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Jungwirth A, Zöttl M, Bonfils D, Josi D, Frommen JG, Taborsky M. Philopatry yields higher fitness than dispersal in a cooperative breeder with sex-specific life history trajectories. SCIENCE ADVANCES 2023; 9:eadd2146. [PMID: 36867697 PMCID: PMC9984175 DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.add2146] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/27/2022] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 06/18/2023]
Abstract
Social evolution is tightly linked to dispersal decisions, but the ecological and social factors selecting for philopatry or dispersal often remain obscure. Elucidating selection mechanisms underlying alternative life histories requires measurement of fitness effects in the wild. We report on a long-term field study of 496 individually marked cooperatively breeding fish, showing that philopatry is beneficial as it increases breeding tenure and lifetime reproductive success in both sexes. Dispersers predominantly join established groups and end up in smaller groups when they ascend to dominance. Life history trajectories are sex specific, with males growing faster, dying earlier, and dispersing more, whereas females more likely inherit a breeding position. Increased male dispersal does not seem to reflect an adaptive preference but rather sex-specific differences in intrasexual competition. Cooperative groups may thus be maintained because of inherent benefits of philopatry, of which females seem to get the greater share in social cichlids.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Jungwirth
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Savoyenstraße 1a, A-1160 Vienna, Austria
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Ecology and Evolution in Microbial Model Systems, EEMiS, Department of Biology and Environmental Science, Linnaeus University, SE-391 82 Kalmar, Sweden
| | - Danielle Bonfils
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dario Josi
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Eawag Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, CH-6047 Kastanienbaum, Switzerland
| | - Joachim G. Frommen
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Chester Street, M1 5GD Manchester, United Kingdom
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior, D-78467 Konstanz, Germany
- Institute for Advanced Study (Wissenschaftskolleg) Berlin, D-14193 Berlin, Germany
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2
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Josi D, Heg D, Takeyama T, Bonfils D, Konovalov DA, Frommen JG, Kohda M, Taborsky M. Age- and sex-dependent variation in relatedness corresponds to reproductive skew, territory inheritance, and workload in cooperatively breeding cichlids. Evolution 2021; 75:2881-2897. [PMID: 34555177 PMCID: PMC9298395 DOI: 10.1111/evo.14348] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/25/2021] [Revised: 07/27/2021] [Accepted: 08/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Kin selection plays a major role in the evolution of cooperative systems. However, many social species exhibit complex within-group relatedness structures, where kin selection alone cannot explain the occurrence of cooperative behavior. Understanding such social structures is crucial to elucidate the evolution and maintenance of multi-layered cooperative societies. In lamprologine cichlids, intragroup relatedness seems to correlate positively with reproductive skew, suggesting that in this clade dominants tend to provide reproductive concessions to unrelated subordinates to secure their participation in brood care. We investigate how patterns of within-group relatedness covary with direct and indirect fitness benefits of cooperation in a highly social vertebrate, the cooperatively breeding, polygynous lamprologine cichlid Neolamprologus savoryi. Behavioral and genetic data from 43 groups containing 578 individuals show that groups are socially and genetically structured into subgroups. About 17% of group members were unrelated immigrants, and average relatedness between breeders and brood care helpers declined with helper age due to group membership dynamics. Hence the relative importance of direct and indirect fitness benefits of cooperation depends on helper age. Our findings highlight how both direct and indirect fitness benefits of cooperation and group membership can select for cooperative behavior in societies comprising complex social and relatedness structures.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dario Josi
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.,Conservation, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Research Group, Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Dik Heg
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.,CTU Bern, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Tomohiro Takeyama
- Department of Biosphere-Geosphere Science, Okayama University of Science, Okayama, Japan.,Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Danielle Bonfils
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dmitry A Konovalov
- College of Science and Engineering, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia
| | - Joachim G Frommen
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.,Conservation, Ecology, Evolution and Behaviour Research Group, Ecology and Environment Research Centre, Department of Natural Sciences, Manchester Metropolitan University, Manchester, UK
| | - Masanori Kohda
- Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka, Japan
| | - Michael Taborsky
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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3
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Nelson-Flower MJ, Flower TP, Ridley AR. Sex differences in the drivers of reproductive skew in a cooperative breeder. Mol Ecol 2018; 27:2435-2446. [PMID: 29663552 DOI: 10.1111/mec.14587] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/16/2018] [Revised: 03/25/2018] [Accepted: 03/26/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Many cooperatively breeding societies are characterized by high reproductive skew, such that some socially dominant individuals breed, while socially subordinate individuals provide help. Inbreeding avoidance serves as a source of reproductive skew in many high-skew societies, but few empirical studies have examined sources of skew operating alongside inbreeding avoidance or compared individual attempts to reproduce (reproductive competition) with individual reproductive success. Here, we use long-term genetic and observational data to examine factors affecting reproductive skew in the high-skew cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). When subordinates can breed, skew remains high, suggesting factors additional to inbreeding avoidance drive skew. Subordinate females are more likely to compete to breed when older or when ecological constraints on dispersal are high, but heavy subordinate females are more likely to successfully breed. Subordinate males are more likely to compete when they are older, during high ecological constraints, or when they are related to the dominant male, but only the presence of within-group unrelated subordinate females predicts subordinate male breeding success. Reproductive skew is not driven by reproductive effort, but by forces such as intrinsic physical limitations and intrasexual conflict (for females) or female mate choice, male mate-guarding and potentially reproductive restraint (for males). Ecological conditions or "outside options" affect the occurrence of reproductive conflict, supporting predictions of recent synthetic skew models. Inbreeding avoidance together with competition for access to reproduction may generate high skew in animal societies, and disparate processes may be operating to maintain male vs. female reproductive skew in the same species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Martha J Nelson-Flower
- Department of Forest and Conservation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada
| | - Tom P Flower
- Department of Biology, Capilano University, North Vancouver, BC, Canada.,Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa
| | - Amanda R Ridley
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology, DST NRF Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, South Africa.,Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA, Australia
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4
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Riehl C. Kinship and Incest Avoidance Drive Patterns of Reproductive Skew in Cooperatively Breeding Birds. Am Nat 2017; 190:774-785. [PMID: 29166167 DOI: 10.1086/694411] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Social animals vary in how reproduction is divided among group members, ranging from monopolization by a dominant pair (high skew) to equal sharing by cobreeders (low skew). Despite many theoretical models, the ecological and life-history factors that generate this variation are still debated. Here I analyze data from 83 species of cooperatively breeding birds, finding that kinship within the breeding group is a powerful predictor of reproductive sharing across species. Societies composed of nuclear families have significantly higher skew than those that contain unrelated members, a pattern that holds for both multimale and multifemale groups. Within-species studies confirm this, showing that unrelated subordinates of both sexes are more likely to breed than related subordinates are. Crucially, subordinates in cooperative groups are more likely to breed if they are unrelated to the opposite-sex dominant, whereas relatedness to the same-sex dominant has no effect. This suggests that incest avoidance, rather than suppression by dominant breeders, may be an important proximate mechanism limiting reproduction by subordinates. Overall, these results support the ultimate evolutionary logic behind concessions models of skew-namely, that related subordinates gain indirect fitness benefits from helping at the nests of kin, so a lower direct reproductive share is required for selection to favor helping over dispersal-but not the proximate mechanism of dominant control assumed by these models.
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5
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Hellmann JK, Ligocki IY, O'Connor CM, Reddon AR, Garvy KA, Marsh-Rollo SE, Gibbs HL, Balshine S, Hamilton IM. Reproductive sharing in relation to group and colony-level attributes in a cooperative breeding fish. Proc Biol Sci 2016; 282:rspb.2015.0954. [PMID: 26136450 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2015.0954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023] Open
Abstract
The degree to which group members share reproduction is dictated by both within-group (e.g. group size and composition) and between-group(e.g. density and position of neighbours) characteristics. While many studies have investigated reproductive patterns within social groups, few have simultaneously explored how within-group and between-group social structure influence these patterns. Here, we investigated how group size and composition, along with territory density and location within the colony, influenced parentage in 36 wild groups of a colonial, cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher. Dominant males sired 76% of offspring in their group, whereas dominant females mothered 82% of offspring in their group. Subordinate reproduction was frequent, occurring in 47% of sampled groups. Subordinate males gained more paternity in groups located in high-density areas and in groups with many subordinate males. Dominant males and females in large groups and in groups with many reproductively mature subordinates had higher rates of parentage loss, but only at the colony edge. Our study provides, to our knowledge,the first comprehensive quantification of reproductive sharing among groups of wild N. pulcher, a model species for the study of cooperation and social behaviour. Further, we demonstrate that the frequency of extra-pair parentage differs across small social and spatial scales.
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6
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Ligocki IY, Earley RL, Hellmann JK, Hamilton IM. Variation in glucocorticoid levels in relation to direct and third-party interactions in a social cichlid fish. Physiol Behav 2015; 151:386-94. [PMID: 26255122 DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2015.08.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2014] [Revised: 07/30/2015] [Accepted: 08/01/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
In complex animal societies, direct interactions between group members can influence the behavior and glucocorticoid levels of individuals involved. Recently, it has become apparent that third-party group members can influence dyadic interactions, and vice versa. Thus, glucocorticoid levels may vary depending on interactions of other members of the social group. Using the social cichlid fish Neolamprologus pulcher, we examined the relationship between levels of the glucocorticoid hormone cortisol in subordinate females and 1) direct interactions with dominant group members, as well as 2) dyadic interactions between the dominant male and female, in which the subordinate female was not directly involved. Subordinate females that frequently engaged in non-aggressive interactions with dominant females had lower cortisol levels. There was no relationship between subordinate female cortisol and agonistic interactions between the subordinate female and either dominant. Subordinate females had higher cortisol levels when in groups in which the dominant breeding pair behaved agonistically towards each other and performed fewer courtship behaviors. For subordinate females in this species, variation in cortisol levels is associated with their own affiliative behavior, but also can be explained by the broader social context of interactions between dominant members of the group.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isaac Y Ligocki
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
| | - Ryan L Earley
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA
| | - Jennifer K Hellmann
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
| | - Ian M Hamilton
- Department of Evolution, Ecology, and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA; Department of Mathematics, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA
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7
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Green JP, Cant MA, Field J. Using social parasitism to test reproductive skew models in a primitively eusocial wasp. Proc Biol Sci 2015; 281:20141206. [PMID: 24990668 PMCID: PMC4100523 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.1206] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
Remarkable variation exists in the distribution of reproduction (skew) among members of cooperatively breeding groups, both within and between species. Reproductive skew theory has provided an important framework for understanding this variation. In the primitively eusocial Hymenoptera, two models have been routinely tested: concessions models, which assume complete control of reproduction by a dominant individual, and tug-of-war models, which assume on-going competition among group members over reproduction. Current data provide little support for either model, but uncertainty about the ability of individuals to detect genetic relatedness and difficulties in identifying traits conferring competitive ability mean that the relative importance of concessions versus tug-of-war remains unresolved. Here, we suggest that the use of social parasitism to generate meaningful variation in key social variables represents a valuable opportunity to explore the mechanisms underpinning reproductive skew within the social Hymenoptera. We present a direct test of concessions and tug-of-war models in the paper wasp Polistes dominulus by exploiting pronounced changes in relatedness and power structures that occur following replacement of the dominant by a congeneric social parasite. Comparisons of skew in parasitized and unparasitized colonies are consistent with a tug-of-war over reproduction within P. dominulus groups, but provide no evidence for reproductive concessions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jonathan P Green
