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- [hal-01704322] Social competition and plasma testosterone profile in domesticated canaries: An experimental test of the challenge hypothesis8 février 2018The challenge hypothesis predicts that plasma testosterone (T) concentration is high when male – male competitions are high and decreases when males are engaged in paternal care. In monogamous species, T concentration increases at the beginning of the breeding period and decreases after egg laying. According to the challenge hypothesis, increasing competition should also lead to T increase. The aim of our study was to test this hypothesis. In a first experiment, we measured the T profile of domesticated canaries housed with their mate in separated cages without competition. In a second one, we created a competition by housing male and female domestic canaries together (in an aviary) and emphasized this competition by limiting food access. We also studied social status effect. Our results showed no effect of social status in both sexes and no differences in female's T concentration. Concerning males, we obtained a clear monogamous T profile from the ones housed in a low competition situation and a polygamous profile from the others housed in high competition situation. Thus, our results support the hypothesis of the plasticity of the mechanisms controlling T concentration according to environmental conditions. D
- [hal-01480085] Psychological Disorders and Ecological Factors Affect the Development of Executive Functions: Some Perspectives3 février 2021The links between deficits in executive functions (EFs) (e.g., mental flexibility, inhibition capacities, etc.) and some psychological disorders (e.g., anxiety and depressive disorders) have been investigated in the past decades or so.
- [hal-01478464] Young Children's Difficulties in Switching from Rhythm Production to Temporal Interval Production (>1 S)28 février 2017This study examined the young children's abilities to switch from rhythm production, with short 15 Inter-Taps Intervals (ITI), to temporal interval production, with long ITI (> 1 s), in a sensorimotor synchronization task. Children aged 3 and 5 years old were given 6 sessions of synchronization. In a control group, they had to synchronize their ITI to an Inter-Stimulus Interval (ISI) of 4 s. In the experimental group, they must progressively increase their ITI for one session to the next (from 0.4-s to 4.0-s ISI). Our results showed that the 5-year-olds produced longer ITI that the 3-year-olds in synchronization. However, the value of ITI in the 5-year-olds never exceeded 1.5 s, with more variable ITI in the control than in the experimental group. In addition, at 5 years, boys had more difficulties than girls in changing their tapping rhythm. These results suggest a temporal window in sensorimotor synchronization, beyond which the rhythm is lost and the synchronization becomes difficult.
- [hal-01644067] Influence of auditory tempo on the endogenous rhythm of non-nutritive sucking21 novembre 2017[...]
- [hal-01429925] Newborns’ Sensitivity to the Visual Aspects of Infant-Directed Speech: Evidence From Point-Line Displays of Talking Faces9 janvier 2017The first time a newborn is held, he is attracted by the human’s face. A talking face is even more captivating, as it is the first time he or she hears and sees another human talking. Older infants are relatively good at detecting the relationship between images and sounds when someone is addressing to them, but it is unclear whether this ability is dependent on experience or not. Using an intermodal matching procedure, we presented newborns with 2 silent point-line displays representing the same face uttering different sentences while they were hearing a vocal-only utterance that matched 1 of the 2 stimuli. Nearly all of the newborns looked longer at the matching point-line face than at the mismatching 1, with prior exposure to the stimuli (Experiment 1) or without (Experiment 2). These results are interpreted in terms of newborns’ ability to extract common visual and auditory information of continuous speech events despite a short experience with talking faces. The implications are discussed in the light of the language processing and acquisition literature.
- [hal-01645042] Tempo Discrimination in 3- and 4-year-old children: performances and threshold22 novembre 2017Durations of less than one second are involved in all kinds of activities, such as music perception or rhythmical production tasks. It is therefore important to know how short durations are processed at a young age. This study aims to define discrimination performance between 3- and 4-year-olds (tempo discrimination). The first 4 years of life are essential for cognitive development and there is little data concerning those years due to the extreme difficulty of finding methods to assess children’s timing performances. Moreover, the results yielded by previous experiments are controversial. Our data revealed that discrimination performances improve significantly within only a few months. The discrimination data from 3 and 4 year-olds are compared to those from older children. The overall results are discussed in a developmental model context.
- [hal-04133300] Young children’s difficulties in switching from rhythm production to temporal interval production (>1 s)19 juin 2023This study examined the young children's abilities to switch from rhythm production, with short inter-tap intervals (ITIs), to temporal interval production, with long ITI (>1 s), in a sensorimotor synchronization task. Children aged 3-and 5-year-olds were given six sessions of synchronization. In a control group, they had to synchronize their ITI to an inter-stimulus interval (ISI) of 4 s. In the experimental group, they must progressively increase their ITI for one session to the next (from 0.4 to 4.0-s ISI). Our results showed that the 5-yearolds produced longer ITI that the 3-year-olds in synchronization. However, the value of ITI in the 5-year-olds never exceeded 1.5 s, with more variable ITI in the control than in the experimental group. In addition, at 5 years, boys had more difficulties than girls in changing their tapping rhythm. These results suggest a temporal window in sensorimotor synchronization, beyond which the rhythm is lost and the synchronization becomes difficult.
