Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild <i>Canis</i> social groups

Animals within social groups respond to costs and benefits of sociality by adjusting the proportion of time they spend in close proximity to other individuals in the group (cohesion). Variation in cohesion between individuals, in turn, shapes important group-level processes such as subgroup formation and fission-fusion dynamics. Although critical to animal sociality, a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cohesion remains a gap in our knowledge of cooperative behavior in animals. We tracked 574 individuals from six species within the genus Canis in 15 countries on four continents with GPS telemetry to estimate the time that pairs of individuals within social groups spent in close proximity and test hypotheses regarding drivers of cohesion. Pairs of social canids (Canis spp.) varied widely in the proportion of time they spent together (5%-100%) during seasonal monitoring periods relative to both intrinsic characteristics and environmental conditions. The majority of our data came from three species of wolves (gray wolves, eastern wolves, and red wolves) and coyotes. For these species, cohesion within social groups was greatest between breeding pairs and varied seasonally as the nature of cooperative activities changed relative to annual life history patterns. Across species, wolves were more cohesive than coyotes. For wolves, pairs were less cohesive in larger groups, and when suitable, small prey was present reflecting the constraints of food resources and intragroup competition on social associations. Pair cohesion in wolves declined with increased anthropogenic modification of the landscape and greater climatic variability, underscoring challenges for conserving social top predators in a changing world. We show that pairwise cohesion in social groups varies strongly both within and across Canis species, as individuals respond to changing ecological context defined by resources, competition, and anthropogenic disturbance. Our work highlights that cohesion is a highly plastic component of animal sociality that holds significant promise for elucidating ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying cooperative behavior.

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Publication Details

Journal
Ecology
Published
2024-12-12
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1002/ecy.4492
Citations
3
Primary Topic
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
1.38

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article

Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups

Mathew S. Sorum, Kyle Joly, Pat J. Jackson, Shannon M. Barber‐Meyer et al.
3 citations
Ecology
Wildlife Ecology and Conservation
1.38
article

Intrinsic and environmental drivers of pairwise cohesion in wild Canis social groups

Mathew S. Sorum, Kyle Joly, Pat J. Jackson, Shannon M. Barber‐Meyer, Abi Tamim Vanak, Luís Llaneza, Duško Ćirović, Ashley McLaren, Sana Zabihi‐Seissan, José Vicente López‐Bao, Douglas C. Heard, Vicente Palacios, Kevin R. Crooks, Tyler J. Wheeldon, James C. Beasley, Eric W. Neilson, Michael J. Chamberlain, Seth G. Cherry, Linda Behrendorff, Jack Tatler, Julie W. Turner, Laura R. Prugh, Brent R. Patterson, Lalenia Neufeld, Maria Thaker, Tyler R. Petroelje, Philip D. McLoughlin, Peter J. Mahoney, Luigi Boitani, Yvette Chenaux‐Ibrahim, Chris Howden, Bryce C. Lake, Steve K. Windels, Thomas M. Newsome, Robert N. Fisher, Michael W. Strohbach, John F. Benson, Mark Hebblewhite, Jerrold L. Belant, Helena Rio‐Maior, Dale Rollins, David A. Keiter, Maureen H. Murray, Gretchen H. Roffler, Allicia Kelly, Julie K. Young, Đuro Huber, Stanley D. Gehrt, Josip Kusak, Bridget L. Borg, Justin L. Brown, Gerald W. Kuzyk, Eli Geffen, Scott E. Walter, Katrien A. Kingdon, Emilio José García, Camilla Wikenros, Sarah C. Webster, Håkan Sand, Marcella J. Kelly, Dean E. Beyer, Paolo Ciucci, Seth A. Moore, Eric Vander Wal, Marlo M. Perdicas, Fiona K. A. Schmiegelow, Erin E. Boydston, Barbara Zimmermann, Joseph W. Hinton, Daniel R. MacNulty, Connor A. Thompson, Austin T. Homkes, Petter Wabakken, Dale R. Seip, Joseph K. Bump, Colleen Cassady St. Clair, Matthew A. Mumma, Daniel Fortin, Christina M. Prokopenko, Evelyn H. Merrill, Mónia Nakamura, Francisco Álvares, C. Piper, Michael P. Gillingham, Numi Mitchell, Thomas D. Gable, Daniel L. J. Dupont, Kenneth J. Mills, Abhijeet Kulkarni, H. Dean Cluff, Stan A. Boutin, Robin Steenweg, Benjamin L. Allen, Susan Cooper, Adi Barocas, John K. Oakleaf, Seth P. D. Riley, Lee Allen, Thomas Perry, Marco Musiani, Jonathon D. Cepek, Morgan Anderson
article en
3 citations

