The consequences of animal conflict

Abstract

We saw in Chapters 5 and 6 how fighting and other conflict situations induce neuroendocrinological changes in both the winner and the loser. But rapid responses to fights can have longer-lasting effects. Conflicts do not occur in a biological vacuum. Each combatant is a member of a population of its own species and of an ecological community made up of many species. Whatever happens to losers and winners of disputes may therefore have ramifying consequences for populations and species both within and between generations. These potential consequences of animal conflict are the topic of this chapter. Three broad questions will be considered.