Social structure and co-operative interactions in a wild population of guppies (Poecilia reticulata) |
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Authors: | D P Croft R James P O R Thomas C Hathaway D Mawdsley K N Laland J Krause |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biology, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK;(2) Department of Physics, University of Bath, Bath, BA2 7AY, UK;(3) School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9TS, UK |
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Abstract: | In contrast to the substantial number of theoretical papers that have examined the mechanisms by which cooperation may evolve,
very few studies have investigated patterns of co-operation in natural animal populations. In the current study, we use a
novel approach, social network analysis, to investigate the structure of co-operative interactions in the context of predator
inspection in a wild population of guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Female guppies showed social preferences for stable partners, fulfilling a key assumption made by models of reciprocity.
In the laboratory, wild female guppies disproportionately engaged in predator inspection with others with whom they had strong
social associations. Furthermore, pairs of fish that frequently engaged in predator inspection did so in a particularly co-operative
way, potentially reducing costs associated with predator inspection. Taken together, these results provide evidence for assortative
interactions forming the basis of co-operation during predator inspection in a natural fish population. The occurrence of
highly interconnected social networks between stable partners suggests the existence of co-operation networks in free-ranging
populations of the guppy. |
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Keywords: | Social networks Shoaling Tit-for-tat |
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