Individual variation in social aggression and the probability of inheritance: theory and a field test

The American Naturalist
Michael A CantJeremy Field

Abstract

Recent theory suggests that much of the wide variation in individual behavior that exists within cooperative animal societies can be explained by variation in the future direct component of fitness, or the probability of inheritance. Here we develop two models to explore the effect of variation in future fitness on social aggression. The models predict that rates of aggression will be highest toward the front of the queue to inherit and will be higher in larger, more productive groups. A third prediction is that, in seasonal animals, aggression will increase as the time available to inherit the breeding position runs out. We tested these predictions using a model social species, the paper wasp Polistes dominulus. We found that rates of both aggressive "displays" (aimed at individuals of lower rank) and aggressive "tests" (aimed at individuals of higher rank) decreased down the hierarchy, as predicted by our models. The only other significant factor affecting aggression rates was date, with more aggression observed later in the season, also as predicted. Variation in future fitness due to inheritance rank is the hidden factor accounting for much of the variation in aggressiveness among apparently equivalent individuals in this s...Continue Reading

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Citations

Jan 10, 2008·Die Naturwissenschaften·Elizabeth A Tibbetts, Hudson Kern Reeve
Oct 4, 2013·Biology Letters·Markus Port, Michael A Cant
Feb 16, 2007·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Marian Y L WongGeoffrey P Jones
Oct 4, 2006·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·M A CantJ Field
Jan 31, 2008·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·J L FitzpatrickS Balshine
Jan 8, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Tzo Zen Ang, Andrea Manica
Aug 28, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Michael A Cant
Oct 7, 2009·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Jeremy Field, Michael A Cant
Sep 7, 2007·Behavioural Processes·Michael Taborsky
Aug 28, 2007·Behavioural Processes·Jeremy Field, Michael A Cant
Dec 12, 2007·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Andrew CockburnDavid J Green
Apr 5, 2013·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Jessica Purcell, Michel Chapuisat
May 16, 2013·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Jennifer M JandtAndrew Sih
Jan 11, 2011·Psychology, Health & Medicine·Festus AbasiubongOwoidoho Udofia
May 23, 2006·Current Biology : CB·Tabitha M Innocent, Stuart A West
Jun 27, 2006·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Mike Mesterton-GibbonsJeremy Field
May 19, 2018·Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology·Lena Grinsted, Jeremy Field
Oct 15, 2009·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·C K CornwallisA S Griffin
May 17, 2008·Molecular Ecology·Lorenzo R S Zanette, Jeremy Field
Jul 4, 2019·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Matthew J SilkRobbie A McDonald
Jul 24, 2018·Science Advances·Caterina De BaccoCristopher Moore
Jan 25, 2017·Nature Communications·Lena Grinsted, Jeremy Field
Mar 19, 2019·Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology·Christelle Couchoux, Jeremy Field
Jan 30, 2021·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Stuart A WestAshleigh S Griffin

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