Overmarking behaviour of zebra males: no scent masking, but a group cohesion function across three species
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F61988987%3A17310%2F19%3AA20021CR" target="_blank" >RIV/61988987:17310/19:A20021CR - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/60076658:12310/19:43899388 RIV/00027014:_____/19:N0000162
Result on the web
<a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00265-019-2744-2" target="_blank" >https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2Fs00265-019-2744-2</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s00265-019-2744-2" target="_blank" >10.1007/s00265-019-2744-2</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Overmarking behaviour of zebra males: no scent masking, but a group cohesion function across three species
Original language description
Among many hypotheses in the literature that explain overmarking in mammals, most studies favour a sexual selection hypothesis. However, results in the literature are conflicting. In this study, we tested two hypotheses that could explain overmarking by males: (i) as a part of sexual selection, more specifically to mask scent of receptive females and (ii) as a form of communication serving to aid group cohesion. We observed each of the three zebra species in eight different herds at four zoos. In total, we recorded 1395 eliminations (760 defecations, 635 urinations) performed by 78 individuals including 8 stallions. Stallions investigated 248 eliminations and overmarked 124. The rate of overmarking by stallions was higher than those of all other sex and age categories. Stallions of all species overmarked all age and sex categories, except Grevy's zebra stallions did not overmark foal eliminations. In contrast to our first hypothesis, when attracted to the elimination, stallions overmarked non-oestrus females more often than oestrus ones. Thus, our results did not support the hypothesis that overmarking by males has a sexual selection function, but it could be explained by the group cohesion hypothesis. Based on our results, it seems that overmarking by equid males plays a greater role in intra-specific communication than in intra-sexual competition. In addition, this behaviour might play different roles in different species based on their social organisation.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10613 - Zoology
Result continuities
Project
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Continuities
V - Vyzkumna aktivita podporovana z jinych verejnych zdroju
Others
Publication year
2019
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
BEHAV ECOL SOCIOBIOL
ISSN
0340-5443
e-ISSN
1432-0762
Volume of the periodical
73
Issue of the periodical within the volume
10
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
11
Pages from-to
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UT code for WoS article
000485870200001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85073010649