Group composition effects on aggressive interpack interactions of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park
Group composition effects on aggressive interpack interactions of gray wolves in Yellowstone National Park
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DOI：
10.1093/beheco/arv081
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发表时间：
2015-09-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Mech, L. David
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Cassidy, Kira A.;MacNulty, Daniel R.;Mech, L. David
了解在种内相遇过程中促进群体成功的特征是理解许多群体生活物种社会性适应优势的关键。此外，群体中的一些个体可能比其他个体更有可能影响群体间的冲突，这是一个在社会动物研究中相对被忽视的观点。在这里，我们使用狼（Canis lupus）包之间的侵略性相互作用的观察，在很长一段时间内，并使用包的特点，以确定哪些群体比他们的对手有优势。从1995年到2010年，我们在黄石国家公园进行了16年的观察，记录了121种狼群间的攻击性互动。我们记录了包的大小，成分和空间方向相关的居住地，以确定其对包之间的相互作用的结果的影响。相对包大小（RPS）提高了包取代对手的几率。然而，包的组成缓和RPS的效果，包与相对较多的老成员（>6.0岁）或成年男性有较高的胜算，尽管在数量上的劣势。相对于包领土的相互作用的位置没有影响的结果包间相互作用。虽然RPS在成功的领土防御中的重要性表明，群体生活的进化和维持可能至少部分是由于较大的包在包间互动中的成功，但群体组成也是一个重要因素，突出了一些个体在包间冲突中比其他人更有价值。
Knowledge of characteristics that promote group success during intraspecific encounters is key to understanding the adaptive advantages of sociality for many group-living species. In addition, some individuals in a group may be more likely than others to influence intergroup conflicts, a relatively neglected idea in research on social animals. Here we use observations of aggressive interactions between wolf (Canis lupus) packs over an extended period and use pack characteristics to determine which groups had an advantage over their opponents. During 16 years of observation in Yellowstone National Park from 1995 to 2010, we documented 121 inter-pack aggressive interactions. We recorded pack sizes, compositions, and spatial orientation related to residency to determine their effects on the outcomes of interactions between packs. Relative pack size (RPS) improved the odds of a pack displacing its opponent. However, pack composition moderated the effect of RPS as packs with relatively more old members (>6.0 years old) or adult males had higher odds of winning despite a numerical disadvantage. The location of the interaction with respect to pack territories had no effect on the outcome of interpack interactions. Although the importance of RPS in successful territorial defense suggests the evolution and maintenance of group living may be at least partly due to larger packs' success during interpack interactions, group composition is also an important factor, highlighting that some individuals are more valuable than others during interpack conflicts.