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Kin associations and direct vs indirect fitness benefits in colonial cooperatively breeding sociable weavers Philetairus socius
Authors:Rita Covas  Ambroise Dalecky  Alain Caizergues  Claire Doutrelant
Institution:(1) Percy FitzPatrick Institute, Department of Science and Technology (DST) Centre of Excellence, University of Cape Town, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa;(2) Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Edinburgh, West Mains Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK;(3) Unidade de Macroecologia e Conservação, Centro de Ecologia Aplicada (CEA), Universidade de Évora, Largo dos Colegiais 2, Évora, 7002-554, Portugal;(4) Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), UMR Centre de Biologie et de Gestion des Populations (CBGP), Campus international de Baillarguet, CS 30016, Montferrier-sur-Lez cedex, 34 988, France;(5) Office National de la Chasse et de la Faune Sauvage (ONCFS), Direction des Etudes et de la Recherche, Centres nationaux d’Etudes et de Recherche appliquée (CNERA) AM, 53, Rue Russeil, Nantes, 44000, France;(6) Centre d’Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CEFE-CNRS), 1919 Route de Mende, Montpellier Cedex 5, 34293, France
Abstract:Indirect fitness benefits are believed to be an important force behind the evolution of cooperative breeding. However, helpers may associate with their relatives as a result of delayed dispersal, hence, kin associations might be a consequence of demographic viscosity rather than active choice. In addition, recent studies showed that helpers may have access to reproduction therefore direct benefits might also play an important role. Here, we investigate the possible roles of direct genetic benefits and kin associations on helping behavior in the sociable weaver Philetairus socius, a colonial and cooperatively breeding passerine. We used a microsatellite-based genotyping method to describe the genetic structure within nests and colonies. Within a colony, we found considerable genetic structure between males but not females. Sociable weaver colonies have several nests that are simultaneously active, giving individuals a choice of associating with a range of first-order kin to unrelated individuals. Helpers were significantly more related to the young in the helped nests than in other nests of the colony, suggesting an active choice for associating with kin. The helpers were generally offspring or first-order relatives of one (50%) or both (43%) breeders, although more infrequently, seemingly unrelated individuals also helped (7%). We found no supporting evidence of extrapair parentage and hence no direct genetic gains from helping in our population. This strong reproductive skew is contrary to theoretical models predicting conflicts over reproduction in stepfamilies. We discuss whether female decisions and/or other direct benefits of remaining in kin associations or helping might explain the high skew observed.
Keywords:Extrapair paternity  Genetic structure  Helping behavior  Kin selection  Parentage  Reproductive skew
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