Small male chimps use politics, rather than aggression, to lead the pack, U of Minnesota ...( With most mammals the biggest and mo...)
With most mammals, the biggest and most aggressive male claims the alpha male role and gets his choice of food and females. But a new study from the University of Minnesota suggests that at least among chimpanzees, smaller, more mild-mannered males can also use political behavior to secure the top position.
The finding was gleaned from 10 years of observing dominant male chimpanzees in Gombe National Park, Tanzania, looking at behaviors they used to compete for alpha male status relative to their size. Analysis showed that larger males relied more on physical attacks to dominate while smaller, gentler males groomed other chimpanzees, both male and female, to gain broad support.
The study focused on three alpha males who reigned between 1989 and 2003. Frodo, one of the largest and most aggressive male chimpanzees ever observed at Gombe, weighed 51.2 kg (112.6 lbs.) at his peak. He relied on his size and aggression to rule. While he allowed other chimpanzees to groom him, he seldom returned the favor. At the other end of the spectrum, Wilkie, who weighed only 37 kg (81.4 lbs.), obsessively groomed both male and female chimpanzees to maintain his top position. And Freud, who weighed 44.8 kg (98.6 lbs.), used a combination of the two strategies. (The average male chimp in Gombe weighs about 39 kg (85.8 lbs.).
The findings are reported in the February issue of the American Journal of Primatology. While it's widely known that grooming plays an important role in chimpanzee social interaction, this study is the first to show that it can be a strategy for achieving dominance.
Mark Foster, who was an undergraduate pursuing a bachelor of arts degree in anthropology and a B.F.A. in acting when the research was conducted, was the study's lead author of the study. As a recipient of a Katherine E. Sullivan Fellowship he later spent six months in Tanzania and Gombe and then became an educational assistant at the Lincoln Park Zoo in Ch
'/>"/>
| Contact: Patty Mattern mattern@umn.edu 612-624-2801 University of Minnesota Source:Eurekalert |
Related biology news :
1. CSHL scientists find a new class of small RNAs and define its function
2. Small changes can lead to big rewards, says ASN president
3. New study indicates smallpox vaccination effective for decades
4. Small satellite takes on large thunderstorms
5. Nanoparticles in the home: More and smaller than previously detected
6. Networks of small habitat patches can preserve urban biodiversity
7. Studies of small water fleas help ecologists understand population dynamics
8. When particles are so small that they seep right through skin
9. Exciting new companies at NJITs small biz incubator get 100K in grants
10. Exciting new companies at NJITs small biz incubator get 100K in lrants
11. Americas smallest dinosaur uncovered
| Copyright © 2003-2009 Bio-Medicine. All rights reserved. ABOUT | CONTACT US | DISCLAIMER | PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS AND CONDITIONS |  |