- [hal-02887838] Régulation rythmique avant 4 ans : effet d'un tempo auditif sur le tempo moteur2 juillet 2020L'objectif de cette étude est d'analyser les capacités de l'enfant âgé de 1 ½ à 3 ½ ans à modifier son tempo moteur spontané (TMS) en fonction de tempi auditifs. Les résultats montrent que le TMS reste constant entre 1 ½ et 3 ½ ans et que, parallèlement, il devient plus régulier. Les enfants les plus âgés modifient leurs rythmes de frappes si le tempo auditif diffère d'au moins 20 % de leurs propres rythmes. La capacité des enfants à ralentir leurs rythmes de frappes se met en place plus tardivement que leur accéléra-tion. Enfin, les modifications du rythme de frappes induisent une modification équivalente du TMS mais transitoire.
- [hal-02887830] Tempo Discrimination in 3-and 4-year-old children: performances and threshold2 juillet 2020Durations of less than one second are involved in all kinds of activities, such as music perception or rhythmical production tasks. It is therefore important to know how short durations are processed at a young age. This study aims to define discrimination performance between 3-and 4-year-olds (tempo discrimination). The first 4 years of life are essential for cognitive development and there is little data concerning those years due to the extreme difficulty of finding methods to assess children's timing performances. Moreover, the results yielded by previous experiments are controversial. Our data revealed that discrimination performances improve significantly within only a few months. The discrimination data from 3 and 4 year-olds are compared to those from older children. The overall results are discussed in a developmental model context.
- [hal-04531882] Grandmothering and cognitive resources are required for the emergence of menopause and extensive post-reproductive lifespan4 avril 2024Menopause, the permanent cessation of ovulation, occurs in humans well before the end of the expected lifespan, leading to an extensive post-reproductive period which remains a puzzle for evolutionary biologists. All human populations display this particularity; thus, it is difficult to empirically evaluate the conditions for its emergence. In this study, we used artificial neural networks to model the emergence and evolution of allocation decisions related to reproduction in simulated populations. When allocation decisions were allowed to freely evolve, both menopause and extensive post-reproductive life-span emerged under some ecological conditions. This result allowed us to test various hypotheses about the required conditions for the emergence of menopause and extensive post-reproductive life-span. Our findings did not support the Maternal Hypothesis (menopause has evolved to avoid the risk of dying in childbirth, which is higher in older women). In contrast, results supported a shared prediction from the Grandmother Hypothesis and the Embodied Capital Model. Indeed, we found that extensive post-reproductive lifespan allows resource reallocation to increase fertility of the children and survival of the grandchildren. Furthermore, neural capital development and the skill intensiveness of the foraging niche, rather than strength, played a major role in shaping the age profile of somatic and cognitive senescence in our simulated populations. This result supports the Embodied Capital Model rather than the Grand-Mother Hypothesis. Finally, in simulated populations where menopause had already evolved, we found that reduced post-reproductive lifespan lead to reduced children's fertility and grandchildren's survival. The results are discussed in the context of the evolutionary emergence of menopause and extensive post-reproductive life-span.
- [hal-01478471] A Potential Role for Parasites in the Maintenance of Color Polymorphism in Urban Birds28 février 2017Urbanization is a major challenge for biodiversity conservation, yet the evolutionary processes taking place in urbanized areas remain poorly known. Human activities in cities set new selective forces in motion which need to be investigated to predict the evolutionary responses of animal species living in urban areas. In this study, we investigated the role of urbanization and parasites in the maintenance of melanin-based color polymorphism in the feral pigeon Columba livia. Using a correlative approach, we tested whether differently colored genotypes displayed alternative phenotypic responses to urbanization, by comparing body condition, blood parasite prevalence and parasite load between colored morphs along an urbanization gradient. Body condition did not vary with urbanization, but paler individuals had a higher body condition than darker individuals. Moreover, paler morphs were less often parasitized than darker morphs in moderately urbanized habitats, but their parasite prevalence increased with urbanization. In contrast, darker morphs had similar parasite prevalence along the urbanization gradient. This suggests that paler morphs did better than darker morphs in moderately urbanized environments but were negatively affected by increasing urbanization, while darker morphs performed equally in all environments. Thus, differently colored individuals were distributed non-randomly across the urban habitat and suffered different parasite risk according to their location (a gene-by-environment interaction). This suggests that melanin-based coloration might reflect alternative strategies to cope with urbanization via different exposure or susceptibility to parasites. Spatial variability of parasite pressures linked with urbanization may, thus, play a central role in the maintenance of plumage color polymorphism in this urban species.
