The socioecology of elephants: analysis of the processes creating multitiered social structures

Wittemyer, George; Douglas‐Hamilton, Iain; Getz, Wayne M.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.08.018

Cited by 488 publications

(442 citation statements)

References 46 publications

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“…7) from each elephant were collected during immobilization operations while the collars were being fitted, and later when batteries were being changed or when the collars were being removed. We sampled 4 different breeding females from the same family unit (Royals), known to maintain direct proximity with each other Ͼ80% of the time (21). Two of the sampled females, M4 (Anastasia) and M5 (Cleopatra), were fitted simultaneously with GPS radio collars for a 6 month period, during which they spent Ͼ95% of the time within 1 km of each other (80% within 250 m), used identical ranges, and moved similar daily distances.…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…This study builds on our long-term observations of elephants in northern Kenya (19)(20)(21)(22)(23)(24), on our interests in understanding isotope incorporation into animal tissues (12,(25)(26)(27)(28)(29)(30), and on our interests in applying those principles to wildlife ecology (14,15,16). Diet records are interpreted from multiple hair samples collected annually or subannually over the study interval.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

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History of Animals using Isotope Records (HAIR): A 6-year dietary history of one family of African elephants

Cerling¹,

Wittemyer

Ehleringer³

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

114

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The dietary and movement history of individual animals can be studied using stable isotope records in animal tissues, providing insight into long-term ecological dynamics and a species niche. We provide a 6-year history of elephant diet by examining tail hair collected from 4 elephants in the same social family unit in northern Kenya. Sequential measurements of carbon, nitrogen, and hydrogen isotope rations in hair provide a weekly record of diet and water resources. Carbon isotope ratios were well correlated with satellite-based measurements of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of the region occupied by the elephants as recorded by the global positioning system (GPS) movement record; the absolute amount of C4 grass consumption is well correlated with the maximum value of NDVI during individual wet seasons. Changes in hydrogen isotope ratios coincided very closely in time with seasonal fluctuations in rainfall and NDVI whereas diet shifts to relatively high proportions of grass lagged seasonal increases in NDVI by Ϸ2 weeks. The peak probability of conception in the population occurred Ϸ3 weeks after peak grazing. Spatial and temporal patterns of resource use show that the only period of pure browsing by the focal elephants was located in an over-grazed, communally managed region outside the protected area. The ability to extract time-specific longitudinal records on animal diets, and therefore the ecological history of an organism and its environment, provides an avenue for understanding the impact of climate dynamics and land-use change on animal foraging behavior and habitat relations.C4 photosynthesis ͉ carbon-13 ͉ stable isotopes ͉ wildlife conservation V ariation in temporal and spatial resource quality and abundance can have strong affects on animal ecology and community resource partitioning (1). In particular, changes in species composition and abundance at seasonal and longer time scales strongly influences diet and, as a result, community dynamics and the life history of animals (2, 3). Quantifying and dating fine scale foraging behaviors is difficult, typically causing foraging studies to focus on averages compiled from observations and measurements collected from multiple, and often unknown, individuals (e.g., refs. 4-6); such dietary data are difficult to relate to spatially or temporally explicit resource changes. Quantifying the long-term diets of a single individual requires continuous observation, often in the face of cryptic life stages or range shifts and seasonal migration. As such, detailed dietary monitoring through observations is intractable for many species, although the importance of quantifying climate or human mediated diet changes that many species are experiencing is more critical than ever (7). Recent developments in stable isotope ecology enable the derivation of temporally explicit diet records, offering a means by which foraging decisions and the effect of ecological shifts on species can be recorded and compared over time.Stable isotopes in animal tissues record...

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Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

History of Animals using Isotope Records (HAIR): A 6-year dietary history of one family of African elephants

Cerling¹,

Wittemyer

Ehleringer³

et al. 2009

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

114

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“…When group size or within group competition for food increases, dis advantages may outnumber the advantages of group living, (Chapman et al, 1995;Janson and Goldsmith, 1995;Ron et al, 1994). As a consequence, group cohesion decreases and the group may split either temporarily (Kerth et al, 2006;Popa Lisseanu et al, 2008;Wittemyer et al, 2005) or irreversibly (Henzi et al, 1997a, b;Lehman et al, 2007). In social or pre social animals, irreversible fission is a common mode of group proliferation and dispersion.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Group size, grooming and fission in primates: A modeling approach based on group structure

Sueur

Deneubourg²,

Petit

et al. 2011

Journal of Theoretical Biology

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a b s t r a c tIn social animals, fission is a common mode of group proliferation and dispersion and may be affected by genetic or other social factors. Sociality implies preserving relationships between group members. An increase in group size and/or in competition for food within the group can result in decrease certain social interactions between members, and the group may split irreversibly as a consequence. One individual may try to maintain bonds with a maximum of group members in order to keep group cohesion, i.e. proximity and stable relationships. However, this strategy needs time and time is often limited. In addition, previous studies have shown that whatever the group size, an individual interacts only with certain grooming partners. There, we develop a computational model to assess how dynamics of group cohesion are related to group size and to the structure of grooming relationships. Groups' sizes after simulated fission are compared to observed sizes of 40 groups of primates. Results showed that the relationship between grooming time and group size is dependent on how each individual attributes grooming time to its social partners, i.e. grooming a few number of preferred partners or grooming equally or not all partners. The number of partners seemed to be more important for the group cohesion than the grooming time itself. This structural constraint has important consequences on group sociality, as it gives the possibility of competition for grooming partners, attraction for high ranking individuals as found in primates' groups. It could, however, also have implications when considering the cognitive capacities of primates.

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“…Elephants are highly social, and their fissionfusion social structure has been well described from a behavioural perspective (Douglas-Hamilton 1972;Moss & Poole 1983;Moss 1988;Sukumar 2003;Wittemyer et al 2005; Moss in press). Further, female elephants appear to have extensive knowledge about their relationships with many other animals in their population (Moss & Poole 1983;Moss 1988;McComb et al 2000;McComb et al 2001;Moss in press).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The ties that bind: genetic relatedness predicts the fission and fusion of social groups in wild African elephants

2005

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Many social animals live in stable groups. In contrast, African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) live in unusually fluid, fission-fusion societies. That is, 'core' social groups are composed of predictable sets of individuals; however, over the course of hours or days, these groups may temporarily divide and reunite, or they may fuse with other social groups to form much larger social units. Here, we test the hypothesis that genetic relatedness predicts patterns of group fission and fusion among wild, female African elephants. Our study of a single Kenyan population spans 236 individuals in 45 core social groups, genotyped at 11 microsatellite and one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) locus. We found that genetic relatedness predicted group fission; adult females remained with their first order maternal relatives when core groups fissioned temporarily. Relatedness also predicted temporary fusion between social groups; core groups were more likely to fuse with each other when the oldest females in each group were genetic relatives. Groups that shared mtDNA haplotypes were also significantly more likely to fuse than groups that did not share mtDNA. Our results suggest that associations between core social groups persist for decades after the original maternal kin have died. We discuss these results in the context of kin selection and its possible role in the evolution of elephant sociality.

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The socioecology of elephants: analysis of the processes creating multitiered social structures

Cited by 488 publications

References 46 publications

History of Animals using Isotope Records (HAIR): A 6-year dietary history of one family of African elephants

History of Animals using Isotope Records (HAIR): A 6-year dietary history of one family of African elephants

Group size, grooming and fission in primates: A modeling approach based on group structure

The ties that bind: genetic relatedness predicts the fission and fusion of social groups in wild African elephants

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