Choosing a bigger opponent: the path to victory and greater gains for the small contestant

IF 1.9 2区 生物学 Q3 BEHAVIORAL SCIENCES
Luis M. Burciaga, Guillermina Alcaraz
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Animals often engage in contests over limited resources. The probability of winning a contest is primarily determined by the individual's fighting ability relative to its opponent and the perceived value of the disputed resource. Individuals of the hermit crab Calcinus californiensis frequently fight over gastropod shells. We conducted a free-choice experiment to assess the factors that determine individuals’ choice of opponent, contest initiation, and contest resolution. We placed hermit crabs occupying two shell species into a large container and monitored agonistic interactions between crabs. We assessed the asymmetries in fighting ability based on the differences in body mass between the opponents. The shell species and fit (i.e., shell size relative to crab body size) were used as measures of the objective and subjective resource value, respectively. Motivation influenced contest initiation; the crabs occupying too-tight shells were more likely to initiate a contest than the ones in looser-fitting shells. In most cases, the attackers fought for a shell with a looser fit, even if that meant losing a tighter-fitting shell of the preferred shell species. The fighting success for attackers was positively associated with the number of bouts of rapping and the shell size improvement. However, success was negatively correlated with body size asymmetry; attackers that chose opponents larger than themselves were more likely to evict their opponent than the attackers that chose opponents that were smaller. Experimental designs that allow animals to select their own opponents, rather than assigning specific opponents, can strongly contribute to knowledge of agonistic interactions.

Significance statement

Fighting dynamics are commonly assessed by estimating the influence of the resource-holding potential and resource value in pair-matched opponents. Here, however, we examined the influence of asymmetries in resource-holding potential and the objective and subjective value of gastropod shells on the choice of a contender and contest resolution through a free-choice opponent experiment in hermit crabs. The contest initiation was driven by the motivation to obtain a better gastropod shell species or one with a better size fit—factors which are known to improve individual fitness. Furthermore, fighting success was associated with an individual's persistence in displaying aggressive behaviors and its motivation to obtain a better resource. However, contrary to the predictions of game theoretical models, fighting success was higher when attackers chose opponents larger than themselves. Our results highlight the relevance of assessing fighting under more natural conditions by allowing animals to select their opponents.

Abstract Image

选择更大的对手:小选手的胜利之路和更大收益
摘要 动物经常会为了争夺有限的资源而展开较量。争夺获胜的概率主要取决于个体相对于对手的战斗力以及对争议资源的认知价值。加州寄居蟹(Calcinus californiensis)的个体经常为争夺腹足类动物的壳而打斗。我们进行了一次自由选择实验,以评估决定个体选择对手、开始争夺和解决争夺的因素。我们将占据两种贝壳的寄居蟹放入一个大容器中,并监测寄居蟹之间的争斗互动。我们根据对手身体质量的差异评估了战斗能力的不对称性。壳的种类和适合度(即壳的大小相对于蟹的体型)分别被用来衡量客观和主观资源价值。螃蟹的动机会影响竞争的开始;壳太紧的螃蟹比壳太松的螃蟹更有可能开始竞争。在大多数情况下,攻击者会争夺一个更宽松的壳,即使这意味着要失去一个更紧身的壳。攻击者的战斗成功率与拍击次数和贝壳大小的改善呈正相关。然而,成功与否与体型不对称呈负相关;选择比自己大的对手的攻击者比选择比自己小的对手的攻击者更有可能驱逐对手。让动物自己选择对手,而不是指定特定对手的实验设计,可以极大地促进对激动式相互作用的了解。意义声明通常通过估计成对匹配对手的资源占有潜力和资源价值的影响来评估战斗动态。然而,在这里,我们通过寄居蟹自由选择对手实验,考察了资源占有潜力和腹足类贝壳的主客观价值的不对称性对竞争者选择和竞争解决的影响。开始竞争的动机是为了获得更好的腹足类贝壳种类或更好的大小适合度--众所周知,这些因素可以提高个体的适应性。此外,搏斗的成功与个体持续表现出的攻击行为及其获得更好资源的动机有关。然而,与博弈论模型的预测相反,当攻击者选择比自己大的对手时,战斗成功率更高。我们的研究结果凸显了在更自然的条件下通过让动物选择对手来评估打斗的意义。
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来源期刊
CiteScore
3.90
自引率
8.70%
发文量
146
审稿时长
3 months
期刊介绍: The journal publishes reviews, original contributions and commentaries dealing with quantitative empirical and theoretical studies in the analysis of animal behavior at the level of the individual, group, population, community, and species.
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