Does size really matter

Date Issued:: 2012
Summary:: Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and spotted (Stenella frontalis) dolphins are sympatric species, resident to Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. A unique, dynamic methodology quantified how interspecific aggression changed over time in terms of the individuals participating, context, and behaviors used. The timing of human observation relative to the onset of aggression did not result in differences in the proportion of behaviors observed. Highly intense behaviors were used most often. The synchronous state of spotted dolphin groups, not the presence alone, was a crucial factor in determining the onset and progression of aggression. When synchronous, spotted dolphins successfully dominated the larger bottlenose dolphins. Two levels of dominance were observed. Within a single encounter ("encounter level"), one species did dominate the other. When all aggressive encounters were considered collectively over the long term ("gross level"), one species did not dominate the other. The combination of contextual factors best determined the dynamic of interspecific aggression.

Title:	Does size really matter: how synchrony and size affect the dynamic of aggression between two sympatric species of dolphin in the Bahamas.	129 views 43 downloads
Name(s):	Cuksick, Jessica A. Charles E. Schmidt College of Science Department of Biological Sciences
Type of Resource:	text
Genre:	Electronic Thesis Or Dissertation
Date Issued:	2012
Publisher:	Florida Atlantic University
Physical Form:	electronic
Extent:	xi, 111 p. : ill. (some col.)
Language(s):	English
Summary:	Bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) and spotted (Stenella frontalis) dolphins are sympatric species, resident to Little Bahama Bank, Bahamas. A unique, dynamic methodology quantified how interspecific aggression changed over time in terms of the individuals participating, context, and behaviors used. The timing of human observation relative to the onset of aggression did not result in differences in the proportion of behaviors observed. Highly intense behaviors were used most often. The synchronous state of spotted dolphin groups, not the presence alone, was a crucial factor in determining the onset and progression of aggression. When synchronous, spotted dolphins successfully dominated the larger bottlenose dolphins. Two levels of dominance were observed. Within a single encounter ("encounter level"), one species did dominate the other. When all aggressive encounters were considered collectively over the long term ("gross level"), one species did not dominate the other. The combination of contextual factors best determined the dynamic of interspecific aggression.
Identifier:	794175662 (oclc), 3342044 (digitool), FADT3342044 (IID), fau:3848 (fedora)
Note(s):	by Jessica A. Cusick. Thesis (M.S.)--Florida Atlantic University, 2012. Includes bibliography. Electronic reproduction. Boca Raton, Fla., 2012. Mode of access: World Wide Web.
Subject(s):	Bottlenose dolphin -- Behavior -- Research -- Bahamas -- Little Bahama Bank Atlantic spotted dolphin -- Behavior -- Research -- Bahamas -- Little Bahama Bank Mammals -- Behavior Aggressive behavior in animals
Persistent Link to This Record:	http://purl.flvc.org/FAU/3342044
Use and Reproduction:	http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/
Host Institution:	FAU

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