The competing countermarks hypothesis: reliable assessment of competitive ability by potential mates

被引:139
作者
Rich, TJ
Hurst, JL [1 ]
机构
[1] Univ Liverpool, Dept Vet Clin Sci & Anim Husbandry, Anim Behav Grp, Neston CH64 7TE, S Wirral, England
[2] Univ Nottingham, Behav & Ecol Res Grp, Sch Biol Sci, Nottingham NG7 2RD, England
基金
英国生物技术与生命科学研究理事会;
关键词
D O I
10.1006/anbe.1999.1217
中图分类号
B84 [心理学]; C [社会科学总论]; Q98 [人类学];
学科分类号
03 ; 0303 ; 030303 ; 04 ; 0402 ;
摘要
Scent marking on top of (overmarking), or in the vicinity of, a scent mark already present is commonly termed countermarking. Scent marks and countermarks provide a continuous record of competitive challenges between, conspecifics, thus providing a reliable advertisement of an individual's,ability to dominate or defend an area to other competitors and potential mates. To test the hypothesis that females should prefer males that countermark competing scent marks in their territory over those whose own marks are partially countermarked by a competing male, we manipulated scent marks in the-territories of neighbouring male house mice (captive-bred Mus domesticus). As predicted, oestrous females were more strongly attracted to approach territory owners that countermarked the scent mark challenges of competitors than those that had been countermarked, and females,themselves deposited more scent marks near the scents of these males. To investigate whether female mice use scent age, overlap or intrinsic qualitative or quantitative differences between scent marks and countermarks to make this discrimination, we redeposited male scent marks artificially as marks and partially overlapping countermarks, with or without a 24-h age difference between them. While the intrinsic quality or quantity of countermarks did not affect discrimination, an age difference between the original mark and subsequent countermark was important for consistent discrimination. The ultimate function of such competitive scent signalling thus may be to provide potential mates with a reliable indicator of the competitive ability of individuals advertising their high status: Since scent marks remain in the environment and are continuously available to challenge and investigation, they may provide a particularly effective and reliable means of dominance advertisement. (C) 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.
引用
收藏
页码:1027 / 1037
页数:11
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