Mesterton-Gibbons, Mike, Hardy, Ian C. W. and Field, Jeremy (2006) The effect of differential survivorship on the stability of reproductive queueing. Journal of Theoretical Biology, 242 (3). pp. 699-712. ISSN 0022-5193

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Abstract

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.

Item Type:	Article
Schools and Departments:	School of Life Sciences > Evolution, Behaviour and Environment
Depositing User:	Jeremy Field
Date Deposited:	06 Feb 2012 19:22
Last Modified:	26 Mar 2012 15:48
URI:	http://sro.sussex.ac.uk/id/eprint/20293

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