Mammalian Sibling Rivalry

兄弟姐妹竞争的发生在许多动物物种中都有记载，包括人类。人们普遍认为，哺乳动物兄弟姐妹之间的竞争比鸟类之间的竞争更致命。当前研究的主要目标是通过探索哺乳动物的兄弟姐妹冲突来评估现有兄弟姐妹竞争理论的普遍性。这项工作将特别关注一种群居哺乳动物——斑点鬣狗，它们的兄弟姐妹竞争比其他哺乳动物更为激烈。包括行为观察、排泄激素水平监测和胎儿超声检查在内的综合技术，将用于确定在肯尼亚自由生活的鬣狗中，杀崽是兼性的还是专性的。还将讨论激素对扩散的影响。兄弟姐妹往往是彼此最亲密的伙伴和最亲密的竞争对手，所以他们往往承担了自私行为的最大代价。由于敌对兄弟姐妹的最大利益不一定与父母的利益一致，父母与子女之间的冲突经常影响兄弟姐妹竞争的形式和结果。因此，兄弟姐妹竞争的研究对于理解人类和其他动物近亲之间自私和利他行为的发生具有重要意义。

The occurrence of sibling rivalry has now been documented in many species of animals, including humans. Mammalian sibling rivalry is widely believed to be less deadly than that among avian brood mates. The broad goal of the current research is to evaluate the generality of existing sibling rivalry theory by exploring sibling conflict in mammals. The work will focus specifically on one species of gregarious mammal, the spotted hyena, in which sibling rivalry is more intense than is that described in other mammals. A combination of techniques, including behavioral observation, monitoring of excreted hormone levels, and fetal ultrasonography, will be used to determine whether siblicide occurs facultatively or obligately in free-living hyenas in Kenya. The influence of hormones on dispersal will also be addressed.Siblings are often each other's closest associates and closest competitors, so they often bear the heaviest costs of selfish behavior. Because the best interests of rival siblings need not necessarily coincide with those of their parents, conflict between parents andoffspring often affects the form and outcome of sibling competition. The study of sibling rivalry is thus of great significance for understanding the occurrence of both selfish and altruistic behaviors among close kin in our own species and in other animals.