Delayed benefits for fallow bucks: more fights decrease same day mating success, but increase matings the next day

Bateman-Neubert, Alessandra; Briefer, Elodie F.; McElligott, Alan G.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2023.03.011

Cited by 4 publications

(1 citation statement)

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“…Some behavioural variables (i.e., avoid and displacements), which constituted the social tension and general dominance personality traits, are often used in combination with other behaviours, such as agonistic interactions, to construct dominance hierarchies 63 . However, we found that these direct interactions were very rare during scans, leading > 94% 'unknown' dominance rank relationships among the individuals.…”

Section: Assessment Of Dominance Hierarchies and Their Effects On Fri...mentioning

confidence: 99%

Personality homophily drives female friendships in a feral ungulate

Bhattacharjee,

Flay,

McElligott

2024

Preprint

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Friendships, exhibited by both humans and non-human animals, have considerable adaptive benefits. In humans, similarity or homophily in personality is considered a proximate mechanism driving friendships, yet little is known about the behavioural ‘decision rules’ underlying animal friendships. Some empirical research suggests that animal friendships can be driven by personality homophily. However, these studies are restricted to non-human primates, limiting our understanding of the mechanisms of friendships. We investigated a feral population of water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) to determine whether homophily in personality drives friendships in this ‘non-model’ social species in free-ranging environmental conditions. We conducted observations on females (n=30), and assessed their friendships and personalities. Close spatial proximity served as a behavioural indicator of friendship, validated by affiliative body contact. An objective ‘bottom-up’ method revealed three personality traits –social tension,vigilance, andgeneral dominance. We found that females with comparatively lower personality differences in social tension and general dominance traits exhibited significantly higher close spatial associations. Our findings show that friendships in buffalo can form based on personality homophily, a decision rule attributed predominantly to primates. We discuss these findings in light of buffalo socioecology but emphasise their implications in the broader evolutionary context of animal personalities and friendships.

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Section: Assessment Of Dominance Hierarchies and Their Effects On Fri...mentioning

confidence: 99%