Talk:Meerkat/GA1

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GA Review[edit]

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Reviewer: Chiswick Chap (talk · contribs) 10:27, 29 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

I'll sit up for this one... Chiswick Chap (talk) 10:27, 29 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Comments[edit]

  • Um, if the eusocial line is 19 mya then the meerkat line can't be 20 mya.....
  • Oops, the wording of the paper confused me. "19.1" is correct for meerkats. Done.
  • It's no part of GA but it would be lovely to have small images in the phylogenetic tree.
  • I have seen illustrations being used for images in trees, not sure I can find those for every species. Let me know if we can do with real life photographs.
Yes, as long as the backgrounds aren't distracting. Basically, small icons need white or very pale flat backgrounds to be recognisable.
Done for the eusocial species, in places (wherever I could find decent images). Thankfully found one for each group. Sainsf (knock knock · am I there?) 22:32, 30 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Amazing how much more readable that is.
  • Also no part of GA, but it'd be nice to find a fossil image.
  • Haven't come across any. I remember there was a mention of a fossil species Suricata major in one of my sources but just one line or two with nothing much to go upon.
  • I've trimmed a couple of labels in the tree and made a few small tweaks to the text.
  • Thanks for the edits.
  • "Eusociality" is currently mentioned only in the tree, and in 'See also'. Perhaps it should be mentioned and linked in the text (and remove the 'See also' item).
  • I have linked it in the lead, taxonomy and ecology introduction.
  • Are all the eusocial clade in Africa? If so, why not say that.
  • Good point. I will add it.
  • It is correctly mentioned that there are different alarm calls but little is made of this. Perhaps there should be an alarm call or "Vocal communication" subsection with an image of a predator, suitably captioned about meerkats having a call for this class of threat, etc.
  • Right, I should have paid more attention to it. I am thinking of a new "Predator response and vocalisations" section after Social structure and before Burrowing to make things clear. Same for the nature of risk point below.
  • Uploaded [1]. I will use it after I write the vocalisation and predator response section.
  • Currently the text says "able to perceive the nature of the risk", but that's not the point: it is that they can a) perceive b) transmit and c) receive and act on the specifically communicated threat, i.e. there is a simple fixed "language" (nouns only, I guess!) in use. The Royal Society paper uses the term "[signal] Receivers" and we should have something of the same here.
  • Done
  • "division of labour" - should say this is not fixed as in ant castes, but is age-based; and it needs to be hooked in somehow to Reproduction as breeding is mainly by the dominant female (who is not as dominant as a queen ant or bee, though they have gamergates too). Probably needs additional citation(s).
  • I will see what I can find on division of labour while making it clear that the dominant female is the one to reproduce.. not sure I can find citations to connect it with ants but let's see.
I mentioned ants and bees to make the point. Of course, sources may well do the same thing. Clutton-Brock et al 2004 say "division of labour between breeders and helpers in meerkats is intermediate between that of facultatively cooperative species, where parents are principally responsible for rearing young, and that of specialized eusocial species [i.e. ants and bees], which show a well-defined division of labour between breeders and workers."
Done. I rewrote and rearranged the material and added some more sources. Sainsf (knock knock · am I there?) 15:36, 1 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
  • The word "Meerkat" is used rather too often in the image captions.
  • Fixed
  • "moreover, they protect meerkats in harsh weather" - perhaps "moreover, burrowing protects..."
  • Done
  • "hunt small mammals by biting" - no, they kill by biting; they hunt by searching and digging.
  • Fixed.

That's about it from me. A fascinating article. Chiswick Chap (talk) 11:01, 29 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]

Thank you very much for taking this. I have responded to most of the points, and will deal with the others in a day or two. I have just started working on more complicated articles like this and Cheetah, so it means a lot if they receive good feedback. Cheers, Sainsf (knock knock · am I there?) 17:45, 29 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Many thanks. Looking forward to the rest. Chiswick Chap (talk) 18:59, 29 April 2020 (UTC)[reply]
All issues have been addressed now I guess. Cheers, Sainsf (knock knock · am I there?) 18:21, 1 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
I hope you're pleased with the result, which seems to me to be a more robust article. I've added a couple of links and done some very minor copy-editing. Great work! Chiswick Chap (talk) 07:11, 2 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Thank you so much for guiding me how to organize and expand the material and pointing out great sources (and of course your edits)! I was wondering if this has FAC potential, as I don't think there is a lot more to add to the article except may be in the human section? Thought of asking you as you often deal with cultural topics.. and there is a main pop culture article here but I am not sure it's a great list and if this were to be an FAC would it need to cover things better? Sainsf · (How ya doin'?) 07:20, 2 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
I'm no expert on FAC, other than to advise checking all the citations very carefully. I'd have thought the culture section not too bad but who knows. Chiswick Chap (talk) 07:23, 2 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
Sure, no problem :) Sainsf · (How ya doin'?) 07:25, 2 May 2020 (UTC)[reply]
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