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- Title
Life history costs of olfactory status signalling in mice.
- Authors
Gosling, L. M.; Roberts, S. C.; Thornton, E. A.; Andrew, M. J.
- Abstract
Large body size confers a competitive advantage in animal contests but does not always determine the outcome. Here we explore the trade-off between short-term achievement of high social status and longer-term life history costs in animals which vary in competitive ability. Using laboratory mice, Mus musculus, as a model system, we show that small competitors can initially maintain dominance over larger males by increasing investment in olfactory status signalling (scent-marking), but only at the cost of reduced growth rate and body size. As a result they become more vulnerable to dominance reversals later in life. Our results also provide the first empirical information about life history costs of olfactory status signals.
- Subjects
MICE behavior; ANIMAL social behavior; LABORATORY mice; LIFE history theory; SMELL
- Publication
Behavioral Ecology & Sociobiology, 2000, Vol 48, Issue 4, p328
- ISSN
0340-5443
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1007/s002650000242