TY - JOUR
T1 - Autopreening behaviour may convey information about internal social state in Arabian babbler (Turdoides squamiceps) allopreening dyads
AU - Fulmer, Andrew Goldklank
AU - Hauber, Mark E.
N1 - Funding Information:
The authors would like to dedicate this work to Professor Amotz Zahavi, who established, developed, and maintained the field site and study population for more than 40 years, as well as providing revolutionary theories and perspectives to the field of animal behaviour. We are particularly grateful to Arnon Dattner for designing the research presented here and leading the data collection effort, as well as generously making available the data for future analyses and interpretation. We also thank the late Professor Amotz Zahavi, Professor Avishag Kadman-Zahavi and Carmel Bezner for collecting data and providing advice, and Oded Keynan, Roni Ostreicher, Lee Koren, and Yael and Gilad Alon for support and advice. Data analysis and interpretation were supported by a National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship (No. 2012143588 to A.G. Fulmer). Additional support was provided by the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg (Germany) (to M.E. Hauber).
Publisher Copyright:
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2021
PY - 2021
Y1 - 2021
N2 - When individuals groom or preen one another (allopreening), vulnerability and physical access allow for information about hierarchy and bonds to be exchanged, in addition to basic health benefits. During these interactions, individuals may also self-direct grooming/preening (autopreening). We investigate autopreening in a cooperatively breeding passerine bird, the Arabian babbler (Turdoides squamiceps) in the specific context of allopreening interactions. Auto- and allogrooming (the mammalian analogue behaviours) may occur in sequence together, with some species socially facilitating allogrooming by autogrooming. We here consider the possibility of similar associations between autopreening and allopreening. Using a two-year database of 35 individuals in 8 social groups, we assessed the social factors that predict the occurrence of autopreening and its timing in the context of allopreening dyad formation. We ask if there is a social dimension to this behaviour, and specifically find evidence that it may represent displacement and/or subordinate behaviour. The relative age of individuals in preening dyads and the behaviour of recipients prior to social approach significantly predicted the behaviour of recipients as the preening dyad was formed: recipients were less likely to autopreen before approaching older actors to begin an allopreening bout. When recipients autopreened, actors were more likely to make the approach. Recipients that did not autopreen or otherwise conspicuously display were significantly more likely to approach the actor without first autopreening. We suggest that autopreening in these bouts is a socially modulated behaviour representative of uncertainty and/or subordination.
AB - When individuals groom or preen one another (allopreening), vulnerability and physical access allow for information about hierarchy and bonds to be exchanged, in addition to basic health benefits. During these interactions, individuals may also self-direct grooming/preening (autopreening). We investigate autopreening in a cooperatively breeding passerine bird, the Arabian babbler (Turdoides squamiceps) in the specific context of allopreening interactions. Auto- and allogrooming (the mammalian analogue behaviours) may occur in sequence together, with some species socially facilitating allogrooming by autogrooming. We here consider the possibility of similar associations between autopreening and allopreening. Using a two-year database of 35 individuals in 8 social groups, we assessed the social factors that predict the occurrence of autopreening and its timing in the context of allopreening dyad formation. We ask if there is a social dimension to this behaviour, and specifically find evidence that it may represent displacement and/or subordinate behaviour. The relative age of individuals in preening dyads and the behaviour of recipients prior to social approach significantly predicted the behaviour of recipients as the preening dyad was formed: recipients were less likely to autopreen before approaching older actors to begin an allopreening bout. When recipients autopreened, actors were more likely to make the approach. Recipients that did not autopreen or otherwise conspicuously display were significantly more likely to approach the actor without first autopreening. We suggest that autopreening in these bouts is a socially modulated behaviour representative of uncertainty and/or subordination.
KW - Arabian babbler
KW - Displacement
KW - Gesture
KW - Preening
KW - Social communication
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U2 - 10.1163/1568539X-bja10073
DO - 10.1163/1568539X-bja10073
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85104525418
SN - 0005-7959
VL - 158
SP - 427
EP - 446
JO - Behaviour
JF - Behaviour
IS - 5
ER -