- [hal-01478443] What Does It Take for an Infant to Learn How to Use a Tool by Observation?12 janvier 2024Observational learning is probably one of the most powerful factors determining progress during child development. When learning a new skill, infants rely on their own exploration; but they also frequently benefit from an adult’s verbal support or from demonstration by an adult modeling the action. At what age and under what conditions does adult demonstration really help the infant to learn a novel behavior? In this review, we summarize recently published work we have conducted on the acquisition of tool use during the second year of life. In particular, we consider under what conditions and to what extent seeing a demonstration from an adult advances an infant’s understanding of how to use a tool to obtain an out-of-reach object. Our results show that classic demonstration starts being helpful at 18 months of age. When adults explicitly show their intention prior to demonstration, even 16-month-old infants learn from the demonstration. On the other hand, providing an explicit demonstration (“look at how I do it”) is not very useful before infants are ready to succeed by themselves anyway. In contrast, repeated observations of the required action in a social context, without explicit reference to this action, considerably advances the age of success and the usefulness of providing a demonstration. We also show that the effect of demonstration can be enhanced if the demonstration makes the baby laugh. Taken together, the results from this series of studies on observational learning of tool use in infants suggest, first, that when observing a demonstration, infants do not know what to pay attention to: demonstration must be accompanied by rich social cues to be effective; second, infants’ attention is inhibited rather than enhanced by an explicit demand of “look at what I do”; and finally a humorous situation considerably helps infants understand the demonstration.
- [hal-01478441] Infants' Selectively Pay Attention to the Information They Receive from a Native Speaker of Their Language28 février 2017From the first moments of their life, infants show a preference for their native language, as well as toward speakers with whom they share the same language. This preference appears to have broad consequences in various domains later on, supporting group affiliations and collaborative actions in children. Here, we propose that infants' preference for native speakers of their language also serves a further purpose, specifically allowing them to efficiently acquire culture specific knowledge via social learning. By selectively attending to informants who are native speakers of their language and who probably also share the same cultural background with the infant, young learners can maximize the possibility to acquire cultural knowledge. To test whether infants would preferably attend the information they receive from a speaker of their native language, we familiarized 12-month-old infants with a native and a foreign speaker, and then presented them with movies where each of the speakers silently gazed toward unfamiliar objects. At test, infants' looking behavior to the two objects alone was measured. Results revealed that infants preferred to look longer at the object presented by the native speaker. Strikingly, the effect was replicated also with 5-month-old infants, indicating an early development of such preference. These findings provide evidence that young infants pay more attention to the information presented by a person with whom they share the same language. This selectivity can serve as a basis for efficient social learning by influencing how infants' allocate attention between potential sources of information in their environment.
- [hal-04531896] Different kinds of genetic markers permit inference of Paleolithic and Neolithic expansions in humans4 avril 2024Recent population genetic studies have provided valuable insights on the demographic history of our species. However, some issues such as the dating of the first demographic expansions in human populations remain puzzling. Indeed, although a few genetic studies argued that the first human expansions were concomitant with the Neolithic transition, many others found signals of expansion events starting during the Palaeolithic. Here we performed a simulation study to show that these contradictory findings may result from the differences in the genetic markers used, especially if two successive expansion events occurred. For a large majority of replicates for each scenario tested, microsatellite data allow only detecting the recent expansion event in that case, whereas sequence data allow only detecting the ancient expansion. Combined with previous real data analyses, our results bring support to the ideas that (i) a first human expansions started during the Palaeolithic period, (ii) a second expansion event occurred later, concomitantly with the Neolithic transition.
- [hal-04531906] Microsatellite data show recent demographic expansions in sedentary but not in nomadic human populations in Africa and Eurasia4 avril 2024The transition from hunting and gathering to plant and animal domestication was one of the most important cultural and technological revolutions in human history. According to archeologists and paleoanthropologists, this transition triggered major demographic expansions. However, few genetic studies have found traces of Neolithic expansions in the current repartition of genetic polymorphism, pointing rather toward Paleolithic expansions. Here, we used microsatellite autosomal data to investigate the past demographic history of 87 African and Eurasian human populations with contrasted lifestyles (nomadic hunter-gatherers, semi-nomadic herders and sedentary farmers). Likely due to the combination of a higher mutation rate and the possibility to analyze several loci as independent replicates of the coalescent process, the analysis of microsatellite data allowed us to infer more recent expansions than previous genetic studies, potentially resulting from the Neolithic transition. Despite the variability in their location and environment, we found consistent expansions for all sedentary farmers, while we inferred constant population sizes for all hunter-gatherers and most herders that could result from constraints linked to a nomadic or semi-nomadic lifestyle and/or competition for land between herders and farmers. As an exception, we inferred expansions for Central Asian herders. This might be linked with the arid environment of this area that may have been more favorable to nomadic herders than to sedentary farmers. Alternatively, current Central Asian herders may descent from populations who have first experienced a transition from hunter-gathering to sedentary agropastoralism, and then a second transition to nomadic herding.
