Social Behavior
Social Behavior
When we think of “social” animals we are apt to think of highly structured honey bee colonies, herds of antelope grazing on the African plains (Figure 38-11), schools of herring, or flocks of starlings. But social behavior of animals of the same species living together is by no means limited to such obvious examples in which individuals influence one another. In the broad sense, any interaction resulting from the response of one animal to another of the same species represents social behavior. Even a pair of rival males fighting over possession of a female display a social interaction, despite our perceptual bias as people that might encourage us to label it antisocial. Social aggregations are only one kind of social behavior, and indeed not all aggregations of animals are social.
Clouds of moths attracted to a light at night, barnacles attracted to a common float, or trout gathering in the coolest pool of a stream are groupings of animals responding to environmental signals. Social aggregations, on the other hand, depend on signals from the animals themselves. They remain together and do things together by influencing one another.
Not all animals showing sociality are social to the same degree. While all sexually reproducing species must at least cooperate enough to achieve fertilization, among some animals breeding is about the only adult sociality to occur. Alternatively, swans, geese, albatrosses, and beavers, to name just a few, form strong monogamous bonds that last a lifetime. The most persistent social bonds usually form between mothers and their young and, for birds and mammals, these bonds usually terminate at fledging or weaning.
When we think of “social” animals we are apt to think of highly structured honey bee colonies, herds of antelope grazing on the African plains (Figure 38-11), schools of herring, or flocks of starlings. But social behavior of animals of the same species living together is by no means limited to such obvious examples in which individuals influence one another. In the broad sense, any interaction resulting from the response of one animal to another of the same species represents social behavior. Even a pair of rival males fighting over possession of a female display a social interaction, despite our perceptual bias as people that might encourage us to label it antisocial. Social aggregations are only one kind of social behavior, and indeed not all aggregations of animals are social.
Clouds of moths attracted to a light at night, barnacles attracted to a common float, or trout gathering in the coolest pool of a stream are groupings of animals responding to environmental signals. Social aggregations, on the other hand, depend on signals from the animals themselves. They remain together and do things together by influencing one another.
Not all animals showing sociality are social to the same degree. While all sexually reproducing species must at least cooperate enough to achieve fertilization, among some animals breeding is about the only adult sociality to occur. Alternatively, swans, geese, albatrosses, and beavers, to name just a few, form strong monogamous bonds that last a lifetime. The most persistent social bonds usually form between mothers and their young and, for birds and mammals, these bonds usually terminate at fledging or weaning.
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