Dispersal in Vertebrates

A hypothetical population is considered in order to gain insight into the factors that may be responsible for the skewed distributions of dispersal distances that have been reported in vertebrates. In this population the most effective factor is the relative dominance of the indivduals in procuring breeding sites. If this is true of natural populations, dispersal permits each individual to maximize its chance to reproduce. Earlier explanations that selection for genotypes that are advantageous to the species but disadvantageous to individuals are not necessary to explain the skewed distributions of dispersal distances in vertebrate populations. See full-text article at JSTOR