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Franks VR, Thorogood R, Brekke P. Parental breeding decisions and genetic quality predict social structure of independent offspring. Mol Ecol 2023; 32:4898-4910. [PMID: 37395642 DOI: 10.1111/mec.17066] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/05/2022] [Revised: 04/28/2023] [Accepted: 06/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/04/2023]
Abstract
Across the animal kingdom, newly independent juveniles form social associations that influence later fitness, mate choice and gene flow, but little is known about the ontogeny of social environments, particularly in wild populations. Here we test whether associations among young animals form randomly or are influenced by environmental or genetic conditions established by parents. Parents' decisions determine natal birth sites, which could affect who independent young initially encounter; secondly, mate choice determines genetic condition (e.g. inbreeding) of young and the parental care they receive, which can affect sociability. However, genetic and environmental factors are confounded unless related offspring experience different natal environments. Therefore, we used a long-term genetic pedigree, breeding records and social network data from three cohorts of a songbird with high extra-pair paternity (hihi, Notiomystis cincta) to disentangle (1) how nest location and relatedness contribute to association structure once juveniles disperse away from birth sites, and (2) if juvenile and/or parental inbreeding predicts individual sociability. We detected positive spatial autocorrelation: hihi that fledged closer by were more likely to associate even after dispersing, irrespective of genetic relatedness. Juvenile inbreeding did not predict sociability, but those raised by more inbred fathers formed more, stronger, associations, which did not depend on whether that male was the genetic parent or not. These results suggest that the natal environment created by parents, rather than focal genetic condition, establishes the foundation for social associations. Overall, we highlight how social inheritance may play an important role in population dynamics and evolutionary potential in wild animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Victoria R Franks
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Chester, Chester, UK
| | - Rose Thorogood
- Helsinki Institute of Life Science (HiLIFE), University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland
| | - Patricia Brekke
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, London, UK
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2
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Walmsley SF, Boutin S, Dantzer B, Lane JE, Coltman DW, McAdam AG. Benefits of living closer to kin vary by genealogical relationship in a territorial mammal. Proc Biol Sci 2023; 290:20221569. [PMID: 36629099 PMCID: PMC9832554 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2022.1569] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2021] [Accepted: 12/05/2022] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
While cooperative interactions among kin are a key building block in the societies of group-living species, their importance for species with more variable social environments is unclear. North American red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) defend individual territories in dynamic neighbourhoods and are known to benefit from living among familiar conspecifics, but not relatives. However, kin-directed behaviours may be restricted to specific genealogical relationships or strongly mediated by geographical distance, masking their influence at broader scales. Using distance between territories as a proxy for the ability of individuals to interact, we estimated the influence of primary kin (parents, offspring, siblings) on the annual survival and reproductive success of red squirrels. This approach revealed associations between fitness and access to kin, but only for certain genealogical relationships and fitness components. For example, females had enhanced annual survival when living closer to their daughters, though the reverse was not true. Most surprising was the finding that males had higher annual reproductive success when living closer to their father, suggesting possible recognition and cooperation among fathers and sons. Together, these findings point to unexpected nuance in the fitness consequences of kinship dynamics for a species that is territorial and largely solitary.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sam F. Walmsley
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
| | - Stan Boutin
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
| | - Ben Dantzer
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, 500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Michigan, 500 South State Street, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Jeffrey E. Lane
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, Canada S7N 5E2
| | - David W. Coltman
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alberta, 11455 Saskatchewan Drive, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada T6G 2E9
- Biology Department, Western University, 1151 Richmond Street, London, Ontario, Canada N6A 5B7
| | - Andrew G. McAdam
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Colorado, 1900 Pleasant Street, Boulder, CO 80309, USA
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3
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Chaves JA, Lopes F, Martínez D, Cueva DF, Gavilanes GI, Bonatto SL, de Oliveira LR, Páez-Rosas D. Population Genetics and Phylogeography of Galapagos Fur Seals. Front Genet 2022; 13:725772. [PMID: 35664327 PMCID: PMC9160918 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2022.725772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2021] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Pinnipeds found across islands provide an ideal opportunity to examine the evolutionary process of population subdivision affected by several mechanisms. Here, we report the genetic consequences of the geographic distribution of rookeries in Galapagos fur seals (GFS: Arctocephalus galapagoensis) in creating population structure. We show that rookeries across four islands (nine rookeries) are genetically structured into the following major groups: 1) a western cluster of individuals from Fernandina; 2) a central group from north and east Isabela, Santiago, and Pinta; and possibly, 3) a third cluster in the northeast from Pinta. Furthermore, asymmetric levels of gene flow obtained from eight microsatellites found migration from west Isabela to Fernandina islands (number of migrants Nm = 1), with imperceptible Nm in any other direction. Our findings suggest that the marked structuring of populations recovered in GFS is likely related to an interplay between long-term site fidelity and long-distance migration in both male and female individuals, probably influenced by varying degrees of marine productivity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaime A. Chaves
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador
- Department of Biology, San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA, United States
- *Correspondence: Jaime A. Chaves,
| | - Fernando Lopes
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo, Brazil
| | - Daniela Martínez
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Dario F. Cueva
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Gabriela I. Gavilanes
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador
| | - Sandro L. Bonatto
- Escola de Ciências da Saúde e da Vida, Pontifícia Universidade Católica do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Larissa Rosa de Oliveira
- Laboratório de Ecologia de Mamíferos, Universidade do Vale do Rio dos Sinos (UNISINOS), São Leopoldo, Brazil
- Grupo de Estudos de Mamíferos Aquáticos do Rio Grande do Sul (GEMARS), Torres, Brazil
| | - Diego Páez-Rosas
- Colegio de Ciencias Biológicas y Ambientales, Universidad San Francisco de Quito USFQ, Diego de Robles y Pampite, Quito, Ecuador
- Unidad Técnica Operativa San Cristóbal, Dirección Parque Nacional Galápagos, San Cristobal-Galapagos, Ecuador
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4
