Robbing rivals: interference foraging competition reflects female reproductive competition in a cooperative mammal

Sharpe, Lynda L.; Rubow, Janneke; Cherry, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.12.009

Cited by 5 publications

(6 citation statements)

References 51 publications

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“…Size likely plays an important role in determining subordinate female competitive ability in such conflict and therefore reproductive success and is associated with earlier female acquisition of the dominant breeding role (Ridley & Raihani, ). These findings corroborate research suggesting that sexual selection operates to increase female size or competitive ability in species where female access to breeding opportunities is constrained (Clutton‐Brock, , ; Holekamp & Engh, ; Sharpe, Rubow, & Cherry, ).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Sex differences in the drivers of reproductive skew in a cooperative breeder

2018

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Many cooperatively breeding societies are characterized by high reproductive skew, such that some socially dominant individuals breed, while socially subordinate individuals provide help. Inbreeding avoidance serves as a source of reproductive skew in many high-skew societies, but few empirical studies have examined sources of skew operating alongside inbreeding avoidance or compared individual attempts to reproduce (reproductive competition) with individual reproductive success. Here, we use long-term genetic and observational data to examine factors affecting reproductive skew in the high-skew cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). When subordinates can breed, skew remains high, suggesting factors additional to inbreeding avoidance drive skew. Subordinate females are more likely to compete to breed when older or when ecological constraints on dispersal are high, but heavy subordinate females are more likely to successfully breed. Subordinate males are more likely to compete when they are older, during high ecological constraints, or when they are related to the dominant male, but only the presence of within-group unrelated subordinate females predicts subordinate male breeding success. Reproductive skew is not driven by reproductive effort, but by forces such as intrinsic physical limitations and intrasexual conflict (for females) or female mate choice, male mate-guarding and potentially reproductive restraint (for males). Ecological conditions or "outside options" affect the occurrence of reproductive conflict, supporting predictions of recent synthetic skew models. Inbreeding avoidance together with competition for access to reproduction may generate high skew in animal societies, and disparate processes may be operating to maintain male vs. female reproductive skew in the same species.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 86%

Sex differences in the drivers of reproductive skew in a cooperative breeder

2018

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“…Conversely, providing clear identity cues is likely to carry a significant cost in the winter dry season. During this period of prey scarcity, dwarf mongooses frequently indulge in kleptoparasitism, stealing prey from group members of lower rank than themselves (Sharpe, Rubow, & Cherry, ). A signaler that provides individually distinctive contact calls will therefore be advertising its location (and vulnerability) to all potential thieves (i.e., higher‐ranking group members).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A comparison of individual distinctiveness in three vocalizations of the dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula)

2017

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Individual specificity can be found in the vocalizations of many avian and mammalian species. However, it is often difficult to determine whether these vocal cues to identity rise from "unselected" individual differences in vocal morphology or whether they have been accentuated by selection for the purposes of advertising caller identity. By comparing the level of acoustic individuality of different vocalizations within the repertoire of a single species, it is possible to ascertain whether selection for individual recognition has modified the vocal cues to identity in particular contexts. We used discriminant function analyses to determine the level of accuracy with which calls could be classified to the correct individual caller, for three dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula) vocalizations: contact, snake, and isolation calls. These calls were similar in acoustic structure but divergent in context and function. We found that all three call types showed individual specificity but levels varied with call type (increasing from snake to contact to isolation call). The individual distinctiveness of each call type appeared to be directly related to the degree of benefit that signalers were likely to accrue from advertising their identity within that call context. We conclude that dwarf mongoose signalers have undergone selection to facilitate vocal individual recognition, particularly in relation to the species' isolation call. K E Y W O R D Sacoustic analysis, contact calls, dwarf mongoose, Helogale parvula, individual specificity, isolation calls, snake calls

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“…The most prevalent affiliative behaviour in dwarf mongoose groups is allogrooming (hereafter ‘grooming’), which underpins the strength of relationships between group members ( Kern and Radford, 2021 ; Kern and Radford, 2016 ), increases following stressful situations such as intergroup interactions ( Morris-Drake et al, 2019 ), and is traded as a reward for cooperative behaviour ( Kern and Radford, 2018 ). Within-group aggressive interactions take two main forms: relatively rare targeted aggression, which usually acts to reinforce rank and is mainly due to reproductive conflict ( Rasa, 1977 ), and relatively common foraging displacements, when a higher-ranking individual displaces a lower-ranking group member from a foraging patch and steals their prey ( Sharpe et al, 2016 ; Sharpe et al, 2013 ). Foraging displacements generally involve the following behavioural sequence: the higher-ranking individual produces deep growls as it approaches the lower-ranking group member; the former then hip-slams the latter away from the food resource; and the displaced individual typically produces high-pitched squeals whilst it retreats ( Sharpe et al, 2016 ; Sharpe et al, 2013 ).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Experimental evidence for delayed post-conflict management behaviour in wild dwarf mongooses

Morris-Drake

Kern

Radford

2021

eLife

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In many species, within-group conflict leads to immediate avoidance of potential aggressors or increases in affiliation, but no studies have investigated delayed post-conflict management behaviour. Here, we experimentally test that possibility using a wild but habituated population of dwarf mongooses (Helogale parvula). First, we used natural and playback-simulated foraging displacements to demonstrate that bystanders take notice of the vocalisations produced during such within-group conflict events but that they do not engage in any immediate post-conflict affiliative behaviour with the protagonists or other bystanders. We then used another playback experiment to assess delayed effects of within-group conflict on grooming interactions: we examined affiliative behaviour at the evening sleeping burrow, 30–60 min after the most recent simulated foraging displacement. Overall, fewer individuals groomed on evenings following an afternoon of simulated conflict, but those that did groomed more than on control evenings. Subordinate bystanders groomed with the simulated aggressor significantly less, and groomed more with one another, on conflict compared to control evenings. Our study provides experimental evidence that dwarf mongooses acoustically obtain information about within-group contests (including protagonist identity), retain that information, and use it to inform conflict-management decisions with a temporal delay.

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Robbing rivals: interference foraging competition reflects female reproductive competition in a cooperative mammal

Cited by 5 publications

References 51 publications

Sex differences in the drivers of reproductive skew in a cooperative breeder

Sex differences in the drivers of reproductive skew in a cooperative breeder

A comparison of individual distinctiveness in three vocalizations of the dwarf mongoose (Helogale parvula)

Experimental evidence for delayed post-conflict management behaviour in wild dwarf mongooses

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