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Cited by 162Animal Behavior and ReproductionPrimate Behavior and EcologyAmphibian and Reptile Biology

Breaking the Social–Non‐social Dichotomy: A Role for Reptiles in Vertebrate Social Behavior Research?

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Doody, J. Sean, Burghardt, Gordon M., Dinets, Vladimir·2013·Ethology
DOI 10.1111/eth.12047
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Abstract

Abstract Although social behavior in vertebrates spans a continuum from solitary to highly social, taxa are often dichotomized as either ‘social’ or ‘non‐social’. We argue that this social dichotomy is overly simplistic, neglects the diversity of vertebrate social systems, impedes our understanding of the evolution of social behavior, and perpetuates the erroneous belief that one group—the reptiles—is primarily ‘non‐social’. This perspective essay highlights the diversity and complexity of reptile social systems, briefly reviews reasons for their historical neglect in research, and indicates how reptiles can contribute to our understanding of the evolution of vertebrate social behavior. Although a robust review of social behavior across vertebrates is lacking, the repeated evolution of social systems in multiple independent lineages enables investigation of the factors that promote shifts in vertebrate social behavior and the paraphyly of reptiles reinforces the need to understand reptile social behavior.

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94 of 94 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • Less than 3% of reptiles engage in post-ovipositional parental care.

    “Another possibility is that Porges was referring only to parental care - less than 3% of reptiles engage in post-ovipositional parental care (Doody et al., 2013).”

    From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Doody et al., 2013

  • Reptiles are not asocial; they exhibit diverse and often complex social behaviors.

    “Moreover, reptiles are not asocial, although even reptile researchers who should know better continue to make such claims that are then repeated in the literature.”

    From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Doody et al., 2013

  • The social-asocial dichotomy perpetuates the erroneous belief that one group-non-avian reptiles-is incapable of complex social behavior.

    “Two recently published reviews, however, provided compelling evidence that the social-asocial dichotomy is overly simplistic, neglects the diversity of vertebrate social systems, impedes our understanding of the evolution of social behavior, and perpetuates the erroneous belief that one group-non-avian reptiles-is incapable of complex social behavior.”

    From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Doody et al., 2013

  • The social-asocial dichotomy is overly simplistic and neglects the diversity of vertebrate social systems.

    “Two recently published reviews, however, provided compelling evidence that the social-asocial dichotomy is overly simplistic, neglects the diversity of vertebrate social systems, impedes our understanding of the evolution of social behavior, and perpetuates the erroneous belief that one group-non-avian reptiles-is incapable of complex social behavior.”

    From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Doody et al., 2013

  • The social-asocial dichotomy impedes understanding of the evolution of social behavior.

    “Two recently published reviews, however, provided compelling evidence that the social-asocial dichotomy is overly simplistic, neglects the diversity of vertebrate social systems, impedes our understanding of the evolution of social behavior, and perpetuates the erroneous belief that one group-non-avian reptiles-is incapable of complex social behavior.”

    From The evolution of sociality and the polyvagal theory (2023) · cites this paper as Doody et al., 2013

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Authors
Doody, J. S., Burghardt, G. M., & Dinets, V.
Affiliations
  • University of Tennessee at Knoxville (US)
  • Department of Psychology, Austin Peay Building University of Tennessee Knoxville TN USA
Corresponding author
Doody, J. Sean
ORCID
Venue
Ethology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2012-12-27
Volume
119
Issue
2
Pages
95-103
ISSN
  • 0179-1613 (ISSN-L)
  • 1439-0310
DOI
10.1111/eth.12047
OpenAlex
W2162478411
Cited by
162
References
94
Citations by year
2026: 14 · 2025: 14 · 2024: 8 · 2023: 25 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 13 · 2019: 5 · 2018: 11 · 2017: 13 · 2016: 9 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 9 · 2013: 4
FWCI
5.55
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Ethology (publishedVersion)
  • Digital Commons - University of South Florida (University of South Florida) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Primate Behavior and Ecology
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Amphibian and Reptile Biology
Keywords
evolution of social behavior

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