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Scent‐marking and intrasexual competition in a cooperative carnivore with low reproductive skew
Author(s) -
Müller Corsin A.,
Manser Marta B.
Publication year - 2008
Publication title -
ethology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.739
H-Index - 74
eISSN - 1439-0310
pISSN - 0179-1613
DOI - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2007.01455.x
Subject(s) - biology , sexual selection , carnivore , zoology , competition (biology) , ethogram , dominance (genetics) , courtship , mongoose , ecology , predation , biochemistry , gene
Most mammals scent‐mark and a variety of hypotheses have been put forward to explain this behaviour. Differences in the main function of scent‐marking between species are likely to be related to differences in social systems. Here, we investigate the functions of scent‐marking in a cooperatively breeding carnivore. In the banded mongoose ( Mungos mungo ), individuals of both sexes commonly breed in their natal group and reproductive skew within groups is low. Using experimental scent‐mark presentations, we tested predictions of the intrasexual competition, self‐advertisement to potential mates and dominance assertion hypotheses. Both males and females responded more intensely to scent marks of same‐sexed than of opposite‐sexed individuals. Dominant individuals counter‐marked more than subordinate ones and males showed higher counter‐marking rates than females, but only marginally so. During oestrus, responses to scent marks were increased by both sexes. Our findings strongly indicate that scent‐marking in the banded mongoose primarily serves a purpose in intrasexual competition both between and within groups. Unlike in other social herpestids and some solitary rodents, we found little evidence for self‐advertisement. We suggest that the peculiar social system of the banded mongoose results in self‐advertisement losing importance in this species, shifting the main function of scent‐marking to intrasexual competition.