Fora), with contrasting population densities. We predicted that Rufous Horneros would show the highest aggression towards strangers' duets in the low-density population (the 'dear enemy effect'), and towards neighbours' duets in the high-density population (the 'nasty neighbour effect'). We also examined the impact of territorial centrality (distance to the centre of the conspecific neighbourhood) on territorial responses, assuming that territorial harassment varies with centrality. We observed a consistent dear enemy effect expression (i.e. lower response to simulated intrusions by neighbours compared to strangers) across both populations, despite their differing densities. Additionally, we found no effect of territorial centrality on playback responses. Our findings show that the dear enemy effect is widely distributed in Rufous Horneros, at least in the breeding season, being observed even in a high-density population. Our findings also highlight the lack of advantages for central territories. Future studies should investigate whether territorial mitigation strategies exhibit consistency across different contexts and taxa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Both iron and omega-3 (n-3) fatty acids (FA) play important roles in the development and functioning of the brain. We investigated the effects of n-3 FA and iron deficiencies, alone and in combination, during early development on behaviour and brain monoamines in rats. Methods: Using a 2-factorial design, female Wistar rats were randomly allocated to one of four diet groups: Control, n-3 FA deficient (n-3 FAD), iron deficient (ID), or n-3 FAD + ID. Females received these diets throughout mating, pregnancy and lactation. Offspring (n = 24/group; male:female = 1:1) continued on the same diet until post-natal day 42–45, and underwent a sucrose preference test (SPT), novel object recognition test, elevated plus maze (EPM) and social interaction test (SIT). Results: ID offspring consumed less sucrose in the SPT and spent more time in closed arms and less time in open arms of the EPM than non-ID offspring. In female offspring only, ID and n-3 FAD reduced time approaching and together in the SIT, with an additive effect of ID and n-3 FAD for even less time approaching and spent together in the n-3 FAD + ID group compared to controls. ID offspring had higher striatal dopamine and norepinephrine and lower frontal cortex dopamine concentrations. N-3 FAD and ID affected frontal cortex serotonin concentrations in a sex-specific manner. Conclusions: Our results suggest that ID and n-3 FAD during early development provoke anhedonia, anxiety and social dysfunction in rats, with potential additive and attenuating effects when combined. These effects may in part be attributed to disturbances in brain neurochemistry and may be sex-specific. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many animals devote substantial time, energy and resources to assessing nonmating social partners. However, relatively little is known about how individual characteristics influence the process and outcome of social partner choice. Social partner choice is an important aspect of Polistes fuscatus wasp lives, as nest-founding queens form and dissolve many short-term social relationships before settling down in stable cooperative groups. Here, we asked how personality and body size influence social partner assessment, the specific partners chosen, behaviour within social groups and group offspring production. We evaluated social and nonsocial personality traits (exploration, affiliation, aggression, investigation) and body mass in 75 individually marked queens, then released them in a large naturalistic enclosure where we recorded social partner assessment, nest founding behaviour and behaviour on nests. At the end of the season, we collected nests as a measure of group reproductive output. Exploratory personality had a stronger effect on social behaviour than other personality measures. More exploratory wasps sampled more social partners, joined nests later and spent fewer days as members of stable nests. Less exploratory wasps were more likely to become dominant on nests and were more aggressive after partnerships were established. Larger wasps sampled more potential nest sites, suggesting that sampling induces energetic costs that larger individuals are better able to bear. Among dominant and solitary-nesting wasps, more affiliative wasps built larger nests and more aggressive wasps built smaller nests. We did not find that wasps selected partners based on any measured trait. Overall, our work demonstrates that personality traits play an important role in how social partners are assessed, how social groups are formed, behaviour within established social groups and the success of social groups. Our study also suggests that personality mediates a trade-off between time spent sampling partners and social bond stability. • We evaluated effects of personality and body size on social partner choice in wasps. • More exploratory wasps sampled more social partners and joined nests later. • They spent fewer days in stable groups and were less likely to be dominant on nests. • Body size and social personality had little effect on partner assessment. • Personality may mediate a social assessment–stable social bond trade-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The social behaviour of twenty-one lambs of three sheep breeds (Chios, Karagouniki, and Synthetic) was observed from the age of 2.5–7 months, divided into three equal periods (A, B, C) of 1.5 months each. The frequency of the performed agonistic behaviours was higher (p < 0.01) before four months of age (period A: 11 × 10−4 ± 2 × 10−4) compared to the other periods (B: 5 × 10−4 ± 1 × 10−4; C: 8 × 10−4 ± 1 × 10−4). The same was noticed for affiliative behaviours performed (A: 21 × 10−4 ± 3 × 10−4; B: 8 × 10−4 ± 1 × 10−4; C: 5 × 10−4 ± 1 × 10−4), and for agonistic and affiliative behaviours received (p < 0.001). The lambs had higher levels of wool cortisol (23.398 ± 