- [hal-04531919] Human genetic data reveal contrasting demographic patterns between sedentary and nomadic populations that predate the emergence of farming4 avril 2024Demographic changes are known to leave footprints on genetic polymorphism. Together with the increased availability of large polymorphism data sets, coalescent-based methods allow inferring the past demography of populations from their present-day patterns of genetic diversity. Here, we analyzed both nuclear (20 noncoding regions) and mitochondrial (HVS-I) resequencing data to infer the demographic history of 66 African and Eurasian human populations presenting contrasting lifestyles (nomadic hunter-gatherers, nomadic herders, and sedentary farmers). This allowed us to investigate the relationship between lifestyle and demography and to address the long-standing debate about the chronology of demographic expansions and the Neolithic transition. In Africa, we inferred expansion events for farmers, but constant population sizes or contraction events for hunter-gatherers. In Eurasia, we inferred higher expansion rates for farmers than herders with HVS-I data, except in Central Asia and Korea. Although isolation and admixture processes could have impacted our demographic inferences, these processes alone seem unlikely to explain the contrasted demographic histories inferred in populations with different lifestyles. The small expansion rates or constant population sizes inferred for herders and hunter-gatherers may thus result from constraints linked to nomadism. However, autosomal data revealed contraction events for two sedentary populations in Eurasia, which may be caused by founder effects. Finally, the inferred expansions likely predated the emergence of agriculture and herding. This suggests that human populations could have started to expand in Paleolithic times, and that strong Paleolithic expansions in some populations may have ultimately favored their shift toward agriculture during the Neolithic.
- [hal-04531876] Adaptive Value of Phenological Traits in Stressful Environments: Predictions Based on Seed Production and Laboratory Natural Selection4 avril 2024Phenological traits often show variation within and among natural populations of annual plants. Nevertheless, the adaptive value of post-anthesis traits is seldom tested. In this study, we estimated the adaptive values of pre- and post-anthesis traits in two stressful environments (water stress and interspecific competition), using the selfing annual species Arabidopsis thaliana. By estimating seed production and by performing laboratory natural selection (LNS), we assessed the strength and nature (directional, disruptive and stabilizing) of selection acting on phenological traits in A. thaliana under the two tested stress conditions, each with four intensities. Both the type of stress and its intensity affected the strength and nature of selection, as did genetic constraints among phenological traits. Under water stress, both experimental approaches demonstrated directional selection for a shorter life cycle, although bolting time imposes a genetic constraint on the length of the interval between bolting and anthesis. Under interspecific competition, results from the two experimental approaches showed discrepancies. Estimation of seed production predicted directional selection toward early pre-anthesis traits and long post-anthesis periods. In contrast, the LNS approach suggested neutrality for all phenological traits. This study opens questions on adaptation in complex natural environment where many selective pressures act simultaneously.
- [hal-01495100] Behavioural measures of child's eating temperament and their link with BMI24 mars 2017Rothbart's model of temperament, defined as individual differences in reactivity and self-regulation, has a strong heuristic value with applications in a wide variety of children's outcomes. Our objective was to test Rothbart's model applied to children's food behaviours and BMI outcome through behavioural measures. Our hypotheses, according to Rothbart's model, were as follows: (i) self-regulation in eating modulates appetite reactivity; (ii) appetite reactivity increases the risk of excess BMI, whereas self regulation in eating limits this risk. One hundred and four children aged between 7 and 12 years completed four behavioural tasks to assess scores for two components of appetite reactivity (i.e. appetite arousal and appetite persistence) and two components of self-regulation in eating (i.e. self-regulation in eating without hunger and self-regulation in eating speed). Their heights and weights were measured in order to calculate their BMI-for-age. T-tests and regression analysis were used to verify our hypotheses. None of the scores of self-regulation in eating was directly associated with BMI but we observed a significant impact of self-regulation in eating without hunger on appetite arousal (p-value = 0.04), together with a modest but significant association between appetite persistence and BMI (p value = 0.02). We can thus conclude that our behavioural measures could be used for the determination of the child's eating temperament. Further studies are needed to investigate how to use these measures to improve the treatment of overweight in children. (C) 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
- [halshs-03844931] High Stress Levels and Trust toward the Government Are Associated with More Positive Attitudes toward COVID-19 Vaccines among French Students: A Pilot Study9 novembre 2022Mistrust in COVID-19 vaccines may hinder vaccination campaigns. We looked at cognitive determinants of vaccination intentions against COVID-19. We were interested in (i) the effects of stress and (ii) the effects of self-protection systems on attitudes and intentions to get COVID-19 vaccines. We conducted an online observational pilot study with 203 participants and used self-report questionnaires to assess perceived stress and vulnerability to disease, beliefs about a dangerous world, pandemic-related stressors, living conditions, attitudes and intentions toward the vaccines and trust in government management of the COVID-19 pandemic. The participants reporting high levels of trust in government and high levels of stress were more likely to have positive attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccines, although these two effects are at least partially independent of each other. We discuss how to improve the communication around COVID-19 vaccine policies.
