Ethological Society

Ethological Society

@ethoges.bsky.social

Academic society supporting Behavioural Biology in research & teaching | associated with Ethology | 🇪🇺 | posts by @hanjabrrr.bsky.social

853 followers385 following1K posts

Ethological Society reposted

DZG section Behavioural Biology
@dzg-behaviour.bsky.social

In our last session of this year's graduate meeting, Luna Dudine showcased the behavioural consequences of heat waves - how high temperatures affect cognition in fish - and presented a multi-stressor framework to guide future research. #gradbehav26

Ethological Society reposted

BehavEcolPapers
@behavecolpapers.bsky.social

Validation of behavioural tests for #personality assessment in tie-stall dairy cows bioRxivpreprint

dlvr.itValidation of behavioural tests for #personality assessment in tie-stall dairy cowsThe study of animal personality has gained increasing attention in recent years, as researchers recognize that non-human animals exhibit stable individual differences in behaviour. In dairy cattle, understanding personality traits holds potential for improving animal welfare, enhancing management practices, and supporting productivity outcomes. However, validating the behavioural tests used to assess these traits remains a significant challenge. The present study aimed to evaluate the consistency and validity of five commonly used behavioural tests in dairy cows: the Human Approach Test (HAT), Sudden Test (SUD), Novel Object Test (NOT), Open Field Test (OFT), and Novel Surface Test (NST). These tests were chosen for their potential to assess personality dimensions that parallel components of human personality, particularly Openness, Neuroticism, Extraversion, and Agreeableness. Repeated assessments were conducted across three time periods to evaluate both intra-test (temporal) and inter-test (contextual) consistency. Results revealed that only the SUD exhibited significant behavioural consistency across all periods, suggesting its potential as a reliable tool for personality assessment. Additionally, a moderate correlation between the HAT and SUD was observed, indicating that these tests may capture overlapping personality traits. In contrast, the remaining tests (NOT, OFT, NST) lacked consistent behavioural patterns over time and across contexts, raising questions about their reliability and the complexity of trait expression. These findings highlight the challenges of identifying stable personality traits in cattle and emphasize the need for more rigorous validation of behavioural tests. This research contributes to the growing field of animal personality by providing insights into trait stability, the limitations of current testing methods, and the potential application of personality assessment in future livestock management practices.

Ethological Society reposted

BehavEcolPapers
@behavecolpapers.bsky.social

The building blocks of social structure: simulating constraints of social network analysis for inference about group-level properties bioRxivpreprint

dlvr.itThe building blocks of social structure: simulating constraints of social network analysis for inference about group-level propertiesThe interdisciplinary usage of Social Network Analysis (SNA) means that, when researchers calculate global network metrics, the research interest can range from the ultimate ecological and evolutionary pressures that select for specific group-level structures or the proximate mechanisms by which those structures emerge. Despite major methodological advances, social structures measured via SNA metrics are rarely connected to the underlying forces shaped by latent individual dispositions, ecological constraints, and their interplay with group-level affordances. We build a model to simulate fission-fusion spatial association data from a specified set of parameters in order to address the "black box" of animal SNA. We broke down animal social systems into three building blocks: individual dispositions, external factors, and the social structure that emerges. Each of these building blocks was represented by one or more model parameters, which together describe a set of underlying processes that lead to different measurable features of animal social structure, which we quantified with commonly used global network metrics within an SNA framework (e.g., clustering coefficient, density, modularity). In doing so, our model directly links global network metrics to the underlying behavioural processes that generate them and demonstrates how global network metrics can be influenced by changes to their underlying behavioural processes. Holding all other parameters constant, we find that subtle changes to 1) demography (i.e., group size) and ecology (i.e., size and variability of foraging parties), 2) variation of individual behaviour and related observation bias, 3) imposed group sub-structures, and 4) observation effort, affect all network metrics calculated non-linearly and in some cases non-monotonically. Our findings indicate that failure to account for the underlying behavioural processes can bias inference drawn from SNA. This model and conceptual framework provide a novel tool with which to begin opening the black box of SNA and to systematically address the evolution of diverse group-level social structures.
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Can singing bring birds closer together? 🐦🎶🤝 Riters & Maksimoski review how positive social interactions shape vocal learning in cowbirds and starlings. Responses from others helps fine-tune songs, while singing may also strengthen social cohesion. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70108