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, John Maynard Smith Building, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
| | - Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Penryn TR10 9EZ, UK
| | - Jeremy Field
- School of Life Sciences, University of Sussex, John Maynard Smith Building, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK
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8
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Schaedelin FC, van Dongen WFD, Wagner RH. Mate choice and genetic monogamy in a biparental, colonial fish. Behav Ecol 2015; 26:782-788. [PMID: 26023276 PMCID: PMC4433329 DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2014] [Revised: 01/05/2015] [Accepted: 01/17/2015] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
We report a rare case of genetic monogamy in a biparental fish species. Males and females paired assortatively by size, which is compatible with mutual mate choice. Mate choice in monogamous species is interesting because both sexes provide essential parental care, making males, as well as females, choosy. Social monogamy in the form of biparental care is well known from a variety of species, but uncommon in fish. In socially monogamous species, in which both sexes provide essential parental care, males as well as females are expected to be choosy. Whereas hundreds of studies have examined monogamy in biparental birds, only several such studies exist in fish. We examined mate choice in the biparental, colonial cichlid fish Neolamprologus caudopunctatus in Lake Tanganyika, Zambia. We genotyped more than 350 individuals at 11 microsatellite loci to investigate their mating system. We found no extrapair paternity, identifying this biparental fish as genetically monogamous. Breeders paired randomly according to their genetic similarity, suggesting a lack of selection against inbreeding avoidance. We further found that breeders paired assortatively by body size, a criterion of quality in fish, suggesting mutual mate choice. In a subsequent mate preference test in an aquarium setup, females showed a strong preference for male size by laying eggs near the larger of 2 males in 13 of 14 trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Franziska C Schaedelin
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria
| | - Wouter F D van Dongen
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria
| | - Richard H Wagner
- Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Integrative Biology and Evolution, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna , Savoyenstrasse 1a, 1160 Vienna , Austria
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9
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Fischer S, Zöttl M, Groenewoud F, Taborsky B. Group-size-dependent punishment of idle subordinates in a cooperative breeder where helpers pay to stay. Proc Biol Sci 2014; 281:20140184. [PMID: 24990673 PMCID: PMC4100499 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2014.0184] [Citation(s) in RCA: 75] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2014] [Accepted: 06/05/2014] [Indexed: 01/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In cooperative breeding systems, dominant breeders sometimes tolerate unrelated individuals even if they inflict costs on the dominants. According to the 'pay-to-stay' hypothesis, (i) subordinates can outweigh these costs by providing help and (ii) dominants should be able to enforce help by punishing subordinates that provide insufficient help. This requires that dominants can monitor helping and can recognize group members individually. In a field experiment, we tested whether cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher subordinates increase their help after a forced 'idle' period, how other group members respond to a previously idle helper, and how helper behaviour and group responses depend on group size. Previously, idle helpers increased their submissiveness and received more aggression than control helpers, suggesting that punishment occurred to enforce help. Subordinates in small groups increased their help more than those in large groups, despite receiving less aggression. When subordinates were temporarily removed, dominants in small groups were more likely to evict returning subordinates. Our results suggest that only in small groups do helpers face a latent threat of punishment by breeders as predicted by the pay-to-stay hypothesis. In large groups, cognitive constraints may prevent breeders from tracking the behaviour of a large number of helpers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Fischer
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Markus Zöttl
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland Department of Zoology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK
| | - Frank Groenewoud
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland Behavioural Ecology and Self-Organization, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Barbara Taborsky
- Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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10
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Hellmann JK, Hamilton IM. The presence of neighbors influences defense against predators in a cooperatively breeding cichlid. Behav Ecol 2014. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/aru001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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11
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Port M, Cant MA. Reproductive Competition Among Males in Multimale Groups of Primates: Modeling the Costs and Effectiveness of Conflict. INT J PRIMATOL 2013. [DOI: 10.1007/s10764-013-9744-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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12
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Brouwer L, van de Pol M, Cockburn A. The role of social environment on parental care: offspring benefit more from the presence of female than male helpers. J Anim Ecol 2013; 83:491-503. [PMID: 24128295 DOI: 10.1111/1365-2656.12143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2013] [Accepted: 09/02/2013] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
Investment in offspring depends on the costs and benefits to the carer, which can vary with sex and social status. Investment also depends on the effort of others by allowing for compensation (load-lightening), with biparental care studies showing that this depends on the state and type of the other carer. By contrast, studies on cooperative breeders have solely focussed on the effects of group size rather than its composition (i.e. social environment). Here we propose and provide the first test of the 'Social Environment' hypothesis, that is, how the characteristics (here the sex) of other helpers present in the group affect parental care and how this in turn affects offspring fitness in cooperatively breeding red-winged fairy-wrens (Malurus elegans). Breeders provisioned nestlings at a higher rate than helpers, but there was no sex difference in provisioning rate. Compensation to increasing group size varied little with sex and status, but strongly depended on social environment. All group members reduced their provisioning rates in response to an increasing number of male (load-lightening), but not female helpers (additive care). As a result, nestlings received more food and grew faster in the presence of female helpers. The increased nestling growth did convey a fitness advantage due to a higher post-fledging survival to adulthood. Our study provides the first evidence that parental care can depend on social environment. This could be an important overlooked aspect to explain variation in parental care in cooperative breeders in general and in particular the enormous variation between the sexes, which we reveal in a literature overview.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lyanne Brouwer
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
| | - Martijn van de Pol
