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Flexible and Derived Varieties of Mammalian Social Organization: Promiscuity in Aggregations May Have Served as a Recent “Toolkit” Giving Rise to “Sexual Segregation,” Polygynous Social Structures, Monogamy, Polyandry, and Leks

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The Evolution of Mammalian Sociality in an Ecological Perspective

Part of the book series: SpringerBriefs in Ecology ((BRIEFSECOLOGY))

Abstract

Chapter 3 argues that extant mammals are characterized by an ancient social “toolkit” derived from the traits of ancient group-living mammals. An important lesson highlighted by a review of extant social evolution is that animals in heterogeneous regimes are not necessarily group living, although, extreme environments (sublethal stress?) appear to favor higher grades of sociality. A review of the literature suggests that flexible social structures evolved from “promiscuous” aggregations of reproductive males and females characterized by nonoverlapping ranges and that body sizes, home-range sizes, and male–male tolerance are driven by evolution in thermal (“patch”) regimes.

It seems very improbable that any mammal is ever truly socially neutral; individuals of other species may be disregarded, but to have no response, either positive or negative, to conspecifics, seems inherently improbable. Ewer (1968)

All evolutionary processes must work by modification of existing systems, so in this sense, it is expected that social traits would be foreshadowed in traits of solitary ancestors. Bourke (2011)

Since the marsupials have radiated to fill a wide variety of ecological niches, and since this radiation has been accomplished utilizing the same fundamental body plan, the marsupials are the only “control” group with which we can test hypotheses about the evolution of behavior within the eutherian mammals. Eisenberg (1981)

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  1. Mammals and Phenogroups (MaPs), Asheville, North Carolina, USA

    Clara B. Jones

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Jones, C. (2014). Flexible and Derived Varieties of Mammalian Social Organization: Promiscuity in Aggregations May Have Served as a Recent “Toolkit” Giving Rise to “Sexual Segregation,” Polygynous Social Structures, Monogamy, Polyandry, and Leks. In: The Evolution of Mammalian Sociality in an Ecological Perspective. SpringerBriefs in Ecology. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-03931-2_3

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