Publications

P.A. Green, D.W.E. Sankey, T. Collins, F. Mwanguhya, H.J. Nichols, M.A. Cant, F.J. Thompson

Fitness incentives to male fighters undermine fighting performance in intergroup contests

Animal Behaviour

Graham Birch, Michael A. Cant, Hazel J. Nichols, Magali Meniri, Robert Businge, Francis Mwanguhya & Jonathan D. Blount

Indirect evidence of an early mating advantage in wild cooperatively breeding male banded mongooses

Nature Scientific Reports

Monil Khera, Kevin Arbuckle, Francis Mwanguhya, Michael A Cant, Hazel J Nichols

Reproduction is driven by seasonal environmental variation in an equatorial mammal, the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo)

Behavioral Ecology

Graham Birch, Hazel J. Nichols, Francis Mwanguhya, Jonathan D. Blount and Michael A. Cant

Strategic use of male alternative reproductive tactics in cooperatively breeding banded mongoose groups

Royal Society Open Science

Graham Birch, Hazel J. Nichols, Francis Mwanguhya, Faye J. Thompson, Michael A. Cant and Jonathan D. Blount

Lifetime trajectories of male mating effort under reproductive conflict in a cooperatively breeding mammal

Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Birch G, Meniri M, Mitchell C, Mwanguhya F, Businge R, Ahabyona S, Nichols HJ, Cant MA, Blount JD

Variation in Lipid Peroxidation in the Ejaculates of Wild Banded Mongooses (Mungos mungo): A Test of the Oxidative Shielding Hypothesis

Antioxidants

C. Shelafoe, F. J. Thompson, F. Mwanguhya, S. Kyabulima, R. Businge, K. Mwesige, J. L. Sanderson, M. A. Cant, H. H. Marshall & E. I. K. Vitikainen

Caregiver's cognitive traits are associated with pup fitness in a cooperatively breeding mammal

Nature Scientific Reports

Monil Khera, Kevin Arbuckle, Francis Mwanguhya, Solomon Kyabulima, Kenneth Mwesige, Robert Businge, Jonathan D. Blount, Michael A. Cant and Hazel J. Nichols

Small increases in ambient temperature reduce offspring body mass in an equatorial mammal

Biology Letters

E. I. K. Vitikainen, M. Meniri, H. H. Marshall, F. J. Thompson, R. Businge, F. Mwanguhya, S. Kyabulima, K. Mwesige, S. Ahabonya, J. L. Sanderson, G. Kalema-Zikusoka, J. I. Hoffman, D. Wells, G. Lewis, S. L. Walker, H. J. Nichols, J. D. Blount and M. A. Cant

The social formation of fitness: lifetime consequences of prenatal nutrition and postnatal care in a wild mammal population

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Green, P., Thompson, F.J., Cant, M.A.

Fighting force and experience combine to determine intergroup contest success in a warlike mammal

PNAS

Samuel Ellis, Rufus A. Johnstone, Michael A. Cant, Daniel W. Franks, Michael N. Weiss, Susan C. Alberts, Kenneth C. Balcomb, Claire H. Benton, Lauren J. N. Brent, Catherine Crockford, Eve Davidian, Richard J. Delahay, David K. Ellifrit, Oliver P. Höner, Magali Meniri, Robbie A. McDonald, Hazel J. Nichols, Faye J. Thompson, Linda Vigilant, Roman M. Wittig, Darren P. Croft

Patterns and consequences of age-linked change in local relatedness in animal societies

Nature Ecology & Evolution

Arasco AG, Manser M, Wtson SK, Kyabulima S, Radford AN, Cant MA, Garcia M

Testing the acoustic adaptation hypothesis with vocalizations from three mongoose species

Animal Behaviour

Meniri, M., Evans, E., Thompson, F.J., Marshall, H.H., Nichols, H.J., Lewis, G., Holt, L., Davey, E., Mitchell, C., Johnstone, R.A. and Cant, M.A.

Untangling the oxidative cost of reproduction: An analysis in wild banded mongooses

Ecology and Evolution

Nichols, H.J., Arbuckle, K., Sanderson, J. L., Vitikainen, E I.K., Marshall, H.H., Thompson, F. J., . . . Wells, D. A.

A double pedigree reveals genetic but not cultural inheritance of cooperative personalities in wild banded mongooses

Ecology Letters

Marshall, H. H., Johnstone, R. A., Thompson, F. J., Nichols, H. J., Wells, D., Hoffman, J. I., . . . Cant, M. A.

