Zonal recovery is a prompt escape towards the sea performed by sandhoppers under stressful environmental conditions. Differences in habitat features, meteorological conditions during the tests and morphological characteristics of the individuals are all factors affecting orientation. This paper deals with the temporal variation of the orientation of a sandhopper sample, taking into account the effect of some environmental and morphological variables on these changes. The directions chosen by single animals in repeated trials under natural conditions were analysed, using longitudinal circular data. The longitudinal analysis highlights several details about three different kinds of intra-population variation due to: sun, wind and eye left/right asymmetry. A clear link between the successive directional responses is demonstrated as well as modulation of behaviour with time: the animals stabilise orientation towards a certain direction in successive trials. The use of longitudinal sets of data in orientation studies produces a good synthesis of directional behaviour, due to several advantages of this kind of analysis. These include the fact that the association between successive behaviours and variability through repeated trials is taken into account; a progressive improvement, due to the integration of information from previous experiences, can be detected; the role of the main cues and factors affecting orientation is more accurately defined; and more parsimonious statistical models can be used to fit the data.

Orientation of sandhoppers under natural conditions in repeated trials: an analysis using longitudinal directional data / A. D'ELIA; C. BORGIOLI; F. SCAPINI;. - In: ESTUARINE, COASTAL AND SHELF SCIENCE. - ISSN 0272-7714. - STAMPA. - 53:(2001), pp. 839-847. [10.1006/ecss.2001.0827]

Orientation of sandhoppers under natural conditions in repeated trials: an analysis using longitudinal directional data

BORGIOLI, CLAUDIA;SCAPINI, FELICITA
2001

Abstract

Zonal recovery is a prompt escape towards the sea performed by sandhoppers under stressful environmental conditions. Differences in habitat features, meteorological conditions during the tests and morphological characteristics of the individuals are all factors affecting orientation. This paper deals with the temporal variation of the orientation of a sandhopper sample, taking into account the effect of some environmental and morphological variables on these changes. The directions chosen by single animals in repeated trials under natural conditions were analysed, using longitudinal circular data. The longitudinal analysis highlights several details about three different kinds of intra-population variation due to: sun, wind and eye left/right asymmetry. A clear link between the successive directional responses is demonstrated as well as modulation of behaviour with time: the animals stabilise orientation towards a certain direction in successive trials. The use of longitudinal sets of data in orientation studies produces a good synthesis of directional behaviour, due to several advantages of this kind of analysis. These include the fact that the association between successive behaviours and variability through repeated trials is taken into account; a progressive improvement, due to the integration of information from previous experiences, can be detected; the role of the main cues and factors affecting orientation is more accurately defined; and more parsimonious statistical models can be used to fit the data.
2001
53
839
847
A. D'ELIA; C. BORGIOLI; F. SCAPINI;
File in questo prodotto:
Non ci sono file associati a questo prodotto.

I documenti in FLORE sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/307667
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 12
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? 12
social impact