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia.,Department of Animal Ecology, Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW), Wageningen, The Netherlands
| | - Andrew Cockburn
- Department of Evolution, Ecology & Genetics, Research School of Biology, The Australian National University, Canberra, ACT, 0200, Australia
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13
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14
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Hamilton IM. The effects of behavioral plasticity and leadership on the predictions of optimal skew models. Behav Ecol 2012. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ars182] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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15
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Riebli T, Taborsky M, Chervet N, Apolloni N, Zürcher Y, Heg D. Behavioural type, status and social context affect behaviour and resource allocation in cooperatively breeding cichlids. Anim Behav 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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16
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Bruintjes R, Bonfils D, Heg D, Taborsky M. Paternity of subordinates raises cooperative effort in cichlids. PLoS One 2011; 6:e25673. [PMID: 22022428 PMCID: PMC3192049 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0025673] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2011] [Accepted: 09/09/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In cooperative breeders, subordinates generally help a dominant breeding pair to raise offspring. Parentage studies have shown that in several species subordinates can participate in reproduction. This suggests an important role of direct fitness benefits for cooperation, particularly where groups contain unrelated subordinates. In this situation parentage should influence levels of cooperation. Here we combine parentage analyses and detailed behavioural observations in the field to study whether in the highly social cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher subordinates participate in reproduction and if so, whether and how this affects their cooperative care, controlling for the effect of kinship. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We show that: (i) male subordinates gained paternity in 27.8% of all clutches and (ii) if they participated in reproduction, they sired on average 11.8% of young. Subordinate males sharing in reproduction showed more defence against experimentally presented egg predators compared to subordinates not participating in reproduction, and they tended to stay closer to the breeding shelter. No effects of relatedness between subordinates and dominants (to mid-parent, dominant female or dominant male) were detected on parentage and on helping behaviour. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE This is the first evidence in a cooperatively breeding fish species that the helping effort of male subordinates may depend on obtained paternity, which stresses the need to consider direct fitness benefits in evolutionary studies of helping behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rick Bruintjes
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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17
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Le Vin A, Mable B, Taborsky M, Heg D, Arnold K. Individual variation in helping in a cooperative breeder: relatedness versus behavioural type. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.05.021] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
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18
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Desjardins JK, Fitzpatrick JL, Stiver KA, Van Der Kraak GJ, Balshine S. Lunar and diurnal cycles in reproductive physiology and behavior in a natural population of cooperatively breeding fish. J Zool (1987) 2011. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-7998.2011.00814.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. K. Desjardins
- Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - J. L. Fitzpatrick
- Centre for Evolutionary Biology, University of Western Australia, Crawley, Australia
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
| | - K. A. Stiver
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT, USA
| | | | - S. Balshine
- Animal Behaviour Group, Department of Psychology, Neuroscience & Behaviour, McMaster University, Hamilton, ON, Canada
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19
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Nonacs P, Hager R. The past, present and future of reproductive skew theory and experiments. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2011; 86:271-98. [PMID: 20545672 DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00144.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 79] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
A major evolutionary question is how reproductive sharing arises in cooperatively breeding species despite the inherent reproductive conflicts in social groups. Reproductive skew theory offers one potential solution: each group member gains or is allotted inclusive fitness equal to or exceeding their expectation from reproducing on their own. Unfortunately, a multitude of skew models with conflicting predictions has led to confusion in both testing and evaluating skew theory. The confusion arises partly because one set of models (the 'transactional' type) answer the ultimate evolutionary question of what ranges of reproductive skew can yield fitness-enhancing solutions for all group members. The second set of models ('compromise') give an evolutionarily proximate, game-theoretic evolutionarily stable state (ESS) solution that determines reproductive shares based on relative competitive abilities. However, several predictions arising from compromise models require a linear payoff to increased competition and do not hold with non-linear payoffs. Given that for most species it may be very difficult or impossible to determine the true relationship between effort devoted to competition and reproductive share gained, compromise models are much less predictive than previously appreciated. Almost all skew models make one quantitative prediction (e.g. realized skew must fall within ranges predicted by transactional models), and two qualitative predictions (e.g. variation in relatedness or competitive ability across groups affects skew). A thorough review of the data finds that these three predictions are relatively rarely supported. As a general rule, therefore, the evolution of cooperative breeding appears not to be dependent on the ability of group members to monitor relatedness or competitive ability in order to adjust their behaviour dynamically to gain reproductive share. Although reproductive skew theory fails to predict within-group dynamics consistently, it does better at predicting quantitative differences in skew across populations or species. This suggests that kin selection can play a significant role in the evolution of sociality. To advance our understanding of reproductive skew will require focusing on a broader array of factors, such as the frequency of mistaken identity, delayed fitness payoffs, and selection pressures arising from across-group competition. We furthermore suggest a novel approach to investigate the sharing of reproduction that focuses on the underlying genetics of skew. A quantitative genetics approach allows the partitioning of variance in reproductive share itself or that of traits closely associated with skew into genetic and non-genetic sources. Thus, we can determine the heritability of reproductive share and infer whether it actually is the focus of natural selection. We view the 'animal model' as the most promising empirical method where the genetics of reproductive share can be directly analyzed in wild populations. In the quest to assess whether skew theory can provide a framework for understanding the evolution of sociality, quantitative genetics will be a central tool in future research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peter Nonacs
- Department of Ecology & Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA.
