The Dynamics of Territory Acquisition: A Model of Two Coexisting Strategies

Dunham, Michelle; Warner, Robert R.; Lawson, John W.

doi:10.1006/tpbi.1995.1016

Cited by 13 publications

(7 citation statements)

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“…However, males faced with many future reproductive events should also be somewhat risk averse, and there is evidence of this in the bluehead wrasse. For example, non-territorial TP males do not attempt to usurp ownership of a mating site, but wait for a territorial vacancy to occur through the death of the current owner (Dunham et al, 1995). Contention then occurs only among individuals without an existing stake in the territory.…”

Section: How Risk-aversion In Bluehead Wrasses Affects the Mating Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of extreme iteroparity and risk avoidance in the evolution of mating systems

Warner

1998

Journal of Fish Biology

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How much should a female be willing to risk in any one reproductive event? Highly iteroparous females will be risk averse and very conservative in their behaviour. Such females will be expected to avoid mortality risks and seek assurance that any current reproductive activity is safe. By way of minimizing risk, these same females will not engage in mate assessment or mate searching to the same degree as less iteroparous species, if these activities involve increased risk of mortality. Using a field experiment in a highly iteroparous species (the bluehead wrasse, Thalassoma bifasciatum), it is shown that females in this species are indeed relatively risk averse. More importantly, the experiment also shows that individuals vary in their risk aversion depending on local population size, in a manner predicted from life-history theory. Then it is reviewed how several important aspects of the mating system in this species are best interpreted as results of conservative, risk-averse female behaviour. Finally, these ideas are generalized to suggest how basic aspects of the mating system might differ between species with many reproductive events over the lifetime (e.g. many tropical reef fishes) v. species with few reproductive opportunities (e.g. many temperate freshwater and marine fishes). 1998 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles

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Section: How Risk-aversion In Bluehead Wrasses Affects the Mating Systemmentioning

confidence: 99%

The role of extreme iteroparity and risk avoidance in the evolution of mating systems

Warner

1998

Journal of Fish Biology

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“…), and this may improve their survival relative to juveniles with territories in autumn. Second, the higher mortality of juvenile territory owners in colder winters creates vacancies, which may allow juveniles without territories prior to autumn a greater opportunity to claim a territory with cached food, enhancing survival (Dunham, Warner, & Lawson, 1995). This would give them relatively improved survival compared to warmer years where fewer juvenile territory owners would die.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Territory acquisition mediates the influence of predators and climate on juvenile red squirrel survival

Hendrix

Fisher

Martinig

et al. 2020

Journal of Animal Ecology

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1. Juvenile survival to first breeding is a key life-history stage for all taxa. Survival through this period can be particularly challenging when it coincides with harsh environmental conditions such as a winter climate or food scarcity, leading to highly variable cohort survival. However, the small size and dispersive nature of juveniles generally make studying their survival more difficult.2. In territorial species, a key life-history event is the acquisition of a territory. A territory is expected to enhance survival, but how it does so is not often identified. We tested how the timing of territory acquisition influenced the winter survival of juvenile North American red squirrels Tamiasciurus hudsonicus, hereafter red squirrels, and how the timing of this event mediated the sources of mortality.We hypothesized that securing a territory prior to when food resources become available would reduce juvenile susceptibility to predation and climatic factors overwinter.3. Using 27 years of data on the survival of individually marked juvenile red squirrels, we tested how the timing of territory acquisition influenced survival, whether the population density of red squirrel predators and mean temperature overwinter were related to individual survival probability, and if territory ownership mediated these effects. 4. Juvenile red squirrel survival was lower in the years of high predator abundance and in colder winters. Autumn territory owners were less susceptible to lynx Lynx canadensis and possibly mustelid Mustela and Martes spp., predation. Autumn territory owners had lower survival in colder winters, but surprisingly non-owners had higher survival in cold winters. 5. Our results show how the timing of a life-history event like territory acquisition can directly affect survival and also mediate the effects of biotic and abiotic factors later in life. This engenders a better understanding of the fitness consequences of the timing of key life-history events.

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“…These males do not help defend the territory, nor do they try and challenge the territorial male for territory ownership (Owen-Smith, 1973). Challenges for territory ownership tend to come from lone adult males entering the territory 7 (Dunham et al, 1995;Owen-Smith, 1973). Yet, these visits are infrequent (Owen-Smith, 1973, 1975.…”

Section: Behavioural Data Collectionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nonterritorial males can be divided into two categories, those living within a territory but not challenging the territorial male for ownership (i.e. subordinate), and those that are passing through a territory gathering information with the potential of challenging a territorial male for territory ownership (Dunham, Warner, & Lawson, 1995;Owen-Smith, 1973). Based on their different priorities, these nonterritorial males will likely behave differently at middens.…”

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confidence: 99%

The role of middens in white rhino olfactory communication

2018

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White rhinos (Ceratotherium simum) use dung odours to transmit information about their sex, age, territorial status (males) and oestrous state. Moreover, as white rhinos defecate in communal middens (i.e. dung heaps, or latrines) it has been suggested that these middens may act as information centres.However, it is uncertain which individuals primarily transmit information via middens, or for whom this information is intended. Using video-recording camera traps, we investigated the behaviour of white rhinos at middens. We hypothesised that territorial adult males would visit, defecate, and sniff other dung more than other adults. In line with this, we found that they visited and defecated more than other individuals. Moreover, territorial males and potential male challengers were the main individuals to investigate dung piles. These olfactory investigations focused primarily on territorial male and adult female dung (male-male and female-male communication). Adult females and subordinate males also investigated territorial male and female dung as much as other males did, suggesting male-female and female-female communication. In addition to olfactory signals, there was a spatial aspect to midden use, where territorial males defecated only in the centre of a midden, while other individuals defecated primarily around the periphery. Yet, subordinate males also tended to defecate in the centre, suggesting an indication of residency. Lastly, territorial males defecated more 2 frequently than any other adult, and were able to do so by regulating their dung output (i.e. producing smaller volumes). Our results indicate that middens act as information centres, where the primary function seems to be for territorial males to transmit and obtain information. However, non-territorial males may also assess female reproductive state, while females may be assessing the quality of all males, and the number of other females using a midden. Ultimately, our results highlight the importance of middens in white rhino communication.

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The Dynamics of Territory Acquisition: A Model of Two Coexisting Strategies

Cited by 13 publications

References 0 publications

The role of extreme iteroparity and risk avoidance in the evolution of mating systems

The role of extreme iteroparity and risk avoidance in the evolution of mating systems

Territory acquisition mediates the influence of predators and climate on juvenile red squirrel survival

The role of middens in white rhino olfactory communication

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