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

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 area

SUBMITTER: Koch F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4916469 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature