Abstract: | During staged encounters, bush dogs of the same sex showed a high level of aggressive-defensive behaviors and a higher than normal frequency of urine-marking. Where dominance was established during encounters, dominant individuals marked more than subordinates. Where dominance was not clearly established, both participants remained aggressive and showed higher than normal levels of marking. Urine-marking appears to communicate aggressiveness and may be used to compensate for the otherwise relatively inconspicuous aggressive and dominance displays of this species. |