Genetic basis of between-individual and within-individual variance of docility

Funded by Alces Software UCLA Academic Senate Division of Life Sciences National Geographic Society National Science Foundation. Grant Numbers: IDBR-0754247, DEB-1119660, DBI-0242960, DBI-0731346 University of Aberdeen Data deposited at Dryad: doi:10.5061/dryad.11vf0.Peer reviewedPostprin

¿El tamaño y la orientación del grupo intruso afecta a la distancia de iniciación al vuelo en aves?

Wildlife managers use flight initiation distance (FID), the distance animals flee an approaching predator, to determine set back distances to minimize human impacts on wildlife. FID is typically estimated by a single person; this study examined the effects of intruder number and orientation on FID. Three different group size treatments (solitary person, two people side–by–side, two people one–behind–the–other) were applied to Pied Currawongs (Strepera graculina) and to Crimson Rosellas (Platycerus elegans). Rosellas flushed at significantly greater distances when approached by two people compared to a single person. This effect was not seen in currawongs. Intruder orientation did not influence the FID of either species. Results suggest that intruder number should be better integrated into estimates of set back distance to manage human visitation around sensitive species.Los gestores de la fauna utilizan la distancia de iniciación al vuelo (FID), la distancia a la que los animales huyen cuando se les acerca un depredador, para determinar las distancias de respuesta a fin de minimizar el impacto humano en la fauna. La FID es estimada típicamente por una sola persona; este estudio examinó los efectos del número y de la orientación del intruso en la FID. Se aplicaron tres tratamientos distintos de tamaño del grupo (persona solitaria, dos personas una al lado de la otra, dos personas una detras de la otra) a currawongs cálidos (Strepera graculina) y a pericos elegantes (Platycerus elegans). Los pericos elegantes huían a distancias perceptiblemente mayores cuando se le acercaban dos personas que cuando se le acercaba una sola. Este efecto no fue observado en los currawongs pálidos. La orientación del intruso no influenció en la FID de ninguna especie. Los resultados sugieren que el número de intrusos debería ser considerado en las estimaciones de las distancias de respuesta, para poder gestionar las visitas de personas cerca de especies sensibles

Heritability and genetic correlations of personality traits in a wild population of yellow-bellied marmots (Marmota flaviventris)

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. Acknowledgments We thank all the marmoteers that helped collect data over the years, and specifically Amanda Lea for help with the pedigree and Leon Chong for help in the field. The comments of two anonymous reviewers helped us improve our original MS. M.B.P. was funded by two U.S. Department of Education GAANN Fellowships, an NSF GK-12 Fellowship, and the UCLA Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology. J.G.A.M. was supported by a Marie-Curie Fellowship. D.T.B was supported by the National Geographic Society, UCLA (Faculty Senate and the Division of Life Sciences), a Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory research fellowship and by the NSF (IDBR-0754247 and DEB-1119660 to D.T.B., as well as DBI 0242960 and 0731346 to the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory).Peer reviewedPostprin

Expressive and Instrumental Offending: Reconciling the Paradox of Specialisation and Versatility

Although previous research into specialisation has been dominated by the debate over the existence of specialisation versus versatility, it is suggested that research needs to move beyond the restrictions of this dispute. The current study explores the criminal careers of 200 offenders based on their criminal records, obtained from a police database in the North West of England, aiming to understand the patterns and nature of specialisation by determining the presence of differentiation within their general offending behaviours and examining whether the framework of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles can account for any specialised tendencies that emerge. Fifty-eight offences were subjected to Smallest Space Analysis. Results revealed that a model of criminal differentiation could be identified and that any specialisation is represented in terms of Expressive and Instrumental offending styles

Effects of Policies Designed to Keep Firearms from High-Risk Individuals

This article summarizes and critiques available evidence from studies published between 1999 and August 2014 on the effects of policies designed to keep firearms from high-risk individuals in the United States. Some prohibitions for high-risk individuals (e.g., those under domestic violence restraining orders, violent misdemeanants) and procedures for checking for more types of prohibiting conditions are associated with lower rates of violence. Certain laws intended to prevent prohibited persons from accessing firearms -- rigorous permit-to-purchase, comprehensive background checks, strong regulation and oversight of gun dealers, and requiring gun owners to promptly report lost or stolen firearms -- are negatively associated with the diversion of guns to criminals. Future research is needed to examine whether these laws curtail nonlethal gun violence and whether the effects of expanding prohibiting conditions for firearm possession are modified by the presence of policies to prevent diversion

Maternal effects on anogenital distance in a wild marmot population

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Uma visão de alunos universitários sobre a relação de seus pais como casal