Abstract

Animals within social groups respond to costs and benefits of sociality by adjusting the proportion of time they spend in close proximity to other individuals in the group (cohesion). Variation in cohesion between individuals, in turn, shapes important group-level processes such as subgroup formation and fission-fusion dynamics. Although critical to animal sociality, a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing cohesion remains a gap in our knowledge of cooperative behavior in animals. We tracked 574 individuals from six species within the genus Canis in 15 countries on four continents with GPS telemetry to estimate the time that pairs of individuals within social groups spent in close proximity and test hypotheses regarding drivers of cohesion. Pairs of social canids (Canis spp.) varied widely in the proportion of time they spent together (5%-100%) during seasonal monitoring periods relative to both intrinsic characteristics and environmental conditions. The majority of our data came from three species of wolves (gray wolves, eastern wolves, and red wolves) and coyotes. For these species, cohesion within social groups was greatest between breeding pairs and varied seasonally as the nature of cooperative activities changed relative to annual life history patterns. Across species, wolves were more cohesive than coyotes. For wolves, pairs were less cohesive in larger groups, and when suitable, small prey was present reflecting the constraints of food resources and intragroup competition on social associations. Pair cohesion in wolves declined with increased anthropogenic modification of the landscape and greater climatic variability, underscoring challenges for conserving social top predators in a changing world. We show that pairwise cohesion in social groups varies strongly both within and across Canis species, as individuals respond to changing ecological context defined by resources, competition, and anthropogenic disturbance. Our work highlights that cohesion is a highly plastic component of animal sociality that holds significant promise for elucidating ecological and evolutionary mechanisms underlying cooperative behavior.

EcologyVol. 106(1)
Alaska Department of Fish and Game (US), Universidade da Coruña (ES), University of Nebraska–Lincoln (US), Utah State University (US), Parks Canada (CA), Canadian Forest Service (CA), United States Geological Survey (US), The University of Sydney (AU), University of Minnesota (US), Memorial University of Newfoundland (CA), National Park Service (US), Michigan Department of Natural Resources (US), Idaho Department of Fish and Game (US), Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry (CA), Minnesota Department of Natural Resources (US), Environment and Climate Change Canada (CA), United States Fish and Wildlife Service (US), University of Northern British Columbia (CA), University of Alberta (CA), Tel Aviv University (IL), University of Georgia (US), University of Rhode Island (US), University of Zagreb (HR), Universidade do Porto (PT), University of Southern Queensland (AU), University of Washington (US), Fond du Lac Reservation (US), Savannah River National Laboratory (US), Queensland Government (AU), Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SE), University of Saskatchewan (CA), University of Belgrade (RS), Ministry of Environment (CA), Cleveland Metroparks (US), Positive Living North (CA), Ashoka Trust for Research in Ecology and the Environment (IN), University of Inland Norway (NO), Association for Research and Industrial Development of Natural Resources (ES), Ministry of Forests (CA), Whaleman Foundation (US), Wyoming Game and Fish Department (US), Government of Saskatchewan (CA), Migal - Galilee Technology Center (IL), Nevada Department of Wildlife (US), Government of Northwest Territories (CA), DBT/Wellcome Trust India Alliance (IN), AIL Research (United States) (US), Department of Primary Industries (AU), S.P.E.C.I.E.S. (US), Université Laval (CA), The Ohio State University (US), The University of Adelaide (AU), Indian Institute of Science Bangalore (IN), Trent University (CA), University of Montana (US), Tel Hai Academic College (IL), Virginia Tech (US), Sapienza University of Rome (IT), Michigan State University (US), Colorado State University (US), University of Bologna (IT), Technische Universität Braunschweig (DE), University of KwaZulu-Natal (ZA), Nelson Mandela University (ZA)
National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. Department of Transportation, California Department of Transportation, Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, Wildlife Conservation Society, National Geographic Society, Utah State University, Indian Institute of Science, University of Nebraska-Lincoln, University of Northern British Columbia, Safari Club International Foundation, Wellcome Trust, Nevada Department of Wildlife, Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Ministère des Forêts, de la Faune et des Parcs, Minnesota Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund, Alberta Environment and Parks, Alberta Ecotrust Foundation, BC Oil and Gas Research and Innovation Society, British Broadcasting Corporation, Rhode Island Foundation, Prince Charitable Trusts, Manitoba Hydro, Parks Canada, Government of Nunavut, Rolling Plains Quail Research Foundation, Bernd Thies-Stiftung, Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management, Canadian Wildlife Federation, European Commission, Department of Biotechnology, Ministry of Science and Technology, India, Indian Space Research Organisation, Ministry of Environment, Ministarstvo Prosvete, Nauke i Tehnološkog Razvoja, The Wellcome Trust DBT India Alliance, Ministerio de Asuntos Económicos y Transformación Digital, Gobierno de España, Xunta de Galicia, EuroNatur Stiftung, British Columbia Oil and Gas Commission, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, Office of Environmental Management, National Park Service, University of Georgia Research Foundation, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia, Agencia Estatal de Investigación
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