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Sefc KM. Mating and Parental Care in Lake Tanganyika's Cichlids. INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY 2011; 2011:470875. [PMID: 21822482 PMCID: PMC3142683 DOI: 10.4061/2011/470875] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/30/2010] [Revised: 03/22/2011] [Accepted: 05/02/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
Abstract
Cichlid fishes of Lake Tanganyika display a variety of mating and parental care behaviors, including polygamous and monogamous mouthbrooding and substrate breeding, cooperative breeding, as well as various alternative reproductive tactics such as sneaking and piracy. Moreover, reproductive behaviors sometimes vary within species both in space and in time. Here, I survey reports on mating and parenting behaviors of Lake Tanganyika cichlid species and address the evolution of mating and parental care patterns and sexual dimorphism. Notes on measures of sexual selection intensity and the difficulties of defining mating systems and estimating selection intensities at species level conclude the essay.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristina M. Sefc
- Department of Zoology, Karl-Franzens University Graz, Universitätsplatz 2, 8010 Graz, Austria
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Bruintjes R, Taborsky M. Size-dependent task specialization in a cooperative cichlid in response to experimental variation of demand. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.10.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 78] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Abstract
In human societies, social behaviour is strongly influenced by threats of punishment, even though the threats themselves rarely need to be exercised. Recent experimental evidence suggests that similar hidden threats can promote cooperation and limit within-group selfishness in some animal systems. In other animals, however, threats appear to be ineffective. Here I review theoretical and empirical studies that help to understand the evolutionary causes of these contrasting patterns, and identify three factors-impact, accuracy and perception-that together determine the effectiveness of threats to induce cooperation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, , Cornwall Campus, Tremough, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, UK.
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Behavioural type affects dominance and growth in staged encounters of cooperatively breeding cichlids. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2010.11.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
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Schürch R, Rothenberger S, Heg D. The building-up of social relationships: behavioural types, social networks and cooperative breeding in a cichlid. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2010; 365:4089-98. [PMID: 21078660 PMCID: PMC2992742 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2010.0177] [Citation(s) in RCA: 53] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Consistent individual differences in behavioural types may not only cause variation in life-history decisions, but may also affect the choice of social partners and sociality in general. Here, we tested whether and how behavioural type influences the establishment of social ties using the cooperatively breeding cichlid, Neolamprologus pulcher. In a habitat saturation experiment with individuals pre-tested for behavioural type, we first analysed whether behavioural type affected the likelihood of settlement (i.e. social status), group sizes, and the types of dominant and subordinate individuals accepted as group members. Corrected for effects of body size and sex, the behavioural type did not affect settlement. However, bold dominant males only accepted smaller females, and grouped with bold subordinates, while shy dominant males accepted larger females than themselves, and grouped with shy subordinates. Second, we analysed the relationships between behavioural type and the aggressiveness or affiliation social network. Behavioural type significantly affected the number and quality of connections within the two networks. We show that behavioural types affect group composition, social networks and status achieved, in interaction with body size. Thus, the interactions within groups may depend not only on age, size and sex, but also on the behavioural type of the individuals involved.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roger Schürch
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Organismal Biology, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43210, USA
| | - Susan Rothenberger
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Dik Heg
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
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Heg D, Rothenberger S, Schürch R. Habitat saturation, benefits of philopatry, relatedness, and the extent of co-operative breeding in a cichlid. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Wong M, Balshine S. The evolution of cooperative breeding in the African cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher. Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2010; 86:511-30. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1469-185x.2010.00158.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 127] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
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Heg D, Taborsky M. Helper response to experimentally manipulated predation risk in the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. PLoS One 2010; 5:e10784. [PMID: 20520816 PMCID: PMC2877084 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0010784] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/18/2009] [Accepted: 03/09/2010] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND We manipulated predation risk in a field experiment with the cooperatively breeding cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher by releasing no predator, a medium- or a large-sized fish predator inside underwater cages enclosing two to three natural groups. We assessed whether helpers changed their helping behaviour, and whether within-group conflict changed, depending on these treatments, testing three hypotheses: 'pay-to-stay' PS, 'risk avoidance' RA, or (future) reproductive benefits RB. We also assessed whether helper food intake was reduced under risk, because this might reduce investments in other behaviours to save energy. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS Medium and large helpers fed less under predation risk. Despite this effect helpers invested more in territory defence, but not territory maintenance, under the risk of predation (supporting PS). Experimentally covering only the breeding shelter with sand induced more helper digging under predation risk compared to the control treatment (supporting PS). Aggression towards the introduced predator did not differ between the two predator treatments and increased with group member size and group size (supporting PS and RA). Large helpers increased their help ratio (helping effort/breeder aggression received, 'punishment' by the dominant pair in the group) in the predation treatments compared to the control treatment, suggesting they were more willing to PS. Medium helpers did not show such effects. Large helpers also showed a higher submission ratio (submission/ breeder aggression received) in all treatments, compared to the medium helpers (supporting PS). CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE We conclude that predation risk reduces helper food intake, but despite this effect, helpers were more willing to support the breeders, supporting PS. Effects of breeder punishment suggests that PS might be more important for large compared to the medium helpers. Evidence for RA was also detected. Finally, the results were inconsistent with RB.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dik Heg
