Studie van de relatie tussen de communicatie en de dominantiehiërarchie als systemen die het sociaal gedrag ordenen, met Melanochromis auratus (Pisces, Cichlidae) als onderzoeksmodel. [A study of the relation between communication and dominance hierarchy as systems that order social life, with Melanochromis auratus (Pisces, Cichlidae) as a research model.] [text in Dutch]
This study tries to analyse two systems that order social life in animals, with a cichlid fish Melanochromis auratus as a research model. This study emphasizes the relation between both systems.
The analysis can be divided in the following topics: (1) An ethogram of the
studied species, with some conclusions and hypotheses about signal economy and
evolution. (2) A theoretical contribution to the calculation of linearity in
hierarchies. The influences of tied rank numbers on linearity is investigated,
and linearity is redefined. Tied ranks are mainly of influence in small groups.
(3) An analysis of a developing dominance hierarchy. This shows that the development
phase can be divided in six phases in which different behavioural acts occur with
different frequencies. (4) An analysis of a stabilized dominance hierarchy, with
the emphasis on communication within this system. Communication seems to follow
some rules that are determined by the dominance status of actor and reactor. These
rules stabilize the hierarchy. (5) Searching for factors that determine the dominance
of one individual over another. A new analysis technique is proposed to look for
dominance determinants in a group of undisturbed animals. Some "group factors"
are described.