An aggressive interaction between baboons
Using a computer model, Imperial researchers have come up with a better way to determine the dynamics of groups where dominance plays a role. Dominance hierarchies, where some individuals within a group monopolize resources and mating opportunities, are common throughout the animal kingdom. However, the 'steepness' of the hierarchy is different between species. Our model not only helps researchers design future studies on dominance hierarchies, it can also tell us something about how confident we can be about the results of past studies. Alfredo Sánchez-Tójar For example, baboon groups have a clear 'alpha' male, which dominates all others, whereas sparrow groups do not have an individual ruling all others. Researchers determine the structure of hierarchies by observing the interactions of individuals over resources, and who wins in those encounters. Hierarchies are important because an individual's position in the group suggests its fitness: its potential for surviving and producing offspring.
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