Although cooperative behavior is generally acknowledged to occur among wolves, there is a lack of systematically collected data confirming the extent of development. The objectives of this study were to collect long-term, detailed observations documenting the role of social structure, seasonal influences, and individual participation in wolf pack cooperative activities. Individual cooperative strategies were associated with age, sex, and social positions and critically compared with results of similar studies. Emphasis was placed on quantifying group and dyadic relationships, focusing on reproductive strategies and dominance structure. Additional data were collected on denning behavior, maternal care behavior, scent marking, and spontaneous individual and group howling.

It has been well documented that protein calorie malnutrition (PCM) gives rise to physiological and behavioral deficits. These deficits include changes in emotional, exploratory and social behaviors of the malnourished organism. In particular, previous research has demonstrated that Feci from infancy results in avoidance of and failure to initiate social interactions as well as decreased contact with the environment, which in turn, further disrupt emotional and social development. This study examined the effects of chronic protein malnutrition on the social behavior of adult rhesus macaques by experimentally testing the hypothesis that deficient monkeys, unlike normal well-fed ones, are more likely to avoid social encounters than to seek them out. In addition, the animals' social interactions were recorded and analyzed. Subjects consisted of eleven adult rhesus monkeys (Macaca mulatta). Five were fed a protein-deficient diet (3.0 % of total kilocalories) and six were fed adequate amounts of protein (14 % of total kilocalories) from birth. After habituation to the test apparatus, subjects were trained to perform an operant response which opened a sliding door. During training, the response allowed access to food. In the final testing, opening the door allowed access to a social partner. If the subject performed the response and released a social partner, the social behaviors of the pair was recorded for ten minutes. Each subject was given three opportunities, on three separate occasions, to release every other subject. Protein-deficient subjects habituated to the experimental apparatus and acquired a simple operant response at the same rate as the control subjects. The protein-deficient monkeys, however, failed to generalize this operant response as rapidly as the control monkeys. As predicted, protein-deficient monkeys performed an operant response allowing access to a social partner less frequently than did the control monkeys. For like-diet pairings both the control and deficient subjects released approximately 60% of their partners; however, controls were far more likely to release a dissimilar diet partner (84% probability) than were deficient subjects (39% probability). Diet condition of the releasor was a significant factor, whereas diet condition of the release was not. Variables which could confound these findings were examined. It was found that: 1. The difference between diet groups was not accounted for by proximity of home cages; 2. Sex of the animals was not a confounding factor; 3. Although body weight and diet condition were highly correlated, body weight alone did not exert an effect above and beyond that of diet condition; 4. Dominance status, although correlated with both diet condition and body weight, showed only a weak correlation with the likelihood of one subject releasing another when the effect of diet condition was partialed out. In summary, diet condition played the major determining role in the frequency of release rates. Social behavior data was collected throughout the final phase of the experiment. Both groups of animals exhibited minimal play and sexual behaviors. Protein-deficient monkeys were more submissive than their matched controls. Subjects deviated most dramatically from one another in two behavioral clusters: disturbed (defined as self-stimulatory, autistic-like behaviors) and exploratory behaviors. Deficient monkeys engaged in more disturbed behaviors, while control monkeys engaged in more exploratory behaviors. Results are discussed in terms of behavioral similarity to social isolate animals, and possible nutritional-environmental interaction leading to chronic or persistent deficits in social development.

Two sympatric dolphin species, Stenella frontalis and Tursiops truncatus, resident to Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas were found to mostly forage independent of one another, but occasionally foraged in mixed groups. Analysis of over 20 years of data revealed the degree of overlap to be minimal with spatially distinct regions identified for both species, environmental segregation based on depth, bottom type, temperature, and time of day. Results based on observational data indicated significant differences in group size and selected prey. For S. frontalis, lactating females had the most distinct diet, which differed from that of non-reproductively active (NRA) females. Pregnant females had ambiguous prey use results, but diet differences were revealed through nutritional analysis. Lactating females had a higher intake of all nutrients (% moisture, % lipid, % protein, and calories) than pregnant females but lower than NRA females. Mother and calf pairs selected prey for caloric and moisture values. The influence of calves on foraging groups was reflected through discrete differences in all nutrients. Males and females appeared to select the same major prey, but female prey use was much more diverse. / by Christopher R. Malinowski. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2011. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2011. Mode of access: World Wide Web.