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Camerlenghi E, McQueen A, Delhey K, Cook CN, Kingma SA, Farine DR, Peters A. Cooperative breeding and the emergence of multilevel societies in birds. Ecol Lett 2022; 25:766-777. [PMID: 35000255 DOI: 10.1111/ele.13950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/21/2021] [Revised: 10/24/2021] [Accepted: 11/18/2021] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Multilevel societies (MLSs), where social levels are hierarchically nested within each other, are considered one of the most complex forms of animal societies. Although thought to mainly occurs in mammals, it is suggested that MLSs could be under-detected in birds. Here, we propose that the emergence of MLSs could be common in cooperatively breeding birds, as both systems are favoured by similar ecological and social drivers. We first investigate this proposition by systematically comparing evidence for multilevel social structure in cooperative and non-cooperative birds in Australia and New Zealand, a global hotspot for cooperative breeding. We then analyse non-breeding social networks of cooperatively breeding superb fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) to reveal their structured multilevel society, with three hierarchical social levels that are stable across years. Our results confirm recent predictions that MLSs are likely to be widespread in birds and suggest that these societies could be particularly common in cooperatively breeding birds.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ettore Camerlenghi
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Alexandra McQueen
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia.,Centre for Integrative Ecology, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Deakin University, Burwood, Victoria, Australia
| | - Kaspar Delhey
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Carly N Cook
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
| | - Sjouke A Kingma
- Department of Animal Sciences, Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University & Research, Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Damien R Farine
- Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Zürich, Switzerland.,Department of Collective Behavior, Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, Konstanz, Germany
| | - Anne Peters
- School of Biological Sciences, Monash University, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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6
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Kumbhojkar S, Yosef R, Mehta A, Rakholia S. A Camera-Trap Home-Range Analysis of the Indian Leopard ( Panthera pardus fusca) in Jaipur, India. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10091600. [PMID: 32911836 PMCID: PMC7552320 DOI: 10.3390/ani10091600] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/05/2020] [Revised: 08/21/2020] [Accepted: 08/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The suitability of the camera trap-retrap method was explored for identifying territories and studying the spatial distribution of leopards (Panthera pardus fusca) in the Jhalana Reserve Forest, Jaipur, India. Data from two years (November 2017 to November 2019, N = 23,208 trap-hours) were used to provide estimates of minimum home-range size and overlap. We conducted home-range analysis and estimation, using the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method with geographic information system (GIS) tools. We are aware of the limitations and advantages of camera trapping for long-term monitoring. However, the limitations of the research permit allowed only the use of camera traps to estimate the home ranges. A total of 25 leopards were identified (male = 8, female = 17). No territorial exclusivity was observed in either of the sexes. However, for seven females, we observed familial home-range overlaps wherein daughters established home ranges adjacent to or overlapping their natal areas. The median home range, as calculated from the MCP, was 305.9 ha for males and 170.3 ha for females. The median percentage overlap between males was 10.33%, while that between females was 3.97%. We concluded that camera trapping is an effective technique to map the territories of leopards, to document inter- and intraspecific behaviors, and to elucidate how familial relationships affect dispersal.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Reuven Yosef
- Eilat Campus, Ben Gurion University of the Negev, P. O. Box 272, Eilat 88106, Israel
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +972-53-767-1290
| | - Abhinav Mehta
- The Geographic Information System (TGIS) Laboratory, Sarkari Vasahat Road, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad 380052, India; (A.M.); (S.R.)
| | - Shrey Rakholia
- The Geographic Information System (TGIS) Laboratory, Sarkari Vasahat Road, Vastrapur, Ahmedabad 380052, India; (A.M.); (S.R.)
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7
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Díaz López B. When personality matters: personality and social structure in wild bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus. Anim Behav 2020. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2020.03.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/24/2022]
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8
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Parsons PJ, Grinsted L, Field J. Partner choice correlates with fine scale kin structuring in the paper wasp Polistes dominula. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0221701. [PMID: 31465487 PMCID: PMC6715180 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0221701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/16/2019] [Accepted: 08/13/2019] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Cooperation among kin is common in animal societies. Kin groups may form by individuals directly discriminating relatives based on kin recognition cues, or form passively through natal philopatry and limited dispersal. We describe the genetic landscape for a primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes dominula, and ask whether individuals choose cooperative partners that are nearby and/or that are genetic relatives. Firstly, we genotyped an entire sub-population of 1361 wasps and found genetic structuring on an extremely fine scale: the probability of finding genetic relatives decreases exponentially within just a few meters of an individual's nest. At the same time, however, we found a lack of genetic structuring between natural nest aggregations within the population. Secondly, in a separate dataset where ~2000 wasps were genotyped, we show that wasps forced experimentally to make a new nest choice tended to choose new nests near to their original nests, and that these nests tended to contain some full sisters. However, a significant fraction of wasps chose nests that did not contain sisters, despite sisters being present in nearby nests. Although we cannot rule out a role for direct kin recognition or natal nest-mate recognition, our data suggest that kin groups may form via a philopatric rule-of-thumb, whereby wasps simply select groups and nesting sites that are nearby. The result is that most subordinate helpers obtain indirect fitness benefits by breeding cooperatively.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul John Parsons
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences: Biosciences, University of Exeter, Exeter EX,QD, United Kingdom
- * E-mail:
| | - Lena Grinsted
- School of Biological Sciences, Royal Holloway University of London, Egham, Surrey, TW, United Kingdom
| | - Jeremy Field
- College of Life and Environmental Sciences, University of Exeter, Penryn, Cornwall TR, United Kingdom
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9