A veil of ignorance can promote fairness in a mammal society

Nature Communications

Green, P. A., Briffa, M., & Cant, M. A.

Assessment during intergroup contests

Trends in Ecology and Evolution

Green, P.A., Preston, E.F.R., Nicholl, M.H., Croft, D. P., Thompson, F. J., & Cant, M. A.

Collective defence and behavioural homogeneity during simulated territorial intrusions in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo)

Ethology

Khera, M., Arbuckle, K., Hoffman, J.I., Sanderson, J.L., Cant, M.A., & Nichols, H. J.

Cooperatively breeding banded mongooses do not avoid inbreeding through familiarity-based kin recognition

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Wells, D. A., Cant, M. A., Thompson, F. J., Marshall, H. H., Vitikainen, E. I. K., Hoffman, J. I., & Nichols, H. J.

Extra-group paternity varies with proxies of relatedness in a social mammal with high inbreeding risk

Behavioural Ecology

Croft, D. P., Weiss, M. N., Nielsen, M L.K., Grimes, C., Cant, M. A., Ellis, S., . . . Johnstone, R. A.

Kinship dynamics: patterns and consequences of changes in local relatedness

Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Johnstone, R. A., Cant, M. A., Cram, D., & Thompson, F. J.

Exploitative leaders incite intergroup warfare in a social mammal

PNAS

Wells, D. A., Cant, M. A., Hoffman, J. I., & Nichols, H. J.

Inbreeding depresses altruism in a cooperative society

Ecology Letters

Preston, E. F. R., Thompson, F. J., Ellis, S., Kyambulima, S., Croft, D. P., & Cant, M. A.

Network-level consequences of outgroup threats in banded mongooses: Grooming and aggression between the sexes

Journal of Animal Ecology

Kuijper ALW, Hanson MA, Vitikainen EIK, Marshall HH, Ozanne SE, Cant MA

Developing differences: early-life effects and evolutionary medicine

Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Vitikainen E, Thompson F, Marshall H, Cant MA

Live long and prosper: durable benefits of early-life care in banded mongooses

Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Inzani, E., Marshall, H. H., Thompson, F. J., Kalema-Zikusoka, G., Cant, M. A., & Vitikainen, E. I. K.

Spontaneous abortion as a response to reproductive conflict in the banded mongoose

Biology Letters

Marshall, H. H., Inger, R., Jackson, A. L., McDonald, R. A., Thompson, F. J., & Cant, M. A.

Stable isotopes are quantitative indicators of trophic niche

Ecology Letters

Wells DA, Cant MA, Nichols HJ, Hoffman JI

A high-quality pedigree and genetic markers both reveal inbreeding depression for quality but not survival in a cooperative mammal

Molecular Ecology

Marshall HH, Griffiths DJ, Mwanguhya F, Businge R, Griffiths AGF, Kyabulima S, Mwesige K, Sanderson JL, Thompson FJ, Vitikainen EIK

Data collection and storage in long-term ecological and evolutionary studies: the Mongoose 2000 system

PLoS One

Sheppard CE, Marshall HH, Inger R, Thompson FJ, Vitikainen EIK, Barker S, Nichols HJ, Wells DA, McDonald RA, Cant MA

Decoupling of Genetic and Cultural Inheritance in a Wild Mammal

Current Biology

Sheppard CE, Inger R, McDonald RA, Barker S, Jackson AL, Thompson FJ, Vitikainen EIK, Cant MA, Marshall HH

Intragroup competition predicts individual foraging specialisation in a group-living mammal

Ecology Letters

Mitchell J, Kyabulima S, Businge R, Cant MA, Nichols HJ

Kin discrimination via odour in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose

Royal Society Open Science

Hares MC, Vitikainen EIK, Marshall HH, Thompson FJ, Blount JD, Cant MA

Telomere dynamics in wild banded mongooses: Evaluating longitudinal and quasi-longitudinal markers of senescence

Experimental Gerontology

Vitikainen EIK, Marshall HH, Thompson FJ, Sanderson JL, Bell MBV, Gilchrist JS, Hodge SJ, Nichols HJ, Cant MA

Biased escorts: offspring sex, not relatedness explains alloparental care patterns in a cooperative breeder

Proceedings of the Royal Society B

Thompson FJ, Marshall HH, Vitikainen EIK, Cant MA

Causes and consequences of intergroup conflict in cooperative banded mongooses

Animal Behaviour

Thompson FJ, Cant MA, Marshall HH, Vitikainen EIK, Sanderson JL, Nichols HJ, Gilchrist JS, Bell MBV, Young AJ, Hodge SJ, Johnstone, RA