doi.orgContributions of Positive Social Interactions to Vocal Learning and Social CohesionBirdsong produced in non-breeding flocks is shaped by a dynamic interplay between intrinsic reward and social feedback. Studies in cowbirds and starlings suggest that positive affective states and op...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Kann gemeinsames Singen Vögel enger verbinden? 🐦🎶🤝 Riters & Maksimoski zeigen, wie positive soziale Interaktionen das Lernen von Gesängen beeinflussen. Reaktionen von Artgenossen können Gesänge verfeinern, während Singen den Zusammenhalt in der Gruppe stärken kann. #Verhaltensbiologie #Vogelgesang

Ethological Society reposted

Natasha Gillies
@tashgillies.bsky.social

New paper in @animalecology.bsky.social!📝http://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.70350 Coordination is thought to be key to the success of biparental care, but we don’t know how this varies with species’ ecology 🍃 We explore: how important is partner coordination & does this depend on environment? 🏞️

Ethological Society reposted

Animal Behaviour Live
@animalbehaviour.live

🐦‍⬛🎥 Check out this teaser! Join Dr. Thomas Bugnyar (uni. of Vienna, Austria) for a fascinating talk on:💬 “Testing social cognition in birds: lessons from ravens” 📆 Tuesday 29 Sept. 2026 at 2:00 PM GMT 📍 Live on YouTube: www.youtube.com/watch?v=PQoB... 💡 Free & open to all – no registration needed!

Ethological Society reposted

Dmitri Petrov
@petrovadmitri.bsky.social

We are searching for an Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology! Looking for colleagues asking fundamental questions relating to evolutionary processes and drivers of evolutionary patterns. If you think it is you, please do apply! And please repost. facultypositions.stanford.edu/jobs/assista...

facultypositions.stanford.eduAssistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology - Stanford University, California, United StatesThe Department of Biology at Stanford University seeks applicants for a tenure-track Assistant Professor in Evolutionary Biology. A successful candidate will conduct research that asks fundamental que...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Congrats again to the winner of the prestigous Niko Tinbergen award, Ahana Fernandez - great work and we're looking forward to see more amazing bat research in the future!! 🎖️🦇🤩 @ahanaaurora.bsky.social

ASAB@asab.org

Congrats to @ethoges.bsky.social’s Niko Tinbergen postdoc award winner @ahanaaurora.bsky.social 🏆 A talk on social learning and vocal communication in bats was the perfect way to close out #ECBB2026 🦇🦇🦇 Best of luck with your exciting new projects and field site!

Ethological Society reposted

ASAB
@asab.org

Congrats to @ethoges.bsky.social’s Niko Tinbergen postdoc award winner @ahanaaurora.bsky.social 🏆 A talk on social learning and vocal communication in bats was the perfect way to close out #ECBB2026 🦇🦇🦇 Best of luck with your exciting new projects and field site!

Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Träumen Sepien von elektrischen Garnelen? 🦑💤⚡🦐 Cooke beobachtetet strukturierten Ruhephasen bei Sepien, mit gehäufte Armbewegungen und Wechsel zwischen verschiedenen Verhaltens- und Farbmusterzuständen. Ein Einblick in schlafähnliches Verhalten in freier Wildbahn! #Verhaltensbiologie #Schlaf

Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Urban bats: city lovers or refugees? 🦇🏙️ Tanalgo & Russo caution bats in cities aren’t necessarily adapted. Some persist because natural roosts and foraging sites are lost. Understanding key dynamics is key to urban conservation! #UrbanEcology #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70099

doi.orgUrban Bats: City Lovers or Refugees?Hypothetical relationship between urbanisation intensity and bat species population persistence framed through a species refuge concept. Moderately urbanised landscapes may function as temporal refug...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Stadtliebhaber oder Umweltflüchtlinge? 🦇🏙️ Tanalgo & Russo zeigen, dass Fledermäuse in Städten nicht unbedingt gut an urbane Lebensräume angepasst sind. Manche bleiben, weil natürliche Quartiere und Nahrungsgebiete verloren sind. #Stadtökologie #Fledermäuse #Naturschutz

Ethological Society reposted

Andrew King
@shoalgroup.bsky.social

New opinion paper in Trends in Ecology & Evolution on “Evolutionary spandrels in collective animal behaviour”: authors.elsevier.com/a/1nffxcZ3X7...

authors.elsevier.comPlease wait whilst we redirect youAll content on this site: Copyright © 2026 Elsevier B.V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights are reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. For all open access content, the relevant licensing terms apply.
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Do birds stick to their favourite seeds? 🌱🐦 Andries et al. found that canaries showed consistent individual seed preferences, but weren’t reluctant to try novel food. Prior experience with a seed type can sometimes also reduce its selection! #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70100

doi.orgConsistent Intra‐Individual Seed Preferences, Yet No Dietary Conservatism in a Granivorous SongbirdCanaries show stable seed preferences over time, but do not initially exhibit dietary conservatism when encountering a novel seed and readily consume it. With repeated experience, however, they begin...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Bleiben Vögel bei ihren Lieblingssamen? 🌱🐦 Andries et al. zeigen, dass Kanarienvögel individuelle Vorlieben für bestimmte Samen haben, neue Nahrung aber nicht grundsätzlich meiden. Erfahrung mit Weißhirse etwa, verringerte sogar deren Auswahl! #Verhaltensbiologie #Vögel #Nahrungswahl

Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: How do frogs & toads avoid becoming prey? 🐸🛡️ Souza et al. provide a new framework for anuran antipred. strategies—from camouflage and toxins to death feigning and group defenses, highlighting how strategies can work together. #SpeciesInTheSpotlight #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70097

doi.orgAntipredatory Strategies of Anurans: An Updated Conceptual ReviewTo unravel the evolutionary dynamics of predator–prey interactions, we propose an updated, three-tiered classification of anuran antipredatory strategies. By mapping non-behavioral, individual, and g...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Wie entkommen Frösche und Kröten ihren Fressfeinden? 🐸🛡️ Souza et al. geben einen neuen Überblick über Abwehrstrategien von Amphibien – von Tarnung und Giftstoffen bis zu Totstellen und Gruppenverteidigung. Verschiedene Strategien können dabei komplex zusammenspielen. #Verhaltensbiologie #Evolution

Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: What does group-living cost? 🐾👥 Makuya & Schradin argue studying solitary species can reveal hidden costs of social life—from disease transmission to competition. Comparing solitary and group-living individuals offers a way to measure these costs. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70098

doi.orgWhy we Should Study Solitary Species to Understand the Costs of Group‐LivingIt's easier to measure the benefits than the costs of a trait. Solitary species benefit by avoiding the costs of group living. Thus, measuring benefits of solitary living informs us about the costs o...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Was kostet das Leben in der Gruppe? 🐾👥 Makuya & Schradin zeigen, wie die Untersuchung einzelgängerischer Arten Kosten des Soziallebens wie Krankheitsübertragung und Konkurrenz sichtbar machen kann. Ein Vergleich von Einzelgängern und Gruppenmitgliedern macht diese Kosten messbar.

Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Do lizards use UV-blue patches as signals? 🦎💙 de la Cruz et al. found male wall lizards were more aggressive toward rivals with UV-blue patches than those whose patches were covered, providing support that coloration might signal fighting ability. #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1111/eth....

doi.orgExperimental Evidence on the Signalling Role of <fc>UV</fc>‐Blue Colouration in Male European Wall Lizards (<fc><fi>Podarcis muralis</fi></fc>)We set out a behavioural experiment to test the signalling function of the UV-blue patches of European wall lizards (Podarcis muralis) in staged contests in a large observation chamber. Resident male...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Nutzen Eidechsen UV-blaue Flecken als Signale? 🦎💙 de la Cruz et al. zeigen, dass männliche Mauereidechsen aggressiver auf Rivalen mit sichtbaren UV-blauen Flecken reagierten als auf Männchen, mit verdeckten Flecken. Die Ergebnisse liefern experimentelle Belege für eine Signalfunktion dieser Färbung.

