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The effect of differential survivorship on the stability of reproductive queueing

journal contribution
posted on 2023-06-07, 22:42 authored by Mike Mesterton-Gibbons, Ian C. W. Hardy, Jeremy Field
Queues, in which individuals inherit resources in a predictable, temporally stable order, are widespread in animal social groups. We develop an analytic model to explore the effect of differential survivorship on the stability of a reproductive queue. We show that unless fighting for dominance is potentially fatal, future direct benefits are not alone sufficient to stabilize a queue of non-relatives under constant (age-independent) mortality rates, regardless of whether a dominant becomes an isolate or remains a dominant on the death of the first subordinate. In the absence of fatal fighting, stabilization of such a queue by future direct benefits alone requires either the dominant or the subordinate to have age-dependent mortality rates. Even when the queue is stabilized by present direct reproduction, however, the shape of the lifespan distribution can make a significant difference to the size of the required incentive. In contrast to non-relatives, queues of relatives can be stable without age-dependent mortality, so long as relatedness exceeds a critical value; however, age-dependent mortality can lower this critical value.

History

Publication status

  • Published

Journal

Journal of Theoretical Biology

ISSN

0022-5193

Publisher

Elsevier

Issue

3

Volume

242

Page range

699-712

Pages

14.0

Department affiliated with

  • Evolution, Behaviour and Environment Publications

Full text available

  • No

Peer reviewed?

  • Yes

Legacy Posted Date

2012-02-06

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