Explaining negative kin discrimination in a cooperative mammal society

PNAS

Thompson FJ, Marshall HH, Vitikainen EIK, Young AJ, Cant MA

Individual and demographic consequences of mass eviction in cooperative banded mongooses

Animal Behaviour

Marshall HH, Vitikainen EIK, Mwanguhya F, Businge R, Kyabulima S, Hares MC, Inzani E, Kalema-Zikusoka G, Mwesige K, Nichols HJ, Sanderson JL, Tomspon, FJ, Cant, MA

Lifetime fitness consequences of early-life ecological hardship in a wild mammal population

Ecology and Evolution

Mitchell J, Cant MA, Nichols HJ

Pregnancy is detected via odour in a wild cooperative breeder

Biology Letters

Mitchell J, Cant MA, Vitikainen EIK, Nichols HJ

Smelling fit: scent marking exposes parasitic infection status in the banded mongoose

Current Zoology

Blount, J. D., Vitikainen, E. I. K., Stott, I., Cant, M. A.

Oxidative shielding and the cost of reproduction

Biological Reviews

Vitikainen, E. I. K., Cant, M. A., Sanderson, J. L., Mitchell, C., Nichols, H. J., Marshall, H. H., Blount, J. D.

Evidence of oxidative shielding of offspring in a wild mammal

Frontiers in Ecology and Evolution

Marshall, H. H., Sanderson, J. L., Mwanghuya, F., Businge, R., Kyabulima, S., Hares, M. C., Cant, M. A.

Variable ecological conditions promote male helping by changing banded mongoose group composition

Behavioural Ecology

Sanderson, J. L., Cant, M. A., Nichols, H. J.

Adjustment of costly extra-group paternity according to inbreeding risk in a cooperative mammal

Behavioural Ecology

Sanderson, J. L., Stott, I., Young, A. J., Vitikainen, E., Hodge, S. J., Cant, M. A.

The origins of consistent individual differences in cooperation in wild banded mongooses

Animal Behaviour

Sanderson, J. L., Wang, J., Vitikainen, E. I. K., Cant, M. A., Nichols, H. J.

Banded mongooses avoid inbreeding when mating with members of the same group

Molecular Ecology

Cant, M. A.

Reproductive suppression

The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality

Nichols, H. J., Cant, M. A., Hoffman, J., Sanderson, J.

Evidence for frequent incest in a cooperatively breeding mammal

Biology Letters

Sanderson, J. L., Young, A. J., Hodge, S. J., Kyabulima, S., Walker, S. L., Cant, M. A.

Hormonal mediation of a carry-over effect in a wild cooperative mammal

Functional Ecology

Bell, M. B. V., Cant, M. A., Borgeaud, C., Thavarajah, N., Samson, J., Clutton-Brock, T. H.

Suppressing subordinate reproduction provides benefits to dominants in cooperative societies of meerkats

Nature Communications

Cant, M. A., Nichols, H. J., Johnstone, R. A., Hodge, S. J.

Policing of reproduction by hidden threats in a cooperative mammal

PNAS

Cant, M. A., Young, A. J.

Resolving social conflict among females without overt aggression

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Jansen, D. A. W. A. M., Cant, M. A., Manser, M. B.

Testing for vocal individual discrimination in adult banded mongooses

Journal of Zoology

Port, M., Cant, M. A.

Longevity suppresses conflict in animal societies

Biology Letters

Cant, M. A., Vitikainen, E., Nichols, H. J.

Demography and social evolution of banded mongooses

Advances in the Study of Behaviour

Jansen, D. A., Cant, M. A., Manser, M. B.

Segmental concatenation of individual signatures and context cues in banded mongoose (Mungos mungo) close calls

BMC Biology

Nichols, J. J., Jordan, N. R., Jamie, G. A., Cant, M. A., Hoffman, J. I.

Fine-scale spatiotemporal patterns of genetic variation reflect budding dispersal coupled with strong natal philopatry in a cooperatively breeding mammal

Molecular Ecology

Cant, M. A.

Cooperative breeding systems

Nichols, H. J., Amos, W., Bell, M. B. V., Mwanguhya, F., Kyabulima, S., Cant, M. A.

Food availability shapes patterns of helping effort in a cooperative mongoose

Animal Behaviour

Nichols, H. J., Bell, M. B. B., Hodge, S. J., Cant, M. A.