- [hal-04367165] Combinatory sound object play in cockatiels: a forerunner of music?29 décembre 2023Abstract An interest in producing sounds during play behaviour might be a forerunner for music. Thus, we explored object play behaviour involving sounds in cockatiels ( Nymphicus hollandicus ). We provided them with several objects producing sounds and recorded sound production, spontaneous warbles and drumming during breeding, pre- and post-breeding. Birds manipulated the objects in a playful way. They manipulated them less during breeding than during pre- and post-breeding, but the proportion of manipulations producing sounds were higher during post-breeding and breeding than during pre-breeding. Males manipulated the objects more frequently and produced more sounds than females. Youngsters manipulated the objects more than adults. One bird repeatedly put a bell on a xylophone; we discuss several possible explanations for the behaviour, including tool use. Only males warbled and drummed, and during breeding only. Our results suggest an enriching effect of the objects on the birds. Many aspects of musicality remain to be studied.
- [hal-02890126] Diversity of romantic experiences in late adolescence and their contribution to identity formation6 juillet 2020Romance constitutes a central experience in adolescence, which can take several forms including (a) serious romance with a steady partner, (b) casual and short-lived dating, and (c) pending experiences of romantic thoughts and attempts. Using a three-way longitudinal design, the present study examined the gender differences and developmental changes of these romantic experiences, and their cross-lagged associations with identity processes, throughout one year in late adolescence. 389 students (63% girls) filled out questionnaires about their romantic experiences and identity processes. Girls reported more serious romance than did boys, who reported more casual dating and pending experiences. Serious romance increased over the year for both genders, whereas casual dating and pending experiences continued to rise only for boys. The cross-lagged model highlighted that serious romantic experience positively predicted identity commitments and exploration in depth, whereas identity exploration in breadth positively predicted casual dating. This pattern was stable over the three time-points and across gender and age groups. Overall, this study invites consideration of more diverse romantic experiences than those associated with tangible involvement. We discuss the contribution of romantic experiences to the identity dynamic
- [hal-04405861] Examining differences in minority versus majority preschoolers on social categorization and perceived intergroup distance19 janvier 2024Abstract We examined the differences between majority and minority children (i.e., group membership) on racial categorization and perceived cultural distance, among 4‐ to 6‐year‐old children, in low diversified schools. We used a spontaneous social categorization task using pictures of children from three different racial groups broadly represented in France (Europeans, Black‐, and North‐Africans), and an evaluation of the perceived cultural distance between participants' in‐group and the racial group represented in the picture, adapted to children and based on three factors (language, eating habits, and music). Results revealed an effect of age on racial categorization: the older the children, the more successful they are in this task. They showed a significant effect of the racial group represented in the photos on perceived cultural distance: members of minority groups (i.e., Black‐ and North‐Africans) were evaluated as more different compared to those of the majority group on each of the factors. Finally, we got an interaction between participants' in‐group and the racial group represented in the pictures, for the language factor: members of the majority group perceived as more different photographs representing minorities peers than those representing majority peers, while participants belonging to minority groups perceived no differences between photographs, according to the racial criteria.
- [hal-04410046] Technological advances for getting insight into the learning capacities of birds in the vocal domain22 janvier 2024Abstract Birds produce different types of sounds in different contexts such as begging for food in youngsters, alerting to a danger, defending a territory or attracting a sexual partner. About half of the bird species are able to transform their vocalizations through imitation, improvisation or invention of sounds. Here we review the different experimental procedures that have been used to study the learning capacities of birds in the vocal domain and in the auditory domain, with a particular emphasis on recent technological developments. Nowadays, it is possible to record individual vocalizations of birds living in social groups or to record continuously the vocal ontogeny of birdsong. In conditioning experiments, new paradigms have successfully replaced food rewards with a socio-sexual reward. It is possible to engage in vocal interactions with a bird using dedicated computer systems. In both the laboratory and more recently in the field, different techniques have been used to train young oscine songbirds to learn from acoustic models. The use of virtual social environments and robots as social agents are also promising avenues. All together, these new techniques will permit researchers to explore more deeply the umwelt of bird species.