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Smith JE, Gamboa DA, Spencer JM, Travenick SJ, Ortiz CA, Hunter RD, Sih A. Split between two worlds: automated sensing reveals links between above- and belowground social networks in a free-living mammal. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2019; 373:rstb.2017.0249. [PMID: 29967307 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2017.0249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 04/02/2018] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals socialize in two or more major ecological contexts. In nature, these contexts often involve one situation in which space is more constrained (e.g. shared refuges, sleeping cliffs, nests, dens or burrows) and another situation in which animal movements are relatively free (e.g. in open spaces lacking architectural constraints). Although it is widely recognized that an individual's characteristics may shape its social life, the extent to which architecture constrains social decisions within and between habitats remains poorly understood. Here we developed a novel, automated-monitoring system to study the effects of personality, life-history stage and sex on the social network structure of a facultatively social mammal, the California ground squirrel (Otospermophilus beecheyi) in two distinct contexts: aboveground where space is relatively open and belowground where it is relatively constrained by burrow architecture. Aboveground networks reflected affiliative social interactions whereas belowground networks reflected burrow associations. Network structure in one context (belowground), along with preferential juvenile-adult associations, predicted structure in a second context (aboveground). Network positions of individuals were generally consistent across years (within contexts) and between ecological contexts (within years), suggesting that individual personalities and behavioural syndromes, respectively, contribute to the social network structure of these free-living mammals. Direct ties (strength) tended to be stronger in belowground networks whereas more indirect paths (betweenness centrality) flowed through individuals in aboveground networks. Belowground, females fostered significantly more indirect paths than did males. Our findings have important potential implications for disease and information transmission, offering new insights into the multiple factors contributing to social structures across ecological contexts.This article is part of the theme issue 'Interdisciplinary approaches for uncovering the impacts of architecture on collective behaviour'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jennifer E Smith
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Denisse A Gamboa
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Julia M Spencer
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Sarah J Travenick
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Chelsea A Ortiz
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Riana D Hunter
- Biology Department, Mills College, 5000 MacArthur Blvd., Oakland, CA, 94631, USA
| | - Andy Sih
- Department of Environmental Science and Policy, University of California Davis, One Shields Avenue, Davis, CA 95616, USA
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10
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The role of habitat configuration in shaping social structure: a gap in studies of animal social complexity. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-018-2602-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 16.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
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11
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Where should we meet? Mapping social network interactions of sleepy lizards shows sex-dependent social network structure. Anim Behav 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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12
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Dillard JR, Maigret TA. Delayed dispersal and prolonged brood care in a family-living beetle. J Evol Biol 2017; 30:2230-2243. [PMID: 28981168 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/17/2017] [Revised: 08/27/2017] [Accepted: 09/19/2017] [Indexed: 12/27/2022]
Abstract
Delayed juvenile dispersal is an important prerequisite for the evolution of family-based social systems, such as cooperative breeding and eusociality. In general, young adults forego dispersal if there are substantial benefits to remaining in the natal nest and/or the likelihood of dispersing and breeding successfully is low. We investigate some general factors thought to drive delayed juvenile dispersal in the horned passalus beetle, a family-living beetle in which young adults remain with their families in their natal nest for several months before dispersing. Fine-scale population genetic structure indicated high gene flow between nest sites, suggesting that constraints on mobility are unlikely to explain philopatry. Young adults do not breed in their natal log and likely disperse before reaching breeding age, suggesting that they do not gain direct reproductive benefits from delayed dispersal. We also examined several ways in which parents might incentivize delayed dispersal by providing prolonged care to adult offspring. Although adult beetles inhibit fungal growth in the colony by manipulating both the nest site and deceased conspecifics, this is unlikely to be a major explanation for family living as both parents and adult offspring seem capable of controlling fungal growth. Adult offspring that stayed with their family groups also neither gained more mass nor experienced faster exoskeleton development than those experimentally removed from their families. The results of these experiments suggest that our current understanding of the factors underlying prolonged family living may be insufficient to explain delayed dispersal in at least some taxa, particularly insects.
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Affiliation(s)
- J R Dillard
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Entomology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
| | - T A Maigret
- Department of Biology, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA.,Department of Forestry, University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA
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13
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Jackson CR, Groom RJ, Jordan NR, McNutt JW. The effect of relatedness and pack size on territory overlap in African wild dogs. MOVEMENT ECOLOGY 2017; 5:10. [PMID: 28417004 PMCID: PMC5392232 DOI: 10.1186/s40462-017-0099-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/08/2016] [Accepted: 03/09/2017] [Indexed: 06/07/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Spacing patterns mediate competitive interactions between conspecifics, ultimately increasing fitness. The degree of territorial overlap between neighbouring African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) packs varies greatly, yet the role of factors potentially affecting the degree of overlap, such as relatedness and pack size, remain unclear. We used movement data from 21 wild dog packs to calculate the extent of territory overlap (20 dyads). RESULTS On average, unrelated neighbouring packs had low levels of overlap restricted to the peripheral regions of their 95% utilisation kernels. Related neighbours had significantly greater levels of peripheral overlap. Only one unrelated dyad included overlap between 75%-75% kernels, but no 50%-50% kernels overlapped. However, eight of 12 related dyads overlapped between their respective 75% kernels and six between the frequented 50% kernels. Overlap between these more frequented kernels confers a heightened likelihood of encounter, as the mean utilisation intensity per unit area within the 50% kernels was 4.93 times greater than in the 95% kernels, and 2.34 times greater than in the 75% kernels. Related packs spent significantly more time in their 95% kernel overlap zones than did unrelated packs. Pack size appeared to have little effect on overlap between related dyads, yet among unrelated neighbours larger packs tended to overlap more onto smaller packs' territories. However, the true effect is unclear given that the model's confidence intervals overlapped zero. CONCLUSIONS Evidence suggests that costly intraspecific aggression is greatly reduced between related packs. Consequently, the tendency for dispersing individuals to establish territories alongside relatives, where intensively utilised portions of ranges regularly overlap, may extend kin selection and inclusive fitness benefits from the intra-pack to inter-pack level. This natural spacing system can affect survival parameters and the carrying capacity of protected areas, having important management implications for intensively managed populations of this endangered species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Craig R. Jackson
- Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, Trondheim, Norway
- Department of Terrestrial Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, Sluppen, PO Box 5685, NO-7485 Trondheim, Norway
| | - Rosemary J. Groom
- Department of Zoology, University of Johannesburg, Johannesburg, South Africa
- African Wildlife Conservation Fund, Savé Valley Conservancy, Harare, Zimbabwe
| | - Neil R. Jordan
- Botswana Predator Conservation Trust, Maun, Botswana
- Centre for Ecosystem Science, School of Biological, Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney, NSW 2052 Australia
- Taronga Conservation Society Australia, Taronga Western Plains Zoo, Wildlife Reproduction Centre, Obley Road, Dubbo, NSW 2830 Australia
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14
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Naďo L, Chromá R, Kaňuch P. Structural, temporal and genetic properties of social groups in the short-lived migratory bat Nyctalus leisleri. BEHAVIOUR 2017. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003444] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Social groups of bats that operate under fission–fusion dynamics tend to establish and maintain non-random associations. We examined the social and genetic structure of the Leisler’s bat (Nyctalus leisleri), a species that is typical of tree-dwelling and long-distance migratory species in Europe. We used long-term co-occurrence data (capture-recapture sampling of roosting individuals) in combination with individual genetic relatedness (inferred from a set of microsatellite markers) to assess relationships between structural, temporal and genetic properties of roosting groups. Our results showed that social structure in groups of roosting Leisler’s bat was not random. Social clusters revealed by network analysis were almost identical to demographic cohorts, which indicates that Leisler’s bats are able to maintain social bonds only over a single season. After the period of active maternal care, roosting groups became smaller with a significantly higher level of genetic relatedness among adult females in contrast to the pregnancy and lactation stages. This provides some evidence that temporal social associations may be positively correlated with genetic relatedness. Low recapture rates of bats across seasons in light of natal philopatry indicates a shorter life span of individuals likely due to high mortality during long distance migratory movements. This probably has the most significant effect on the social system of this species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ladislav Naďo
- aInstitute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia
| | - Renáta Chromá
- bInstitute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Košice, Slovakia
| | - Peter Kaňuch
- aInstitute of Forest Ecology, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Zvolen, Slovakia
- bInstitute of Biology and Ecology, Faculty of Science, P. J. Šafárik University in Košice, Košice, Slovakia
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15
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Social dynamics in nonbreeding flocks of a cooperatively breeding bird: causes and consequences of kin associations. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2016.09.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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16
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Lowther AD, Goldsworthy SD. When were the weaners weaned? Identifying the onset of Australian sea lion nutritional independence. J Mammal 2016. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyw106] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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17
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Grabowska-Zhang AM, Hinde CA, Garroway CJ, Sheldon BC. Wherever I may roam: social viscosity and kin affiliation in a wild population despite natal dispersal. Behav Ecol 2016; 27:1263-1268. [PMID: 27418755 PMCID: PMC4943112 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arw042] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2015] [Revised: 02/02/2016] [Accepted: 02/05/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
When it is time to leave home and disperse from the natal area, you might expect siblings to scatter far and wide. But in the great tit, siblings associate more than unrelated birds at feeders, and not only because they start off their journey from the same nest. Complex social behaviors can evolve when relatives cluster, and knowing how those clusters persist despite dispersal is important for understanding the evolution of sociality. Dispersal affects the social contexts individuals experience by redistributing individuals in space, and the nature of social interactions can have important fitness consequences. During the vagrancy stage of natal dispersal, after an individual has left its natal site and before it has settled to breed, social affiliations might be predicted by opportunities to associate (e.g., distance in space and time between natal points of origin) or kin preferences. We investigated the social structure of a population of juvenile great tits (Parus major) and asked whether social affiliations during vagrancy were predicted by 1) the distance between natal nest-boxes, 2) synchrony in fledge dates, and 3) accounting for spatial and temporal predictors, whether siblings tended to stay together. We show that association strength was affected predominantly by spatial proximity at fledging and, to a lesser extent, temporal proximity in birth dates. Independently of spatial and temporal effects, sibling pairs associated more often than expected by chance. Our results suggest that the structure of the winter population is shaped primarily by limits to dispersal through incomplete population mixing. In addition, our results reveal kin structure, and hence the scope for fitness-related interactions between particular classes of kin. Both spatial-mediated and socially mediated population structuring can have implications for our understanding of the evolution of sociality.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ada M Grabowska-Zhang
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS , UK
| | - Camilla A Hinde
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Wageningen University , Building 122, De Elst 1, 6708 WD Wageningen , The Netherlands
| | - Colin J Garroway
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS, UK; Department of Biological Sciences, University of Manitoba Biological Sciences Building, 50 Sifton Road, Winnipeg, Manitoba R3T 2N2, Canada
| | - Ben C Sheldon
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford , South Parks Road, Oxford OX1 3PS , UK
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Pearson SK, Godfrey SS, Bull CM, Gardner MG. Larger lizards live longer in the group-living Egernia stokesii. AUST J ZOOL 2016. [DOI: 10.1071/zo16024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Animal space use has implications for gene flow, disease dynamics, mating systems and the evolution of sociality. Given recent attention to sociality in reptiles, lizards are an important group for expanding our understanding of animal space use. Lizard space use is commonly investigated within one population over a short period and limited attention has been given to potential predictors of site fidelity. This study evaluated site fidelity in three populations of group-living Egernia stokesii (gidgee skink) between two field surveys separated by almost a decade. Of 43 recaptured lizards, 28 (65%) occupied their original space, and 15 (36%) of those shared their space with the same other lizard or lizards in both surveys. This confirmed long-term site and social bond fidelity in E. stokesii. We found that larger lizards were more likely to be recaptured. Neither body size, individual genetic heterozygosity, nor the availability of refuges strongly predicted whether lizards were recaptured in the same or a different place. The reasons why some lizards stayed in the same space while others moved are yet to be resolved.
