To assess the context dependence of kin discriminating behavior, I examined kin-biased aggregation behavior in tadpoles of R. cascadae in different ecological conditions. I manipulated food distribution, predator presence, thermal heterogeneity, and relatedness in a multifactorial mesocosm experiment. All four factors interacted to influence tadpole dispersion. My results suggest that kinship is an important factor in aggregation behavior dependent upon ecological conditions. Kin-biased predator defense mechanisms have been proposed as a possible functional explanation for kin discrimination in anuran larvae. Tadpoles may better cooperate in predator vigilance while in kin groups or release kin specific alarm pheromones when attacked by a predator. I examined predator avoidance and alarm response behavior in tadpoles of the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) and tested whether such behavior is influenced by kinship factors. I found no evidence of an alarm response behavior in R. cascadae. My results suggest that crushed tadpoles appear to initiate a feeding response rather than an alarm response as has been previously proposed. Kin-biased competitive interactions have been proposed as a possible functional explanation for kin discrimination in anuran larvae. Tadpoles may direct competitive interactions away from kin. I examined the role of kinship in growth and development of tadpoles of the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae) in both laboratory and field studies. In the laboratory, individuals reared in kin groups had a significantly smaller mass at metamorphosis than individuals reared in mixed groups. However, kinship effects in the field depended upon the treatment context. Depending upon tadpole density and access to flocculent substrate, tadpoles survived better (after adjusting for differences in mass) in kin groups than in mixed groups. My results demonstrate that kinship factors can affect growth and development in tadpoles, depending upon the ecological conditions. Furthermore, my results provide a functional explanation for the kin discriminating behavior observed in R. cascadae and suggest why such behavior may be context dependent. / Graduation date: 1995

Thesis (M.S.)--Michigan State University. Dept. of Zoology, 2008. / Title from PDF t.p. (viewed on July 27, 2009) Includes bibliographical references. Also issued in print.

This thesis examines whether juvenile feral pigeons, Columba livia, form sibling alliances when competing for access to a defensible food source. When tested as a flock at a non-depletable column feeder, with room for either one or two birds to feed, siblings associated with each other more often than expected by chance. Frequency of aggression between siblings at these feeders tended to be lower than expected on the basis of their association. Removal experiments showed that sibling presence had a positive effect on relative feeding success at the single column feeder: a juvenile who lost to another juvenile on a one-to-one basis tended, in the presence of its sibling, to lose less badly to, or even beat, that same juvenile. In contrast, presence of the winner's sibling tended not to affect the relative feeding success of competitors. These results support the hypothesis that pigeon siblings form aggressive alliances when competing for food that is defensible.

Thesis (M. Sc.)(Zoology)--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Includes bibliographical references. Available on the Internet via the World Wide Web.

No description available.

Thesis (M.Sc. Biological Sciences)--University of Waikato, 2007. / Title from PDF cover (viewed February 21, 2008) Includes bibliographical references (p. 79-85)