Resource limitation moderates the adaptive suppression of subordinate breeding in a cooperatively breeding mongoose

Behavioral Ecology

McAuliffe, K., Thornton, A.

How do banded mongoose locate and select anvils for cracking encased food items?

Behavioural Processes

Johnstone, R. A., Cant, M. A., Field, J.

Sex-biased dispersal, haplodiploidy and the evolution of helping in social insects

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Cant, M. A.

Suppression of social conflict and evolutionary transitions to cooperation

The American Naturalist

Furrer, R. D., Kunc, H. P., Manser, M.B.

Variable initiators of group departure in a cooperative breeder: the influence of sex, age, state and foraging success

Behavioural Ecology

Bell, M. B. V., Nichols, H. J., Gilchrist, J. S., Cant, M. A., Hodge, S. J.

The cost of dominance: suppressing subordinate reproduction affects the reproductive success of dominant female banded mongooses

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Abbot, P., Abe, J., Alcock, J., Alizon, S., Alpedrinha, J. A., Andersson, M., Andre, J. B., van Baalen, M., Balloux, F., Balshine, S.

Inclusive fitness theory and eusociality

Nature Brief Communications Arising

Furrer, R., Kyabulima, S., Willems, E., Cant, M. A., Manser, M.

Location and group size influence decisions in simulated inter-group encounters in banded mongooses

Behavioural Ecology

Jordan, N. R., Manser, M. B., Mwanguhya, F., Kyabulima, S., Ruedi, P., Cant, M. A.

Scent marking in wild banded mongooses: 1. Sex-specific scent & overmarking

Animal Behaviour

Jordan, N. R., Furrer, R., Kyabulima, S., Ruedi, P., Cant, M. A.

Scent marking in wild banded mongooses: 2. Intrasexual marking and competition between males

Animal Behaviour

Jordan, N. R., Mwanguhya, S., Reudi, P., Cant, M. A.

Scent marking in wild banded mongooses: 3. Intrasexual marking in females

Animal Behaviour

Nichols, H. J., Amos, W., Cant, M. A., MBV, B., Hodge, S. J.

Top males gain high reproductive success by guarding more successful females in a cooperatively breeding mongoose

Animal Behaviour

Bell, M. B. V.

Sex and age influence responses to changes in the cost of cooperative care in a social carnivore

Behavioral Ecology

Cant, M. A.

The role of threats in animal cooperation

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Hodge, S. J., Bell, M. B. V., Cant, M. A.

Reproductive competition and the evolution of extreme birth synchrony in a cooperative mammal

Biology Letters

Muller, C. A., Cant, M. A.

Imitation and traditions in wild banded mongooses

Current Biology

Cant, M. A., Hodge, S. J., Bell, M. B. V., Gilchrist, J. S., Nichols, H. J.

Reproductive control via eviction (but not the threat of eviction) in banded mongooses

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Mueller, C. A.

Do anvil-using banded mongooses understand means-end relationships? A field experiment

Animal Cognition

Jordan, N. R., Mwanguhya, F., Kyabulima, S., Ruedi, P., Cant, M. A.

Scent marking within and between groups in banded mongooses

Journal of Zoology

Johnstone, R. A., Cant, M. A.

Models of reproductive skew – outside options and the resolution of reproductive conflict

Furrer, R. D., Manser, M. B.

Banded mongoose recruitment calls convey information about risk and not stimulus type

Animal Behaviour

Muller, C. A., Bell, M. B. V.

Kidnapping and infanticide between groups of banded mongooses

Mammalian Biology

Cant, M. A., Johnstone, R. A.

How threats influence the evolutionary resolution of within-group conflict

The American Naturalist

Hodge, S. J., Bell, M. B. V., Mwanhuya, F., Kyabulima, S., Waldick, R., Russell, A. F.

Maternal weight, offspring competition and the evolution of communal breeding

Behavioral Ecology

Cant MA, Johnstone RA, Russell AF

Reproductive conflict and the evolution of menopause in killer whales

Gilchrist, J. S.

Aggressive monoplization of mobile carers by young of a cooperative breeder

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Muller, C. A., Manser, M. B.

Mutual recognition of pups and providers in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose

Animal Behaviour

Bell, M. B. V.

Strategic adjustment of begging effort by banded mongoose pups

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Muller, C. A., Manser, M. B.

The information banded mongooses extract from heterospecific alarm calls

Animal Behaviour

Gilchrist, J. S., Otali, E., Mwanghuya, F.