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Davis GT, Vásquez RA, Poulin E, Oda E, Bazán-León EA, Ebensperger LA, Hayes LD. Octodon degus
kin and social structure. J Mammal 2015. [DOI: 10.1093/jmammal/gyv182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
A growing body of evidence showing that individuals of some social species live in non-kin groups suggests kin selection is not required in all species for sociality to evolve. Here, we investigate 2 populations of Octodon degus , a widespread South American rodent that has been shown to form kin and non-kin groups. We quantified genetic relatedness among individuals in 23 social groups across 2 populations as well as social network parameters (association, strength, and clustering coefficient) in order to determine if these aspects of sociality were driven by kinship. Additionally, we analyzed social network parameters relative to ecological conditions at burrow systems used by groups, to determine if ecological characteristics within each population could explain variation in sociality. We found that genetic relatedness among individuals within social groups was not significantly higher than genetic relatedness among randomly selected individuals in both populations, suggesting that non-kin structure of groups is common in degus. In both populations, we found significant relationships between the habitat characteristics of burrow systems and the social network characteristics of individuals inhabiting those burrow systems. Our results suggest that degu sociality is non-kin based and that degu social networks are influenced by local conditions.
Es creciente la evidencia que apoya la ocurrencia de especies sociales donde los individuos no están emparentados genéticamente, lo que sugiere que la selección de parentesco no es indispensable para la evolución de la sociabilidad. En este estudio se examinaron dos poblaciones de Octodon degus , un roedor sudamericano donde los grupos sociales pueden o no incluir individuos cercanamente emparentados. Se cuantificó el parentesco genético entre individuos en 23 grupos sociales y en redes sociales de dos poblaciones para determinar si estos aspectos de la sociabilidad dependen del grado de parentesco. Además, se examinaron asociaciones entre los parámetros cuantificados de las redes sociales (asociación, fuerza, coeficiente de anidamiento) y las condiciones ecológicas a nivel de los sistemas de madriguera usados por cada grupo. El grado de parentesco genético dentro de los grupos no fue distinto del grado de parentesco entre individuos de la población tomados al azar, lo que apoya que una estructura de grupos no emparentada es la regla en Octodon degus . En ambas poblaciones se registró una asociación entre características ecológicas de los sistemas de madriguera y atributos de las redes sociales de los individuos que usan estas estructuras. Nuestros resultados indican que la sociabilidad en Octodon degus no está basada en relaciones de parentesco y que las redes sociales de estos animales dependen de las condiciones ecológicas.
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Godde S, Côté SD, Réale D. Female mountain goats, Oreamnos americanus , associate according to kinship and reproductive status. Anim Behav 2015. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.07.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Arnberg NN, Shizuka D, Chaine AS, Lyon BE. Social network structure in wintering golden-crowned sparrows is not correlated with kinship. Mol Ecol 2015; 24:5034-44. [DOI: 10.1111/mec.13366] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2015] [Revised: 08/26/2015] [Accepted: 08/31/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Nina N. Arnberg
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
| | - Daizaburo Shizuka
- School of Biological Sciences; University of Nebraska-Lincoln; Lincoln Nebraska 68588 USA
| | - Alexis S. Chaine
- Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS (USR2936); 2 route du CNRS 09200 Moulis France
- Institute for Advanced Studies in Toulouse; Toulouse School of Economics; 21 allée de Brienne 31015 Toulouse France
| | - Bruce E. Lyon
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology; University of California; Santa Cruz California 95064 USA
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22
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Rosenbaum S, Maldonado-Chaparro AA, Stoinski TS. Group structure predicts variation in proximity relationships between male-female and male-infant pairs of mountain gorillas (Gorilla beringei beringei). Primates 2015; 57:17-28. [PMID: 26386711 DOI: 10.1007/s10329-015-0490-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2015] [Accepted: 08/30/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Relationships between conspecifics are influenced by both ecological factors and the social organization they live in. Systematic variation of both--consistent with predictions derived from socioecology models--is well documented, but there is considerable variation within species and populations that is poorly understood. The mountain gorilla (Gorilla beringei) is unusual because, despite possessing morphology associated with male contest competition (e.g., extreme sexual dimorphism), they are regularly observed in both single-male and multimale groups. Both male-female and male-infant bonds are strong because males provide protection against infanticide and/or predation. Risk of these threats varies with social structure, which may influence the strength of social relationships among group members (including females and offspring, if females with lower infant mortality risk are less protective of infants). Here, we investigate the relationship between group structure and the strength of proximity relationships between males and females, males and infants, and females and offspring. Data come from 10 social groups containing 1-7 adult males, monitored by the Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund's Karisoke Research Center in Volcanoes National Park, Rwanda. After controlling for group size and infant age, association strength was similar for male-female pairs across group types with both dominant and nondominant males, but male-infant relationships were strongest in single-male groups where paternity certainty was high and animals had fewer social partners to choose from. The male:female and male:infant ratios better predicted both male-female and male-infant associations than the absolute number of males, females, or infants did. The fewer the number of males per female or infant, the more both pair types associated. Dominant males in groups containing fewer males had higher eigenvector centrality (a measure of importance in a social network) than dominant males in groups with more males. Results indicate that nondominant males are an important influence on relationships between dominant males and females/infants despite their peripheral social positions, and that relationships between males and infants must be considered an important foundation of gorilla social structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Rosenbaum
- Department of Anthropology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA. .,Institute for Mind and Biology, University of Chicago, 940 East 57th Street, Chicago, IL, 60637, USA.