Ethological Society reposted

BehavEcolPapers
@behavecolpapers.bsky.social

Resolving platypus #behavior from accelerometry: frequency-domain features improve detection of rhythmic behaviours in hydrodynamically challenging aquatic environments bioRxivpreprint

dlvr.itResolving platypus #behavior from accelerometry: frequency-domain features improve detection of rhythmic behaviours in hydrodynamically challenging aquatic environmentsDeveloping robust methods to quantify how animals allocate time across behaviours is essential for understanding energy use, habitat requirements, and responses to environmental change. For cryptic, semi-aquatic mammals such as the platypus, direct observation is difficult, creating a reliance on remote biologging approaches that can reliably infer behaviour in the wild. However, aquatic environments can both smooth acceleration signals through hydrodynamic damping and introduce noise from water movement, turbulence, and drag, potentially obscuring behavioural differences of similar magnitudes. We tested whether progressively incorporating biomechanical and frequency-domain (FFT-derived) predictors improved behavioural classification in hydrodynamically challenging aquatic environments. Tri-axial accelerometers were deployed on four ex situ platypuses, with synchronised video observations used to validate behaviour. From the acceleration data, we derived three predictor classes of increasing complexity: summary statistics describing activity level, engineered biomechanical variables capturing posture and body orientation, and FFT-derived features describing movement rhythm. These predictors were progressively incorporated into Random Forest models to classify five behaviours: burrow resting, surface resting, grooming, travelling/foraging, and diving. Model performance improved with increasing predictor complexity, although gains were behaviour specific. FFT-derived features substantially improved classification of rhythmic behaviours such as diving and foraging, while engineered biomechanical predictors improved grooming detection. In contrast, resting behaviours, particularly surface resting, showed little improvement. Overall accuracy increased from ~75% to ~88% when frequency-domain features were included. Misclassification was greatest among behaviours with overlapping or low-amplitude signals, and cross-individual validation revealed reduced model generalisability, indicating that individual variation in movement patterns constrained transferability. Incorporating frequency-domain features substantially improved behavioural classification in platypuses, particularly for rhythmic behaviours such as diving and foraging. This study provides the first validated accelerometry-based behavioural classification framework for the species and highlights the importance of matching predictor selection to behavioural mechanics. More broadly, the approach offers a transferable framework for aquatic and semi-aquatic taxa.
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: How do honeybees warn predators? 🐝⚡ Kajarekar et al. show Asian giant honeybees adjust their “shimmering” defense depending on background and predator movement. Shimmering is stronger against lateral motion and initiated closest to the moving stimulus #OpenAccess doi.org/10.1111/eth....

doi.orgTo Shimmer or Not to Shimmer: Collective Defensive Display in the Asian Giant Honeybee, <fc><fi>Apis dorsata</fi></fc>We found that strength of shimmering in honeybees was affected by the nature of the background, with a decrease in shimmering when a moving stimulus approached the size of background elements. Intere...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Wie warnen Honigbienen Fressfeinde? 🐝⚡ Kajarekar et al. zeigen, dass Asiatische Honigbienen ihre kollektive „Shimmering“-Abwehr an den visuellen Hintergrund und Bewegungen von Fressfeinden anpassen. Die Reakion war stärker auf seitliche Bewegungen und begann vor allem in der Nähe des bewegten Reizes

doi.orgTo Shimmer or Not to Shimmer: Collective Defensive Display in the Asian Giant Honeybee, <fc><fi>Apis dorsata</fi></fc>We found that strength of shimmering in honeybees was affected by the nature of the background, with a decrease in shimmering when a moving stimulus approached the size of background elements. Intere...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Moonlight keeps desert birds active at night! 🌕🐦🌵 Alonso et al. found that Canarian houbaras were much more active when the moon was visible. They used moonlight to extend foraging and display, with activity peaking around the full moon. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70092

