Study of the hierarchy among subordinates of a family group of alpine marmots (Marmotta marmotta)

Social hierarchy and personality within a group can play a significant role in shaping the behaviour and interactions of its members. Understanding these dynamics can provide insight into the functioning of the group as a whole. In this study we investigate whether alpine marmots (Marmota marmota) have a hierarchy among subordinates in a family group, whether their personality can be tested with measurements during capture and whether this personality is constant. Here we show that subordinates had differences in dominance score and that their personality at the time of capture was correlated with dominance score. However, dominance score during play as a subadult was not significantly correlated with dominance score as an adult. Our results suggest that access to dominance in a family group of alpine marmots is not randomly chosen and that measures taken during capture could be proxies of personality.