Selection should favour accurate information gathering regarding the likely costs and
benefits of continued conflict. Here we consider how variation in the abilities of contestants …

Summary 1 Contests may involve injurious fighting, other types of direct physical aggression
and communication. They occur over ownership access to mates and other resources that …

Literature Cited to accompany Animal Communication, 2e Page 1 Principles of Animal
Communication, Second Edition Jack W. Bradbury and Sandra L. Vehrencamp Chapter 14 …

Social experience influences the outcome of conflicts such that winners are more likely to
win again and losers will more likely lose again, even against different opponents. Although …

Assessment strategies are an important component in game theoretical models of contests.
Strategies can be either based on one's own abilities (self-assessment) or on the relative …

Contest duration in animals is often interpreted as being a consequence of mutual
assessment of the difference in the competitors' resource-holding potential (RHP), allowing …

During contests the outcome is ultimately determined by the difference in fighting ability or
resource holding potential (RHP) of opponents and the loser may make the decision to give …

Females often aggregate at particular sites for feeding or shelter, thus giving adult males the
opportunity to defend harems and increase male reproductive success. Rival males …

Difficulties remain in distinguishing between mutual and self-assessment in animal contests
Animal Behaviour Page 1 Difficulties remain in distinguishing between mutual and self-assessment …

In animal contests, individuals can either engage in mutual assessment of both their own
and their opponent's resource-holding potential (RHP) and adjust their behaviour according …