TUESDAY, 1 JUNE 2010
To find out whether and how barnacle geese use social information, the research team set up an experiment whereby all of the bold geese and the shy geese were given a 90 seconds to watch two groups of barnacle geese. One group of geese was given food, the other group was not. The behaviour of these two groups differed according to whether or not they were given food.
After watching the two groups, each goose was allowed to decide which group it wanted to join. Food was only made available to the geese on the side where the geese it had watched had been given food. They found that the shy geese were more likely to join the group that was eating. Bold individuals, on the other hand, ignored the social inofrmation and went searching for their own food.
In a follow-up experiment, the researchers tested whether the shy geese would continue to use the information even if it proved to be incorrect. Again there were two groups, one with food, the other without. However, this time the food for the geese watching was placed on the side where the geese had not been fed. They found that initially the shy geese were more likely to join the group that had been eating, but after six days of being presented with the incorrect setup they seem to be able to learn to ignore social information when choosing a group.
Most models of animal distribution assume that each individual uses social information to the same extent. This study shows that this is not the case, with animal personality playing an important part in the decision to disperse or congregate. Ideally, future models will include a range of animal personalities, which can be important for modelling the distribution of endangered species.
Written by Wing Ying Chow As many dog owners attest, animals have a personality. Ecologists define animal personality as a behaviour that is consistent over time and in different contexts. In this study, 'boldness' was measured by how individual geese reacted to novel objects, such as a piece of carpet, placed near to them,. Individuals that walked close to the object were characterised as bold, 'willing to take risks'. Geese that stayed away, on the other hand, were defined as 'shy'.
Ili kujua kama na jinsi gani mbawakawa wa barackle hutumia habari za kijamii, timu ya utafiti ilianzisha jaribio ambapo mbawakawa wote wenye ujasiri na wa aibu walipewa sekunde 90 kutazama makundi mawili ya mbawakawa wa barackle. Kikundi kimoja cha bata-bukini kilipewa chakula, kikundi kingine hakikupewa. Tabia ya makundi hayo mawili ilitofautiana kulingana na kama walipewa chakula au la. Baada ya kutazama vikundi hivyo viwili, kila bata-bukini aliruhusiwa kuamua kikundi alichotaka kujiunga nacho. Chakula kilitolewa tu kwa bata-mbweha katika upande ambapo bata-mbweha waliotazamwa walikuwa wamepewa chakula. Waligundua kwamba bata-bukini wenye haya walikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa zaidi wa kujiunga na kikundi kilichokuwa kikila. Kwa upande mwingine, watu wenye ujasiri walipuuza habari za kijamii na wakaanza kutafuta chakula chao wenyewe. Katika jaribio la pili, watafiti walichunguza ikiwa bata hao wenye haya wangeendelea kutumia habari hiyo hata ikiwa haingekuwa sahihi. Kwa mara nyingine tena kulikuwa na vikundi viwili, kimoja kilikuwa na chakula, kingine hakikuwa nacho. Hata hivyo, wakati huu chakula cha kutazama bata-bukini kiliwekwa upande ambapo bata-bukini hawakuwa wamelishwa. Waligundua kwamba mwanzoni, nyigu wenye haya walikuwa na uwezekano mkubwa wa kujiunga na kundi ambalo lilikuwa likila, lakini baada ya siku sita za kuonyeshwa mpangilio usio sahihi, walionekana kuwa na uwezo wa kujifunza kupuuza habari za kijamii wakati wa kuchagua kundi. Mifano mingi ya usambazaji wa wanyama inachukua kwamba kila mtu hutumia habari za kijamii kwa kiwango sawa. Utafiti huu unaonyesha kuwa hii sio kesi, na utu wa wanyama una jukumu muhimu katika uamuzi wa kutawanyika au kukusanyika. Kwa kweli, mifano ya baadaye itajumuisha aina mbalimbali za utu wa wanyama, ambayo inaweza kuwa muhimu kwa kuiga usambazaji wa spishi zilizo hatarini mwa kutoweka. Kama vile wamiliki wengi wa mbwa wanavyoshuhudia, wanyama wana utu. Wataalamu wa mazingira hufafanua utu wa mnyama kuwa tabia ambayo ni thabiti kwa muda na katika muktadha tofauti. Katika utafiti huu, 'ujasiri' ulipimwa kwa jinsi bata-bukini walivyoitikia vitu vipya, kama vile kipande cha zulia, kilichowekwa karibu nao. Watu waliotembea karibu na kitu hicho walifafanuliwa kuwa wenye ujasiri, 'wenye nia ya kuhatarisha'. Kwa upande mwingine, bata-bukini waliodumu mbali waliitwa 'wenye haya.'