Zoology - Theses
Permanent URI for this collection
Search Results
1 - 1 of 1
-
ItemSampling the social environment in an uncertain world( 2012)The world that we inhabit is characterised by variation in the environment over space and time. Subsequently, animals are faced by uncertainty regarding their current and future conditions. Thus, it is critical to understand the nature of responses to uncertainty. Theory suggests that animals incorporate information from their environment through natural selection or personal experience, and use this information to make decisions that anticipate environmental conditions. Animals also possess the ability to improve their estimation of current conditions by sampling for new information, and individuals that incorporate updated information can have an adaptive advantage over those that use older information. However, sampling can be costly and selected against. The use of sampling strategies can also depend on social interactions within a population, the structure of the landscape, and variation in spatial scale. This thesis considers the conditions in which it is adaptive for an individual to sample information from their social environment, and how this behaviour is affected by the landscape and the decisions being made by others. In particular, I explore the use of updated information from the social environment in three contexts in which fitness is dependent on the social environment and phenomena attached to the landscape. In Part I, I report the results of a field experiment on breeding site selection in the terrestrial toadlet Pseudophryne bibronii. I collected every calling male in a breeding population, released them into empty habitat patches, and observed the decisions that they made during re-settlement. I found that the decision to sample social cues when selecting breeding sites reflected a predicted relationship between the value of previously gathered information and spatial scale. In Part II, I conceptually explore the interaction between conspicuous features of the landscape, or landmarks, and the adaptive value of sampling the social environment by conducting a literature review on the adoption of landmarks for territorial boundaries. Additonally, I conducted a laboratory experiment on the ability for convict cichlids, Amatitlania nigrofasciata, to learn spatial associations between landmarks and contests. The results of these studies indicate that the effect of landmarks on sampling may depend on the process responsible for the adoption of a landmarked boundary and the landmark’s reliability for estimating location. Finally, in Part III, I consider the value of sampling during dyadic interactions between individuals. I measured how individual P. bibronii changed their calling behaviour in response to a persistent intruder simulated by a playback device, and reveal that males adjust their behaviour as they gather additional information. Additionally, I analyse a game-theoretic model that considers the functional significance of sampling during contests, which suggests individuals face a trade-off between improving their assessment of opponents and having the capacity to fight for access to fitness-enhancing resources. Furthermore, there can be conflicts over the transfer of information that affect the evolution of sampling. Overall, I conclude that the value of sampling information from the social environment can depend on spatial scale, landmarks and the social interactions within populations. These conclusions may help develop an ecological understanding of how individuals use information.