An analysis and review of models of the sociobiology of the Mustelidae

Classical models of social organization in mustelids suggest that female ra nging patterns are determined by the dispersion of resources, whereas those of males are determined by the dispersion of females. However, mating syst ems and social spacing patterns vary widely both between and within species . For example, European Badgers exhibit a continuum from the classical must elid model of intra-sexual territoriality and inter-sexual overlap to very large, mixed-sex, promiscuous groups. We evaluated hypotheses and existing data to explain this variation, using comparative analyses and Principal Co mponents Analysis of life history and ecological variables. In addition, we applied a null model of allometric scaling to test for associations betwee n group mass and residual home range size. We found that: (1) the degree of social behaviour and breeding group size increased with life history varia bles indicative of K-selected strategies of parental investment. (2) Absolu te home range size and residual home range size (derived from allometric ho me range scaling) decreased, paradoxically, with breeding group size and gr oup mass, respectively. These results provide support for ecological theori es of social grouping in general and, in particular, for the importance of dispersed resource-rich patches as developed in the Resource Dispersion Hyp othesis.