Display options
Cite
de Luca DW, Ginsberg JR. Dominance, reproduction and survival in banded mongooses: towards an egalitarian social system?. Anim Behav. 2001;61(1):17-30doi: 10.1006/anbe.2000.1559.
de Luca, D. W., & Ginsberg, J. R. (2001). Dominance, reproduction and survival in banded mongooses: towards an egalitarian social system?. Animal behaviour, 61(1), 17-30. https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2000.1559
de Luca, D. W., and Ginsberg, J. R.. "Dominance, reproduction and survival in banded mongooses: towards an egalitarian social system?." Animal behaviour vol. 61,1 (2001): 17-30. doi: https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2000.1559
de Luca DW, Ginsberg JR. Dominance, reproduction and survival in banded mongooses: towards an egalitarian social system?. Anim Behav. 2001 Jan;61(1):17-30. doi: 10.1006/anbe.2000.1559. PMID: 11170693.
Copy Download .nbib Format: NLM
Share it on

Anim Behav. 2001 Jan;61(1):17-30. doi: 10.1006/anbe.2000.1559.

Dominance, reproduction and survival in banded mongooses: towards an egalitarian social system?.

Animal behaviour

D. W. de Luca, J. R. Ginsberg

Affiliations

  1. Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London

PMID: 11170693 DOI: 10.1006/anbe.2000.1559

Abstract

The banded mongoose, Mungos mungo, is a social species that forms multimale and multifemale family groups. Earlier studies suggest these family groups are relatively egalitarian with small differences in reproductive opportunities among individuals of different rank. In contrast, previous studies of other social mongooses have focused on species with more despotic control of reproduction (meerkats, Suricata suricatta, dwarf mongooses, Helogale parvula). In these species, the distribution of reproductive opportunities amongst individuals of different rank has met the predictions of reproductive skew theory: dominant individuals accrue greater reproductive benefits than subordinates, with subordinates breeding less often than dominants. In this paper we test how well two predictions of reproductive skew theory explain variance in measures of reproductive effort, and its correlates, in a wild population of banded mongooses in Queen Elizabeth National Park, Uganda. We measure dominance rank in males and females, and we investigate whether individuals of higher social rank accrue greater benefits than subordinates in terms of survival and reproduction. Banded mongoose dominance hierarchies showed linearity, but low reproductive skew. Rank was not significantly correlated with age. Furthermore, there were only small effects of dominance rank on nutritional levels, and no effects on reproduction and survival, suggesting that banded mongoose societies are indeed relatively egalitarian. No evidence of reproductive suppression was found and other forms of reproductive control were not observed. However, we do not exclude the possibility of increased reproductive competition in circumstances of higher ecological constraints. These findings show that reproductive skew theory is equally useful in explaining variation in reproduction in societies with low reproductive skew, as it is in explaining the allocation of reproductive effort in despotic social systems. Copyright 2001 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Publication Types