New cover image for Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology

Starting with the February issue, BES has a new cover image.

Agonistic interaction between two male adult brown bears at Cabarceno Nature Park, Spain. The dominant bear (right) walks ahead while the subordinate, with frontal body orientation, backs up. Defensive positioning (backward orientation) of the subordinate's ears contrasts with the dominant's erect ears. The subordinate's open mouth and long, low defensive sounds, indicate distress rather than a threat. The dominant's body position (slight head and body tilting and lowering the hindquarters while elevating the paw) is a threat posture, which would enable a quick physical attack.

Manrique-Revuelta P, Álvarez M, López-Urueña E et al (2026) Analysis of inconsistencies for the study of dominance: assessing influence of some biological traits on hierarchy in male brown bears. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 80:11

Photo credit: P. Manrique-Revuelta