Group composition and cohesion in sympatric white-tailed deer and mule deer

2003 ◽  
Vol 81 (7) ◽  
pp. 1119-1130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Lingle
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Habitat Conditions ◽  
Small Female ◽  
Habitat Variation ◽  
The Social ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Large Groups

White-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) have been reported to live in smaller groups than mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus). Group size, however, generally varies with habitat conditions, and no comparison has been made between the social structures of the two species living in the same ecological conditions. I compared the size, composition, and stability of groups formed by sympatric whitetails and mule deer living in a prairie habitat in southern Alberta. Seasonal trends were similar for the two species. Females and fawns usually formed small groups during summer. Larger mixed-sex groups became increasingly common during winter, well after the breeding season. Despite the similar seasonal trend, mule deer were significantly more likely than whitetails to occur in relatively large groups composed of both sexes during winter, and whitetails were more likely to occur in small female groups. Mule deer groups were more stable than whitetail groups, and marked mule deer fawns developed strong associations with other known fawns. Habitat variation was limited and was not related to group size. These results show that the composition and cohesion of whitetail and mule deer groups differ, even when the species live in similar circumstances. The differences in grouping behaviour, larger more cohesive groups formed by mule deer than by whitetails, are consistent with those expected to result from the selection pressure of predation.

Intersexual social behavior of urban white-tailed deer and its evolutionary implications

2007 ◽  
Vol 85 (7) ◽  
pp. 759-766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Katherine E. Richardson ◽  
Floyd W. Weckerly
Keyword(s):  
Social Behavior ◽  
Predation Risk ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Social Factor ◽  
Size Composition ◽  
Urban Environments ◽  
Focal Animal ◽  
The Social ◽  
San Marcos ◽  
Central Texas

White-tailed deer ( Odocoileus virginianus (Zimmermann, 1780)) are now common in many urban environments throughout their geographic range. Yet, how male and female deer in the urban environment associate, behave socially, and the evolutionary implications of that behavior remains unstudied. We examined predictions of the predation risk and the social factor hypotheses to explain intersexual grouping patterns and social behavior observed in white-tailed deer inhabiting the small city of San Marcos (population size ~45 000) in central Texas. Two routes were surveyed weekly from a vehicle at dawn and dusk for 1 year. Group size, composition, distance to vehicle, and alarm state of deer to the vehicle were recorded. Focal animal sampling was used to measure the time males and females spent and number of aggressions within one body length of each other when in groups. Female-only groups were most prevalent year round followed by mixed-sex groups, which increased in prevalence in summer and during the mating season. Alarm state was weakly related to group size but not to group composition. Males were farther apart and more aggressive than females in groups. Proportion of males in mixed-sex groups declined with increased group size. Intersexual patterns of grouping and social behavior of urban deer supported the social factor hypothesis but not the predation risk hypothesis.

Inter- and intraspecific vigilance patterns of two sympatric Tibetan ungulates

2019 ◽  
Vol 101 (2) ◽  
pp. 498-506 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yunchao Luo ◽  
Lin Wang ◽  
Le Yang ◽  
Xinxin Wang ◽  
Ming Tan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Body Size ◽  
Body Mass ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Sexually Dimorphic ◽  
Small Animals ◽  
Wild Ungulates ◽  
Small Female ◽  
Social Monitoring ◽  
Negative Effect ◽  
Large Groups

Abstract Vigilance is an important antipredation technique that can be affected by many factors, such as body size and group size. Small animals are more vulnerable than large ones, so the former are expected to behave more vigilantly than the latter. This effect of body size on vigilance may occur inter- or intraspecifically. We studied the vigilance behavior of two sympatric wild ungulates, Tibetan antelopes (Pantholops hodgsonii) and Tibetan gazelles (Procapra picticaudata). Tibetan antelopes, with a body size of 33 kg are much larger than Tibetan gazelles, with a body size of approximately 14 kg. Tibetan antelopes are sexually and body-size dimorphic; that is, males are much heavier than females. Alternately, Tibetan gazelles are sexually dimorphic but the sexes do not differ in weight. Tibetan gazelles scanned their environment more frequently than Tibetan antelopes did. Small female Tibetan antelopes scanned their environment more frequently than males did, whereas male Tibetan gazelles scanned their environment more frequently than females did. Group size did not affect the vigilance of Tibetan gazelle, but its negative effect on the vigilance of male Tibetan antelopes was marginally significant. In female Tibetan antelopes, vigilance in large groups was high probably because of scramble competition and social monitoring. Our results suggested that body mass and group size play an important role in shaping the vigilance of these two rare Tibetan ungulates.