- [hal-02474536] Maternal presence influences vocal development in the Japanese quail ( Coturnix c. japonica )19 octobre 2020Social influences on vocal development of young birds have been widely studied in oscine songbirds who learn to sing by vocal imitation of conspecifics, mainly male adults. In contrast, vocal development of non-vocal learners such as Galliformes is considered as being under strong genetic influence and independent of the social environment. In this study, we investigated the role of the mother on the vocal development of young Japanese quail (Coturnix coturnix japonica). We compared the vocal development of mothered and non-mothered chicks during the first 21 days of life. We analysed the structural changes of two vocalisations: a) the rally call, emitted during long-distance communication and in stressful situations, b) the contact call, emitted during short-distance communication when chicks are in visual and/or auditory contact with congeners. We showed that temporal and spectral structures of the two types of calls changed during development and differed between mothered and nonmothered chicks. These results demonstrate that maternal presence influences the vocal development of the young in the Japanese quail. Even if the adaptive value of such changes was not assessed, these results highlight that plasticity of vocalisations in species considered as non-vocal learners has been underestimated.
- [hal-03115749] The effect of language on prosocial behaviors in preschool children19 janvier 2021[...]
- [hal-03350957] Female preference for artificial song dialects in the zebra finch ( Taeniopygia guttata )21 septembre 2021Birdsong is culturally transmitted, and geographical variations of song have been found in several songbird species. There is evidence that such dialects contribute to reproductive isolation through variation in female preference. In the wild, there is no report of consistent dialects in populations of zebra finches. However, under laboratory conditions, we were able to artificially create different colony-wide song dialects. In this species, song plays a crucial role in mate choice and the importance of both subadult and adult song experience in shaping song preferences has been well documented. Therefore, we expected females to prefer songs corresponding to their colony's dialect. We measured this preference using an operant test: females could either trigger a song corresponding to their Colony Song Type (CST) sang by an unfamiliar individual, or another conspecific song, corresponding to a Non-Colony Song Type (N-CST). Most females preferred the CST over the N-CST, supporting the idea that zebra finch females exhibit a preference for songs similar to their colony's song. It also reveals that song dialects matter to female zebra finches. It has been proposed that song could be used as an affiliative signal in highly social species. Therefore, preferring the colony dialect could be the consequence of a sexual preference, but also of a social preference. We discuss the potential role of song dialects in the context of social learning.
- [hal-04035337] Ségrégation de sexe et socialisation entre élèves de collège au Cameroun.17 mars 2023Le premier objectif était de savoir si à l’adolescence les relations entre élèves camerounais étaient marquées par la ségrégation de sexe. Le deuxième consistait à analyser dans quelle mesure les réputations de dominance et de prosocialité rendaient compte de l’acceptation sociale. 358 élèves de collège ont répondu à un questionnaire. Devant citer leurs préférés, ils ont choisi majoritairement des condisciples de leur sexe. Chez les filles les réputations de prosocialité et de dominance contribuent à l’acceptation sociale, chez les garçons seule leur réputation de prosocialité y contribue. On obtient les mêmes résultats en se centrant sur les citations provenant des pairs de même sexe. Ces résultats sont interprétés dans le contexte des rôles sexués au Cameroun.
- [hal-00186958] Female canaries produce eggs with greater amounts of testosterone when exposed to preferred male song13 novembre 2007Male birdsong has a great influence in the stimulation of female reproduction. However, female physiological responsiveness to song may depend on the degree of complexity of male song. This is expected because females of iteroparous organisms may increase their fitness by matching their reproductive investment to the predicted value of each reproductive attempt. To the extent that the expression of male ornaments is a signal of male quality, we expect females to increase their investment when paired to highly ornamented males. However, female investment may be cryptic and difficult to detect, such as androgen content in the eggs. In this study, we exposed female canaries (Serinus canaria) to attractive and unattractive song repertoires using a crossover design. As predicted, females invested greater concentrations of testosterone in their eggs when exposed to attractive repertoires than when exposed to unattractive repertoires. This implies that song repertoires convey important information about the reproductive value of a given male and suggests that testosterone deposition in egg yolk may be costly.
- [hal-04035244] A comparison of two methods designed to identify children's or adolescents' friendship groups17 mars 2023In this paper we contrast the two methods that are most frequently used by developmental psychologists to identify children's or adolescents' affiliative peer groups. Following sociometric traditions, the first method requests participants to nominate their own preferred peer partners. In the second method, socio-cognitive mapping, children or adolescents are seen as participant observers who report on their own groups as well as on other groups of peers they frequently observe in their setting. First, we trace the history of the methods. Then, we present their theoretical assumptions, methodological procedures, and analytic strategies. For each method, we provide an example, using software tools that | were designed for the specific kinds of data. Finally, we recommend specific criteria that, may guide researchers' decisions for adopting one of the alternatives.
