Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ( IF 1.9 ) Pub Date : 2022-04-26 , DOI: 10.1007/s00265-022-03167-9 Emma E. Hart 1, 2 , Simone Ciuti 1 , Julian Fennessy 2 , Emma Wells 2 , Leticia Herrmann 3 , Michael Salter-Townshend 3
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Abstract
Patterns of association in animal societies vary through space and time. Understanding such variation is key to predicting inter- and intra-population variation across factors as diverse as gene flow, disease transmission, and resilience to climate change. Here, we use 3.5 years of observational data, coupled with static and dynamic methods in social network analysis, to investigate patterns of social association in wild giraffe in the northern Namib Desert, Namibia (a habitat of extreme aridity for the species). Our static analyses reveal similar robust nested social communities, but less distinct community structures, than those found in giraffe populations inhabiting less arid environments. Furthermore, results of our dynamic social network analyses show increased social connectivity in this population during the morning and hot-dry season. These temporal patterns align with patterns of thermoregulatory and sociosexual behaviour in this population. However, they differ from temporal patterns of connectivity revealed in populations in less arid environments. Combined, results of both our static and temporal analyses suggest that while the major characteristics of giraffe society persist through space and time, there is substantial variation in the strength of patterns of social connectivity both within and between populations at multiple spatiotemporal resolutions.
Significance statement
Animal social networks are inherently dynamic. Patterns of connectivity can be shaped by both social factors and habitat variation across space and time. We reveal that a population of uniquely desert-dwelling giraffe maintains a robust, albeit weaker, community structure in a habitat at the extreme edge of its natural range. We also reveal variation in intra-population temporal patterns of connectivity at both daily and seasonal resolutions. Combined, these results suggest that while the major characteristics of giraffe society persist across habitats and through time, the strength of patterns of social connectivity markedly varies in line with habitat factors both within and between populations.
中文翻译：
社会网络分析中的静态和动态方法揭示沙漠长颈鹿的关联模式
摘要
动物社会的交往模式随空间和时间而变化。了解这种变异是预测基因流动、疾病传播和对气候变化的适应力等多种因素的群体间和群体内变异的关键。在这里，我们使用 3.5 年的观测数据，结合社会网络分析中的静态和动态方法，研究纳米比亚北部纳米布沙漠（该物种极度干旱的栖息地）野生长颈鹿的社会关联模式。我们的静态分析揭示了与居住在不太干旱环境中的长颈鹿种群相比，类似的强大的嵌套社会群落，但群落结构不太明显。此外，我们的动态社交网络分析结果显示，在早晨和炎热干燥的季节，该人群的社交联系有所增加。这些时间模式与该人群的体温调节和社会性行为模式一致。然而，它们与不太干旱环境中的人群中揭示的连接的时间模式不同。结合起来，我们的静态和时间分析结果表明，虽然长颈鹿社会的主要特征在空间和时间中持续存在，但在多个时空分辨率下，种群内部和种群之间的社会连接模式强度存在很大差异。
意义陈述
动物社交网络本质上是动态的。社会因素和栖息地在空间和时间上的变化都可以塑造连通性模式。我们揭示了一群独特的沙漠居住长颈鹿在其自然范围的极端边缘的栖息地中保持着强大的，尽管较弱的群落结构。我们还揭示了在每日和季节性分辨率下的种群内连接时间模式的变化。综合起来，这些结果表明，虽然长颈鹿社会的主要特征在不同栖息地和时间中持续存在，但社会联系模式的强度随着种群内部和种群之间的栖息地因素而显着变化。
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