All-offspring dispersal in a tropical mammal with resource defense polygyny |
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Authors: | Dina K N Dechmann Elisabeth K V Kalko Gerald Kerth |
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Institution: | 1.Zoologisches Institut,Universit?t Zürich,Zürich,Switzerland;2.Experimental Ecology,University of Ulm,Ulm,Germany;3.Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute,Balboa,Panama;4.Department of Ecology and Evolution,University of Lausanne, Biophore,Lausanne,Switzerland;5.Institute of Anatomy - Division of Neuroanatomy,University Zürich-Irchel,Zürich,Switzerland |
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Abstract: | In polygynous mammals, males are usually responsible for gene flow while females are predominantly philopatric. However, there
is evidence that in a few mammalian species female offspring may disperse to avoid breeding with their father when male tenure
exceeds female age at maturity. We investigated offspring dispersal and local population structure in the Neotropical bat
Lophostoma silvicolum. The mating system of this species is resource defense polygyny, with the resource being active termite nests, excavated
by single males, which are then joined by females. We combined field observations of 14 harems during 3 years and data about
the genetic structure within and between these groups, calculated with one mitochondrial locus and nine nuclear microsatellite
loci. The results show that both male and female offspring disperse before maturity. In addition, we estimated life span of
excavated termite nests and the duration they were occupied by the same male. Our findings suggest that long male tenure of
up to 30 months is indeed a likely cause for the observed dispersal by female offspring that can reach maturity at a low age
of 6 months. We suggest that dispersal by offspring of both sexes may occur quite frequently in polygynous tropical bats and
thus generally may be more common in mammals than previously assumed. |
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Keywords: | Male tenure Roost making Population structure Lophostoma silvicolum Mating system |
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