Social Behaviour

Social Behaviour

1. Social behaviour is behaviour among two or more organisms, typically from the same species. Social behavior is exhibited by a wide range of organisms including social bacteria, naked mole-rats, and humans.

   • benefits
     • group living betters individual fitness
   • costs
     • dominance hierachies on indivdual fitness

2. Rats

   • social systems depend on population density
     • population density depends on richness of environment
       • poor richness environments lead to low density and they are territorial
       • rich environments
         • high density colonies
           • social system is despotic
   • learn from feeding experience of others when living in colonies
     • social learning
       • to avoid poisons and find good foods
         • smell on fur and breath
   • Affiliative behaviours
     • grooming/play/huddling
   • Aggressive behaviour
     • one rat emerges as constant winner
     • Dominance hierachy established between males
     • intruders
     • pregnancy

3. Felines

   • solitary unless there are sufficent food resources
     • domestic cats are social
       • forming relationships with preferred associates in colony
   • sometimes co-op care of kittens by queen and female relatives
   • mother and kitten relationship crucial to survival and development of kitten
     • mothers gradually introduce young to prey 4-8 weeks dead prey
       • social learning from mother to kitten
         • most kittens will follow what their mother choice of food is
           • Houpt, 2011
             • expression of predatory behaviour may depend on the social environment of the young kitten
   • Predation
     • innate behaviour but some learned aspects
       • kittens that have learned develop good predation behaviour but can learn as adult too