Nepotism and subordinate tenure in a cooperative breeder.

ABSTRACT: In many cooperatively breeding societies, subordinate individuals delay dispersal and independent breeding. The length of time that subordinates delay dispersal (subordinate tenure) is likely to have important implications for both subordinate and dominant fitness. However, quantitative comparisons of the subordinate tenure of males and females are rare, especially with respect to the presence of same- versus opposite-sex close kin. Here, we investigate subordinate tenure and how it is affected by the genetic relationship between subordinates and dominants in the cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). We find that for males, longer subordinate tenures result in increased likelihood of attaining dominance. In the presence of an unrelated dominant male, tenure of s

SUBMITTER: Nelson-Flower MJ 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5014031 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature