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Assessment of Social Transmission of Food Preferences Behaviors
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Socially transferred materials: why and how to study them.
Sanja Maria Hakala1, Haruna Fujioka2, Katharina Gapp3
1Department of Biology, Faculty of Science and Medicine, University of Fribourg, Fribourg, Switzerland.
Trends in Ecology & Evolution
|December 21, 2022
Summary
Secondary molecules transferred between animals, like in ejaculate or milk, impact receiver physiology and fitness. This concept of socially transferred materials unifies diverse biological research and applications.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Animal Behavior
- Biochemistry
Background:
- Biological material transfer between individuals (e.g., ejaculate, eggs, milk) involves secondary molecules.
- These molecules influence the receiver's physiology and fitness.
- Such social transfers occur in both social and solitary animals at specific life stages.
Purpose of the Study:
- To establish a unifying concept for socially transferred materials.
- To highlight the convergent evolution of bioactive components in these transfers.
- To bridge theoretical and applied aspects of this multidisciplinary topic.
Main Methods:
- Review and synthesis of existing literature across taxa and transfer types.
- Analysis of the dynamic and context-dependent composition of transferred materials.
- Identification of bioactive and transfer-supporting components.
Main Results:
- Secondary donor-produced molecules are integral to biological material transfer.
- These components have evolved convergently for use across diverse taxa and transfer types.
- The composition of transferred materials is dynamic and context-dependent, driving recipient evolution.
Conclusions:
- The concept of socially transferred materials unifies a broad range of biological phenomena.
- Understanding these transfers offers benefits for both evolutionary theory and practical applications.
- Convergent evolution has shaped the bioactive components of socially transferred materials.
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