| dc.contributor.advisor | Fichtel, Claudia Dr. | |
| dc.contributor.author | Sperber, Anna Lucia | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2019-12-13T09:15:01Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2019-12-13T09:15:01Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2019-12-13 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://hdl.handle.net/21.11130/00-1735-0000-0005-12CE-F | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-7764 | |
| dc.identifier.uri | http://dx.doi.org/10.53846/goediss-7764 | |
| dc.language.iso | eng | de |
| dc.rights.uri | http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/ | |
| dc.subject.ddc | 570 | de |
| dc.title | Group Coordination Processes and Determinants of Leadership in Red-fronted Lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons) | de |
| dc.type | doctoralThesis | de |
| dc.contributor.referee | Fichtel, Claudia Dr. | |
| dc.date.examination | 2018-12-14 | |
| dc.description.abstracteng | For animals to enjoy the benefits of group living it is vital that they coordinate their activities despite divergent needs. The challenge this poses becomes apparent when animals are moving between resources. In this thesis I investigated several aspects that determine a group’s movement coordination: the coordination of departure time, the characteristics of initiators and the joining process. The subjects of my studies were four groups of wild red-fronted lemurs (Eulemur rufifrons). in Kirindy Forest, Western Madagascar. I combined observations of naturally occurring group movements with audio recordings of focal individuals. Additionally, I conducted behavioural observations and experiments to assess affiliative bonds and individual personality.
I found that group movements were preceded by a pre-departure period, in which subsequent initiators and followers increased the rate at which they produced close calls (“grunts”). These observations suggest that grunts indicate the individual’s readiness to move and may provide the basis for a shared decision on departure time. In addition, initiators grunted more than followers, even when comparing them at their respective departures which hints that grunts may also have a recruitment function. Although animals of both sexes and age classes initiated group movements, individuals differed in their initiation frequency. Initiation frequency depended on personality, with a positive effect of exploration and a sex-dependent effect of sociability. Joining was determined by the follower’s age, sex, affiliative relationships and proximity to others at departure. Females made up the vanguard of the departing group, while juveniles took protected central positions and males brought up the rear. Dyads with stronger affiliative bonds departed in closer succession, and individuals followed group mates more quickly when they were closer to them at departure. These findings demonstrate that local rules and individual needs can combine to determine individual departure decisions.
This thesis clarifies important aspects of collective departures in an egalitarian primate species in its natural habitat. It identifies a close call as a possible feedback mechanism to coordinate departure time, demonstrates that leadership likelihood is influenced by individual personality and illustrates the determinants and mechanisms of the joining process. It thus contributes to our understanding of how groups achieve collective action and brings us a step closer to identifying the general principles of group coordination and collective decision making. | de |
| dc.contributor.coReferee | Boos, Margarete Prof. Dr. | |
| dc.subject.eng | group coordination | de |
| dc.subject.eng | collective movements | de |
| dc.subject.eng | vocalisations | de |
| dc.subject.eng | leadership | de |
| dc.subject.eng | personality | de |
| dc.subject.eng | mimetism | de |
| dc.subject.eng | primates | de |
| dc.subject.eng | Eulemur | de |
| dc.identifier.urn | urn:nbn:de:gbv:7-21.11130/00-1735-0000-0005-12CE-F-1 | |
| dc.affiliation.institute | Biologische Fakultät für Biologie und Psychologie | de |
| dc.subject.gokfull | Biologie (PPN619462639) | de |
| dc.identifier.ppn | 1685514537 | |