A preliminary study of mirror-induced self-directed behaviour on wildlife at the Royal Belum Rainforest Malaysia

Hamdan, Azwan; Latip, Mohd Qayyum Ab; Hassim, Hasliza Abu; Noor, Mohd Hezmee Mohd; Azizan, Tengku Rinalfi Putra Tengku; Noordin, M. M.; Ahmad, Hafandi

doi:10.1038/s41598-020-71047-1

Cited by 6 publications

(5 citation statements)

References 33 publications

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“…What determines an animal’s aggressive interaction with its own mirror image? Exposing different species to a mirror has revealed that mirror aggression is a common behaviour [ 36 – 38 ]. However, the amount of time spent mirror fighting varies between individuals of the same species suggesting that both intrinsic and extrinsic factors influence its expression.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours

et al. 2022

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Background Aggression is an adaptive behaviour that animals use to protect offspring, defend themselves and obtain resources. Zebrafish, like many other animals, are not able to recognize themselves in the mirror and typically respond to their own reflection with aggression. However, mirror aggression is not an all-or-nothing phenomenon, with some individuals displaying high levels of aggression against their mirror image, while others show none at all. In the current work, we have investigated the genetic basis of mirror aggression by using a classic forward genetics approach - selective breeding for high and low mirror aggression zebrafish (HAZ and LAZ). Results We characterized AB wild-type zebrafish for their response to the mirror image. Both aggressive and non-aggressive fish were inbred over several generations. We found that HAZ were on average more aggressive than the corresponding LAZ across generations and that the most aggressive adult HAZ were less anxious than the least aggressive adult LAZ after prolonged selective breeding. RNAseq analysis of these fish revealed that hundreds of protein-encoding genes with important diverse biological functions such as arsenic metabolism (as3mt), cell migration (arl4ab), immune system activity (ptgr1), actin cytoskeletal remodelling (wdr1), corticogenesis (dgcr2), protein dephosphorylation (ublcp1), sialic acid metabolism (st6galnac3) and ketone body metabolism (aacs) were differentially expressed between HAZ and LAZ, suggesting a strong genetic contribution to this phenotype. DAVID pathway analysis showed that a number of diverse pathways are enriched in HAZ over LAZ including pathways related to immune function, oxidation-reduction processes and cell signalling. In addition, weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) identified 12 modules of highly correlated genes that were significantly associated with aggression duration and/or experimental group. Conclusions The current study shows that selective breeding based of the mirror aggression phenotype induces strong, heritable changes in behaviour and gene expression within the brain of zebrafish suggesting a strong genetic basis for this behaviour. Our transcriptomic analysis of fish selectively bred for high and low levels of mirror aggression revealed specific transcriptomic signatures induced by selective breeding and mirror aggression and thus provides a large and novel resource of candidate genes for future study.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours

et al. 2022

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“…Horses have been tested via 'scraping' behavior of a mark on the cheek [58]. Elephants are considered to pass if they make a trunk-directed response [59][60][61].…”

Section: Sfr In Animalsmentioning

confidence: 99%

The Neurological Asymmetry of Self-Face Recognition

et al. 2021

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While the desire to uncover the neural correlates of consciousness has taken numerous directions, self-face recognition has been a constant in attempts to isolate aspects of self-awareness. The neuroimaging revolution of the 1990s brought about systematic attempts to isolate the underlying neural basis of self-face recognition. These studies, including some of the first fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) examinations, revealed a right-hemisphere bias for self-face recognition in a diverse set of regions including the insula, the dorsal frontal lobe, the temporal parietal junction, and the medial temporal cortex. In this systematic review, we provide confirmation of these data (which are correlational) which were provided by TMS (transcranial magnetic stimulation) and patients in which direct inhibition or ablation of right-hemisphere regions leads to a disruption or absence of self-face recognition. These data are consistent with a number of theories including a right-hemisphere dominance for self-awareness and/or a right-hemisphere specialization for identifying significant social relationships, including to oneself.

