title: Play Behavior in Wolves: Using the '50:50' Rule to Test for Egalitarian Play Styles.
abstract: Social play is known as a cooperative interaction between individuals involving multiple mechanisms. However, the extent to which the equality of individuals' play styles affects the interaction has not been studied in many species. Dyadic play between wolf puppies, as well as between puppies and adults, was studied to investigate both self-handicapping and offensive behaviors to determine the extent to which wolves engage in play styles where one individual does not dominate the play. Our results did not support the hypothesized '50:50' rule, which suggests that more advantaged individuals should show higher rates of self-handicapping behaviors in order to facilitate play with others. Adult wolves performed significantly less self-handicapping behaviors than their puppy partners, and they performed significantly more offensive behaviors than their puppy partners. While the '50:50' rule was not supported at any time during our study period, dyads consisting of two puppies had significantly more equal play than dyads consisting of one puppy and one adult. These results suggest that wolf puppies are more likely to play on equal terms with similarly-aged play partners, while the dominance status of the partners dictates offensive and self-handicapping behaviors between animals of different ages.
authors.affiliation: Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria.|Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Jennifer L
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-5091-6496
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Essler
authors.affiliation: Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria.
authors.forename: Simona
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Cafazzo
authors.affiliation: Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria.|Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Sarah
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Marshall-Pescini
authors.affiliation: Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria.|Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Zsófia
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Virányi
authors.affiliation: Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria.|Department of Behavioral Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kotrschal
authors.affiliation: Wolf Science Center, Ernstbrunn, Austria.|Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna and University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria.
authors.forename: Friederike
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Range
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000374:Aggression / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D003163:Competitive Behavior / Q000502:physiology*; D004291:Dominance-Subordination; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D008960:Models, Psychological; D012737:Sex Factors; D019596:Wolves / Q000502:physiology / Q000523:psychology*