Caregivers recognise and bias response towards individual young in a cooperative breeding mammal the banded mongoose

Journal of Zoology

Muller, C. A., Manser, M. B.

Scent-marking and intrasexual competition in a cooperative carnivore with low reproductive skew

Ethology

Cant, M. A.

Make way for team mongoose

Johnstone, R. A., Cant, M. A.

Sex differences in dispersal and the evolution of helping and harming behavior

The American Naturalist

Buston, P. M., Reeve, H. K., Cant, M. A., Vehrencamp, S. L., Emien, S. T.

Reproductive skew and the evolution of group dissolution tactics: a synthesis of concession and restraint models

Animal Behaviour

Hodge, S. J.

Counting the costs: the evolution of male-biased care in the cooperative breeding banded mongoose

Animal Behaviour

Gilchrist, J. S., Russell, A. F.

Who cares? Individual contributions to pup care by breeders vs non-breeders in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose (Mungos Mungo)

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Muller, C. A., Manser, M. B.

Nasty neighbours’ rather than ‘dear enemies’ in a social carnivore

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Cant, M. A.

Banded mongooses: a life of cooperation and conflict

Cant, M. A., Johnstone, R. A.

Self-serving punishment and the evolution of cooperation

Journal of Evolutionary Biology

Cant, M. A., English, S., Reeve, H. K., Field, J.

Escalated conflict in a social hierarchy

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Gilchrist, J. S.

Reproductive success in a low skew, communal breeding mammal: the banded mongoose, Mungos mungo

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Gilchrist, J. S.

Female eviction, abortion, and infanticide in banded mongooses (Mungos mungo): implications for social control for reproduction and synchronized parturition

Behavioral Ecology

Cant, M. A., English, S.

Stable group size in cooperative breeders: the role of inheritance and reproductive skew

Behavioral Ecology

Buston, P. M., Cant, M. A.

A new perspective on fish size hierarchies: patterns, causes, and consequences

Oecologia

Cant, M. A.

A tale of two theories: parent-offspring conflict and reproductive skew

Animal Behaviour

Cant, M. A., Shen, S-F.

Endogenous timing and competitive interactions among relatives

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Hodge, S. J.

Helpers benefit offspring in both the short and long-term in the cooperatively breeding banded mongoose

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Cant, M. A., Field, J.

Helping effort in a dominance hierarchy

Behavioral Ecology

Gilchrist, J. S., Otali, E., Mwanghuya, F.

Why breed communally? Factors affecting fecundity in a communal breeding mammal: the banded mongoose (Mungos mungo)

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Otali, E., Gilchrist, J. S.

The effects of refuse feeding on body condition, reproduction, and survival of banded mongooses

Journal of Mammalogy

Waldick, R. C., Johnson, P., Pemberton, J.

Indentification and characterization of 14 polymorphic microsatellite loci for a member of the Herprestidae (Mungos mungo)

Molecular Ecology Notes

Cant, M. A.

Patterns of helping effort in co-operatively breeding banded mongooses (Mungos mungo)

Journal of Zoology

Cant, M. A., Reeve, H. K.

Female control of paternity in cooperative breeders

The American Naturalist

Gilchrist, J. S., Otali, E.

The effects of refuse-feeding on home-range use, group size, and intergroup encounters in the banded mongoose

Canadian Journal of Zoology

Cant, M. A., Otali, E., Mwanguhya, F.

Fighting and mating between groups in a cooperatively breeding mammal, the banded mongoose

Ethology

Cant, M. A., Field, J.

Helping effort and future fitness in cooperative animal societies

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Cant, M. A., Otali, E., Mwanguhya, F.

Eviction and dispersal in co-operatively breeding banded mongooses (Mungos mungo)

Journal of Zoology

Cant, M. A., Johnstone, R. A.

Power struggles, dominance testing, and reproductive skew

The American Naturalist

Cant, M. A.

Social control of reproduction in banded mongooses

Animal Behaviour

Cant, M. A., Johnstone, R. A.

Costly young and reproductive skew in animal societies

Behavioral Ecology

Johnstone, R. A., Woodroffe, R., Cant, M. A., Wright, J.

Reproductive skew in multi-member groups

The American Naturalist

Johnstone, R. A., Cant, M. A.

Reproductive skew and the threat of eviction: a new perspective

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B

Johnstone, R. A., Cant, M. A.

Indiscriminate infanticide and reproductive skew

Animal Behaviour

Cant, M. A.

A model for the evolution of reproductive skew without reproductive suppression

Animal Behaviour