doi.orgMoonlight Duration and Intensity Favour Nocturnal Activity in a Diurnal Desert BirdAccelerometer data show that Canarian houbara bustards increase nocturnal activity two- to fivefold when the moon is visible, with activity rising as moonlit duration and illumination increase. Both ...
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Mondlicht macht Wüstenvögel nachts aktiver! 🌕🐦🌵 Alonso et al. zeigen, dass Kanaren-Kragentrappe bei sichtbarem Mond deutlich aktiver waren. Sie nutzten das Mondlicht, um länger zu fressen und zu balzen – besonders bei Vollmond. #Verhaltensbiologie #Tierverhalten #Ornithologie #Mondschein

Ethological Society reposted

BehavEcolPapers
@behavecolpapers.bsky.social

Socially transmitted knowledge of hibernation sites in bats bioRxivpreprint

dlvr.itSocially transmitted knowledge of hibernation sites in batsIn temperate regions around the world, bats travel long distances every winter to gather at hibernation sites. A longstanding hypothesis is that each new generation of bats learns about the locations of these sites (called hibernacula) from older individuals, yet clear and compelling evidence demonstrating social transmission of this knowledge has been lacking. Here, we compiled 30,882 observations from 1985 to 2023 of 13,852 Greater mouse-eared bats (Myotis myotis) that were banded and observed at summer roosts, winter hibernacula, or both. Our analyses revealed four lines of evidence that Greater mouse-eared bats find suitable hibernacula using social information acquired at summer roosts. First, naive yearlings were more likely to be seen sharing their first hibernacula with adults from their summer birth colony relative to a null model where bats moved independently. Second, adult bats were also more likely to co-switch together into the same hibernacula across winters than expected from independent movements. Third, bats that roosted together in the summer were more likely to share a different site as a hibernaculum during the winter: being observed together during a summer changed the probability of a pair being observed together during a winter from 5% to 12%. Finally, high-resolution tracking revealed an instance of tandem flights to hibernacula sites during the summer, demonstrating that yearlings can learn from experienced adult bats months before hibernation. Together, our findings show that maternity colonies serve as information centers where females acquire knowledge of suitable hibernation sites throughout their long lives.

Ethological Society reposted

BehavEcolPapers
@behavecolpapers.bsky.social

Nosema ceranae infection disrupts nestmate recognition in honey bees bioRxivpreprint

dlvr.itNosema ceranae infection disrupts nestmate recognition in honey beesSocial immunity reduces pathogen transmission in eusocial insects by collectively detecting and excluding infected or foreign individuals. In honey bees (Apis mellifera), guard workers enforce colony boundaries through nestmate recognition. Here we show that infection with the microsporidian parasite Nosema ceranae weakens this defense. Across 600 behavioral assays, infected workers were 45% less likely to be rejected than uninfected controls. Infection was also associated with modest but significant shifts in cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, the primary cues underlying nestmate recognition. Multivariate analyses revealed modest but significant treatment-associated differences in CHC composition that were not attributable to dispersion effects. These findings demonstrate that infection can degrade the reliability of recognition cues and thereby compromise a core behavioral component of social immunity.
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

🧪 ETHOLOGY: Do animals align with Earth's magnetic field? 🧲🐆🌍 Landler et al. use leopard data to highlight pitfalls in magnetic alignment studies. Their guide includes R scripts to detect spatial autocorrelation, helping researchers make studies more robust. #OpenAccess: doi.org/10.1111/eth.70094

doi.orgA Practical Guide to Studying Magnetic Alignment of Free‐Living Animals: Lessons From LeopardsWe show that spatial autocorrelation in circular data can be detected and provide guidelines how to avoid such issues in magnetic alignment field studies.
Ethological Society
@ethoges.bsky.social

Richten sich Tiere am Erdmagnetfeld aus? 🧲🐆🌍 Landler et al. zeigen anhand von Leopardendaten typische Fallstricke bei Studien zur magnetischen Ausrichtung. Ihr Leitfaden mit R-Skripten hilft, räumliche Autokorrelation zu erkennen und Feldstudien robuster auszuwerten. #Verhaltensbiologie #Methoden