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Individuals often differ from each other in how they respond to environmental events: a feature of behaviour often termed animal personality. Furthermore, animals often show unpredictability in how much they respond to these events over time leading to the suggestion that personality and intraindividual variability (IIV) might have important fitness consequences. We investigated this hypothesis by focusing on the tendency for individually identifiable male fallow deer, Dama dama, to escalate low-level (noncontact) agonistic interactions to fighting during the rut. Males differed in their tendency to escalate noncontact interactions to fighting; however, repeatability in escalation rates was unstable over the rut suggesting that escalation rate is a poor measure of personality. There was no difference in the level of IIV in escalation rate shown by males. A comparison of IIV recorded over two consecutive annual ruts showed that IIV was highly correlated between years; therefore, over an extended time period individuals were consistent in their willingness to engage in fighting. There was a nonlinear relationship between IIV and mating success; specifically, individuals that showed either low or high IIV in escalation rate had lower mating success than individuals that showed intermediate levels of IIV. Aggression and the willingness to commit to fighting are important fitness correlates; nevertheless, our understanding of how personality and IIV are related to aggression is poorly understood. This study shows that although escalation rate appears to be a poor measure of personality in the fallow deer, IIV is related to increased fitness in individuals that show intermediate levels of predictability in their willingness to fight over the rut. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines the purpose of signals transmitted by short-term vocalization rates in male fallow bucks Dama dama. Analysis on signal representation as intrasexual threat or an intersexual advertisement; Impact of female and male association on groaning rates; Postcopulation call as the highest groaning rates produced by males.

The article discusses the results of a five-year study on the behaviour of peri-estrous female fallow deer which aims to document examples of apparent mate-searching and the circumstances in which it happens. It is cited that individuals can increase their fitness by looking for mates of a suitable quality. The authors hint that the behaviour of fallow does in the studied population is logical with the use of mate-searching by a variable proportion of the population as a condition-dependent mating strategy. It also mentions various predictions that can be made relative to the existence of mate-searching.

According to life history theory, males of iteroparous species are expected to trade off investment between current and future reproduction based on age (mating strategy or terminal investment hypotheses) or body condition (individual quality hypothesis). However, although central to this latter model, the question concerning whether and to what extent condition regulates competitive investment in polygynous species is unknown. Consequently, we investigated this issue with reference to fight structure in fallow deer contests. Support for the individual quality hypothesis was limited: males with larger necks as determined by prerut neck girth fought for longer than males with smaller necks. However, prime-aged males had higher investment in fighting than preprime- or postprime-aged males indicating that investment in fighting might be age related. Other aspects of our results also failed to support condition-related predictions; although we found that jump clashing and vocal rate were related to weight loss and decline in neck girth, respectively, there was no relationship between investment in fighting and prerut measures of body size. Moreover, we also found that rank was predicted by investment in fighting (backward pushing) rather than body condition. Our results show that, in addition to body condition and age, variation in competitive investment between individuals also influences reproductive effort in the fallow deer. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Intense competition between males for reproduction has led to the evolution of alternative mating tactics (AMTs). Feral goat males usually use a tactic called tending, in which they defend oestrous females from other males. Males may also use a second mating tactic called coursing, in which they gain access to oestrous females by disturbing a tending pair. Herein, we examine estimated mating success (EMS) and risks of using these tactics. Tending was only used by mature (≥4 years old), higher-ranking males and accounted for 75% of EMS. Coursing was used by males of all ages and dominance ranks, and accounted for 25% of EMS. Using coursing, male kids achieved 8% of EMS. Mature males achieved 92% of EMS. Both age and dominance rank were related to EMS, but age was not important after its relationship with dominance was controlled. Tending bouts were, on average, ca. 30 min long, while coursing bouts only averaged ca. 2 min. Males were more likely to suffer a butt while coursing than while tending, and formerly tending males were responsible for most butts. Kids that coursed had the highest risk of being butted. In most AMTs, there are reductions in the risks in relation to low fitness benefits. However, we found that the risks of butts during coursing were high, while our evidence suggests that the EMS was probably low. Nevertheless, the existence of an effective AMT in male feral goats may have an important influence on the intensity of sexual selection and the effective population size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studies fighting tactics of fallow bucks during the breeding season to determine if conflict strategies were consistent with the reduction of risk. Availability of mating opportunities; Frequency of fights; Increase in sexual dimorphism.