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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Awata S, Kohda M, Shibata JY, Hori M, Heg D. Group Structure, Nest Size and Reproductive Success in the Cooperatively Breeding CichlidJulidochromis ornatus: A Correlation Study. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01735.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Heg D. Status-dependent and strategic growth adjustments in female cooperative cichlids. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0945-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
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Schürch R, Heg D. Life history and behavioral type in the highly social cichlid Neolamprologus pulcher. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq024] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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Port M, Kappeler PM. The utility of reproductive skew models in the study of male primates, a critical evaluation. Evol Anthropol 2010. [DOI: 10.1002/evan.20243] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
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Schürch R, Heg D. Variation in Helper Type Affects Group Stability and Reproductive Decisions in a Cooperative Breeder. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01738.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Sumner S, Kelstrup H, Fanelli D. Reproductive constraints, direct fitness and indirect fitness benefits explain helping behaviour in the primitively eusocial wasp, Polistes canadensis. Proc Biol Sci 2010; 277:1721-8. [PMID: 20129991 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.2289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
A key step in the evolution of sociality is the abandonment of independent breeding in favour of helping. In cooperatively breeding vertebrates and primitively eusocial insects, helpers are capable of leaving the group and reproducing independently, and yet many do not. A fundamental question therefore is why do helpers help? Helping behaviour may be explained by constraints on independent reproduction and/or benefits to individuals from helping. Here, we examine simultaneously the reproductive constraints and fitness benefits underlying helping behaviour in a primitively eusocial paper wasp. We gave 31 helpers the opportunity to become egg-layers on their natal nests by removing nestmates. This allowed us to determine whether helpers are reproductively constrained in any way. We found that age strongly influenced whether an ex-helper could become an egg-layer, such that young ex-helpers could become egg-layers while old ex-helpers were less able. These differential reproductive constraints enabled us to make predictions about the behaviours of ex-helpers, depending on the relative importance of direct and indirect fitness benefits. We found little evidence that indirect fitness benefits explain helping behaviour, as 71 per cent of ex-helpers left their nests before the end of the experiment. In the absence of reproductive constraints, however, young helpers value direct fitness opportunities over indirect fitness. We conclude that a combination of reproductive constraints and potential for future direct reproduction explain helping behaviour in this species. Testing several competing explanations for helping behaviour simultaneously promises to advance our understanding of social behaviour in animal groups.
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Affiliation(s)
- Seirian Sumner
- Institute of Zoology, Zoological Society of London, Regent's Park, London NW1 4RY, UK.
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Kohda M, Heg D, Makino Y, Takeyama T, Shibata JY, Watanabe K, Munehara H, Hori M, Awata S. Living on the wedge: female control of paternity in a cooperatively polyandrous cichlid. Proc Biol Sci 2009; 276:4207-14. [PMID: 19726479 PMCID: PMC2821345 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2009.1175] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2009] [Accepted: 08/12/2009] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Theories suggest that, in cooperatively breeding species, female control over paternity and reproductive output may affect male reproductive skew and group stability. Female paternity control may come about through cryptic female choice or female reproductive behaviour, but experimental studies are scarce. Here, we show a new form of female paternity control in a cooperatively polyandrous cichlid fish (Julidochromis transcriptus), in which females prefer wedge-shaped nesting sites. Wedge-shaped sites allowed females to manipulate the siring success of the group member males by spawning the clutch at the spot where the large males were just able to enter and fertilize the outer part of the clutch. Small males fertilized the inner part of the clutch, protected from the large aggressive males, leading to low male reproductive skew. Small males provided more brood care than large males. Multiple paternity induced both males to provide brood care and reduced female brood care accordingly. This is, to our knowledge, the first documented case in a species with external fertilization showing female mating behaviour leading to multiple male paternity and increased male brood care as a result.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masanori Kohda
- Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
| | - Dik Heg
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland
| | - Yoshimi Makino
- Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
| | - Tomohiro Takeyama
- Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
- Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Jun-ya Shibata
- Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
| | - Katsutoshi Watanabe
- Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Hiroyuki Munehara
- Usujiri Fisheries Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Hakodate 041-1613, Japan
| | - Michio Hori
- Animal Ecology, Department of Zoology, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto 606-8502, Japan
| | - Satoshi Awata
- Animal Sociology, Department of Biology and Geosciences, Graduate School of Science, Osaka City University, Osaka 558-8585, Japan
- Usujiri Fisheries Station, Field Science Center for Northern Biosphere, Hokkaido University, Hakodate 041-1613, Japan
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Mitchell JS, Jutzeler E, Heg D, Taborsky M. Gender Differences in the Costs that Subordinate Group Members Impose on Dominant Males in a Cooperative Breeder. Ethology 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01705.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Abstract
In primitively eusocial societies, all individuals can potentially reproduce independently. The key fact that we focus on in this paper is that individuals in such societies instead often queue to inherit breeding positions. Queuing leads to systematic differences in expected future fitness. We first discuss the implications this has for variation in behaviour. For example, because helpers nearer to the front of the queue have more to lose, they should work less hard to rear the dominant's offspring. However, higher rankers may be more aggressive than low rankers, even if they risk injury in the process, if aggression functions to maintain or enhance queue position. Second, we discuss how queuing rules may be enforced through hidden threats that rarely have to be carried out. In fishes, rule breakers face the threat of eviction from the group. In contrast, subordinate paper wasps are not injured or evicted during escalated challenges against the dominant, perhaps because they are more valuable to the dominant. We discuss evidence that paper-wasp dominants avoid escalated conflicts by ceding reproduction to subordinates. Queuing rules appear usually to be enforced by individuals adjacent in the queue rather than by dominants. Further manipulative studies are required to reveal mechanisms underlying queue stability and to elucidate what determines queue position in the first place.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jeremy Field
- Department of Biology and Environmental Science, John Maynard Smith Building, University of Sussex, Brighton BN1 9QG, UK.
