|
|
Self-assessment and mutual-assessment ability in squamate reptiles
Čekal, Jakub ; Frýdlová, Petra (advisor) ; Kubička, Lukáš (referee)
Agonistic interactions throughout the animal kingdom can inflict various costs upon involved animals (decreased fitness, higher risk of predation etc.). To prevent such losses, many species have developed different morphological and behavioural adaptations to display their fighting ability. These adaptations allow animals better assessment of different costs and benefits associated with fighting. Assessment can be divided into two main categories based on the amount of information, that opponents take into account. Self-assessment assumes that rivals consider only their competitive ability and the potential benefits of winning a fight. During mutual-assessment competitors are also capable of considering possible differences in their apabilities and either escalate the fight or back down. My thesis is literary research of this topic in squamate reptiles. The assessment was characterized in several families of Squamata. Additionally, it evaluates the most important traits, that determine a potential winner and introduces different behavioural models of assessment. Used literature suggests that the most reliable predictor of fighting success within these families is the body size, and that mutual-assessment seems to be more prevalent. Keywords: assessment, RHP, aggression, agonistic interactions,...
|
|
|
Characteristics and use of play signals
Palečková, Marie ; Špinka, Marek (advisor) ; Polák, Jakub (referee)
There are many different behavioural elements and patterns in play behaviour. A play sequence may include elements which are unique for play and also elements which are similar to movements from other behavioural contexts such as predation, aggressive behaviour or sexual behaviour. One group of the play-unique elements are play signals. Play signals are highly ritualized movements or gestures and animals use them for communicating their playfull intentions to their play partners. These actions can be used in the beginnig of a play bout for initiation of social play, or during the play bout when they are used to maintain social play in situations when the play could be interrupted by patterns from serious behaviour or could be broken off. Many scientists started to focuse their research on play behaviour and play signals in the past fifty years. However, there is still lack of sequence analysis of play of particular species. More of such analysis could bring out new interesting findings.
|
guest ::