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“…Natural salt licks are mineral rich deposits that play a significant role in the ecosystem of the tropical rainforest. Similarly, the importance of salt lick in terms of physiological well-being of animals of plant-based diets is well documented 1 – 6 and utilization should not be affected by sex and age categories. In addition, topography has been suggested to affect the accessibility of certain prey to utilize the salt lick due to the changes in mineral content of the salt lick area 2 , 7 , 8 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Royal Belum Rainforest in Malaysia has been established as one of habitat for Malayan tiger and houses majority of others fauna species including the barking deer or muntjac ( Muntiacus muntjac ), sambar deer ( Rusa unicolor ), Malayan sun bear ( Helarctos malayanus ), Malayan gaur ( Bos gaurus ) and Asian elephant ( Elephas maximus ) 1 , 2 , 17 , 18 . In Malaysia, large bodied prey species such as the sambar deer, and smaller prey like the muntjac and wild pig ( Sus scrofa ) have been described as the key ecological determinant of predators such as the Malayan tiger density and their potential habitat 19 , 20 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Thus, the information from this study offers fundamental knowledge on the importance of prey-predator interaction at salt lick which will help in designing strategy in rewilding or rehabilitation programs of the Malayan tiger at the Royal Belum Rainforest.Natural salt licks are mineral rich deposits that play a significant role in the ecosystem of the tropical rainforest. Similarly, the importance of salt lick in terms of physiological well-being of animals of plant-based diets is well documented [1][2][3][4][5][6] and utilization should not be affected by sex and age categories. In addition, topography has been suggested to affect the accessibility of certain prey to utilize the salt lick due to the changes in mineral content of the salt lick area 2,7,8 .…”

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confidence: 99%

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Impact of natural salt lick on the home range of Panthera tigris at the Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia

Lazarus

Che-Amat

Shah

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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Natural salt lick (sira) is a strategic localisation for ecological wildlife assemblage to exhibit geophagy which may act as a population dynamic buffer of prey and predators. Undoubtedly, many agree that geophagy at natural licks is linked to nutritional ecology, health and assembly places facilitating social interaction of its users. Overall, natural salt licks not only save energy of obtaining nutrient leading to health maintenance but also forms the basis of population persistence. The Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia (Royal Belum) is a typical tropical rainforest in Malaysia rich in wildlife which are mainly concentrated around the natural salt lick. Since this is one of the most stable fauna ecology forest in Malaysia, it is timely to assess its impact on the Malayan tiger (Panthera tigris) home range dynamics. The three-potential home ranges of the Malayan tiger in this rainforest were selected based on animal trails or foot prints surrounding the salt lick viz (e.g. Sira Kuak and Sira Batu; Sira Rambai and Sira Buluh and Sira Papan) as well as previous sightings of a Malayan tiger in the area, whose movement is dependent on the density and distribution of prey. Camera traps were placed at potential animal trails surrounding the salt lick to capture any encountered wildlife species within the area of the camera placements. Results showed that all home ranges of Malayan tiger were of no significance for large bodied prey availability such as sambar deer (Rusa unicolor), and smaller prey such as muntjacs (Muntiacus muntjac) and wild boar (Sus scrofa). Interestingly, all home range harbour the Malayan tiger as the only sole predator. The non-significance of prey availability at each home range is attributed to the decline of the Malayan tiger in the rainforest since tigers are dependant on the movement of its preferred prey surrounding natural salt licks. Thus, the information from this study offers fundamental knowledge on the importance of prey-predator interaction at salt lick which will help in designing strategy in rewilding or rehabilitation programs of the Malayan tiger at the Royal Belum Rainforest.

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A preliminary study of mirror-induced self-directed behaviour on wildlife at the Royal Belum Rainforest Malaysia

Cited by 6 publications

References 33 publications

Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours

Transcriptomic underpinnings of high and low mirror aggression zebrafish behaviours

The Neurological Asymmetry of Self-Face Recognition

Impact of natural salt lick on the home range of Panthera tigris at the Royal Belum Rainforest, Malaysia

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