The urban parks of Barcelona, Spain, are home to a thriving colony of tropical monk parakeets. These vibrant green birds, native to South America, have adapted well to their new European environment. As they live in large groups, they communicate with each other using an array of distinct sounds – offering scientists a unique window into understanding the intricate relationships between individual social connections and vocal variety.

For animals that live in complex societies, communication is the key that unlocks the benefits of group living. From dolphins’ clicks and whistles to primates’ calls, it’s well-known that species with more intricate social lives tend to have more diverse ways of communicating. However, a recent study on wild parrots has drilled deeper into the social and vocal lives of individual birds.

Researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior spent two years closely observing 337 monk parakeets in Spain, documenting their social lives and recording over 5,599 vocalizations – an astonishing number that provides a wealth of data for analysis. By examining these calls in terms of repertoire diversity (the variety of sounds a bird can make) and contact-call diversity (how unique this specific type of call is), the team was able to uncover some fascinating insights.

The study revealed that individual parakeets living in larger groups did indeed produce more variable repertoires of sounds. Interestingly, female parakeets had a more diverse repertoire than males – an unusual finding for birds. This suggests that females may be the more social sex, and their vocalizations reflect this.

Social network analysis showed that parakeets with more central positions in the social structure – those that were potentially more influential in the group – tended to have more diverse vocal repertoires. In other words, the most social individuals seemed to have a better vocabulary than less social individuals.

The researchers also found that close friends who allowed each other to approach within pecking distance sounded less like each other, as if they were trying to sound unique in their little gang. These findings offer clues about the evolution of complex communication, including human language.

As Simeon Smeele, the first author of the study, notes, “The next big step is to better understand what each of the sounds mean – a real mammoth task, since most of the social squawking happens in large groups with many individuals talking at the same time!” The study provides a crucial foundation for further research into the intricate relationships between communication and group living in animals.

The article you provided offers a fascinating glimpse into how romantic partners can influence a person’s genetic predisposition to unhealthy alcohol use. A study led by Virginia Commonwealth University and Rutgers University has revealed new insights into the ways that substance use habits, personality traits, and mental health status of long-term partners can enhance or diminish the impact of a person’s genetic risk for binge drinking.

The research team, co-led by Mallory Stephenson, Ph.D., and Jessica E. Salvatore, Ph.D., found that people in long-term relationships who had a high genetic risk for alcohol use disorder were less likely to drink frequently, become intoxicated often, or suffer from alcohol dependence symptoms if they were in a romantic relationship. This is consistent with previous research, but the new study aimed to better understand whether any particular characteristics exhibited by a romantic partner could impact a person’s genetic risk for drinking.

The researchers analyzed anonymized data from FinnTwin16, a longitudinal study of twins identified from Finland’s Central Population Registry. They specifically looked at Finnish twins in their 30s who were in long-term relationships and had a history of alcohol use. The results showed that people whose romantic partners frequently drank alcohol or smoked cigarettes were more likely to consume alcohol and engage in binge drinking.

However, through statistical modeling, the researchers also found evidence of more interplay between genetic risk, environmental factors, and relationship dynamics. They saw that genetic risk for binge drinking had a greater effect on people whose romantic partners smoked cigarettes more frequently, were less conscientious, were more extroverted, or reported higher neuroticism or psychological distress.

This is particularly interesting because the researchers also found that heritability of binge drinking had less of an effect on people whose partners reported more frequent alcohol use. This suggests that the drinking behavior of romantic partners could have a larger effect on a person’s environmental influences rather than their genetic influences.

The research underscores the complex ways in which romantic partners affect a person’s health, particularly when it comes to substance use and mental health. From a clinical perspective, these findings can inform strategies for couples therapy and couple-based alcohol interventions, which are typically designed to focus on relationship dynamics rather than personal characteristics.

In conclusion, this study highlights the importance of considering the complex interplay between genetic risk, environmental factors, and relationship dynamics when addressing issues related to substance use and mental health. The research has significant implications for the development of effective treatment strategies and interventions that take into account the unique circumstances of individuals in romantic relationships.

Rewritten Article:

In a groundbreaking study, wild chimpanzees have been observed eating and sharing fruit that contains alcohol. Researchers from the University of Exeter set up motion-activated cameras in Guinea-Bissau’s Cantanhez National Park to capture footage of these fascinating creatures.

For the first time, scientists have confirmed that chimps are consuming fermented African breadfruit, which contains ethanol (alcohol). This raises intriguing questions about whether and why our closest relatives deliberately seek out alcohol.

In humans, drinking alcohol leads to a release of dopamine and endorphins, resulting in feelings of happiness and relaxation. Sharing alcohol through traditions like feasting helps form and strengthen social bonds. Could wild chimpanzees be getting similar benefits from eating fermented fruits?

The researchers used cameras to film chimps sharing fermented breadfruits on 10 separate occasions. The fruit was tested for alcohol content, with the highest level found being equivalent to 0.61% ABV (Alcohol By Volume). While this is relatively low, the scientists suggest it may be just the tip of the iceberg, as 60-85% of chimps’ diet consists of fruit, which could lead to significant consumption.

The researchers emphasize that chimps are unlikely to get “drunk,” as this would clearly not improve their survival chances. However, recent discoveries about a molecular adaptation that increased ethanol metabolism in the common ancestor of African apes suggest eating fermented fruits may have ancient origins in species including humans and chimps.

Dr Kimberley Hockings from the University of Exeter notes, “Chimps don’t share food all the time, so this behavior with fermented fruit might be important. We need to find out more about whether they deliberately seek out ethanolic fruits and how they metabolize it.” If so, it suggests the human tradition of feasting may have its origins deep in our evolutionary history.

Anna Bowland’s work was funded by the Primate Society of Great Britain, providing a fascinating glimpse into the behavior and biology of our closest relatives.