Selfish Pups: Weaning Conflict and Milk Theft in Free-Ranging Dogs

Parent-offspring conflict theory predicts the emergence of weaning conflict between a mother and her offspring arising from skewed relatedness benefits. Empirical observations of weaning conflict has not been carried out in canids. In a field-based study on free-ranging dogs we observed that suckling bout durations reduce, proportion of mother-initiated suckling bouts reduce and mother-initiated suckling terminations increase, with pup age. We identified the 7th - 13th week period of pup age as the zone of conflict between the mother and her pups, beyond which suckling solicitations cease, and before which suckling refusals are few. We also report for the first time milk theft by pups who take advantage of the presence of multiple lactating females, due to the promiscuous mating system of the dogs. This behaviour, though apparently disadvantageous for the mothers, is perhaps adaptive for the dogs in the face of high mortality and competition for resources.Comment: 3 figures, 1 tabl

Cryptic successors unrevealed even by network analysis: A comparative study of two paper wasp species

Understanding queen succession could be a key contribution to the better understanding of the origins and evolution of eusociality. In order to investigate the nature of organizational changes during queen succession, we analyzed two closely related paper wasp species (Ropalidia cyathiformis and Ropalidia marginata). We compared the effects of in vivo and in silico queen removal on the structure of their interaction networks (the former resulting in queenless colonies with potential queens). We studied several structural measures. There is no major structural difference between full (queenright) and in silico queen-removed colonies but there are major differences between queenless and in silico queen-removed ones. This suggests that queen succession is accompanied by a major reorganization of the society, in Rm but not so much in Rc. We also analysed the centrality ranks of potential queens and found that their positional importance changes a lot during queen succession in R. marginata, as they are processed in the colony. In the queenright colonies of R. marginata, the direction of links is a better predictor of the identity of the potential queen than the strength of links

Where do free-ranging dogs rest? A population level study reveals hidden patterns in resting site choice

Free-ranging dogs (FRDs) in human-dominated areas encounter obstacles such as noise, pollution, limited food sources, and anthropogenic disturbance while resting. Since FRDs have survived as a population in India, as in many other parts of the Global South for centuries, they provide a unique opportunity to study adaptation of animals to the human-dominated urban landscape. We documented factors impacting resting behaviour and site preferences in three states of India, for 284 dogs, leading to 6047 observations over 3 years. 7 physical parameters of the resting sites, along with the biological factors like mating and pup-rearing and time of day affected their choice of resting sites. The frequency-rank distribution of the unique combinations in which the parameters were selected followed a Power law distribution, which suggests underlying biological reasons for the observed preferences. Further, 3 of these parameters showed maximum consistency of choice in terms of the sub-parameters selected, explaining 30% of the observations. FRDs prefer to rest close to their resource sites within the territory, at a place that enabled maximum visibility of the surroundings. They chose such sites in the core of the territory for sleeping. At other times, they chose such sites away from the core, and were less restive, thus allowing for immediate response in case of intrusion or threat. They generally avoided anthropogenic disturbance for sleeping, and preferred areas with shade.Incorporating these aspects into urban management plans can promote human-dog cooperation and reduce situations of conflict. We envisage more inclusive urban areas in the future, that can allow for co-existence of the humans and their oldest companions in the commensal relationship that has been maintained for hundreds of generations of dogs in this part of the world.Comment: 2 figures, 2 tables, ES