scholarly journals Behavioral and physiological evidence that increasing group size ameliorates the impacts of social disturbance

2020 ◽  
Vol 223 (14) ◽  
pp. jeb217075
Author(s):  
Hannah M. Anderson ◽  
Alexander G. Little ◽  
David N. Fisher ◽  
Brendan L. McEwen ◽  
Brett M. Culbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Social Instability ◽  
Group Stability ◽  
Physiological Evidence ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face ◽  
Large Groups ◽  
Group Member

ABSTRACTIntra-group social stability is important for the long-term productivity and health of social organisms. We evaluated the effect of group size on group stability in the face of repeated social perturbations using a cooperatively breeding fish, Neolamprologus pulcher. In a laboratory study, we compared both the social and physiological responses of individuals from small versus large groups to the repeated removal and replacement of the most dominant group member (the breeder male), either with a new male (treatment condition) or with the same male (control condition). Individuals living in large groups were overall more resistant to instability but were seemingly slower to recover from perturbation. Members of small groups were more vulnerable to instability but recovered faster. Breeder females in smaller groups also showed greater physiological preparedness for instability following social perturbations. In sum, we discover both behavioral and physiological evidence that living in larger groups helps to dampen the impacts of social instability in this system.

scholarly journals Behavioral and physiological evidence that increasing group size ameliorates the impacts of social disturbance

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hannah M. Anderson ◽  
Alexander G. Little ◽  
David N. Fisher ◽  
Brendan L. McEwen ◽  
Brett M. Culbert ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Group Size ◽  
Social Stability ◽  
Dominant Group ◽  
Social Instability ◽  
Group Stability ◽  
Physiological Evidence ◽  
The Social ◽  
The Face ◽  
Large Groups

ABSTRACTIntra-group social stability is important for the long-term productivity and health of social organisms. We evaluated the effect of group size on group stability in the face of repeated social perturbations using a cooperatively breeding fish, Neolamprologus pulcher. In a laboratory study, we compared both the social and physiological responses of individuals from small versus large groups to the repeated removal and replacement of the most dominant group member (the breeder male). Individuals living in large groups were overall more resistant to instability but were seemingly slower to recover from perturbation. Members of small group were more vulnerable to instability but recovered faster. Breeder females in smaller groups also showed greater physiological preparedness for instability following social perturbations. In sum, we recover both behavioral and physiological evidence that living in larger groups helps to dampen the impacts of social instability in this system.Summary StatementSocial stability is vital for group productivity and long-term persistence. Here, both behavioral and physiological evidence conveys that larger groups are less susceptible to social disturbance.

Male size and alternative mating tactics in white-tailed deer and mule deer

2020 ◽  
Vol 101 (5) ◽  
pp. 1231-1243
Author(s):  
Jason I Airst ◽  
Susan Lingle
Keyword(s):  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Courtship Behavior ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Similar Proportion ◽  
Mating Tactics ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Size Dependent ◽  
Southern Alberta ◽  
Grassland Site

Abstract Within populations, individual males adopt different courtship tactics due to differences in their competitive ability, which may vary depending on the animal’s age and size. To test the hypothesis that mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and white-tailed deer (O. virginianus) males vary their courtship behavior based on their size, we conducted focal observations of 144 mule deer and 85 white-tailed males that varied in size, at a large grassland site in southern Alberta. The smallest mule deer males devoted more time to feeding, were less likely to engage in late-stage courtship than larger males and were less likely to move among female groups. Other males, including small white-tailed males, appeared to use a roving strategy to search for estrous females in different groups, which is consistent with recent research on male movements. Both medium and large males increased the time they spent in one-male groups, and specifically isolated pairs, as courtship advanced, presumably to reduce competition with other males. However, this trend was most pronounced for medium mule deer males, and for all size classes of white-tailed deer. In contrast, large mule deer males spent a similar proportion of time tending females in all group types. Our results identified potential size-dependent tactics for mule deer males. In contrast, white-tailed males of all sizes appeared to rely on a tactic of finding and tending estrous females in isolation from other males.