5.344 pg/mg; p < 0.01) at period C compared to A (7.899 ± 1.19 pg/mg). Breed affected the affiliative behaviours. Karagouniki showed higher frequencies than Synthetic (16 × 10−4 ± 3 × 10−4 vs. 6 × 10−4 ± 1 × 10−4). Blood cortisol was higher (p < 0.05) in the Synthetic (4.789 ± 0.928 ng/mL) compared to the Chios (1.805 ± 0.417 ng/mL) breed. Overall, lambs' behaviour displayed changes upon time, with four months of age being a step to a next developmental stage with fewer social interactions and higher levels of cortisol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT There is increasing evidence that competent handling of social interactions among conspecifics has positive effects on individual fitness. While individual variation in social competence has been appreciated, the role of long‐term experience in the acquisition of superior social skills has received less attention. With the goal of promoting further research, we integrate knowledge across disciplines to assess social expertise, defined as the characteristics, skills and knowledge allowing individuals with extensive social experience to perform significantly better than novices on a given social task. We focus on three categories of social behaviour. First, animals can gain from adjusting social behaviour towards individually recognised conspecifics that they interact with on a regular basis. For example, there is evidence that some territorial animals individually recognise their neighbours and modify their social interactions based on experience with each neighbour. Similarly, individuals in group‐living species learn to associate with specific group members based on their expected benefits from such social connections. Individuals have also been found to devote considerable time and effort to learning about the spatial location and timing of sexual receptivity of opposite‐sex neighbours to optimise reproduction. Second, signallers can enhance their signals, and receivers can refine their response to signals with experience. In many birds and insects, individuals can produce more consistent signals with experience, and females across a wide taxonomic range can adaptively adjust mating preferences after perceiving distinct male signals. Third, in many species, individuals that succeed in reproducing encounter the novel, complex task of caring for vulnerable offspring. Evidence from a few species of mammals indicates that mothers improve in providing for and protecting their young over successive broods. Finally, for social expertise to evolve, heritable variation in social expertise has to be positively associated with fitness. Heritable variation has been shown in traits contributing to social expertise including social attention, empathy, individual recognition and maternal care. There are currently limited data associating social expertise with fitness, most likely owing to sparse research effort. Exceptions include maternal care, signal refinement, and familiarity with neighbours and group members. Overall, there is evidence that individuals in many species keep refining their social skills with experience throughout life. Hence we propose promising lines of research that can quantify more thoroughly the development of social expertise and its effects on fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The effects of short-term social isolation during adulthood have not yet been fully established in rats behaviourally, and not at all transcriptomically in the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC). (2) Methods: We measured the behavioural effects of housing adult male rats in pairs or alone for 10 days. We also used RNA sequencing to measure the accompanying gene expression alterations in the mPFC of male rats. (3) Results: The isolated animals exhibited reduced sociability and social novelty preference, but increased social interaction. There was no change in their aggression, anxiety, or depression-like activity. Transcriptomic analysis revealed a differential expression of 46 genes between the groups. The KEGG pathway analysis showed that differentially expressed genes are involved in neuroactive ligand-receptor interactions, particularly in the dopaminergic and peptidergic systems, and addiction. Subsequent validation confirmed the decreased level of three altered genes: regulator of G protein signalling 9 (Rgs9), serotonin receptor 2c (Htr2c), and Prodynorphin (Pdyn), which are involved in dopaminergic, serotonergic, and peptidergic function, respectively. Antagonizing Htr2c confirmed its role in social novelty discrimination. (4) Conclusions: Social homeostatic regulations include monoaminergic and peptidergic systems of the mPFC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study is to investigate the impact of humour, teaching, gender, age, birth order, siblings, parents' level of education and income on kindergarteners' costly sharing behaviours. The participants consist of 106 kindergarteners enrolled in three public kindergartens in Şanlıurfa. The participants interacted with two assistants, one of whom made them laugh (the joker) and the other taught them something new (the teacher). After the meetings, a third assistant presented 20 stickers to each child. Among the 20 stickers, the children selected their 10 favourite stickers. Another assistant asked the children to share their stickers with teaching, joker or stranger if they desired. The children's distribution of their stickers to the joker, the teacher assistants and the neutral recipients did not statistically differ. This might be the result of egalitarian tendency of young children. Multiple regression revealed gender as a predictor variable for sharing with jokers and total sharing. The girls shared significantly more than the boys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Animals use colours, morphological structures and behaviour to advertise their dominance status and ability to obtain resources (Resource Holding Potential, RHP) in agonistic contexts with conspecifics. Dominance