| | - A A Maldonado-Chaparro
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California-Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - T S Stoinski
- The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, Atlanta, GA, USA
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23
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Tide line versus internal pools: mating system and breeding success of South American sea lion males. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-015-2010-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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24
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Chemical fingerprints reveal clues to identity, heterozygosity, and relatedness. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2015; 112:11146-7. [PMID: 26311844 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1514278112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
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25
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Fine-scale matrilineal population structure in the Galapagos fur seal and its implications for conservation management. CONSERV GENET 2015. [DOI: 10.1007/s10592-015-0725-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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26
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Biosa D, Grignolio S, Sica N, Pagon N, Scandura M, Apollonio M. Do relatives like to stay closer? Spatial organization and genetic relatedness in a mountain roe deer population. J Zool (1987) 2015. [DOI: 10.1111/jzo.12214] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- D. Biosa
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - S. Grignolio
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - N. Sica
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - N. Pagon
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - M. Scandura
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources University of Sassari Sassari Italy
| | - M. Apollonio
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources University of Sassari Sassari Italy
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27
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A contact-based social network of lizards is defined by low genetic relatedness among strongly connected individuals. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.08.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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28
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van Dijk RE, Kaden JC, Argüelles-Ticó A, Dawson DA, Burke T, Hatchwell BJ. Cooperative investment in public goods is kin directed in communal nests of social birds. Ecol Lett 2014; 17:1141-8. [PMID: 25039999 PMCID: PMC4282064 DOI: 10.1111/ele.12320] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/22/2014] [Accepted: 06/06/2014] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The tragedy of the commons predicts social collapse when public goods are jointly exploited by individuals attempting to maximize their fitness at the expense of other social group members. However, animal societies have evolved many times despite this vulnerability to exploitation by selfish individuals. Kin selection offers a solution to this social dilemma, but in large social groups mean relatedness is often low. Sociable weavers (Philetairus socius) live in large colonies that share the benefits of a massive communal nest, which requires individual investment for construction and maintenance. Here, we show that despite low mean kinship within colonies, relatives are spatially and socially clustered and that nest-building males have higher local relatedness to other colony members than do non-building males. Alternative hypotheses received little support, so we conclude that the benefits of the public good are shared with kin and that cooperative investment is, despite the large size and low relatedness of these communities, kin directed.
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Affiliation(s)
- René E van Dijk
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Jennifer C Kaden
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Araceli Argüelles-Ticó
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Deborah A Dawson
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Terry Burke
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
| | - Ben J Hatchwell
- Department of Animal and Plant Sciences, University of SheffieldWestern Bank, Sheffield, S10 2TN, UK
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29
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Podgórski T, Lusseau D, Scandura M, Sönnichsen L, Jędrzejewska B. Long-lasting, kin-directed female interactions in a spatially structured wild boar social network. PLoS One 2014; 9:e99875. [PMID: 24919178 PMCID: PMC4053407 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0099875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/25/2014] [Accepted: 05/20/2014] [Indexed: 11/27/2022] Open
Abstract
Individuals can increase inclusive fitness benefits through a complex network of social interactions directed towards kin. Preferential relationships with relatives lead to the emergence of kin structures in the social system. Cohesive social groups of related individuals and female philopatry of wild boar create conditions for cooperation through kin selection and make the species a good biological model for studying kin structures. Yet, the role of kinship in shaping the social structure of wild boar populations is still poorly understood. In the present study, we investigated spatio-temporal patterns of associations and the social network structure of the wild boar Sus scrofa population in Białowieża National Park, Poland, which offered a unique opportunity to understand wild boar social interactions away from anthropogenic factors. We used a combination of telemetry data and genetic information to examine the impact of kinship on network cohesion and the strength of social bonds. Relatedness and spatial proximity between individuals were positively related to the strength of social bond. Consequently, the social network was spatially and genetically structured with well-defined and cohesive social units. However, spatial proximity between individuals could not entirely explain the association patterns and network structure. Genuine, kin-targeted, and temporarily stable relationships of females extended beyond spatial proximity between individuals while males interactions were short-lived and not shaped by relatedness. The findings of this study confirm the matrilineal nature of wild boar social structure and show how social preferences of individuals translate into an emergent socio-genetic population structure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tomasz Podgórski
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
| | - David Lusseau
- Institute of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, United Kingdom
| | - Massimo Scandura
- Department of Science for Nature and Environmental Resources, University of Sassari, Sassari, Italy
| | - Leif Sönnichsen
- Mammal Research Institute, Polish Academy of Sciences, Białowieża, Poland
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30
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31
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Modelling animal group fission using social network dynamics. PLoS One 2014; 9:e97813. [PMID: 24831471 PMCID: PMC4022680 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0097813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2013] [Accepted: 04/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Group life involves both advantages and disadvantages, meaning that individuals have to compromise between their nutritional needs and their social links. When a compromise is impossible, the group splits in order to reduce conflict of interests and favour positive social interactions between its members. In this study we built a dynamic model of social networks to represent a succession of temporary fissions involving a change in social relations that could potentially lead to irreversible group fission (i.e. no more group fusion). This is the first study that assesses how a social network changes according to group fission-fusion dynamics. We built a model that was based on different parameters: the group size, the influence of nutritional needs compared to social needs, and the changes in the social network after a temporary fission. The results obtained from this theoretical data indicate how the percentage of social relation transfer, the number of individuals and the relative importance of nutritional requirements and social links influence the average number of days before irreversible fission occurs. The greater the nutritional needs and the higher the transfer of social relations during temporary fission, the fewer days will be observed before an irreversible fission. It is crucial to bridge the gap between the individual and the population level if we hope to understand how simple, local interactions may drive ecological systems.
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32
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Godfrey SS. Networks and the ecology of parasite transmission: A framework for wildlife parasitology. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL FOR PARASITOLOGY-PARASITES AND WILDLIFE 2013; 2:235-45. [PMID: 24533342 PMCID: PMC3862525 DOI: 10.1016/j.ijppaw.2013.09.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 85] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2013] [Revised: 08/30/2013] [Accepted: 09/04/2013] [Indexed: 01/24/2023]
Abstract
Animal behaviour can generate heterogeneities in parasite transmission. Network models represent these heterogeneities as links (edges) among hosts (nodes). Variety of lifecycles and transmission methods can be represented using networks. Framework for exploring a range of ecological questions about parasite transmission. Challenges remain in their application to wildlife parasitology.
