Intraspecific Aggression

Intraspecific aggression, also called intraspecific competition, is a tenet of population ecology. Intraspecific aggression occurs when members of the same species are in competition for limited resources. This aggression leads to decreased fitness for both parties involved. Common resources species engage in aggression over include food, water, physical space, reproduction, and sunlight exposure. Usually this aggression occurs between individual members of a species, for example elephant seals fighting over mates. However, it can also occur between colonies, such as ants and wasps.

Howe, H., & Estabrook, G. (1977). On intraspecific competition for avian dispersers in tropical trees. The American Naturalist, 111(981), 817-832.

Tsutsui, N., Suarez, A., Holway, D., & Case, T. (2000). Reduced genetic variation and the success of an invasive species. PNAS, 97(11), 5948-5953.