Carnivore Group Living: Comparative Trends

摘要: In contrast to some other mammalian orders, members of the Carnivora do not commonly live in groups: only about 10–15% all species aggregate at period outside breeding season (Bekoff et al. 1984; Gittleman 1984). Because most carnivores reside dense habitats and are solitary, dangerous, nocturnal, little information existed on their social behavior until recently. Now, more comprehensive comparative data available examine functional explanations interspecific variation grouping patterns across (for previous qualitative comparisons, see Ewer 1973; Kleiman Eisenberg Kruuk 1975; Bertram 1979; Macdonald 1983). this chapter I briefly review selected hypotheses for evolution maintenance carnivores, focusing those that broadly applicable order testable from data. then analyze quantitative measures with respect differences morphology, physiology, ecology. The analysis differs cross-species comparisons carnivore ecology (Ewer Moehlman 1982; 1983; Bekoff 1985) by being quantitative, accounting morphological metabolic constraints, deriving general trends as a whole rather than particular taxonomic families.