Fission–fusion dynamics in wild giraffes may be driven by kinship, spatial overlap and individual social preferences
Many species exhibit fission–fusion dynamics, yet the factors that influence the frequent changes in group size and membership in these species have not been widely studied. Social ties may be influenced by kinship but animals may also form preferred associations because of social attraction or may only associate because they have similar habitat preferences. We […]
Correcting for the impact of gregariousness in social network analyses
The social network approach provides a set of statistical tools to analyse associations between individuals. The ‘half-weight index’ (HWI), the association index most commonly used in social network analyses, does not take into account differences between the gregariousness of individuals. Thus, the HWI may not be a good measure of relationships between individuals: it could […]
Social networks, long-term associations and age-related sociability of wild giraffes
Long-term studies of sociality in wild animals are rare, despite being critical for determining the benefits of social relationships and testing how long such relationships last and whether they change as individuals age. Knowledge about social relationships in animal species that exhibit fission–fusion dynamics can enhance our understanding of the evolution of close social bonds […]