Presentation Details
| Group membership changes affected the rise and fall of dominance rank in bobwhite quail Mia Wang1, Ashley Staab2, Elizabeth A.Hobson2. 1Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA.2University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA |
Abstract
Social species often organize their groups into dominance hierarchies, where rank can provide many benefits. Measuring the robustness of hierarchies provides key insights into how species may react to stressors, like changes in group membership. We experimented with social hierarchies of captive male Northern Bobwhite Quail (Colinus virginianus) to test how groups responded to the removal and reintroduction of a top-ranked bird. We used 4 replicate 8-bird groups in 5-day perturbation experiments to quantify how rank developed, changed during removals, and was reestablished following reintroduction. Groups quickly formed dominance hierarchies within the first hour of novel group formation. Following removal of the top-ranked bird, all groups were able to recover; newly dominant birds had aggression statistically indistinguishable from the previous bird. However, when the original top-ranked bird was reintroduced after a 2-day absence, it was able to quickly reassume its previous rank in 75% of our groups. These results differ from previous work in other social birds like Monk Parakeets, adding to a working body of knowledge investigating social change in dominance hierarchies.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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