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Between-litter siblicide in captive Indian false vampire bats (Megaderma lyra)

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  01 August 2000

Dieter Leippert ,
Wolfgang Goymann  and
Heribert Hofer
Dieter Leippert
Affiliation:
Zoologisches Institut der Universität München, Luisenstrasse 14, D-80333 München, Germany
Wolfgang Goymann
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany
Heribert Hofer
Affiliation:
Max-Planck-Institut für Verhaltensphysiologie, D-82319 Seewiesen, Germany Institut für Zoo- und Wildtierforschung, Alfred-Kowalke-Strasse 17, D-10315 Berlin, Germany
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Abstract

Sibling rivalry seems to contradict Hamilton's rule of maximizing inclusive fitness (Hamilton, 1964). However, when critical resources are scarce and the competitors are close kin the individual must weigh the direct versus the indirect components of its inclusive fitness (Mock & Parker, 1997). In facultatively siblicidal species, conflicts arise mainly because of the phenomenon of ‘parental optimism’, in which the parents attempt to raise a larger brood than the average amount of expected resources allow (Lack, 1954; Temme & Charnov, 1987; Mock & Forbes, 1995). If critical resources are low, weaker or subordinate offspring may be killed by a stronger or dominant sibling. Sibling mortality may result from direct physical damage and/or socially enforced starvation (Mock, 1984).

Keywords

facultative siblicidesibling rivalryfatal sibling aggressionbatsparent–offspring conflict
Type
SHORT COMMUNICATION
Information
Journal of Zoology , Volume 251 , Issue 4 , August 2000 , pp. 535 - 547
Copyright
© 2000 The Zoological Society of London

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