22 July 2014
Posted by: Daniel Thornhill
As a conservation scientist at Defenders of Wildlife, I follow the latest scientific findings on wolves
and other important wildlife species closely. Wolf science is a very
active area of inquiry, and lately, there have been many studies coming
out about wolves’ social structures and behavior. Today I want to pass
along one of the latest discoveries.
In order to survive in a dangerous and competitive world, wolves form
cooperative groups known as packs. Members of a wolf pack hunt
together, rear pups together, and compete against other wolf packs for
food and territory. Cooperation benefits all members of a pack and
improves their odds of survival.
Wolves naturally develop a hierarchy within their pack, with the most
dominant wolves acting as – you guessed it – the “leader of the pack.”
While wolves occasionally compete for the top spot in a pack, it is rare
for sustained fights to occur within a pack. Until recently,
researchers didn’t fully understand how wolves are able to resolve or
eliminate inter-pack conflict, but a new study
sheds light on this process. It turns out that wolves have elaborate
ways of communicating that help to maintain hierarchy and reinforce
relationships among pack mates. For instance, a subordinate wolf might
spontaneously lie on its back with its tail tucked between its legs,
exposing its stomach and throat to a more dominant wolf. This submissive
behavior acknowledges the submissive–dominant relationship between the
two individuals, thereby maintaining order and preventing violence among
pack mates. This study underscores just how complex and intelligent
wolves really are.
While these behaviors help to explain inter-pack dynamics and how
submissive behavior can actually be a conflict deterrent in wolf packs,
how are conflicts resolved once they occur?
To answer this question, researchers working in Yellowstone observed two packs of free-ranging wolves, the Druid Peak pack and the Blacktail Deer Plateau pack,
from 2008 to 2009. The scientists monitored and recorded wolf behaviors
following fights and compared these observations to the behaviors of
wolves during times with no group conflict. What the researchers found
was that after a fight, subordinate wolves would actually attempt to
reconcile with their more dominant pack mates. Ever hear of “kiss and
make up?” Immediately after a conflict, subordinate wolves will often
touch noses and lick their more dominant pack mates. Researchers think
that this nose touching behavior is a way of apologizing and asking for
forgiveness. It’s their way to resolve a conflict, reduce tension within
a group, show respect, and prevent further violence. The more heated
the fight, the greater the number of friendly behaviors that followed,
including nose touching, licking, body contact, greeting, inspecting,
playing, and sniffing.
Why would subordinate wolves want to ‘make amends’ after a fight? It
is probably due to the interdependence of the group. Subordinates
benefit most by maintaining peaceful relationships with their more
dominant pack mates – they need each other in order to survive.
Resolving and diffusing the conflict helps to prevent further violence
and keeps the group cohesive so that they can work together to hunt and
defend territory. This research is yet another example of the remarkable
intelligence of wolves, and their complex social structure.
Dan Thornhill is a Conservation Scientist at Defenders of Wildlife
source
No comments:
Post a Comment