Social network analysis has recently emerged as a popular tool for understanding disease transmission in host populations. Although social networks have most extensively been applied to modelling the transmission of diseases through human populations, more recently the method has been applied to wildlife populations. The majority of examples from wildlife involve modelling the transmission of contagious microbes (mainly viruses and bacteria), normally in context of understanding wildlife disease epidemics. However, a growing number of studies have used networks to explore the ecology of parasite transmission in wildlife populations for a range of endemic parasites representing a diversity of life cycles and transmission methods. This review addresses the application of network models in representing the transmission of parasites with more complex life cycles, and illustrates the way in which this approach can be used to answer ecological questions about the transmission of parasites in wildlife populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephanie S Godfrey
- School of Veterinary and Life Sciences, Murdoch University, 90 South Street, Murdoch 6150, Western Australia, Australia
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33
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VanderWaal KL, Wang H, McCowan B, Fushing H, Isbell LA. Multilevel social organization and space use in reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis). Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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34
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Pinter-Wollman N, Hobson EA, Smith JE, Edelman AJ, Shizuka D, de Silva S, Waters JS, Prager SD, Sasaki T, Wittemyer G, Fewell J, McDonald DB. The dynamics of animal social networks: analytical, conceptual, and theoretical advances. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 278] [Impact Index Per Article: 25.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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36
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McDonald GC, James R, Krause J, Pizzari T. Sexual networks: measuring sexual selection in structured, polyandrous populations. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2013; 368:20120356. [PMID: 23339246 PMCID: PMC3576589 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2012.0356] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection is traditionally measured at the population level, assuming that populations lack structure. However, increasing evidence undermines this approach, indicating that intrasexual competition in natural populations often displays complex patterns of spatial and temporal structure. This complexity is due in part to the degree and mechanisms of polyandry within a population, which can influence the intensity and scale of both pre- and post-copulatory sexual competition. Attempts to measure selection at the local and global scale have been made through multi-level selection approaches. However, definitions of local scale are often based on physical proximity, providing a rather coarse measure of local competition, particularly in polyandrous populations where the local scale of pre- and post-copulatory competition may differ drastically from each other. These limitations can be solved by social network analysis, which allows us to define a unique sexual environment for each member of a population: 'local scale' competition, therefore, becomes an emergent property of a sexual network. Here, we first propose a novel quantitative approach to measure pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection, which integrates multi-level selection with information on local scale competition derived as an emergent property of networks of sexual interactions. We then use simple simulations to illustrate the ways in which polyandry can impact estimates of sexual selection. We show that for intermediate levels of polyandry, the proposed network-based approach provides substantially more accurate measures of sexual selection than the more traditional population-level approach. We argue that the increasing availability of fine-grained behavioural datasets provides exciting new opportunities to develop network approaches to study sexual selection in complex societies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Grant C McDonald
- Edward Grey Institute, Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK.
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37
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Foster EA, Franks DW, Morrell LJ, Balcomb KC, Parsons KM, van Ginneken A, Croft DP. Social network correlates of food availability in an endangered population of killer whales, Orcinus orca. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.12.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 64] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
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38
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Formica VA, Wood CW, Larsen WB, Butterfield RE, Augat ME, Hougen HY, Brodie ED. Fitness consequences of social network position in a wild population of forked fungus beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus). J Evol Biol 2011; 25:130-7. [PMID: 22092581 DOI: 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02411.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Social networks describe the pattern of intraspecific interactions within a population. An individual's position in a social network often is expected to influence its fitness, but only a few studies have examined this relationship in natural populations. We investigated the fitness consequences of network position in a wild beetle population. Copulation success of male beetles positively covaried with strength (a measure of network centrality) and negatively covaried with clustering coefficient (CC) (a measure of cliquishness). Further analysis using mediation path models suggested that the activity level of individuals drove the relationships between strength and fitness almost entirely. In contrast, selection on CC was not explained by individual behaviours. Although our data suggest that social network position can experience strong sexual selection, it is also clear that the relationships between fitness and some network metrics merely reflect variation in individual-level behaviours.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincent A Formica
- Mountain Lake Biological Station, Department of Biology, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, VA 22904-4328, USA.
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39
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van Doorn GS, Taborsky M. THE EVOLUTION OF GENERALIZED RECIPROCITY ON SOCIAL INTERACTION NETWORKS. Evolution 2011; 66:651-664. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2011.01479.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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40
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Holekamp KE, Smith JE, Strelioff CC, Van Horn RC, Watts HE. Society, demography and genetic structure in the spotted hyena. Mol Ecol 2011; 21:613-32. [PMID: 21880088 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05240.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 129] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spotted hyenas (Crocuta crocuta) are large mammalian carnivores, but their societies, called 'clans', resemble those of such cercopithecine primates as baboons and macaques with respect to their size, hierarchical structure, and frequency of social interaction among both kin and unrelated group-mates. However, in contrast to cercopithecine primates, spotted hyenas regularly hunt antelope and compete with group-mates for access to kills, which are extremely rich food sources, but also rare and ephemeral. This unique occurrence of baboon-like sociality among top-level predators has favoured the evolution of many unusual traits in this species. We briefly review the relevant socio-ecology of spotted hyenas, document great demographic variation but little variation in social structure across the species' range, and describe the long-term fitness consequences of rank-related variation in resource access among clan-mates. We then summarize patterns of genetic relatedness within and between clans, including some from a population that had recently gone through a population bottleneck, and consider the roles of sexually dimorphic dispersal and female mate choice in the generation of these patterns. Finally, we apply social network theory under varying regimes of resource availability to analyse the effects of kinship on the stability of social relationships among members of one large hyena clan in Kenya. Although social bonds among both kin and non-kin are weakest when resource competition is most intense, hyenas sustain strong social relationships with kin year-round, despite constraints imposed by resource limitation. Our analyses suggest that selection might act on both individuals and matrilineal kin groups within clans containing multiple matrilines.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kay E Holekamp
- Department of Zoology, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1115, USA.
