Function of weaponry in females: the use of horns in intrasexual competition for resources in female Soay sheep.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_547E55E72F19
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Function of weaponry in females: the use of horns in intrasexual competition for resources in female Soay sheep.
Journal
Biology Letters
Author(s)
Robinson M.R., Kruuk L.E.
ISSN
1744-9561 (Print)
ISSN-L
1744-9561
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2007
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
3
Number
6
Pages
651-654
Language
english
Abstract
In many species, females show reduced expression of a trait that is under sexual selection in males, and this expression is thought to be maintained through genetic associations with the male phenotype. However, there is also the potential for the female trait to convey an advantage in intrasexual conflicts over resources. We tested this hypothesis in a feral population of Soay sheep, in which males and females have a polymorphism for horn development, producing either full (normal horned), reduced (scurred) or no (polled, females only) horns. During the lambing period, females who possessed horns were more likely to initiate and win aggressive interactions, independent of age, weight and birthing status. The occurrence of aggression was also context dependent, decreasing over the lambing period and associated with local density. Our results demonstrate that a trait that confers benefits to males during intrasexual competition for mates may also be used by females in intrasexual competition over resources: males use weaponry to gain mates, whereas females use weaponry to gain food.

Keywords
Aggression, Animals, Behavior, Animal, Breeding, Competitive Behavior, Female, Horns/physiology, Mating Preference, Animal, Population Density, Seasons, Sex Characteristics, Sex Factors, Sheep/anatomy & histology, Sheep/physiology
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
06/12/2017 13:42
Last modification date
20/08/2019 15:09
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