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Variability in individual rates of aggression in wild gray seals: fine-scale analysis reveals importance of social and spatial stability

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Abstract

Aggressive interactions are costly for individuals in time, energy, or physical damage, and in polygynous mating systems, there is high variability in the rates and intensity of aggression across individuals and within breeding seasons. However, examinations into the drivers of this variability are often conducted in isolation, in non-wild systems, or the predictor variables in question, for example, dominance, are averaged across large spatial, social, or temporal scales. The aim of this study was to adopt a fine spatial and temporal scale approach to investigate the factors associated with inter-individual variation in aggression in wild, breeding male gray seals within three consecutive breeding seasons. To do this, we fit models examining if the daily frequency of aggression and probability of escalated aggression for males was best explained by factors such as dominance score, proximity to competitors or females, local social stability, and the occurrence of stochastic environmental events. Stability of neighbor identities was the strongest correlate of reduced male aggression. Dominance status did not correlate with aggression at the daily scale, with the exception of one period after a natural disturbance to the breeding colony where dominant males had relatively reduced rates of aggression. These findings emphasize the importance of local social stability in explaining inter-individual variation in aggression in a wild population and suggest that factors associated with aggression are context dependent in relation to the natural environment. Furthermore, we highlight the utility of a fine temporal scale and incorporating spatial parameters when investigating variability in aggression in wild systems.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the Durham Doctoral Studentship. We would like to thank the assistance and support of the Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust, specifically Rob Lidstone-Scott and Lizzie Lemon, for logistical assistance. We also thank James Stewart for assistance in data collection. Finally, thank you to the editor and the two anonymous reviewers whose comments and suggestions improved this manuscript.

Ethical Approval

This study was observational in nature, and all work complies with the current UK laws of animal welfare. All applicable international, national, and/or institutional guidelines for the care and use of animals were followed.

Funding

This study was funded by a Durham Doctoral Studentship awarded to author AB.

Conflict of Interest

Author AB declares she has no conflict of interest. Author PP declares that he has no conflict of interest. Author ST declares that he has no conflict of interest.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Durham University, Durham, DH1 3LE, UK

    Amanda M. Bishop & Sean D. Twiss

  2. Sea Mammal Research Unit, Scottish Oceans Institute, East Sands, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, Fife, KY16 8LB, UK

    Paddy Pomeroy

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  1. Amanda M. Bishop
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  2. Paddy Pomeroy
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  3. Sean D. Twiss
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Correspondence to Amanda M. Bishop.

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Communicated by V. M. Janik

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Bishop, A.M., Pomeroy, P. & Twiss, S.D. Variability in individual rates of aggression in wild gray seals: fine-scale analysis reveals importance of social and spatial stability. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 69, 1663–1675 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1978-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-015-1978-x

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