relationships are also known between species, although the interactions and the information used to assess the other species' RHP remain obscure and empirical evidence of interspecific recognition of status is hard to obtain. Using behavioural inference is particularly important when a species needs to assess the potential loss of fitness in terms of reproduction or survival (e.g., risk of damage or predation) that could be inflicted by another species acting as a predator, parasite or competitor. Our study shows for the first time the existence of interspecific recognition of status signals: Blue tits Cyanistes caeruleus (subordinate species) perceive Great tits Parus major (dominant species) as threats as hole‐nesting competitors, and respond differently based on the size of the great tit's black tie stripe. Blue tits seemed to recognize the meaning of great tits' black ties because they were bolder when defending their nests against small‐tie (less dominant) great tits than when repelling attacks by large‐tie (more dominant) great tit males. Our results stress that behavioural inference can potentially be used to assess the meaning of status signals that presumably evolved in an intraspecific signalling context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explores the impact of an optimistic approach on an individual's life satisfaction. The study aims to understand the relationships between variables and determine whether they align with previous research findings showing that an optimistic approach benefits greater life satisfaction. The study was conducted in Pakistan. Two hundred participants were taken through purposive sampling, belonging to different socio-economic backgrounds. They were administered The Life Orientation Test (LOT) and Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). To establish inter-item consistency, Cronbach alpha value was found for LOT as (a = .69-.72) and for SWLS as (a = .83-.92). Results showed a positive & relatively strong correlation (r=.473, n=200, p=.000) between the two variables through Pearson correlation test. Further, Regression was applied, resulting in a highly significant relationship f (1, 98) = p<0.05, R2=.552. Despite low optimism scores, a high level of life satisfaction was determined, and when optimism increases by 1 point, the life satisfaction score increases by 2,141 points. Based on the results of the study, the influence of optimism on life satisfaction in the context of Pakistan is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperation is common in animals, yet the specific mechanisms driving collaborative behaviour in different species remain unclear. We investigated the proximate mechanisms underlying the cooperative behaviour of bumblebees in two different tasks, where bees had to simultaneously push a block in an arena or a door at the end of a tunnel for access to reward. In both tasks, when their partner's entry into the arena/tunnel was delayed, bees took longer to first push the block/door compared with control bees that learned to push alone. In the tunnel task, just before gaining access to reward, bees were more likely to face towards their partner than expected by chance or compared with controls. These results show that bumblebees' cooperative behaviour is not simply a by-product of individual efforts but is socially influenced. We discuss how bees' turning behaviours, e.g. turning around before first reaching the door when their partner was delayed and turning back towards the door in response to seeing their partner heading towards the door, suggest the potential for active coordination. However, because these behaviours could also be interpreted as combined responses to social and secondary reinforcement cues, future studies are needed to help clarify whether bumblebees truly use active coordination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The brain's sensory lateralization involves the processing of information from the sensory organs primarily in one hemisphere. This can improve brain efficiency by reducing interference and duplication of neural circuits. For species that rely on successful interaction among family partners, such as geese, lateralization can be advantageous. However, at the group level, one-sided biases in sensory lateralization can make individuals predictable to competitors and predators. We investigated lateral preferences in the positioning of pair mates of Greater white-fronted geese Anser albifrons albifrons. Using GPS-GSM trackers, we monitored individual geese in flight throughout the year. Our findings indicate that geese exhibit individual lateral biases when viewing their mate in flight, but the direction of these biases varies among individuals. We suggest that these patterns of visual lateralization could be an adaptive trait for the species with long-term social monogamy, high levels of interspecies communication and competition, and high levels of predator and hunting pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social aggregative behaviour may have evolved in marine isopods to aid hunting, and help the animals protect themselves from predation. This social behaviour could have assisted some isopod species to make the evolutionary transition from marine to terrestrial environments, as aggregative huddling of isopods on land reduces desiccation when out of water. To determine if the common pill-bug Armadillidium vulgare demonstrates social behaviour, groups of animals were filmed for 60 min in an arena that contained a binary choice of two shelters. This experiment was directly repeated with the same specimens three more times in the same day and this series of four experimental runs was replicated a total of 10 times with a different group of animals for each of the 10 series. In most cases, the majority of specimens chose one of the two identical shelters at random, and congregated under this winning shelter. The amount of animals that congregated under the winning shelter, however, significantly decreased over the