Abstract
We test the hypothesis that the relationship between networks resulting from unresolved agonistic interactions (URI) and social dominance was context-dependent in a captive group of American Flamingos (Phoenicopterus ruber ruber). URI formed networks that differed substantially from the dominance network and depended on the context in which the interactions occurred. Betweenness centrality in the URI network on the region (“the island”) where nesting took place was strongly correlated with dominance score. This correlation was particularly strong in the case of males, but, in both sexes, the dominant individual in a dyad was likely to have a higher betweenness centrality in the island URI. On the other hand, betweenness centrality in URI networks at the feeder did not show any relationship with dominance, but was associated with observed visits to the feeder. Thus, centrality in both the island URI network and the feeder URI network was associated with access to a resource over which individuals competed. Along with other results suggesting that non-dominance interactions may form social networks distinct from, but related to, dominance networks, our results support the hypothesis that relationships within animal social groups can be modeled as a series of distinct but inter-related networks.
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Acknowledgments
We are grateful to the Riverbanks Zoo Bird Department and Hospital staff for their work in weighing and managing the birds, especially: Colleen Lynch, Curator of Birds; Kate-Lyngle Cowand, senior bird keeper; Christine Talleda, bird keeper; Keith Benson DVM, senior veterinarian; and Cora Singleton DVM, associate veterinarian. Jenna Babler, Dan Merino, Amber Raynes, and Makeira Simmons assisted with observations.
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Hughes, A.L., Driscoll, C. Being in the thick of things: context-dependent network centrality in a captive flock of American flamingos. J Ethol 32, 83–90 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-014-0398-0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10164-014-0398-0