Early life differences in behavioral predispositions in two Alligatoridae species.

ABSTRACT: Behavioral predispositions are innate tendencies of animals to behave in a given way without the input of learning. They increase survival chances and, due to environmental and ecological challenges, may vary substantially even between closely related taxa. These differences are likely to be especially pronounced in long-lived species like crocodilians. This order is particularly relevant for comparative cognition due to its phylogenetic proximity to birds. Here we compared early life behavioral predispositions in two Alligatoridae species. We exposed American alligator and spectacled caiman hatchlings to three different novel situations: a novel object, a novel environment that was open and a novel environment with a shelter. This was then repeated a week later. During exposure to the nov

SUBMITTER: Reber SA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8238711 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature