18 results on '"Cant, A."'
Search Results
2. How Threats Influence the Evolutionary Resolution of Within‐Group Conflict
- Author
-
Cant, Michael A. and Johnstone, Rufus A.
- Published
- 2009
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
3. Escalated Conflict in a Social Hierarchy
- Author
-
Cant, M. A., English, S., Reeve, H. K., and Field, J.
- Published
- 2006
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
4. Reproductive Competition Among Males in Multimale Groups of Primates: Modeling the Costs and Effectiveness of Conflict
- Author
-
Port, Markus and Cant, Michael A.
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
5. Female Control of the Distribution of Paternity in Cooperative Breeders
- Author
-
Cant, Michael A. and Reeve, Hudson K.
- Published
- 2002
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
6. Power Struggles, Dominance Testing, and Reproductive Skew
- Author
-
Cant, Michael A. and Johnstone, Rufus A.
- Published
- 2000
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
7. Reproductive Skew in Multimember Groups
- Author
-
Johnstone, R. A., Woodroffe, R., Cant, M. A., and Wright, J.
- Published
- 1999
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
8. The role of threats in animal cooperation
- Author
-
Michael A. Cant
- Subjects
cooperative breeding ,genetic structures ,media_common.quotation_subject ,mutualism ,Social behaviour ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,within-group conflict ,Empirical research ,Game Theory ,Punishment ,negotiation ,reproductive skew ,Selfishness ,Animals ,Cooperative Behavior ,Social Behavior ,Review Articles ,General Environmental Science ,media_common ,General Immunology and Microbiology ,Behavior, Animal ,Environmental ethics ,General Medicine ,biparental care ,Negotiation ,Cooperative behavior ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Psychology ,Game theory ,Social psychology - Abstract
In human societies, social behaviour is strongly influenced by threats of punishment, even though the threats themselves rarely need to be exercised. Recent experimental evidence suggests that similar hidden threats can promote cooperation and limit within-group selfishness in some animal systems. In other animals, however, threats appear to be ineffective. Here I review theoretical and empirical studies that help to understand the evolutionary causes of these contrasting patterns, and identify three factors—impact, accuracy and perception—that together determine the effectiveness of threats to induce cooperation.
- Published
- 2010
9. Stable group size in cooperative breeders: the role of inheritance and reproductive skew
- Author
-
Michael A. Cant and Sinead English
- Subjects
Paper wasp ,Ecology ,Skew ,Biology ,cooperative breeding ,dominance ,reproductive skew ,sociality ,Fully developed ,Evolutionary biology ,Cooperative breeding ,Animal Science and Zoology ,Stable group ,Scramble competition ,Queue ,Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics ,Sociality - Abstract
Recent studies of reproductive skew have revealed great variation in the distribution of direct fitness among group members, yet there have been surprisingly few attempts to explore the consequences of such variation for stable group size, and none that take into account the future benefits of group membership to nonbreeders. This means that the existing theory is not suited to explain the group size of most cooperatively breeding vertebrates and primitively social insects in which group membership involves substantial future benefits. Here we model the group size of such species as social queues in which nonbreeders can inherit a breeding position if they outlive those ahead of them in the queue. We demonstrate, however, that the results can be generalized to systems in which inheritance occurs via scramble competition, rather than via a strict queue. The model predicts that stable group size will depend on the number of breeding positions in the group and the mortality rates of breeders and nonbreeders, but not on the distribution of reproduction among the pool of breeders. This is because deaths occur at random, so that each individual has the same chance of surviving to reach each breeding position. We tested a specific prediction of the model using data on ovarian development in the paper wasp, Polistes dominulus. We found a positive correlation between group size and the proportion of females with fully developed eggs, as predicted. Our results clarify the interaction between the dominance structure and size of animal groups and add to the growing recognition of the potential for inheritance as a major determinant of both individual behavior and group-level characteristics of animal societies. Key words: cooperative breeding, dominance, reproductive skew, sociality. [Behav Ecol]
- Published
- 2006
10. Using social parasitism to test reproductive skew models in a primitively eusocial wasp
- Author
-
Green, Jonathan P, Cant, Michael A, and Field, Jeremy
- Subjects
Male ,cooperative breeding ,Reproduction ,social parasitism ,Wasps ,Polistes dominulus ,Models, Biological ,QH301 ,concessions ,reproductive skew ,Animals ,Body Size ,Female ,tug-of-war ,Social Behavior ,Research Articles - Abstract
Remarkable variation exists in the distribution of reproduction (skew) among members of cooperatively breeding groups, both within and between species. Reproductive skew theory has provided an important framework for understanding this variation. In the primitively eusocial Hymenoptera, two models have been routinely tested: concessions models, which assume complete control of reproduction by a dominant individual, and tug-of-war models, which assume on-going competition among group members over reproduction. Current data provide little support for either model, but uncertainty about the ability of individuals to detect genetic relatedness and difficulties in identifying traits conferring competitive ability mean that the relative importance of concessions versus tug-of-war remains unresolved. Here, we suggest that the use of social parasitism to generate meaningful variation in key social variables represents a valuable opportunity to explore the mechanisms underpinning reproductive skew within the social Hymenoptera. We present a direct test of concessions and tug-of-war models in the paper wasp Polistes dominulus by exploiting pronounced changes in relatedness and power structures that occur following replacement of the dominant by a congeneric social parasite. Comparisons of skew in parasitized and unparasitized colonies are consistent with a tug-of-war over reproduction within P. dominulus groups, but provide no evidence for reproductive concessions.
- Published
- 2014
11. Resolving social conflict among females without overt aggression
- Author
-
Andrew J. Young and Michael A. Cant
- Subjects
0106 biological sciences ,Male ,Competitive Behavior ,Punishment (psychology) ,Reproduction (economics) ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Poison control ,Review Article ,010603 evolutionary biology ,01 natural sciences ,General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology ,Birds ,03 medical and health sciences ,fighting ,negotiation ,Social partners ,Conflict resolution ,reproductive skew ,medicine ,Animals ,Social conflict ,conflict resolution ,030304 developmental biology ,media_common ,Mammals ,0303 health sciences ,threats ,Aggression ,Reproduction ,Articles ,Models, Theoretical ,Biological Evolution ,Negotiation ,Female ,medicine.symptom ,General Agricultural and Biological Sciences ,Psychology ,evolution of cooperation ,Social psychology - Abstract
Members of animal societies compete over resources and reproduction, but the extent to which such conflicts of interest are resolved peacefully (without recourse to costly or wasteful acts of aggression) varies widely. Here, we describe two theoretical mechanisms that can help to understand variation in the incidence of overt behavioural conflict: (i) destruction competition and (ii) the use of threats. The two mechanisms make different assumptions about the degree to which competitors are socially sensitive (responsive to real-time changes in the behaviour of their social partners). In each case, we discuss how the model assumptions relate to biological reality and highlight the genetic, ecological and informational factors that are likely to promote peaceful conflict resolution, drawing on empirical examples. We suggest that, relative to males, reproductive conflict among females may be more frequently resolved peacefully through threats of punishment, rather than overt acts of punishment, because (i) offspring are more costly to produce for females and (ii) reproduction is more difficult to conceal. The main need now is for empirical work to test whether the mechanisms described here can indeed explain how social conflict can be resolved without overt aggression.
- Published
- 2013
12. Resolving social conflict among females without overt aggression.
- Author
-
Cant, Michael A. and Young, Andrew J.
- Subjects
- *
SOCIAL conflict , *PSYCHOLOGY of women , *AGGRESSION (Psychology) , *COMPETITION (Psychology) , *THREAT (Psychology) - Abstract
Members of animal societies compete over resources and reproduction, but the extent to which such conflicts of interest are resolved peacefully (without recourse to costly or wasteful acts of aggression) varies widely. Here, we describe two theoretical mechanisms that can help to understand variation in the incidence of overt behavioural conflict: (i) destruction competition and (ii) the use of threats. The two mechanisms make different assumptions about the degree to which competitors are socially sensitive (responsive to real-time changes in the behaviour of their social partners). In each case, we discuss how the model assumptions relate to biological reality and high- light the genetic, ecological and informational factors that are likely to promote peaceful conflict resolution, drawing on empirical examples. We suggest that, relative to males, reproductive conflict among females may be more frequently resolved peacefully through threats of punishment, rather than overt acts of punishment, because (i) offspring are more costly to produce for females and (ii) reproduction is more difficult to conceal. The main need now is for empirical work to test whether the mechanisms described here can indeed explain how social conflict can be resolved without overt aggression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2013
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
13. The cost of dominance: suppressing subordinate reproduction affects the reproductive success of dominant female banded mongooses.
- Author
-
M. B. V., Bell, H. J., Nichols, J. S., Gilchrist, M. A., Cant, and S. J., Hodge
- Subjects
ANIMAL social behavior ,MONGOOSES ,ANIMAL reproduction ,ANIMAL variation ,COOPERATIVE breeding in animals ,EMPIRICAL research ,PREGNANCY in animals - Abstract
Social species show considerable variation in the extent to which dominant females suppress subordinate reproduction. Much of this variation may be influenced by the cost of active suppression to dominants, who may be selected to balance the need to maximize the resources available for their own offspring against the costs of interfering with subordinate reproduction. To date, the cost of reproductive suppression has received little attention, despite its potential to influence the outcome of conflict over the distribution of reproduction in social species. Here, we investigate possible costs of reproductive suppression in banded mongooses, where dominant females evict subordinates from their groups, thereby inducing subordinate abortion. We show that evicting subordinate females is associated with substantial costs to dominant females: pups born to females who evicted subordinates while pregnant were lighter than those born after undisturbed gestations; pups whose dependent period was disrupted by an eviction attained a lower weight at independence; and the proportion of a litter that survived to independence was reduced if there was an eviction during the dependent period. To our knowledge, this is the first empirical study indicating a possible cost to dominants in attempting to suppress subordinate breeding, and we argue that much of the variation in reproductive skew both within and between social species may be influenced by adaptive variation in the effort invested in suppression by dominants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
14. The role of threats in animal cooperation.
- Author
-
Cant, Michael A.
- Subjects
- *
ANIMAL social behavior , *PUNISHMENT , *MUTUALISM (Biology) , *COOPERATIVE breeding in animals , *EMPIRICAL research , *NEGOTIATION - Abstract
In human societies, social behaviour is strongly influenced by threats of punishment, even though the threats themselves rarely need to be exercised. Recent experimental evidence suggests that similar hidden threats can promote cooperation and limit within-group selfishness in some animal systems. In other animals, however, threats appear to be ineffective. Here I review theoretical and empirical studies that help to understand the evolutionary causes of these contrasting patterns, and identify three factors--impact, accuracy and perception--that together determine the effectiveness of threats to induce cooperation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
15. Reproductive competition and the evolution of extreme birth synchrony in a cooperative mammal.
- Author
-
Hodge, S. J., Bell, M. B. V., and Cant, M. A.
- Subjects
MONGOOSES ,BIRTH order ,ANIMAL reproduction ,INFANTICIDE in animals ,PARENTAL behavior in animals - Abstract
The article presents research which investigated the development of extreme birth synchrony in the communal-breeding banded mongoose (Mungos mungo). The researchers examined the impact of reproductive competition on the synchrony of birth in the species. They found that the increased risk of infanticide is possible if a particular mother mongoose gives birth before the other females.
