Multilevel Social Organization in Plains Zebra: from Mating Systems to Social Systems

动物行为计划非技术摘要标题： 平原斑马的多层次社会组织：从交配系统到社会系统PI： 丹尼尔岛Rubenstein提案编号：9874523许多动物社会的核心是交配系统，这是建立在友好和积极的关系，生殖男性和女性之间的发展。 但是繁殖单位本身往往组织成更大的社会群体，从而在动物社会中创造了层次。 Rubenstein博士将在东非热带草原生态系统的放牧哺乳动物平原斑马（Equus burchelli）的多层次社会中研究这些问题。平原斑马的交配系统由全年的后宫组成，雌性斑马和它们的年轻后代与一个占主导地位的雄性斑马生活在一起。 这些生殖群体经常与其他类似群体或亚成年雄性相联系。 因此，平原斑马是研究具有多层次组织的社会的结构和功能的理想物种。 鲁宾斯坦博士将确定为什么更高层次的协会形成和持续;他将确定他们如何作为协调的单位。 将监测与植被质量和捕食者风险等环境因素的潜在变化有关的可单独识别的斑马的长期运动和协会。领导和遵循核心小组内个人的决定，和解决不同利益的个人之间的冲突将阐明这一社会体系中涉及的权衡。这项研究的总体结果将是更好地理解复杂社会的动态，这些社会往往是分层结构的--但比斑马的那些更不明显，斑马的核心群体成员限制了整个社会中的完全行动自由。 除了阐明这些一般的“规则”的社会组织数据斑马的丰度，分布和模式的招聘有关的生态和社会组织将有重要的应用管理野生动物的可持续发展的方式。

Animal Behavior ProgramNon-technical AbstractTitle: Multilevel social organization in plains zebra: from mating systems to social systemsPI: Daniel I. RubensteinProposal #: 9874523 The core of many animal societies is the mating system, which is built upon the amicable and aggressive relationships that develop between reproductive males and females. But reproductive units are themselves often organized into larger social groups thus creating layers in animal societies. Dr. Rubenstein will examine these issues in the multilevel society of plains zebras (Equus burchelli), a grazing mammal of the East African savanna ecosystem. The mating system of plains zebras consists of year-round harems in which females and their young offspring live with one dominant male. These reproductive groups often associate with other similar groups or with subadult males. Therefore, the plains zebra is an ideal species to examine the structure and function of societies with multiple levels of organization. Dr. Rubenstein will determine why higher level associations form and persist; and he will determine how they act as coordinated units. Long-term movements and associations of individually recognizable zebras will be monitored in relation to underlying variation in environmental factors such as vegetation quality and predator risk. Leadership and following decisions of individuals within core groups, and resolution of conflicts among individuals with differing interests will elucidate the trade-offs involved in this social system.The overall result of the study will be a better understanding of the dynamics of complex societies that are often hierarchically structured--but much less visibly than those of zebras where membership in a core group restricts total freedom of movement within a society at large. In addition to elucidating these general 'rules' of social organization data on zebra abundances, distributions and patterns of recruitment in relation to ecology and social organization will have important applications for managing wildlife in sustainable ways.