New research frameworks in the study of chimpanzee and gorilla sociality and communication

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam G. B. Roberts ◽  
Anna Roberts
Keyword(s):  
Social Evolution ◽  
Social Complexity ◽  
Brain Size ◽  
Social Systems ◽  
Strongly Correlated ◽  
The Social ◽  
Human Social Evolution ◽  
Research Frameworks ◽  
New Research ◽  
Large Groups

Group size in primates is strongly correlated with brain size, but exactly what makes larger groups more ‘socially complex’ than smaller groups is still poorly understood. Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) and gorillas (Gorilla gorilla) are among our closest living relatives and are excellent model species to investigate patterns of sociality and social complexity in primates, and to inform models of human social evolution. The aim of this paper is to propose new research frameworks, particularly the use of social network analysis, to examine how social structure differs in small, medium and large groups of chimpanzees and gorillas, to explore what makes larger groups more socially complex than smaller groups. Given a fission-fusion system is likely to have characterised hominins, a comparison of the social complexity involved in fission-fusion and more stable social systems is likely to provide important new insights into human social evolution

scholarly journals Social environment influences the relationship between genotype and gene expression in wild baboons

2013 ◽  
Vol 368 (1618) ◽  
pp. 20120345 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel E. Runcie ◽  
Ralph T. Wiedmann ◽  
Elizabeth A. Archie ◽  
Jeanne Altmann ◽  
Gregory A. Wray ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Gene Expression ◽  
Individual Differences ◽  
Social Environment ◽  
Group Size ◽  
Early Life ◽  
Social Connectedness ◽  
Dominance Rank ◽  
Social Stressors ◽  
The Social ◽  
Wild Baboons

Variation in the social environment can have profound effects on survival and reproduction in wild social mammals. However, we know little about the degree to which these effects are influenced by genetic differences among individuals, and conversely, the degree to which social environmental variation mediates genetic reaction norms. To better understand these relationships, we investigated the potential for dominance rank, social connectedness and group size to modify the effects of genetic variation on gene expression in the wild baboons of the Amboseli basin. We found evidence for a number of gene–environment interactions (GEIs) associated with variation in the social environment, encompassing social environments experienced in adulthood as well as persistent effects of early life social environment. Social connectedness, maternal dominance rank and group size all interacted with genotype to influence gene expression in at least one sex, and either in early life or in adulthood. These results suggest that social and behavioural variation, akin to other factors such as age and sex, can impact the genotype–phenotype relationship. We conclude that GEIs mediated by the social environment are important in the evolution and maintenance of individual differences in wild social mammals, including individual differences in responses to social stressors.

Tolazoline-Induced Apnea in Mule Deer (Odocoileus hemionus)

2011 ◽  
Vol 42 (1) ◽  
pp. 105-107 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jack Alan Mortenson ◽  
Jason Andrew Robison
Keyword(s):  
Mule Deer ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus

Growth and seasonal weight changes as they relate to spring and autumn set points in mule deer

1991 ◽  
Vol 69 (3) ◽  
pp. 744-747 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lyle A. Renecker ◽  
W. M. Samuel
Keyword(s):  
Growth Rate ◽  
Weight Loss ◽  
Weight Gain ◽  
Mule Deer ◽  
Odocoileus Hemionus ◽  
Weight Changes ◽  
Annual Cycles ◽  
Body Weights ◽  
Compensatory Gain ◽  
Highly Correlated

Growth rate and potential, 25 hand-reared mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus hemionus) were examined. When possible, body weights of all animals were recorded weekly. Female deer matured faster than males, but males attained a larger body size. Regressions of winter weight loss of both sexes on peak autumn weight were highly correlated. Similarly, spring and summer compensatory gain in females could be predicted from the minimum spring weight. Annual cycles of intake and weight gain may have adaptations that improve reproductive success and winter survival.

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