- [hal-04531901] Inference of sex‐specific expansion patterns in human populations from Y ‐chromosome polymorphism4 avril 2024Studying the current distribution of genetic diversity in humans has important implications for our understanding of the history of our species. We analyzed a set of linked STR and SNP loci from the paternally inherited Y chromosome to infer the past demography of 55 African and Eurasian populations, using both the parametric and nonparametric coalescent‐based methods implemented in the BEAST application. We inferred expansion events in most sedentary farmer populations, while we found constant effective population sizes for both nomadic hunter‐gatherers and seminomadic herders. Our results differed, on several aspects, from previous results on mtDNA and autosomal markers. First, we found more recent expansion patterns in Eurasia than in Africa. This discrepancy, substantially stronger than the ones found with the other kind of markers, may result from a lower effective population size for men, which might have made male‐transmitted markers more sensitive to the out‐of‐Africa bottleneck. Second, we found expansion signals only for sedentary farmers but not for nomadic herders in Central Asia, while these signals were found for both kind of populations in this area when using mtDNA or autosomal markers. Expansion signals in this area may result from spatial expansion processes and may have been erased for the Y chromosome among the herders because of restricted male gene flow. Am J Phys Anthropol 157:217–225, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
- [hal-04531867] Predictors of childhood trajectories of overt and indirect aggression: An interdisciplinary approach4 avril 2024The aim of this study was to advance our understanding of the development of aggression in boys and girls by testing a model combining insights from both evolutionary theory and developmental psychology. A sample of 744 children (348 girls) between six and 13 years old was recruited in schools with high deprivation indices. Half of the sample ( N = 372; 40.1% girls) had received special educational services for behavioral and/or socio‐emotional problems. Two trajectories for overt aggression and two trajectories for indirect aggression were identified and binomial logistic regressions were used to identify environmental predictors and sex‐specific patterns of these trajectories. Results indicated that peer rejection predicted overt aggression and indirect aggression and that extraversion and male sex predicted overt aggression. The results also showed that interaction between parental practices and some child temperament traits predicted overt aggression (coercion and lack of supervision associated with extraversion or low effortful control) or indirect aggression (coercion and neglect associated with negative affect or low effortful control), and the absence of a father figure predicted high indirect aggression in girls.
- [hal-04532112] Working with dogs in olfactory searches in the French Armed Forces and national Police Forces4 avril 2024This study aims to investigate the relationships and cooperation within human-dog teams working in olfactory search in the French Armed Forces and in national Police Forces. Twenty-six semi-structured interviews were carried out with canine handlers. The main topic concerned working with their dog during olfactory searches. Among the themes that stand out are relationships with their dog and canine knowledge and practices. Minor differences and similarities between dyads of the two institutions are identified in human-dog relationships. Regarding relationships with dogs, two main differences are linked to the long missions abroad experienced by Armed Forces handlers and the possibility of welcoming dogs into their homes for Police Forces. The constitution of canine knowledge and practices is rooted in experiences and transactions with dogs, but also in social transmission. Even though there is no major differences between the two institutions, this study highlights the interest of having a situated approach.
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2023/06/30 - Articles de Johana Ryšavá- Infants can distinguish between sounds of different bird species, as discovered at the University of Nanterre
- Why should we fight for the education of our children?
2022/04/07 - Michel Kreutzer, sur France Culture (du 04/04/2022 au 07/04/2022 - disponible en podcast en intégralité dès le lundi après la diffusion du premier épisode), dans l'émission LSD - Série documentaire "L'intelligence du vivant", de Franck Bessière, réalisée par Anne Fleury
1er épisode - "Définir le vivant" « Depuis pas mal d'années, on se rend compte que les êtres vivants, les organismes, notamment les vertébrés supérieurs, les oiseaux, les mammifères, recherchent également ce qui est source de plaisir. Un vivant, c'est donc aussi un être qui recherche des plaisirs et qui essaie d'éviter les déplaisirs. C'est une des raisons sans doute pour laquelle aujourd'hui, on donne tant d'importance à la souffrance animale et qu'on estime que l'on doit se donner des règles éthiques dans nos relations avec les animaux. »
2ème épisode - "L'humain un vivant d'exception"
3ème épisode - "Dans la tête des animaux" « Les émotions entrent pleinement dans les études éthologiques, qui ne se limitent donc plus seulement aux comportements. »
4ème épisode - "Le génie du vivant"
2022/03/30 - Michel Kreutzer, au Musée du Quai Branly - Université populaire 2021/2022, Thème 2 : Le corps - "L'"apprendre animal" : comment le savoir se transmet et s'apprend chez les animaux"
2021/12/07 - Rana Esseily, Carla Aimé, Dalila Bovet et Maya Gratier, à la Philharmonie de Paris - Colloque "Pédagogie du chant choral" - "Résultats de l'étude scientifique - impacts sur les capacités psychosociales, les apprentissages scolaires et le bien-être des enfants" (10h20)
https://philharmoniedeparis.fr/fr/activite/colloque/23002-pedagogie-du-chant-choral
2021/10/26 - Michel Kreutzer, sur France Inter, dans l’émission "Grand bien vous fasse" - "Autour des ‘Folies animales'"
2021/10/13 - Michel Kreutzer interviewé par Caroline Lachowski, sur RFI , dans l'émission "Autour de la question" - "La folie est-elle le propre de l’homme ?"
