Mating dominance amongst male Himalayan tahr: blonds do better

In ungulates, rank order is determined by differences in weight, body size, weapon size and age. In the Caprini tribe (Bovidae: Caprinae), adult male Himalayan tahr are unique to show different coat colours, but no sexual dimorphism in weapons. A highly significant correlation between hair colour and rank order was found during the rut: males with a lighter coloured ruff dominated over darker ruffed ones, in both aggressive interactions and access to oestrus females. We studied colour-based dominance in relation to weight, age and testosterone levels, which establish the social rank in most ungulates. No differences in weight and testosterone concentrations were found between adult male colour classes, but males with paler ruffs were significantly younger than darker adult males. The distribution of physical traumas from fights confirmed that younger, lighter-coloured males had a higher rank than older, darker males, a pattern which is unusual amongst ungulates. Coat colour seems to work as a signal of rank in male-male aggressive interactions and it changes according to age, whereas the relevant physiological determinants deserve further research. Intrasexual male competition has not changed weapon size or shape in the Himalayan tahr, but ruff colours are apparently used to signal rank and dominance. Colour patterns of adult males may then be homologous to ritualised weapons, apparently being a unique feature of male tahr amongst mammals.
 
Citation proposal
Sandro Lovari (University of Siena - Department of Environmental Science) - Bernardo Pellizzi (University of Siena - Department of Environmental Science) - Roberto Boesi (University of Siena - Department of Environmental Science) - L. Fusani () (2009) . Mating dominance amongst male Himalayan tahr: blonds do better. https://geoportal.mountaingenius.org/geonetwork/srv/api/records/8da3c42e-2802-4e53-819d-bf65aa4e373a
 

Simple

Alternate title
Date ( Publication )
2009-01-01T00:00:00
Edition
Presentation form
Hardcopy document
Presentation form
Digital document
Other citation details
Behavioural Processes 2009, 81:20-25.
Collective title
ISBN
ISSN
Purpose

  Author

  +39 0577 233515 

  Author

  Author

  Author

Maintenance and update frequency
As needed
Keywords ( Theme )
  • SHARE
Keywords ( Theme )
  • Coat colour
Keywords ( Theme )
  • Age
Keywords ( Theme )
  • Hormones
Keywords ( Theme )
  • Rank order
Access constraints
Copyright
Use constraints
Copyright
Other constraints
Spatial representation type
Vector
Metadata language
eng
Character set
UTF8
Topic category
  • Environment
N
S
E
W


Reference system identifier
WGS 1984
Distribution format
  • ( )

Protocol
WWW:LINK-1.0-http--link
Name
Description
OnLine resource
https://geoportal.mountaingenius.org/webapp/srv/en/resources.get?id=1018&fname=&access=private  
Protocol
OGC:WMS-1.1.1-http-get-map
Name
Description
Hierarchy level
Series
Dataset
Statement

gmd:MD_Metadata

File identifier
8da3c42e-2802-4e53-819d-bf65aa4e373a   XML
Metadata language
eng
Character set
UTF8
Date stamp
2011-06-22T13:19:18
Metadata standard name
ISO 19115:2003/19139
Metadata standard version
1.0

  Point of contact

  +39 035 3230551 
Website
http://www.evk2cnr.org/  
 
 

  Overviews

thumbnail

  Provided by

  Share on social sites

         

  Views

Read here the full details and access to the data.

  Associated resources

Not available