Strategic growth in social vertebrates

Buston, Peter M.; Clutton‐Brock, Tim

doi:10.1016/j.tree.2022.03.010

Cited by 12 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 90 publications

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“…is risky whereas staying increases their fitness either indirectly (via kin selection) or directly by increasing their survival chances and allowing some even small probability to inherit the breeding position (e.g., by queueing and replacing the breeding positions). Similarly to the switch of perspective occurred in social insects -from control to signal for queen pheromones [41] -and following the recent revisitation of social control of size (strategic growth [51]) we should consider "social control of reproduction" as an adaptive and active response to breeding dominants rather than a passively received, Cooperative animal society: social group, where reproduction is restricted to dominant pairs and the rest of the group help in foraging, defence and mainly caring for offspring other than their own; often characterized by the presence of a specific territory/nest.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social regulation of reproduction: control or signal?

Benvenuto¹,

Lorenzi²

2023

Preprint

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Traditionally, dominant breeders have been considered able to control other individuals’ reproduction in multi-member groups with high variance in reproductive success/reproductive skew (e.g., forced sterility on subordinate conspecifics in eusocial animals; suppression of sex change in sequential hermaphrodites). These actions are typically presented as active impositions by reproductively dominant individuals. However, how can individuals regulate the physiological reproductive state of others? Alternatively, less reproductively successful individuals could self-restrain from reproduction in presence of dominant breeders. Shifting perspective from a top-down manipulation to a broader view (which includes all contestants) and using a multi-taxa approach, we propose a resolution of reproductive-skew conflicts based on signalling rather than control, along a continuum of levels of strategic regulation of reproduction.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Social regulation of reproduction: control or signal?

Benvenuto¹,

Lorenzi²

2023

Preprint

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“…This is likely not a standard growth, but opportunistic growth that occurs when a female or male is removed from the group since A. percula has been known to regulate or suppress their growth to decrease the likelihood of being evicted (Buston 2003b). A recent review by Buston and Clutton-Brock examined strategic growth in social vertebrates and concluded that clownfish species Amphiprion perideraion and Amphiprion frenatus females acquire dominant positions by increasing in length relative to similarly-sized individuals and that the increase in size is limited by the size of the anemone (Buston and Clutton-Brock 2022).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Rank change and growth within social hierarchies of the orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula

et al. 2022

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Social hierarchies within groups define the distribution of resources and provide benefits that support the collective group or favor dominant members. The progression of individuals through social hierarchies is a valuable characteristic for quantifying population dynamics. On coral reefs, some clownfish maintain size-based hierarchical communities where individuals queue through social ranks. The cost of waiting in a lower-ranked position is outweighed by the reduced risk of eviction and mortality. The orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula, maintains stable social groups with subordinate individuals queuing to be part of the dominant breeding pair. Strong association with their host anemone, complex social interactions, and relatively low predation rates make them ideal model organisms to assess changes in group dynamics through time in their natural environment. Here, we investigate the rank changes and isometric growth rates of A. percula from 247 naturally occurring social groups in Kimbe Island, Papua New Guinea (5° 12′ 13.54″ S, 150° 22′ 32.69″ E). We used DNA profiling to assign and track individuals over eight years between 2011 and 2019. Over half of the individuals survived alongside two or three members of their original social group, with twelve breeding pairs persisting over the study period. Half of the surviving individuals increased in rank and experienced double the growth rate of those that maintained their rank. Examining rank change in a wild fish population provides new insights into the complex social hierarchies of reef fishes and their role in social evolution.

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“…Social competition in both male and female vertebrates (competitive displays, fighting, competition for social rank and the suppression of reproduction by rivals) has intensively been studied. Social status and behaviour are positively correlated with mating success in a wide range of mammals, 10 and direct their effects through the neuronal networks of the ventrolateral part of the ventromedial hypothalamus, a key structure for driving both aggression and aggression-seeking behaviours. 11 Whereas in non-industrial societies, social status is still significantly associated with men's reproductive success, 13 this association appears decoupled in contemporary humans.…”

Section: Size Belongs To the Permanent Signals Of An Individual Size ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The endocrine pathway (yellow) is well described 7,8 influencing growth in size and thereby providing physical signs of competence and prestige that in consequence balances perception and acceptance of the social status in mammals (blue) and in humans (red). 10 Achieving and keeping status yields competition and reorganisation of social hierarchies (green) that again influence the release of neuropeptides as shown in the case of GnRH 11 and corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) 29 (after Hermanussen et al 30 ) that time -now interact with the evolutionarily favoured and conserved neuroendocrine competence for adaptive developmental plasticity. Modern westernised people are competitive.…”

Section: Size Belongs To the Permanent Signals Of An Individual Size ...mentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The socio‐endocrine circle of growth regulation in mammals and humans. The endocrine pathway (yellow) is well described 7,8 influencing growth in size and thereby providing physical signs of competence and prestige that in consequence balances perception and acceptance of the social status in mammals (blue) and in humans (red) 10 . Achieving and keeping status yields competition and reorganisation of social hierarchies (green) that again influence the release of neuropeptides as shown in the case of GnRH 11 and corticotropin‐releasing factor (CRF) 29 (after Hermanussen et al 30 )…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The socio‐endocrine regulation of human growth

Hermanussen¹,

Erofeev

Hermanussen

2022

Acta Paediatrica

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Aim Growth is a multifarious phenomenon that has been studied by nutritionists, economists, paediatric endocrinologists; archaeologists, child psychologists and other experts. Yet, a unifying theory of understanding growth regulation is still lacking. Method Critical review of the literature. Results We summarise evidence linking social competition and its effect on hierarchies in social structures, with the neuronal networks of the ventromedial hypothalamus and body size. The endocrine signalling system regulating growth hormone, Insulin‐like‐Growth‐Factor1 and skeletal growth, is well conserved in the evolution of vertebrata for some 400 million years. The link between size and status permits adaptive plasticity, competitive growth and strategic growth adjustments also in humans. Humans perceive size as a signal of dominance with tallness being favoured and particularly prevalent in the upper social classes. Conclusion Westernised societies are competitive. People are tall, and “open to change.” Social values include striving for status and prestige implying socio‐economic domination. We consider the transition of political and social values following revolutions and civil wars, as key elements that interact with the evolutionarily conserved neuroendocrine competence for adaptive developmental plasticity, overstimulate the hypothalamic growth regulation and finally lead to the recent historic increases in average height.

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Strategic growth in social vertebrates

Cited by 12 publications

References 90 publications

Social regulation of reproduction: control or signal?

Social regulation of reproduction: control or signal?

Rank change and growth within social hierarchies of the orange clownfish, Amphiprion percula

The socio‐endocrine regulation of human growth

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