168x Filetype PPTX File size 1.19 MB Source: blogs.glowscotland.org.uk
Social Groups Many types of animal live in social groups. A social group can consist of as few as 2 members ranging to several thousand. To live and interact successfully in these groups animals have developed behaviours and signals. Social hierarchy • Social hierarchy is a system where members of a group are organised in order of rank • An individual of a higher rank dominates and exerts control over lower ranked individuals Advantages of Social Hierarchies • Systems of social hierarchies increase a species’ chance of survival • Aggression is ritualised and involves less cost • Real fighting is minimised • Serious injury is normally avoided • Energy is conserved • The strongest animals are more likely to pass on their genes Bird dominance • When newly hatched birds are kept together one bird will emerge as the dominant member • This bird will peck and intimidate other birds without being attacked back • This bird will get first choice of available food • The next ranked bird is able to peck all birds below without being attacked and so on • This is called a pecking order Mammals • Social hierarchies exist in some groups of mammals • Wolves live in packs with one male being dominant to the others • The dominant male is afforded certain rights such as first choice of food and mates • The dominant male uses social signals to exert his rank • He will use ritualised threat gestures to demonstrate his dominance • Other wolves demonstrate their acceptance of his dominance by making submissive responses
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