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A QUANTITATIVE ASSESSMENT OF DOMINANCE RELATIONS AMONG BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS
Author(s) -
Samuels Amy,
Gifford Tara
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
marine mammal science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.723
H-Index - 78
eISSN - 1748-7692
pISSN - 0824-0469
DOI - 10.1111/j.1748-7692.1997.tb00613.x
Subject(s) - agonism , agonistic behaviour , dominance (genetics) , bottlenose dolphin , dominance hierarchy , social relation , ecology , aggression , biology , zoology , psychology , developmental psychology , social psychology , biochemistry , politics , political science , law , gene
A bstract Agonistic behavior of bottlenose dolphins was studied at Brookfield Zoo for nearly 4.5 yr, and dominance relationships were determined using a quantitative technique adapted from primate behavioral research. Dominance relations among dolphins were influenced by the gender of participants. Male dolphins were clearly and consistently dominant to females, and intersexual agonism occurred at moderate rates with seasonal peaks in spring and fall. Dominance relationships among female dolphins were age‐ordered and stable, even though agonism among females did occur at uniformly low rates. In contrast, the two males had a changeable dominance relationship in which periods of stability and low‐level agonism were interspersed with episodes of intense competition. Zoo‐based research revealed patterns of behavior that conformed to current knowledge about bottlenose dolphin social structure. Moreover, research in a zoo setting facilitated development of a quantitative technique that can be used to assess cetacean dominance relationships in field research.