Dataset Information

Variance in centrality within rock hyrax social networks predicts adult longevity.

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND:In communal mammals the levels of social interaction among group members vary considerably. In recent years, biologists have realized that within-group interactions may affect survival of the group members. Several recent studies have demonstrated that the social integration of adult females is positively associated with infant survival, and female longevity is affected by the strength and stability of the individual social bonds. Our aim was to determine the social factors that influence adult longevity in social mammals. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:As a model system, we studied the social rock hyrax (Procavia capensis), a plural breeder with low reproductive skew, whose groups are mainly composed of females. We applied network theory using 11 years of behavioral data to quantify the centrality of individuals within groups, and found adult longevity to be inversely correlated to the variance in centrality. In other words, animals in groups with more equal associations lived longer. Individual centrality was not correlated with longevity, implying that social tension may affect all group members and not only the weakest or less connected ones. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:Our novel findings support previous studies emphasizing the adaptive value of social associations and the consequences of inequality among adults within social groups. However, contrary to previous studies, we suggest that it is not the number or strength of associations that an adult individual has (i.e. centrality) that is important, but the overall configuration of social relationships within the group (i.e. centrality SD) that is a key factor in influencing longevity.

SUBMITTER: Barocas A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3144894 | biostudies-literature | 2011

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

ACCESS DATA

Publications

Variance in centrality within rock hyrax social networks predicts adult longevity.

Barocas Adi A Ilany Amiyaal A Koren Lee L Kam Michael M Geffen Eli E

PloS one 20110727 7

<h4>Background</h4>In communal mammals the levels of social interaction among group members vary considerably. In recent years, biologists have realized that within-group interactions may affect survival of the group members. Several recent studies have demonstrated that the social integration of adult females is positively associated with infant survival, and female longevity is affected by the strength and stability of the individual social bonds. Our aim was to determine the social factors th ...[more]

PMID: 21818314

Similar Datasets

Project description:Members of a society interact using a variety of social behaviors, giving rise to a multi-faceted and complex social life. For the study of animal behavior, quantifying this complexity is critical for understanding the impact of social life on animals' health and fitness. Multilayer network approaches, where each interaction type represents a different layer of the social network, have the potential to better capture this complexity than single layer approaches. Calculating individuals' centrality within a multilayer social network can reveal keystone individuals and more fully characterize social roles. However, existing measures of multilayer centrality do not account for differences in the dynamics and functionality across interaction layers. Here we validate a new method for quantifying multiplex centrality called consensus ranking by applying this method to multiple social groups of a well-studied nonhuman primate, the rhesus macaque. Consensus ranking can suitably handle the complexities of animal social life, such as networks with different properties (sparse vs. dense) and biological meanings (competitive vs. affiliative interactions). We examined whether individuals' attributes or socio-demographic factors (sex, age, dominance rank and certainty, matriline size, rearing history) were associated with multiplex centrality. Social networks were constructed for five interaction layers (i.e., aggression, status signaling, conflict policing, grooming and huddling) for seven social groups. Consensus ranks were calculated across these five layers and analyzed with respect to individual attributes and socio-demographic factors. Generalized linear mixed models showed that consensus ranking detected known social patterns in rhesus macaques, showing that multiplex centrality was greater in high-ranking males with high certainty of rank and females from the largest families. In addition, consensus ranks also showed that females from very small families and mother-reared (compared to nursery-reared) individuals were more central, showing that consideration of multiple social domains revealed individuals whose social centrality and importance might otherwise have been missed.

Project description:Note: Data Use Restrictions: <ul> <li>The data must only be used for genetic research projects solely in the area of health-related social-network research.</li> </ul> This study compiles detailed information on family and social ties linked to participants in the offspring cohort of the Framingham Heart Study. The investigators took computerized information from self-report data used by the FHS for over 30 years to facilitate health exam scheduling. These tracking sheets asked participants to identify people close to them, which were assumed by the investigators to indicate a social tie. Individuals are listed as "egos" (if the ties are from their perspective) and/or "alters" (if they are linked as a friend or family members to one of the other participants). All egos were FHS offspring participants while alters could be FHS participants in any cohort or non-participants. This information was combined with internal FHS pedigree data on family ties to list family member alters (as well as the nature of their relationship). The resultant dataset therefore includes each ego-alter tie, the nature of their relationship and the start and end dates for their ties for each of seven waves for the offspring study. Due to privacy concerns, all exam dates for individuals are listed relative to the initial FHS exam date. The study investigators chose a random, confidential date, to which all initial exam dates are linked (by number of months from random date to initial exam date). With this information, researchers can have access to the temporal relationships among participants' exam dates while remaining unaware of the actual exam dates for individual participants. During each clinic exam cycle, the participants undergo a detailed examination including physical examination, medical history, laboratory testing, and electrocardiogram. Over the years, other tests (that may not be performed at every exam cycle) have included pulmonary function, lifestyle, physical function, cognitive function questionnaires, and various noninvasive cardiovascular tests including echocardiograms. This study involves phenotypic data from these exams including (when available) basic body measurements (height, weight, blood pressure), laboratory values (blood sugar levels, LDL levels), information on smoking and alcohol use, and tests of depression and cognitive functioning. Important links to apply for individual-level data <ol> <li><a href="http://dbgap.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/aa/wga.cgi?view_pdf&stacc=phs000153.v3.p3" target="_blank">Data Use Certification Requirements (DUC)</a></li> <li><a href="GetPdf.cgi?id=phd001183.1" target="_blank">Instructions to Request Authorized Access</a></li> <li><a href="http://view.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/dbgap-controlled" target="_blank">Apply here for controlled access to individual level data</a></li> <li><a href="GetPdf.cgi?id=phd000317" target="_blank">Participant Protection Policy FAQ</a></li> </ol> In 1948, researchers recruited men and women from the town of Framingham, Massachusetts, beginning the first round of extensive physical examinations and lifestyle interviews that would later be analyzed for common patterns related to CVD development. Initially, the Framingham Heart Study enrolled 5,209 men and women from the Framingham area who were between the ages of 28 and 62 years. Beginning in 1971, the Framingham Heart Study enrolled 5,124 men and women, who were either offspring of the original cohort or spouses of those offspring. In 2002, 4,095 third generation participants (men and women) were enrolled.

Dataset Information

Variance in centrality within rock hyrax social networks predicts adult longevity.

Publications

Variance in centrality within rock hyrax social networks predicts adult longevity.

Similar Datasets

OmicsDI is part of the ELIXIR infrastructure

Tweets