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Dominant aggression as a deterrent signal in paper wasps
journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-08, 20:16 authored by Faye J Thompson, Lynda Donaldson, Rufus A Johnstone, Jeremy Field, Michael A CantLow-level social aggression is a conspicuous feature of cooperative animal societies, but its precise function is usually unclear. One long-standing hypothesis is that aggressive displays by dominant individuals serve to reduce uncertainty about relative strength and deter subordinates from starting fights that they are unlikely to win. However, most formal theoretical models of this idea do not consider how the credibility of deterrent signals might change over time in social groups. We developed a simple model of dominant aggression as a deterrent signal, which takes into account how credibility changes over time and how selection should act on receiver memory. We then carried out an experimental test of the predictions of our model on a field population of the paper wasp, Polistes dominulus. The match between our theoretical and empirical results suggests that low-level social aggression can help to maintain the stability and productivity of cooperative associations in this species. Moreover, our work suggests that rates of aggression in animal societies and the robustness of social memories are likely to be intimately related.
History
Publication status
- Published
Journal
Behavioral EcologyISSN
1045-2249Publisher
Oxford University PressExternal DOI
Issue
4Volume
25Page range
706-715Department affiliated with
- Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications
Full text available
- No
Peer reviewed?
- Yes