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41
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Harrison F, Sciberras J, James R. Strength of social tie predicts cooperative investment in a human social network. PLoS One 2011; 6:e18338. [PMID: 21479173 PMCID: PMC3068164 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0018338] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2010] [Accepted: 03/04/2011] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Social networks--diagrams which reflect the social structure of animal groups--are increasingly viewed as useful tools in behavioural ecology and evolutionary biology. Network structure may be especially relevant to the study of cooperation, because the action of mechanisms which affect the cost:benefit ratio of cooperating (e.g. reciprocity, punishment, image scoring) is likely to be mediated by the relative position of actor and recipient in the network. Social proximity could thus affect cooperation in a similar manner to biological relatedness. To test this hypothesis, we recruited members of a real-world social group and used a questionnaire to reveal their network. Participants were asked to endure physical discomfort in order to earn money for themselves and other group members, allowing us to explore relationships between willingness to suffer a cost on another's behalf and the relative social position of donor and recipient. Cost endured was positively correlated with the strength of the social tie between donor and recipient. Further, donors suffered greater costs when a relationship was reciprocated. Interestingly, participants regularly suffered greater discomfort for very close peers than for themselves. Our results provide new insight into the effect of social structure on the direct benefits of cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Freya Harrison
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
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Wolf JBW, Traulsen A, James R. Exploring the Link between Genetic Relatedness r and Social Contact Structure k in Animal Social Networks. Am Nat 2010; 177:135-42. [PMID: 21117963 DOI: 10.1086/657442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
Abstract
Our understanding of how cooperation can arise in a population of selfish individuals has been greatly advanced by theory. More than one approach has been used to explore the effect of population structure. Inclusive fitness theory uses genetic relatedness r to express the role of population structure. Evolutionary graph theory models the evolution of cooperation on network structures and focuses on the number of interacting partners k as a quantity of interest. Here we use empirical data from a hierarchically structured animal contact network to examine the interplay between independent, measurable proxies for these key parameters. We find strong inverse correlations between estimates of r and k over three levels of social organization, suggesting that genetic relatedness and social contact structure capture similar structural information in a real population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen B W Wolf
- Department of Evolutionary Genetics, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Biology, 24306 Plön, Germany.
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Wiszniewski J, Lusseau D, Möller LM. Female bisexual kinship ties maintain social cohesion in a dolphin network. Anim Behav 2010. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.08.013] [Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/04/2023]
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Abstract
Social network analysis (SNA) is a body of theory and a set of relatively new computer-aided techniques used in the analysis and study of relational data. Recent studies of autosomal markers from over 40 human populations in the south-western Pacific have further documented the remarkable degree of genetic diversity in this part of the world. I report additional analysis using SNA methods contributing new controlled observations on the structuring of genetic diversity among these islanders. These SNA mappings are then compared with model-based network expectations derived from the geographic distances among the same populations. Previous studies found that genetic divergence among island Melanesian populations is organised by island, island size/topography, and position (coastal vs. inland), and that similarities observed correlate only weakly with an isolation-by-distance model. Using SNA methods, however, improves the resolution of among population comparison, and suggests that isolation by distance constrained by social networks together with position (coastal/inland) accounts for much of the population structuring observed. The multilocus data now available is also in accord with current thinking on the impact of major biogeographical transformations on prehistoric colonisation and post-settlement human interaction in Oceania.
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Affiliation(s)
- John Edward Terrell
- Department of Anthropology, Field Museum of Natural History, Chicago, Illinois, United States of America.
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Pitcher BJ, Harcourt RG, Charrier I. The memory remains: long-term vocal recognition in Australian sea lions. Anim Cogn 2010; 13:771-6. [PMID: 20446102 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-010-0322-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2010] [Revised: 04/06/2010] [Accepted: 04/20/2010] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
The ability to recognize other individuals plays an important role in mediating social interactions. As longitudinal studies are challenging, there is only limited evidence of long-term memory of individuals and concepts in mammals. We examined the ability of six wild Australian sea lions to discriminate between the voice of their mother and another adult female, both while they were dependent on their mother and when they were independent, 2 years after weaning. Here, we show that even after a long period of independence, juveniles retain the ability to identify their mother's voice. Both when dependent and independent, animals showed stronger responses to maternal calls than to the calls of another female. This demonstration of recognition provides rare evidence of the long-term memory capabilities of wild mammals.
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Using home range estimates to construct social networks for species with indirect behavioral interactions. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
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Hatchwell BJ. Cryptic Kin Selection: Kin Structure in Vertebrate Populations and Opportunities for Kin-Directed Cooperation. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01732.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 91] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Sociality of the dispersing sex: the nature of social bonds in West African female chimpanzees, Pan troglodytes. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.09.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 108] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Wolf JBW, Harrod C, Brunner S, Salazar S, Trillmich F, Tautz D. Tracing early stages of species differentiation: ecological, morphological and genetic divergence of Galápagos sea lion populations. BMC Evol Biol 2008; 8:150. [PMID: 18485220 PMCID: PMC2408593 DOI: 10.1186/1471-2148-8-150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 60] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2007] [Accepted: 05/16/2008] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Oceans are high gene flow environments that are traditionally believed to hamper the build-up of genetic divergence. Despite this, divergence appears to occur occasionally at surprisingly small scales. The Galápagos archipelago provides an ideal opportunity to examine the evolutionary processes of local divergence in an isolated marine environment. Galápagos sea lions (Zalophus wollebaeki) are top predators in this unique setting and have an essentially unlimited dispersal capacity across the entire species range. In theory, this should oppose any genetic differentiation. Results We find significant ecological, morphological and genetic divergence between the western colonies and colonies from the central region of the archipelago that are exposed to different ecological conditions. Stable isotope analyses indicate that western animals use different food sources than those from the central area. This is likely due to niche partitioning with the second Galápagos eared seal species, the Galápagos fur seal (Arctocephalus galapagoensis) that exclusively dwells in the west. Stable isotope patterns correlate with significant differences in foraging-related skull morphology. Analyses of mitochondrial sequences as well as microsatellites reveal signs of initial genetic differentiation. Conclusion Our results suggest a key role of intra- as well as inter-specific niche segregation in the evolution of genetic structure among populations of a highly mobile species under conditions of free movement. Given the monophyletic arrival of the sea lions on the archipelago, our study challenges the view that geographical barriers are strictly needed for the build-up of genetic divergence. The study further raises the interesting prospect that in social, colonially breeding mammals additional forces, such as social structure or feeding traditions, might bear on the genetic partitioning of populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jochen B W Wolf
- Institute for Genetics, Evolutionary Genetics, University of Köln, 50674 Köln, Germany.
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