The role of the residence-effect on the outcome of intergroup encounters in Verreaux’s sifakas

Citations Over TimeTop 15% of 2016 papers

Abstract

Intergroup competition has an important impact on the survival and fitness of individuals in group-living species. However, factors influencing the probability of winning an encounter are not fully understood. We studied the influence of numerical advantage and location of the encounter on the chances of winning in eight neighboring groups of Verreaux's sifakas (Propithecus verreauxi), in Kirindy Forest, western Madagascar. Intergroup encounters were inferred from spatial data collected via GPS loggers over a period of two years. Location, i.e., the proximity to the respective core area, rather than the numerical advantage of a group in a given encounter, influenced the probability of winning. Accordingly, the high value that resident groups attribute to exclusive and intensively used areas increased their motivation in defending these locations against intruders. Moreover, losers used the encounter area less often than winners within a month after the encounter, suggesting that losing also entails long-term costs. Thus, our results suggest that in gregarious animals the particular circumstances of each encounter, such as the location, can outweigh group characteristics and predict the chances of winning an intergroup encounter.

Related Papers

• → A Study on the Early Residences Designed by J. Conder (II) : The Prince KITASHIRAKAWA'S Residence(1972)1 cited
• Improvement of Chinese Residence System in Terms of Household Registration Reform——Based on the Differences Between Domicile and Habitual Residence(2015)
• Study on“Intruding into the Residence to Rob”(2006)
• → THE STUDY OF THE SAMURAI EDO RESIDENCE IN THE EARLY MODERN ERA BY HOSOKAWA ARCHIVES(1972)
• → Residence and Work Permit(2008)