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Haesler MP, Lindeyer CM, Taborsky M. Reproductive parasitism: male and female responses to conspecific and heterospecific intrusions at spawning in a mouth-brooding cichlid Ophthalmotilapia ventralis. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2009; 75:1845-1856. [PMID: 20738652 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02442.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
A rare form of alternative reproductive behaviour without simultaneous parasitic spawning was observed in Ophthalmotilapia ventralis, a lekking mouth-brooding cichlid from Lake Tanganyika. Floater males attempted to sneak opportunistically into the territory to actively court the female, while the owner (bourgeois male) defended the territory against other potential intruders. Floater males had more body fat than territory owners and generally higher condition factors. In field experiments, the response of bourgeois males and courted females was tested towards floaters and egg predators (a catfish Synodontis multipunctatus) present in the territories. Territory owners responded aggressively particularly to floaters, and female responsiveness to bourgeois male courtship tended to decline when floaters were present. The potential influence of reproductive parasitism on sexual selection in mouth-brooding cichlids is discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- M P Haesler
- Division of Behavioural Ecology, Department of Aquatic Ecology and Macroevolution, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50a, CH-3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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Mileva V, Fitzpatrick J, Marsh‐Rollo S, Gilmour K, Wood C, Balshine S. The Stress Response of the Highly Social African CichlidNeolamprologus pulcher. Physiol Biochem Zool 2009; 82:720-9. [DOI: 10.1086/605937] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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Cant MA, Johnstone RA. How threats influence the evolutionary resolution of within-group conflict. Am Nat 2009; 173:759-71. [PMID: 19374506 DOI: 10.1086/598489] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
Abstract
Most examples of cooperation in nature share a common feature: individuals can interact to produce a productivity benefit or fitness surplus, but there is conflict over how these gains are shared. A central question is how threats to exercise outside options influence the resolution of conflict within such cooperative associations. Here we show how a simple principle from economic bargaining theory, the outside option principle, can help to solve this problem in biological systems. According to this principle, outside options will affect the resolution of conflict only when the payoff of taking up these options exceeds the payoffs individuals can obtain from bargaining or negotiating within the group; otherwise, threats to exercise outside options are not credible and are therefore irrelevant. We show that previous attempts to incorporate outside options in synthetic models of reproductive conflict fail to distinguish between credible and incredible threats, and then we use the outside option principle to develop credible synthetic models in two contexts: reproductive skew and biparental care. A striking prediction of our analysis is that outside options are least relevant to the resolution of conflict in cooperative groups of kin and are most relevant in transient associations or interactions among nonrelatives. Our analysis shows a way to link the resolution of within-group conflict to the environmental setting in which it occurs, and it illuminates the role of threats in the evolution of social behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael A Cant
- Centre for Ecology and Conservation, University of Exeter, Cornwall Campus, Tremough, Penryn, Cornwall TR10 9EZ, United Kingdom.
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Russell AF, Lummaa V. Maternal effects in cooperative breeders: from hymenopterans to humans. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 2009; 364:1143-67. [PMID: 19324618 PMCID: PMC2666687 DOI: 10.1098/rstb.2008.0298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 82] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The environment that an offspring experiences during its development can have lifelong consequences for its morphology, anatomy, physiology and behaviour that are strong enough to span generations. One aspect of an offspring's environment that can have particularly pronounced and long-lasting effects is that provided by its parent(s) (maternal effects). Some disciplines in biology have been quicker to appreciate maternal effects than others, and some organisms provide better model systems for understanding the causes and consequences of the maternal environment for ecology and evolution than others. One field in which maternal effects has been poorly represented, and yet is likely to represent a particularly fruitful area for research, is the field of cooperative breeding (i.e. systems where offspring are reared by carers in addition to parent(s)). Here, we attempt to illustrate the scope of cooperative breeding systems for maternal effects research and, conversely, highlight the importance of maternal effects research for understanding cooperative breeding systems. To this end, we first outline why mothers will commonly benefit from affecting the phenotype of their offspring in cooperative breeding systems, present potential strategies that mothers could employ in order to do so and offer predictions regarding the circumstances under which different types of maternal effects might be expected. Second, we highlight why a neglect of maternal strategies and the effects that they have on their offspring could lead to miscalculations of helper/worker fitness gains and a misunderstanding of the factors selecting for the evolution and maintenance of cooperative breeding. Finally, we introduce the possibility that maternal effects could have significant consequences for our understanding of both the evolutionary origins of cooperative breeding and the rise of social complexity in cooperative systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew F Russell
- Department of Animal & Plant Sciences, University of Sheffield, Sheffield S10 2TN, UK.
