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Turnover in male dominance offsets the positive effect of polygyny on within-group relatedness

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  • Mark Dyble
  • Tim H Clutton-Brock

Abstract

Evidence of an association between cooperative breeding systems and average coefficients of relatedness between group members in vertebrates have led to increased interest in the social and ecological factors affecting average kinship within groups. Previous studies have suggested that polygynous mating systems and high degrees of male reproductive skew increase average relatedness because they increase the proportion of offspring born in each group that are paternal siblings. Although this may be the case in semelparous organisms, in many multiparous polygynous animals, intense competition between males shortens the breeding tenure of males and leads to their frequent replacement by competitors which reduces paternal relatedness and average kinship between members of multigenerational groups. Here, we explore the interaction between male reproductive skew and the frequency of turnover in breeding males and its effects on within-group relatedness. Our theoretical model shows that increases in rates of dominance turnover in polygynous systems can offset the positive effect of male skew on relatedness between group members within seasons, showing that polygynous mating systems will not necessarily lead to significant increases in average relatedness, especially in species where there is extensive overlap between generations among group members.

Suggested Citation

  • Mark Dyble & Tim H Clutton-Brock, 2023. "Turnover in male dominance offsets the positive effect of polygyny on within-group relatedness," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 34(2), pages 261-268.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:beheco:v:34:y:2023:i:2:p:261-268.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/arac121
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Anne L. Engh & Stephan M. Funk & Russell C. Van Horn & Kim T. Scribner & Michael W. Bruford & Scot Libants & Micaela Szykman & Laura Smale & Kay E. Holekamp, 2002. "Reproductive skew among males in a female-dominated mammalian society," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 13(2), pages 193-200, March.
    2. Eric Bastiaans & Alfons J. M. Debets & Duur K. Aanen, 2016. "Experimental evolution reveals that high relatedness protects multicellular cooperation from cheaters," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-10, September.
    3. Ashleigh S. Griffin & Josephine M. Pemberton & Peter N. M. Brotherton & Grant McIlrath & David Gaynor & Ruth Kansky & Justin O'Riain & Timothy H. Clutton-Brock, 2003. "A genetic analysis of breeding success in the cooperative meerkat (Suricata suricatta)," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 14(4), pages 472-480, July.
    4. T. H. Clutton-Brock & S. J. Hodge & G. Spong & A. F. Russell & N. R. Jordan & N. C. Bennett & L. L. Sharpe & M. B. Manser, 2006. "Intrasexual competition and sexual selection in cooperative mammals," Nature, Nature, vol. 444(7122), pages 1065-1068, December.
    5. Deborah A. Randall & John P. Pollinger & Robert K. Wayne & Lucy A. Tallents & Paul J. Johnson & David W. Macdonald, 2007. "Inbreeding is reduced by female-biased dispersal and mating behavior in Ethiopian wolves," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 18(3), pages 579-589.
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