four consecutive runs, whereas the amount of animals that congregated under the losing shelter significantly increased with prior experience. These data indicate that A. vulgare is a social animal but this social behaviour can decrease with exposure to the novel environment. This attenuation in social behaviour may serve to decrease the drive to join the larger of the two groups in an area where a danger from predation has not been encountered and allow experienced animals to explore new terrain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functioning of biological systems relies on the cooperation of specialized components and understanding the processes that produce such specialization is a major challenge in biology. Here, we study the ontogeny of biological systems at a new phenotypic level: the superorganisms (i.e. insect societies with specialized individuals).We investigate how founding queens, the earliest developmental stage of ant colonies, transition from expressing behavioural pluripotency to becoming strictly specialized in egg production.We demonstrate that the presence of workers both initiates and maintains this queen specialization, and propose that such a social control of queen behaviour is common in ants and regulated by ancestral mechanisms.These findings contradict the traditional view of social insect queens as being intrinsically specialized in egg production and may reshape our understanding of the division of labour in insect societies. Read the free Plain Language Summary for this article on the Journal blog. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Multidisciplinary studies that integrate socioenvironmental aspects into the assessment of water resources contamination significantly enhance the identification of its sources. In the present study, an assessment of heavy metal contamination in sediments of Umayo Lagoon and the behavior of local actors was conducted. The concentrations of As, Cd, Cu, Hg, Pb, and Zn were determined and evaluated using international regulations. These data enabled the creation of distribution maps to pinpoint accumulation zones of different metals and suggest their possible sources of origin. The results were compared with the behavior of local actors, addressing three analytical characteristics: feelings, thoughts, and attitudes. Evidence showed contamination by As (18.11 mg/kg), Hg (0.19 mg/kg), and Cd (0.96 mg/kg), likely originating from mining activities, cheese plants, and agriculture. In terms of social aspects, intense emotions were expressed due to the presence of diseases and livestock mortality associated with metal contamination, causing anxiety and fear in the population. The incorporation of socioenvironmental aspects in the contamination assessment aligned with the physicochemical results, achieving identification of the sources of Umayo Lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the modern perspective on evaluating animal welfare, it is important to consider both negative and positive experiences. This study investigated the impact of group composition and environmental enrichments on the behaviours of free-ranging pigs, focusing on anxiety-related behaviours, aggression, affiliation, post-conflict affiliation, excavation, and non-invasive exploration activities. Data were collected on three different groups (all-female: N=10; all-male: N=13; mixed-sex: N=12) of free-ranging pigs raised in a natural woodland habitat at the ethical farm “Parva Domus” (Turin, Italy). To evaluate the impact of environmental enrichment, further data collection was carried out on the mixed-sex group under three different enrichment conditions (absence; dry leaves; straw) provided in a rotational scheme. Group composition did not affect levels of anxiety-related behaviours, aggression, and non-invasive exploration. However, it did impact other social aspects (affiliation: One-way ANOVA: p=0.003; post-conflict affiliation: Kruskal–Wallis: p=0.005). In particular, the mixed-sex and the all-male groups showed higher levels of affiliation than the all-female group and the mixed-sex group showed higher levels of post-conflict affiliation than the all-male group. Moreover, we found differences in excavation behaviour levels (Kruskal–Wallis: p=0.001), with higher levels of excavation behaviour in the mixed-sex group compared to the all-female group. Regarding the impact of enrichments, we found differences in levels of anxiety-related behaviours (One-way ANOVA: p = 0.046), affiliation (One-way ANOVA: p = 0.006), excavation (One-way ANOVA: p

Abstract Sociopositive interactions with conspecifics are essential for equine welfare and quality of life. This study aimed to validate the use of wearable ultra-wideband (UWB) technology to quantify the spatial relationships and dynamics of social behaviour in horses by continuous (1/s) measurement of interindividual distances. After testing the UWB devices’ spatiotemporal accuracy in a static environment, the UWB measurement validity, feasibility and utility under dynamic field conditions was assessed in a group of 8 horses. Comparison of the proximity measurements with video surveillance data established the measurement accuracy and validity (r = 0.83, p

The paper aims to highlight the way in which social groups influence voting behavior. For centuries, the individual's behavior has been influenced by several categories of internal or external factors, one of them being the social groups they belong to. The specialized literature sheds light on the complex mechanisms by which the behavior at the polls is influenced by the group to which it belongs. In order to achieve the purpose of the research, we used a sociological survey based on a questionnaire, which has three identification questions and six content questions. The questionnaire contains three identification questions and six content questions. The collected data were analyzed and interpreted, later, following the application of the research methodology,we formulated the research conclusions.