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Heg D, Jutzeler E, Mitchell JS, Hamilton IM. Helpful female subordinate cichlids are more likely to reproduce. PLoS One 2009; 4:e5458. [PMID: 19421320 PMCID: PMC2673683 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0005458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/19/2008] [Accepted: 04/07/2009] [Indexed: 12/02/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND In many cooperatively breeding vertebrates, subordinates assist a dominant pair to raise the dominants' offspring. Previously, it has been suggested that subordinates may help in payment for continued residency on the territory (the 'pay-to-stay hypothesis'), but payment might also be reciprocated or might allow subordinates access to reproductive opportunities. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS We measured dominant and subordinate female alloparental brood care and reproductive success in four separate experiments and show that unrelated female dominant and subordinate cichlid fish care for each other's broods (alloparental brood care), but that there is no evidence for reciprocal 'altruism' (no correlation between alloparental care received and given). Instead, subordinate females appear to pay with alloparental care for own direct reproduction. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE Our results suggest subordinate females pay with alloparental care to ensure access to the breeding substrate and thereby increase their opportunities to lay their own clutches. Subordinates' eggs are laid, on average, five days after the dominant female has produced her first brood. We suggest that immediate reproductive benefits need to be considered in tests of the pay-to-stay hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dik Heg
- Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
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43
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Buston PM, Zink AG. Reproductive skew and the evolution of conflict resolution: a synthesis of transactional and tug-of-war models. Behav Ecol 2009. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arp050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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Stiver KA, Fitzpatrick JL, Desjardins JK, Balshine S. Mixed parentage in Neolamprologus pulcher groups. JOURNAL OF FISH BIOLOGY 2009; 74:1129-1135. [PMID: 20735623 DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8649.2009.02173.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/29/2023]
Abstract
Genetic data collected on co-operatively breeding Neolamprologus pulcher groups from Lake Tanganyika revealed mixed parentage in 80% of the groups examined. A case (1/11) of shared maternity was detected where a subordinate female bred alongside the dominant female in a social group. Extra-pair paternity was assigned to other dominant males who held their own social groups, but subordinate males were not found to father young in any group (0/9).
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Affiliation(s)
- K A Stiver
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Yale University, New Haven, CT 06520-8106, USA.
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HEG DIK, JUTZELER EVA, BONFILS DANIELLE, MITCHELL JEREMYS. Group composition affects male reproductive partitioning in a cooperatively breeding cichlid. Mol Ecol 2008; 17:4359-70. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2008.03920.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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Bruintjes R, Taborsky M. Helpers in a cooperative breeder pay a high price to stay: effects of demand, helper size and sex. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.12.004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
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Bender N, Heg-Bachar Z, Oliveira RF, Canario AV, Taborsky M. Hormonal control of brood care and social status in a cichlid fish with brood care helpers. Physiol Behav 2008; 94:349-58. [DOI: 10.1016/j.physbeh.2008.02.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2006] [Revised: 11/13/2007] [Accepted: 02/06/2008] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Dierkes P, Taborsky M, Achmann R. Multiple paternity in the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-008-0587-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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Fitzpatrick JL, Desjardins JK, Milligan N, Stiver KA, Montgomerie R, Balshine S. Female-mediated causes and consequences of status change in a social fish. Proc Biol Sci 2008; 275:929-36. [PMID: 18230595 PMCID: PMC2599934 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2007.1449] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2007] [Revised: 12/22/2007] [Accepted: 01/03/2008] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
In highly social species, dominant individuals often monopolize reproduction, resulting in reproductive investment that is status dependent. Yet, for subordinates, who typically invest less in reproduction, social status can change and opportunities to ascend to dominant social positions are presented suddenly, requiring abrupt changes in behaviour and physiology. In this study, we examined male reproductive anatomy, physiology and behaviour following experimental manipulations of social status in the cooperatively breeding cichlid fish, Neolamprologus pulcher. This unusual fish species lives in permanent social groups composed of a dominant breeding pair and 1-20 subordinates that form a linear social dominance hierarchy. By removing male breeders, we created 18 breeding vacancies and thus provided an opportunity for subordinate males to ascend in status. Dominant females play an important role in regulating status change, as males successfully ascended to breeder status only when they were slightly larger than the female breeder in their social group. Ascending males rapidly assumed behavioural dominance, demonstrated elevated gonadal investment and androgen concentrations compared with males remaining socially subordinate. Interestingly, to increase gonadal investment ascending males appeared to temporarily restrain somatic growth. These results highlight the complex interactions between social status, reproductive physiology and group dynamics, and underscore a convergent pattern of reproductive investment among highly social, cooperative species.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Fitzpatrick
- Department of Biology, McMaster University, Hamilton, ONT, Canada L8S 4K1.
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Mutual tolerance or reproductive competition? Patterns of reproductive skew among male redfronted lemurs (Eulemur fulvus rufus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-008-0577-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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