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Animal behaviour: coalition among male fiddler crabs
Patricia R Y Backwell1, Michael D Jennions
1School of Botany and Zoology, The Australian National University, Canberra ACT 0200, Australia. pat.backwell@anu.edu.au
Abstract:
Until now, no compelling evidence has emerged from studies of animal territoriality to indicate that a resident will strategically help a neighbour to defend its territory against an intruder. We show here that territory-owning Australian fiddler crabs will judiciously assist other crabs in defending their neighbouring territories. This cooperation supports the prediction that it is sometimes less costly to assist a familiar neighbour than to renegotiate boundaries with a new, and possibly stronger, neighbour.
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