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Trade-off between fertility and predation risk drives a geometric sequence in the pattern of group sizes in baboons

Abstract:
Group-living offers both benefits (protection against predators, access to resources) and costs (increased ecological competition, the impact of group size on fertility). Here, we use cluster analysis to detect natural patternings in a comprehensive sample of baboon groups, and identify a geometric sequence with peaks at approximately 20, 40, 80 and 160. We suggest (i) that these form a set of demographic oscillators that set habitat-specific limits to group size and (ii) that the oscillator arises from a trade-off between female fertility and predation risk.
Publication status:
Published
Peer review status:
Peer reviewed

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Publisher copy:
10.1098/rsbl.2017.0700

Authors

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Institution:
University of Oxford
Division:
MSD
Department:
Experimental Psychology
Role:
Author
ORCID:
0000-0002-9982-9702


More from this funder
Funding agency for:
Dunbar, R
Grant:
295663


Publisher:
Royal Society
Journal:
Biology Letters More from this journal
Volume:
14
Issue:
3
Pages:
20170700
Publication date:
2018-03-07
Acceptance date:
2018-02-16
DOI:
EISSN:
1744-957X
ISSN:
1744-9561
Pmid:
29514992


Language:
English
Keywords:
Pubs id:
pubs:828626
UUID:
uuid:bba5a3d3-c1ea-491e-8371-9fe96ffeaa47
Local pid:
pubs:828626
Source identifiers:
828626
Deposit date:
2018-12-04
ARK identifier:

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