A toy is an object or device designed for play and enjoyment. Engagement of children and adolescents with appropriate toys can have significant influences on their cognitive, emotional and socio-psychological development. In this review, we first discuss factors underlying binary gender-based preferences of toys, and their implications for child development. Further, the potential of toys in psycho-social, emotional and sensorimotor development of children and adolescents are debated, with a particular focus on neuro-divergent children. Additionally, implications for toy-play from ancient Indian literature and culture are discussed. Finally, future aspects for play with next-generation toys and challenges associated with them are delineated. We hope that the review will serve as a platform for promoting toys as tools for removing binary gender-prejudices and aiding child/adolescent development. We also anticipate that our work will result in further research and elaboration of this largely ignored field of early/late childhood and adolescence research.

Remote monitoring of communal marking sites, or latrines, provides a unique opportunity to observe undisturbed scent marking behaviour of African wild dogs (Lycaon pictus). We used remote camera trap observations in a natural experiment to test behavioural scent mark responses to rivals (either familiar neighbours or unfamiliar strangers), to determine whether wild dogs exhibit the "dear enemy" or "nasty neighbour" response. Given that larger groups of wild dogs represent a greater threat to smaller groups, including for established residents, we predicted that the overarching categories "dear enemy" vs. "nasty neighbour" may be confounded by varying social statuses that exists between individual dyads interacting. Using the number of overmarks as a metric, results revealed an interaction between sender and receiver group size irrespective of familiarity consistent with this prediction: in general, individuals from large resident packs overmarked large groups more than they overmarked smaller groups, whereas individuals from smaller packs avoided overmarking larger groups, possibly to avoid detection. Monitoring a natural system highlights variables such as pack size that may be either overlooked or controlled during scent presentation experiments, influencing our ability to gain insights into the factors determining territorial responses to rivals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Comparisons across equine social behaviour studies are currently impeded by the lack of a universally accepted ethogram. Therefore, this ethogram introduces standardised definitions for thirty-seven distinct equine social behaviours, drawing from existing ethograms and refining definitions through meticulous video observations. The definitions consider contextual cues, such as ear position and facial expressions, and communicative nuances. Video examples enhance clarity by capturing the dynamic flow and sequence of social interactions. This approach allows researchers to observe temporal aspects like sequence, duration, and rhythm, providing a detailed representation of equine social behaviours. Standardized definitions, along with video illustrations, promote clear communication among researchers and enable consistent cross-study comparisons, which, in turn, can contribute to a better understanding of how husbandry practices and health conditions impact equine social behaviour, aiding in the assessment and optimization of management practices to enhance equine welfare. Equine social behaviour studies face challenges stemming from the absence of a comprehensive ethogram with unequivocal standardised definitions and the resulting limits to data comparison across studies. To address these constraints, this ethogram offers researchers a standardised framework, defining thirty-seven distinct equine social behaviours supplemented by video examples for enhanced clarity. These definitions amalgamate insights from existing ethograms and are fine-tuned through meticulous video observations, encompassing contextual cues such as distinguishing between aggressive and playful circling based on ear position and facial expressions and communicative nuances to provide a detailed representation of equine social behaviours. Video recordings complement the standardised definitions by capturing the dynamic flow and sequence of social interactions. By providing a dynamic and detailed representation, videos allow researchers to observe the temporal aspects of behaviour, including the sequence, duration, and rhythm of interactions. These detailed data are crucial for interpreting social behaviours and unravelling the complexities of equine societies. Standardized and video-illustrated definitions of equine social behaviour facilitate clear and consistent communication between researchers, enabling cross-study comparisons regarding the impact of husbandry practices and health conditions on equine social behaviour, which, in turn, can facilitate the assessment and optimisation of management practices and equine welfare. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]