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Evolutionary and Ecological Physiology |
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Behavioural Ecology
In
animals that use aggressive behaviour to establish dominance hierarchies,
agonistic behaviour between conspecifics is an important determinant of
fitness. Intraspecific aggression
commonly occurs when resources (e.g. shelter, food, mates) are unequally distributed
in the environment so that dominance over an opponent will result in an
immediate benefit for the winner. Success in agonistic encounters depends on
intrinsic factors associated with physical and physiological performance, and
extrinsic social experience. We
use crayfish as a model organism to test hypotheses about the mechanisms that
lead to success in social hierarchies.
For example, in Cherax
destructor acclimation temperature significantly influences the outcomes
of fights (Fig. 1, left panel), and the respiratory control ratio of chelae
muscles at least partly explains the differences in the scores (Fig. 1, right
panel).
Fig. 1 In the crayfish Cherax destructor, acclimation temperature
determines success in aggressive encounters (left panel), and the efficacy of
mitochondria to produce ATP (respiratory control ratio) partly explains
differences in scores between opponents (right panel).
Seebacher, F., Wilson, R. S. 2007.
Individual recognition in crayfish (Cherax dispar): the roles of strength and experience in deciding
aggressive encounters. Biology Letters 3, 471-474. Wilson, R. S., Angilletta,
M. J., James, R. S., Navas C., Seebacher, F.
2007. Dishonest signals of
strength in male slender crayfish (Cherax
dispar) during agonistic encounters.
American Naturalist 170,
284-292. Seebacher, F., and Wilson, R. S. 2006. Fighting fit: thermal plasticity of metabolic function and fighting success in the crayfish Cherax destructor. Functional Ecology 20, 1045-1053.
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