Committee Chair

Hayes, Loren D.

Committee Member

Hossain, Azad; Maldonado-Chaparro, Adriana

Department

Dept. of Biological and Environmental Sciences

College

College of Arts and Sciences

Publisher

University of Tennessee at Chattanooga

Place of Publication

Chattanooga (Tenn.)

Abstract

We report results of a study on the mechanisms shaping social network structure in Octodon degus, a diurnal, semi-fossorial rodent endemic to Chile. Using data collected over three seasons (2022–2023), we tested the roles of nighttime spatial proximity, female social cohesion, and female homophily based on masculinization (anogenital distance) in shaping social associations. Nighttime spatial proximity was negatively associated with association strength, indicating that individuals that were closer at night exhibited stronger associations. Female social cohesion emerged as a driver of social structure, with stronger within-group associations observed in most seasons. However, female homophily based on anogenital distance did not influence social network structure, suggesting that its role may differ across populations depending on ecological and social conditions. Our findings highlight the importance of spatial and social factors in shaping degu social networks and emphasize the need for population-specific approaches when evaluating the influence of mechanisms on social structure.

Acknowledgments

I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Loren Hayes, as well as my thesis committee members, Dr. Adriana Maldonado-Chapparo and Dr. Azad Hossain, for their invaluable guidance along the way. I would also like to thank Dr. Luis Ebensperger and his lab at Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Chile as well as my lab mates at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga for their contributions to the study. Without them, my work in Chile would not have been possible. Additionally, I would like to thank the National Science Foundation, the American Society of Mammologists, and the UTC SEARCH program for funding this study. Finally, I would like to thank my friends and family for their continuous love and support, I could not have done this without you.

Degree

M. S.; A thesis submitted to the faculty of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga in partial fulfillment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Science.

Date

5-2025

Subject

Degus--Behavior--Ecology; Social behavior in animals; Spatial behavior in animals

Keyword

animal social networks; degu; automated-monitoring system; social structure

Document Type

Masters theses

DCMI Type

Text

Extent

xi, 79 leaves

Language

English

Rights

http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/

License

http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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