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MICO TATALOVIC MSC ............................................................................................................................................ Variation in height and contribution to sentinel behaviour in meerkats Tel: 01223 336673
Research There seem to be consistent sex differences in the contribution to sentinel behaviour in meerkats (Clutton-Brock et al. 2002). Sex differences in contribution to cooperative behaviours such as sentinel duty may have a hormonal basis. It was shown recently that decisions to babysit in meerkats were associated with elevated prolactin and decreased cortisol levels (Carlson et al. 2006a) whereas long term contributions to pup-feeding were associated with cortisol levels (Carlson et al. 2006b). These results support the idea that cooperation in cooperative vertebrates may have hormonal basis and also that different hormones may affect different cooperative behaviours (Carlson et al. 2006a). No one has yet looked at the hormonal influences on sentinel behaviour in meerkats and how this fits in with what we are starting to understand about hormonal influences on social behaviour of animals and also humans. Clutton-Brock et al. (1999) found that
meerkats in the habitat with fewer predators guarded less than meerkats
in the
habitat with more predators. Clutton-Brock et al. (2002) suggest that
males may
be gaining more by guarding if this allows them to locate potential
mates in
other groups. Although different individuals guard at different rates
and alarm
calls contain information about individual identity, meerkats do not
seem to
use this information to discriminate between reliable and unreliable
sentinels
(Professor Manser, personal communication). This may mean that
sentinels who
guard for their own purposes, such as gaining information about mates,
would
not suffer the costs of being found unreliable by the rest of the group
even if
the selfish function conflicted with the predator detection function.
Similar
situation happens in trade-offs between prospecting and helping
behaviours of
male meerkats (Young et al. 2004).
Aims The main aims of my project are: 1) To understand the factors that influence individual differences in contribution to sentinel behaviour and to see how this fits in with the contributions to other cooperative behaviours. 2) To identify the hormonal correlates of both sex differences and the individual differences in sentinel behaviour in meerkats. 3) To look at the function of the sentinel behaviour in meerkats and identify potential functions other than guarding against predators. In order to achieve the aims set above I will perform analyses of data collected during the past ten years and also construct my own observations and experimental manipulations in the field. I will collect faecal and blood samples at the Kalahari Meerkat Project, which I will then analyse to try and understand better the endocrinology of guarding behaviour in meerkats. I am interested in effects of testosterone, cortisol, prolactin, oxytocin and vasopressin on guarding behaviour and how these hormones affect guarding behaviour versus other helping behaviours. I am also interested in looking at behavioural correlates of guarding in terms of behavioural syndromes and animal personalities. References Carlson A. A. et al. (2006a) Elevated prolactin levels immediately precede decisions to babysit by male meerkat helpers. Hormones and Behaviour 50 94-100. Carlson A. A. et al. (2006b) Cortisol levels are positively associated with the pup-feeding rates in male meerkats. Proceedings of the Royal Society of Clutton-Brock, T.H., O’Riain, M.J., Brotherton, P.N.M., Gaynor, D. & Kansky, R. 1999 Selfish sentinels in cooperative mammals. Science 284:1640-1644. Clutton-Brock, T.H., Brotherton, P.N.M., O’Riain, M.J., Griffin, A.S., Gaynor, D., Kansky, R., Sharpe, L. & McIlrath, G.M. (2001) Contributions to cooperative rearing in meerkats, Suricata suricatta. Animal Behaviour 61: 705-710. Clutton-Brock, T.H., Russell, A.F., Sharpe, L.L., Young, A.J., Balmforth, Z. and McIlrath, G.M. (2002) Evolution and development of sex differences in cooperative behavior in meerkats. Science 297: 253-256. Popular Articles Economics Cleans Up: Cleaner Fish Behaviour The Owl Journal, Hillary term 2006, issue 9. Marine Cleaning Stations as
Examples of
Biological Markets
Nudibranch Science Magazine, 2006, issue 2.
Science and the Cinema BlueSci magazine, issue 7, Michaelmas 2006. Are Humans Special? BlueSci magazine, issue 8, Lent 2007. Science documentary at the cinema BlueSci magazine, issue 8, Lent 2007. Science Film Festival at Nikola Tesla-the Electric Genius Null Hypothesis: The Journal of Unlikely Science, 2006. Importance of Science Cherwell student newspaper, Trinity 2006. Under
the Labcoat
science column, Varsity student newspaper, Michalemas and Lent
2006/2007. Dossiers
Sexologiques science
column, The Cambridge Student, Lent 2007 Other Café
Scientifique in Science
shows on Oxford Student Radio (2006)
and Cambridge University Radio (2007). Films
(co-directed with Alison
Frank): |
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