When a Thomson’s gazelle detects a stalking cheetah, the gazelle often begins bouncing up and down with a stiff-legged gait called stotting (see Figure XXXXXXXXXXStotting was originally assumed to be...

When a Thomson’s gazelle detects a stalking cheetah, the gazelle often begins bouncing up and down with a stiff-legged gait called stotting (see Figure 12.38). Stotting was originally assumed to be an altruistic behavior that distracts the cheetah from the gazelle’s kin and also alerts the gazelle’s kin to the presence of the predator, at considerable risk to the stotting gazelle. However, T. M. Caro reports that stotting does not seem to increase the gazelle’s risk of being attacked. In fact, once a gazelle begins to stott, the cheetah often gives up the hunt.

Do you think stotting is altruistic, selfish, spiteful, or cooperative (mutualistic)? If you are not sure, what further studies could you do to answer this question?