Keil, N. M., Sambraus, H.H. (1998). “Intervenors” in agonistic interactions amongst domesticated goats. Z. Säugetierk., 63(5), 266–272.
Abstract: Social behaviour was observed in individually marked goats in two herds. The goats from one herd (n = 98) were horned, those of the other herd (n = 83) were polled. By recording agonistic interactions within the herds, a dominance index was determined for each animal. In both herds, intervention took place. Intervention is defined as one animal pushing in between two fighters, and thus ending the fight. More cases of intervention took place per individual animal amongst the horned goats than amongst the polled ones. Goats which intervened in fights on several occasions usually had a high dominance index. Members of the herd which were observed intervening only once had an average dominance index in both herds of almost 0.5. In some cases, goats very low in the rank order intervened a fight. Only rarely did the intervenors have a lower dominance index than the two fighters. In 103 cases, the direct dominance relationship between a fighting animal and the intervenor was known. In 95 cases (92.2%), the intervenor was dominant to the herd member in this fight and in just eight cases (7.8%), it was subordinate. It could not be determined what advantage the intervenor gained from its activity. It is possible that, at least in certain cases, a particularly relationship existed between the intervenor and one of the fighters.
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Keiper, R. R., & Sambraus, H. H. (1986). The stability of equine dominance hierarchies and the effects of kinship, proximity and foaling status on hierarchy rank. Appl. Anim. Behav. Sci., 16(2), 121–130.
Abstract: Dominance hierarchies were determined in four bands of feral horses living on Assateague Island. The bands varied in size from 10 to 16 horses, and consisted of one stallion, several mares and their offspring. The animals ranged in age from less than 1 to over 18 years. Field observation of all social interactions during the summer of 1981 was used to determine dominance. 1981 hierarchies for three of the bands were compared with hierarchies determined for the same bands in 1978, and showed that hierarchies change over time. Age was significantly correlated with rank. Mares with foals did not rank any higher in the hierarchies than mares without foals. Kinship did not appear to have an effect on dominance rank either, since neither juvenile nor adult offspring ranks correlated with the ranks of their mothers. The band stallion was not the highest-ranking animal of any band, but the location of the stallion peripheral to the main body of the band, the nature of his interactions with band members, and his length of residence in the band may have contributed to his low rank.
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Sambraus, H. H. (1969). Das soziale Lecken des Rindes. Z. Tierpsychol., 26(7), 805–810.
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Sambraus, H. H. (1969). Zur sozialen Rangordnung von Rindern1. Z. Tierzucht, 86(1-4), 240–257.
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