Atlantic spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) are two sympatric species resident to the Bahamas. The visibility of the Bahamian water provided a unique opportunity to study spotted dolphin communication during aggression. This study’s main focus was to decipher any similarities or differences in the behaviors used by spotted dolphins during interspecific and intraspecific aggression. Both similarities and differences were discovered. Biting, following, and chasing behavioral events were used more during interspecific aggression, while the display behavioral class was used more than the contact behavioral class during intrabut not interspecific aggression. This study showed that spotted dolphins use more energy intensive and risky behaviors when fighting interspecifically. This could result from having to fight and defend females from a larger species, trying to avoid sexual harassment from bottlenose males, or needing to use behaviors that are more overt and easily understood during interspecies communication. / Includes bibliography. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2016. / FAU Electronic Theses and Dissertations Collection

Elephants, as megaherbivores and keystone species have major impacts, both positive and negative, on ecosystems such as the Subtropical Thicket of the Eastern Cape. The feeding behaviour of elephants was quantified so as to firstly determine the preferred feeding heights of elephants, and secondly to determine if feeding behaviour and impact varies with size and sex. The preferred feeding height was determined with experimental feeding trials. Feeding height, pluck size, foraging rate and the proportion of plant material discarded were used to test for differences between elephants of different sizes and sexes in the Addo Elephant National Park. The influence of plant growth form on sex-specific feeding was also considered. Elephants preferred to feed at the lowest heights. The preferred feeding height was not related to body size. A wide range of feeding heights was recorded including and extending beyond, both the preferred and maximum feeding height of co-existing indigenous browsers. There was no difference in feeding height between the sizes and sexes. In free ranging conditions, all elephants fed at levels above the preferred foraging height when browsing. There was no difference in feeding behaviour between the different sized elephants, or between males and females. Adult elephants however exhibited larger ranges of feeding heights, pluck sizes, foraging rates and intake rates, including the maximum and minimum values. Growth form influenced the feeding of male and female elephants differently. Elephant feeding behaviour appears to limit opportunities for resource partitioning by way of feeding height segregation. Elephants are also capable of dominating the browse resources available to co-existing browsers by removing large amounts of forage at lower heights. The extent of elephant impact seems to be comparable between sizes and sexes, although adults and especially larger males are often able to use foraging opportunities that other elephants can not effectively utilize. Findings suggest that the feeding heights of elephants are determined by forage availability and reflect the diet in terms of browse or grass. The findings can be used, together with browse inventory methods, to determine browse resources available to elephants, and can also be used to develop monitoring tools to assess the impacts of elephants on plants.

Titi monkeys have long been known for their complex vocal behaviour with numerous high- and low-pitched calls, which can be uttered singly or combined in more complex structures. However, up to date very little is known concerning the function, meaning and context-specific use of these vocal utterances, and virtually nothing is known about their vocalisations in the predation context. This thesis presents a detailed description of the form and function of the anti-predator behaviour of one species of titi monkeys, the black-fronted titi monkey (Callicebus nigrifrons), with a specific focus on their alarm call behaviour. A second aim was to determine the exact mechanisms of alarm calling behaviour, with an emphasis on production and comprehension. Data were collected from several habituated groups in the Caraça Reserve, Minas Gerais, Brazil. Results showed that, when detecting predator species, C nigrifrons produce sequences that initially contain two types of brief, high-pitched calls with distinct frequency contours. Further evidence suggested that some of these sequences are meaningful to conspecific receivers, by indicating the general predator class and location of threat. There were also indications that, within the terrestrial threats, additional information may be encoded by acoustic and compositional differences. Analyses of call order and number of calls per sequence suggested that callers may be able to convey information on both predator type and location. The black-fronted titi monkeys’ vocal system thus provides a further example of zoo-syntax, in which acoustically fixed units of a vocal repertoire are combined into higher order sequences that are meaningful to recipients. According to current definitions, this type of calling behaviour qualifies as functionally referential, by indicating general predator class, terrestrial predator type and location. As such, this is the first empirical demonstration of a sequence-based alarm call system that conveys information on both predator category and location.

Discipline was implemented by mothers and alloparent spotted dolphins (Stenella frontalis) mothers and alloparents on Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. Disciplinarians were significantly more likely to be adults than juveniles. Although most disciplinarians were female, males were also observed to perform discipline. The recipients of discipline were male and female, and significantly more likely to be calves than juveniles. Pursuit, contact, and display behaviors were used in discipline, however pursuit behaviors were most often observed. Variables such as age class, sex, and parity were not found to influence how discipline was implemented. The durations of all disciplinary pursuits were under thirty seconds, and successful pursuits had slightly shorter duration than unsuccessful pursuits. Disciplinarian success was not significantly influenced by age class, sex, parity, or behavior used. / by Meghan Weinpress. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2013. / Includes bibliography. / Mode of access: World Wide Web. / System requirements: Adobe Reader.

Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and spotted (Stenella frontalis) dolphins are sympatric species, resident to Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. A unique, dynamic methodology quantified how interspecific aggression changed over time in terms of the individuals participating, context, and behaviors used. The timing of human observation relative to the onset of aggression did not result in differences in the proportion of behaviors observed. Highly intense behaviors were used most often. The synchronous state of spotted dolphin groups, not the presence alone, was a crucial factor in determining the onset and progression of aggression. When synchronous, spotted dolphins successfully dominated the larger bottlenose dolphins. Two levels of dominance were observed. Within a single encounter ("encounter level"), one species did dominate the other. When all aggressive encounters were considered collectively over the long term ("gross level"), one species did not dominate the other. The combination of contextual factors best determined the dynamic of interspecific aggression. / by Jessica A. Cusick. / Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. / Includes bibliography. / Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.