Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use
The data presented here provide strong evidence that support the hypothesis that the narwhal's tusk is used during fights between mature males. Evidence of violent fighting among adult males includes high numbers of head scars, broken tusks, and a tusk tip embedded in a skull. Females and immat...
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Language: | English |
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Canadian Science Publishing
1985
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z85-306 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z85-306 |
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crcansciencepubl:10.1139/z85-306 2024-04-07T07:54:04+00:00 Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use Gerson, Helen B. Hickie, John P. 1985 http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z85-306 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z85-306 en eng Canadian Science Publishing http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 63, issue 9, page 2083-2087 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics journal-article 1985 crcansciencepubl https://doi.org/10.1139/z85-306 2024-03-08T00:37:44Z The data presented here provide strong evidence that support the hypothesis that the narwhal's tusk is used during fights between mature males. Evidence of violent fighting among adult males includes high numbers of head scars, broken tusks, and a tusk tip embedded in a skull. Females and immature males had significantly fewer head scars, and immature males had a significantly lower incidence of broken tusks. Among mature males, scar number was positively related to body girth, tusk weight, and tusk girth, but not to tusk length or body length. Relating dominance to the pattern of many head scars on massive mature males with massive tusks is consistent with data from other species for which both anatomical and behavioural observations are available. The lack of significant correlations of tusk length with body length and body girth in mature males is not consistent with the hypothesis that dominance assessment is based on a display of tusk lengths. Article in Journal/Newspaper Monodon monoceros narwhal* Canadian Science Publishing Canadian Journal of Zoology 63 9 2083 2087 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Canadian Science Publishing |
op_collection_id |
crcansciencepubl |
language |
English |
topic |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
spellingShingle |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics Gerson, Helen B. Hickie, John P. Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
topic_facet |
Animal Science and Zoology Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics |
description |
The data presented here provide strong evidence that support the hypothesis that the narwhal's tusk is used during fights between mature males. Evidence of violent fighting among adult males includes high numbers of head scars, broken tusks, and a tusk tip embedded in a skull. Females and immature males had significantly fewer head scars, and immature males had a significantly lower incidence of broken tusks. Among mature males, scar number was positively related to body girth, tusk weight, and tusk girth, but not to tusk length or body length. Relating dominance to the pattern of many head scars on massive mature males with massive tusks is consistent with data from other species for which both anatomical and behavioural observations are available. The lack of significant correlations of tusk length with body length and body girth in mature males is not consistent with the hypothesis that dominance assessment is based on a display of tusk lengths. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gerson, Helen B. Hickie, John P. |
author_facet |
Gerson, Helen B. Hickie, John P. |
author_sort |
Gerson, Helen B. |
title |
Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
title_short |
Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
title_full |
Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
title_fullStr |
Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
title_full_unstemmed |
Head scarring on male narwhals ( Monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
title_sort |
head scarring on male narwhals ( monodon monoceros ): evidence for aggressive tusk use |
publisher |
Canadian Science Publishing |
publishDate |
1985 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1139/z85-306 http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/doi/pdf/10.1139/z85-306 |
genre |
Monodon monoceros narwhal* |
genre_facet |
Monodon monoceros narwhal* |
op_source |
Canadian Journal of Zoology volume 63, issue 9, page 2083-2087 ISSN 0008-4301 1480-3283 |
op_rights |
http://www.nrcresearchpress.com/page/about/CorporateTextAndDataMining |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1139/z85-306 |
container_title |
Canadian Journal of Zoology |
container_volume |
63 |
container_issue |
9 |
container_start_page |
2083 |
op_container_end_page |
2087 |
_version_ |
1795670352824631296 |