Is Postconflict Affiliation in Captive Nonhuman Primates an Artifact of Captivity?

Researchers have conducted most studies on primate conflict management and resolution in captive settings. The few studies on groups of the same species in captivity and in the wild and the overall comparison across species of findings from studies in both settings have reported patterns of variation in the rates of various postconflict affinitive behaviors that may be setting related. In fact, some authors have claimed that the high rates of postconflict affiliation reported in captive studies could represent an artifact of captivity. I explored the claim and conclude that it is unjustified. I argue that the dichotomy captivity vs. wild is conceptually meaningless and scientists should abandon it as an explanatory variable, that differences across studies both in setting-related variables and in the methods used for assessing postconflict affiliation reduce the strength of comparisons within and across settings, that the empirical evidence thus far available neither allows adequate assessment nor supports any claim that links the rate of postconflict affiliation to captivity or wild conditions, and that studies conducted in both settings may be equally useful—and should be used—to test theoretically relevant hypotheses regarding the causes and predictors of variation in postconflict affiliation. Instead of asking the title question, I would ask which variables influence postconflict affiliation and then whether the variables are really associated only with one of the two settings.     

Control of intragroup aggression by a captive male orangutan

An adult male orangutan, housed with two adult females, intervened in female-female aggressive interactions at least seven times over a 4.5-year period. Five of these seven episodes involved multiple interventions rather than a single act. One series of interventions was directly observed during an ongoing study of spatial relationships, and six other episodes were described in the zoo records. The intervention that was observed directly began with one female displacing the other, after which the male located himself between the two females. He remained nearer the displaced female than he did to the other female. These seven episodes demonstrate the male's mediation and regulation of intragroup aggression. Whereas the opportunities for the control of aggression are limited in the wild, the conditions of captivity likely allowed for the expression of this behavior pattern.     

中国旅游生态安全的空间关联网络结构及其影响因素

深入剖析旅游生态安全空间关联网络特征与影响因素,对于促进生态旅游的可持续发展、优化旅游空间布局以及实现旅游业长期健康发展与生态环境和谐共生具有显著且深远的意义。基于2005—2021年中国省际面板数据,运用改进熵值法对30个省(区、市)的旅游生态安全发展水平进行测度,并结合修正的引力模型、社会网络分析法和QAP回归模型深入探究其空间关联网络特征及影响因素。研究结果表明：(1)中国省际间旅游生态安全的联系已经打破了传统的地域相邻格局,与非相邻省(区、市)之间产生了关联,但由于波动性较强,尚未形成稳定的发展格局和最理想的状态,仍有很大的提升潜力;(2)中国旅游生态安全空间关联网络中的区域差异和不均衡现象较为明显,其中,东部地区凭借其高中心度占据了核心地位,并对其他区域间的旅游生态安全空间关联起到了重要的调节和控制作用;而西部地区在网络中处于较为边缘的位置,对其他区域的影响力较小;此外,新冠肺炎疫情对旅游生态安全空间网络关联格局产生了显著影响;(3)北京、天津、江苏、浙江和上海构成了“净受益”板块,广东和福建则扮演了重要中介角色的“经纪人”板块。同时,湖北、湖南、广西在内的23个省区被划分为具有明显溢出效应的“净溢出”板块。(4)中国旅游生态安全的空间关联网络结构的形成和演化是由地理位置、城镇化、旅游产业结构、技术创新以及旅游发展水平等因素共同推动的。研究从空间关联网络视角出发,从更大尺度全景式地揭示旅游生态安全空间网络结构的动态演化特征,从更深层次细致地剖析为旅游生态保护策略的制定与实施提供了重要的理论支撑和实践指导。     

Environmental Enrichments for a Group of Captive Macaws: Low Interaction Does Not Mean Low Behavioral Changes

Environmental enrichment has been widely used to improve conditions for nonhuman animals in captivity. However, there is no consensus about the best way to evaluate the success of enrichments. This study evaluated whether the proportion of time spent interacting with enrichments indicated the proportion of overall behavioral changes. Six environmental enrichments were introduced in succession to 16 captive macaws, and interaction of the animals with them as well as the behaviors of the group were recorded before and during the enrichments. All of the enrichments affected the proportions of time spent in different behaviors. Macaws interacted more with certain items (hibiscus and food tree) than with others (a toy or swings and stairs), but introduction of the enrichments that invoked the least interaction caused as many behavioral changes as those that invoked the most. Moreover, feeding behavior was only affected by the enrichment that invoked the least interaction, a change not detected by a general analysis of enrichment effects. In conclusion, little interaction with enrichment does not mean little change in behavior, and the effects of enrichments are more complex than previously considered.     

Behavioral effects of changing group membership among captive lowland gorillas

Group membership was modified among 4 gorilla groups at Zoo Atlanta in an attempt to increase compatibility and sexual behavior. The modifications ultimately moved 7 adult females among the groups. The moves were made by individually introducing the new group members to the old members, resulting in 18 total introductions. Several individual and social behaviors differed in the two conditions. The most obvious change was a temporary increase in aggressive display behaviors, as well as an increase in contact and social examination, in the postmovement condition. Additionally, the individual behaviors of travelling and eating increased after the introductions, while resting decreased. Other self-maintenance behaviors did not change. Finally, there was an increase in time mothers and offspring spent closer to one another following the moves. Previous research and anecdotal evidence suggest that gorillas respond to changes in group membership with aggression; these data support and extend those data to different age/sex groups, postmovement trends in behavior, and other aspects of gorilla behavior. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

笼养灰胸竹鸡的活动时间分配

采用直接观察法对灰胸竹鸡在笼养条件下的活动时间分配及行为特点进行研究,结果表明笼养条件下灰胸竹鸡的主要行为有走动、站立、取食、静卧4种,一天中有两个活动高峰,雄鸡的活动强于雌鸡;白天休息时间占40%以上,采食集中在上午和傍晚进行;站立、取食、静卧发生的频次在雌雄之间无显著差异（P〉0．05）,而走动的频次雄鸡极显著的高于雌鸡（P〈0．01）,各行为每频次在持续时间上差异不显著（P〉0．05）。