2021/10/11 - Rana Esseily sur France Culture, dans l'émission "La méthode scientifique" - "Rire : c’est du sérieux!"
2021/03/28 - Michel Kreutzer, interviewé par Octave Larmagnac-Matheron, dans Philosophie magazine - "Zoopsychiatrie : À la découverte des folies animales"
2021/03/25 - Michel Kreutzer, invité de l’association CVA (Connaissance et Vie d’Aujourd’hui) de Lille - Conférence "Éthologie : sommes-nous tous des bêtes ?"
ARCHIVES TELE / RADIO
2017/10/26 : France Infos junior - "Que se passe-t-il dans la tête des bébés ?"
2017/03/26 : France Inter - "Les Savanturiers" - en direct du salon du livre (à partir de 40 min 20) pour la promotion de La science à Contrepied paru aux éditions Belin.
2017/04/12 : France 3 - Le monde de Jamy : "Ces animaux si proches de nous"
2015/01/02 : France 5 - C dans l'air : "Mon chat est-il une personne ?"
2014/07/07 : France culture - Les matins d'été, 2ème partie : Les invités culture/Idées. "Malin comme un corbeau", avec deux éthologues Agatha Lievin-Bazin et Valérie Dufour (à partir de la 98ème minute).
2013/06 : NBC News - "Finches sing like birds and their dad taught them how"
2014/04 : France Culture - "L'intelligence du perroquet"
2013/10 : France Culture - Emission Continent Science : "L’homosexualité animale" (audio 54').
Cité des sciences et de l'industrie - Cycle de conférences Universciences "Corps et esprit : indissociables" : "Accéder à la vie subjective des animaux" - Michel Kreutzer.
2012/12 : The Telegraph "Parrot listens to Scissor Sisters' music".
2012/12 : France 5 - Emission "On n'est pas que des cobayes" : "Les éléphants ont-ils peur des souris".
2011/05 : France Inter - Emission "Vivre avec les bêtes", 29 mai : http://www.franceinter.fr/em/vivre-avec-les-betes/105163 (05/2011)
ARCHIVES PRESSE ECRITE
2019/11/30 : The Economist - Male nightingales spend the winter practising.
2019/11/26 : New Scientist - Nightingales practise new songs in winter to impress mates in spring.
2017/03 : Sciences Psy - Le tempo de notre quotidien - Et si nous prenions le temps ?, pp.30.
2014/12 : Santé magazine, n°469 sur l'empathie.
2014/09/03 : BMC - The unheard message of larksong.
2014/06 : JDD - L'intelligence des corbeaux
2013/11 : JDD - Comment les oiseaux apprennent-ils à chanter ?
2012/03&04 : Cerveau&Psycho - Le perroquet mentaliste.
2011 : Le Pigeon en Ville - La vie sociale du pigeon Bizet.
2011/12 : Le Républicain Lorrain - Les pigeons sont physionomistes.
2011/08 : Futura Sciences - Les canaris font leur show... et s'adaptent à leur public !
2011/08 : Les Echos - Le perroquet, une langue et un cerveau.
2011/05 : BBC News - Parrots choose to work together.
2011/05 : Maxisciences - Intelligence du perroquet gris : collaboration et personnalité.
2011/05 : PhysOrg - Parrots display teamwork and decision-making skills.
2009/04 : Science Actualité, Universciences - Des piafs malins comme des singes.
2005/02 : BBC News - Sleep helps birds sing better.
A good night's sleep helps young birds master the art of singing, but only after a rather groggy start, Nature magazine has reported.
Savoirs Essonne - Masculin/féminin : le genre existe-t-il chez les animaux ? - Ouvrages
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Michel Kreutzer (2021), Folies Animales, Le Pommier, Paris.
Bernard Thierry & Michel Kreutzer (dir, 2021), Témoignages sur la naissance d’une science, Les développements de l’éthologie en France (1956-1990), ouvrage collectif, Presses Universitaires de Paris Nanterre.
Franck Péron (2011), L'intelligence des perroquets: l'hypothèse du cerveau social: Compétition et coopération chez les psittacidés, Editions universitaires européennes.
Mis à jour le 23 novembre 2023