TY - JOUR
T1 - Vocal rate as an assessment process during fallow deer contests
AU - Jennings, Dómhnall J.
AU - Elwood, Robert W.
AU - Carlin, Caitríona M.
AU - Hayden, Thomas J.
AU - Gammell, Martin P.
PY - 2012/10
Y1 - 2012/10
N2 - Two types of model propose that strategic decisions during contests are determined either by (i) a mutual-assessment process or (ii) a self-assessment process. Vocal signals are thought to convey information about the competitive abilities of individuals, the ultimate function of which is a reduction in costs associated with fighting consistent with the principle of mutual assessment. Nevertheless, the limited evidence that male ungulates engage in mutual assessment of vocal rates during dyadic contests has been questioned. Therefore, we examined the vocal rates of winners and losers during escalated dyadic contests between male fallow deer in order to further inform on this issue. Our results showed that winners and losers did not differ in vocal rate. The best model fit that accounted for individual vocal rates included a preponderance of factors related to the opponent indicating that contestants were attending to their opponent during fights. Vocal rate was, therefore, dependent on estimates of opponent quality without reference to self, supporting an 'opponent-only' rather than a mutual assessment process.
AB - Two types of model propose that strategic decisions during contests are determined either by (i) a mutual-assessment process or (ii) a self-assessment process. Vocal signals are thought to convey information about the competitive abilities of individuals, the ultimate function of which is a reduction in costs associated with fighting consistent with the principle of mutual assessment. Nevertheless, the limited evidence that male ungulates engage in mutual assessment of vocal rates during dyadic contests has been questioned. Therefore, we examined the vocal rates of winners and losers during escalated dyadic contests between male fallow deer in order to further inform on this issue. Our results showed that winners and losers did not differ in vocal rate. The best model fit that accounted for individual vocal rates included a preponderance of factors related to the opponent indicating that contestants were attending to their opponent during fights. Vocal rate was, therefore, dependent on estimates of opponent quality without reference to self, supporting an 'opponent-only' rather than a mutual assessment process.
KW - 'Opponent-only' assessment
KW - Fighting
KW - Resource holding potential
KW - Self- and mutual-assessment
KW - Vocal rate
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/84866004466
U2 - 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.07.003
DO - 10.1016/j.beproc.2012.07.003
M3 - Article
C2 - 22820323
AN - SCOPUS:84866004466
SN - 0376-6357
VL - 91
SP - 152
EP - 158
JO - Behavioural Processes
JF - Behavioural Processes
IS - 2
ER -