En una relación de pareja, sus integrantes comparten expectativas relacionadas con lo que vivieron y aprendieron en su familia de origen, de manera que la nueva familia reflejará patrones que los hijos reproducirán en un futuro. Si los hijos perciben relaciones de pareja adecuadas, retomarán estas mismas relaciones en la formación de su nueva familia; sin embargo, cuando esta relación se ve afectada por la separación, es probable que existan diferencias importantes en la percepción de los hijos. El objetivo del presente artículo fue analizar la percepción de universitarios respecto a la relación de sus padres como pareja dentro de la dinámica familiar, tomando en cuenta si sus padres vivían juntos o separados. Se utilizó una muestra intencional compuesta por 566 alumnos universitarios, de los cuales 345 eran mujeres y 221, hombres. Se aplicó el cuestionario Dinámica de la Familia Nuclear Mexicana de Vásquez et al. (2003), aunque solo se abordó el área "Los padres. Su dinámica cómo pareja". La diferencia estadística entre grupos se obtuvo a través de la prueba U de Mann-Whitney. Los resultados mostraron diferencias estadísticamente significativas entre la percepción de los universitarios con respecto a sus padres cuando viven juntos o cuando viven separados. Se concluyó que existen diferentes factores que afectan el funcionamiento de la dinámica familiar, los cuales influyen de manera diferencial en la percepción que puede tener cada miembro de la familia.When a couple starts a new family, both members share expectations based on what they have learned from their experience in their respective families of origin, in such a way that their offspring will repeat the same patterns in the future. If children perceive a healthy appropriate relationship between their parents, chances are that they too will have a good relationship when they start their own families. However, children will have a different perception when their parents go through a separation or divorce. Based on these facts, the aim of this article was to analyze university students' perception regarding their parents' relationship as a couple within their family environment, taking into consideration whether their parents lived together or separately. A target group comprised of 566 university students of which 345 were women and 221 were men participated in the study. The instrument used was the measurement questionnaire "Dinámica de la Familia Nuclear Mexicana" [The Mexican Family Dynamics] (Vásquez, et al., 2003). In this study the only area addressed was "Parents and their relationship as a couple". The statistical difference between groups was obtained using the Mann-Whitney U test. The results showed significant statistical differences between university students' perception of their parents depending on whether they live together or separately. A conclusion was reached on the existence of different factors that affect the family environment, which has a differential influence on each family member's perception.Em uma relação de casal, seus integrantes compartilham expectativas relacionadas com o que viveram e aprenderam em sua família de origem, de forma que a nova família refletirá padrões que os filhos reproduzirão no futuro. Se os filhos percebem relações de casal adequadas, retomarão essas mesmas relações na formação da sua nova família; no entanto, quando essa relação se vê afetada pela separação, é provável que existam diferenças importantes na percepção dos filhos. O objetivo do presente artigo foi analisar a percepção de universitários com respeito à relação de seus pais como casal dentro da dinâmica familiar, levando em consideração se seus pais viviam juntos ou separados. Utilizou-se uma amostra intencional composta por 566 alunos universitários, dos quais 345 eram mulheres e 221, homens. Aplicou-se o questionário Dinâmica da Família Nuclear Mexicana, de Vásquez et al. (2003), ainda que apenas a área "Os pais - sua dinâmica como casal" tenha sido abordada. A diferença estatística entre grupos foi obtida através do Teste U de Mann-Whitney. Os resultados mostraram diferenças estatisticamente significativas entre a percepção dos universitários com respeito a seus pais quando vivem juntos ou quando vivem separados. Concluiu-se que existem diferentes fatores que afetam o funcionamento da dinâmica familiar, os quais influenciam de maneira diferencial na percepção que cada membro da família pode ter

Captive-born collared peccary (Pecari tajacu, Tayassuidae) fails to discriminate between predator and non-predator models

Captive animals may lose the ability to recognize their natural predators, making conservation programs more susceptible to failure if such animals are released into the wild. Collared peccaries are American tayassuids that are vulnerable to local extinction in certain areas, and conservation programs are being conducted. Captive-born peccaries are intended for release into the wild in Minas Gerais state, southeastern Brazil. In this study, we tested the ability of two groups of captive-born collared peccaries to recognize their predators and if they were habituated to humans. Recognition tests were performed using models of predators (canids and felids) and non-predators animals, as well as control objects, such as a plastic chair; a human was also presented to the peccaries, and tested as a separate stimulus. Anti-predator defensive responses such as fleeing and threatening displayswere not observed in response to predator models. Predator detection behaviors both from visual and olfactory cues were displayed, although they were not specifically targeted at predator models. These results indicate that collared peccaries were unable to recognize model predators. Habituation effects, particularly on anti-predator behaviors, were observed both with a 1-h model presentation and across testing days. Behavioral responses to humans did not differ from those to other models. Thus, if these animals were to be released into the wild, they should undergo anti-predator training sessions to enhance their chances of survival

Age and sex influence marmot antipredator behavior during periods of heightened risk

Animals adjust their antipredator behavior according to environmental variation in risk, and to account for their ability to respond to threats. Intrinsic factors that influence an animal’s ability to respond to predators (e.g., age, body condition) should explain variation in antipredator behavior. For example, a juvenile might allocate more time to vigilance than an adult because mortality as a result of predation is often high for this age class; however, the relationship between age/vulnerability and antipredator behavior is not always clear or as predicted. We explored the influence of intrinsic factors on yellow-bellied marmot (Marmota flaviventris) antipredator behavior using data pooled from 4 years of experiments. We hypothesized that inherently vulnerable animals (e.g., young, males, and individuals in poor condition) would exhibit more antipredator behavior prior to and immediately following conspecific alarm calls. As expected, males and yearlings suppressed foraging more than females and adults following alarm call playbacks. In contrast to predictions, animals in better condition respond more than animals in below average condition. Interestingly, these intrinsic properties did not influence baseline time budgets; animals of all ages, sexes, and condition levels devoted comparable amounts of time to foraging prior to alarm calls. Our results support the hypothesis that inherent differences in vulnerability influence antipredator behavior; furthermore, it appears that a crucial, but poorly acknowledged, interaction exists between risk and state-dependence. Elevated risk may be required to reveal the workings of state-dependent behavior, and studies of antipredator behavior in a single context may draw incomplete conclusions about age- or sex-specific strategies