‘Sentinel’ behavior (whereby an individual animal assumes a prominent position to scan for predators, whilst others engage in another activity) is an effective strategy amongst species with stable social groups utilizing cooperative and polygynous breeding systems. This study, however, provides strong evidence for such behavior amongst bonded pairs of zebra finches, demonstrating that socially monogamous animals also benefit from sentinel behavior.
‘Sentinel’ behavior (whereby an individual animal assumes a prominent position to scan for predators, whilst others engage in another activity) is an effective strategy amongst species with stable social groups utilizing cooperative and polygynous breeding systems. This study, however, provides strong evidence for such behavior amongst bonded pairs of zebra finches, demonstrating that socially monogamous animals also benefit from sentinel behavior.
I told my colleagues that PeerJ is a journal where they need to publish if they want their paper to be published quickly and with the strict peer review expected from a good journal.