- Published
- 2011
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
16. Using social parasitism to test reproductive skew models in a primitively eusocial wasp.
- Author
-
†, Jonathan P., Cant, Michael A., and Field, Jeremy
- Subjects
- *
SPECIES distribution , *COOPERATIVE breeding in animals , *ANIMAL sexual behavior , *HYMENOPTERA behavior , *PARASITISM , *BIOLOGICAL variation - Abstract
Remarkable variation exists in the distribution of reproduction (skew) among members of cooperatively breeding groups, both within and between species. Reproductive skew theory has provided an important framework for understanding this variation. In the primitively eusocial Hymenoptera, two models have been routinely tested: concessions models, which assume complete control of reproduction by a dominant individual, and tug-of-war models, which assume on-going competition among group members over reproduction. Current data provide little support for either model, but uncertainty about the ability of individuals to detect genetic relatedness and difficulties in identifying traits conferring competitive ability mean that the relative importance of concessions versus tug-of-war remains unresolved. Here, we suggest that the use of social parasitism to generate meaningful variation in key social variables represents a valuable opportunity to explore the mechanisms underpinning reproductive skew within the social Hymenoptera. We present a direct test of concessions and tug-of-war models in the paper wasp Polistes dominulus by exploiting pronounced changes in relatedness and power structures that occur following replacement of the dominant by a congeneric social parasite. Comparisons of skew in parasitized and unparasitized colonies are consistent with a tug-of-war over reproduction within P. dominulus groups, but provide no evidence for reproductive concessions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2014
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
17. Top males gain high reproductive success by guarding more successful females in a cooperatively breeding mongoose
- Author
-
Nichols, Hazel J., Amos, William, Cant, Michael A., Bell, Matthew B.V., and Hodge, Sarah J.
- Subjects
- *
BANDED mongoose , *COOPERATIVE breeding in animals , *INTERSEXUALITY in animals , *ANIMAL sexual behavior , *ANIMAL courtship , *ANIMAL paternity , *REPRODUCTION , *ANIMAL behavior - Abstract
Of key importance for understanding cooperative societies is the way in which reproductive opportunities are distributed among group members. Traditionally, skew has been thought of as a product of intrasexual competition. However, cooperatively breeding species often live in mixed-sex groups, so the behaviour of one sex has the potential to influence skew in the other. We addressed the importance of inter- and intrasexual conflict in determining reproductive skew through a study of paternity sharing in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose, Mungus mungo. Unlike banded mongoose females, where reproductive skew is low, males exhibited high skew, with 85% of paternities being assigned to the three oldest males in each group. Individual males appeared unable to monopolize reproduction because females come into oestrus in synchrony and mate multiply. Instead, older males increased their success by mate guarding the oldest, most fecund females. Our findings therefore highlight the importance of mate choice in males and reveal the behavioural differences between the sexes that generate reproductive skew. They also emphasize the considerable influence that female behaviour can have on male reproductive skew. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2010
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
18. Food availability shapes patterns of helping effort in a cooperative mongoose
- Author
-
Nichols, Hazel J., Amos, William, Bell, Matthew B.V., Mwanguhya, Francis, Kyabulima, Solomon, and Cant, Michael A.
- Subjects
- *
MONGOOSES , *ANIMAL societies , *ANIMAL breeding , *ANIMAL behavior , *ANIMAL species , *FOOD supply , *ANIMAL feeding behavior , *REPRODUCTION - Abstract
In cooperatively breeding vertebrate societies, contributions to offspring care can vary greatly between group members. Kin selection theory predicts that cooperation will be favoured when directed towards relatives and when the cost to benefit ratio is low. The fitness costs of helping in turn depend on the impact of energetic investments in care on future reproductive success, which is likely to vary between helpers. For example, investments may impact more on a young helper, which needs to invest energy in growth and is an inexperienced forager. We investigated how a key predictor of cost, food availability (estimated using rainfall), influences helping behaviour in the banded mongoose, Mungos mungo. In this cooperative carnivore, a variable number of group members breed while almost all help to rear the communal litter. Nonbreeding females and juvenile males helped less when food was scarce, reflecting the potentially high costs of weight loss and reduced growth on survival and future reproductive success. In contrast, adult males maintained their investment in care as food supply decreased, probably because body condition has relatively little impact on male reproductive success in this species. Breeding females (with pups in the communal litter) also maintained their helping effort as food supply decreased. Although mothers invested highly in care, there was no evidence that they preferentially cared for their own pups, probably because synchronized birthing scrambles maternity cues. Patterns of care in the banded mongoose thus seem to reflect the benefits gained from helping and the long-term fitness costs to the helper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]
- Published
- 2012
- Full Text
- View/download PDF
Catalog
Discovery Service for Jio Institute Digital Library
For full access to our library's resources, please sign in.