The maintenance of stable dominance hierarchies and the pattern of aggression: Support for the suppression hypothesis
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The maintenance of stable dominance hierarchies and the pattern of aggression : Support for the suppression hypothesis. / Forkman, B.; Haskell, M. J.
I: Ethology, Bind 110, Nr. 9, 09.2004, s. 737-744.Publikation: Bidrag til tidsskrift › Tidsskriftartikel › Forskning › fagfællebedømt
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TY - JOUR
T1 - The maintenance of stable dominance hierarchies and the pattern of aggression
T2 - Support for the suppression hypothesis
AU - Forkman, B.
AU - Haskell, M. J.
PY - 2004/9
Y1 - 2004/9
N2 - Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the development and maintenance of dominance hierarchies. According to the first hypothesis the dominance hierarchy is a result of the animals fighting once at their first encounter and then using the outcome of that fight to determine the rank order. The second hypothesis proposes that a dominance hierarchy reflects the fighting ability of the individuals in the group at each moment and is therefore relatively fluid with individuals continuously fighting for position. A third hypothesis, the suppression hypothesis, states that the dominance hierarchy is based to a large extent on the outcome of the first fight between the individuals but the dominant animal in each pair continuously attacks the subdominant individuals to condition them to lose in future encounters. We studied six well-established flocks containing six adult hens each (Gallus gallus domesticus). Five of the flocks had linear hierarchies. The aggression was significantly more often directed towards the next low-ranking individual. There was a good correlation between rank and comb size (height x width), but no significant correlation between rank and weight, or rank and level of fluctuating asymmetry. There was no significant correlation between levels of aggression and similarity of comb size for individuals of neighboring ranks. Our results tentatively support the suppression hypothesis for the maintenance of dominance hierarchies in the domestic hen.
AB - Three hypotheses have been proposed to explain the development and maintenance of dominance hierarchies. According to the first hypothesis the dominance hierarchy is a result of the animals fighting once at their first encounter and then using the outcome of that fight to determine the rank order. The second hypothesis proposes that a dominance hierarchy reflects the fighting ability of the individuals in the group at each moment and is therefore relatively fluid with individuals continuously fighting for position. A third hypothesis, the suppression hypothesis, states that the dominance hierarchy is based to a large extent on the outcome of the first fight between the individuals but the dominant animal in each pair continuously attacks the subdominant individuals to condition them to lose in future encounters. We studied six well-established flocks containing six adult hens each (Gallus gallus domesticus). Five of the flocks had linear hierarchies. The aggression was significantly more often directed towards the next low-ranking individual. There was a good correlation between rank and comb size (height x width), but no significant correlation between rank and weight, or rank and level of fluctuating asymmetry. There was no significant correlation between levels of aggression and similarity of comb size for individuals of neighboring ranks. Our results tentatively support the suppression hypothesis for the maintenance of dominance hierarchies in the domestic hen.
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=4544314189&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2004.01009.x
DO - 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2004.01009.x
M3 - Journal article
AN - SCOPUS:4544314189
VL - 110
SP - 737
EP - 744
JO - Ethology
JF - Ethology
SN - 0179-1613
IS - 9
ER -
ID: 338347962