Consistent cooperation in a cichlid fish is caused by maternal and developmental effects rather than heritable genetic variation.

ABSTRACT: Studies on the evolution of cooperative behaviour are typically confined to understanding its adaptive value. It is equally essential, however, to understand its potential to evolve, requiring knowledge about the phenotypic consistency and genetic basis of cooperative behaviour. While previous observational studies reported considerably high heritabilities of helping behaviour in cooperatively breeding vertebrates, experimental studies disentangling the relevant genetic and non-genetic components of cooperative behaviour are lacking. In a half-sibling breeding experiment, we investigated the repeatability and heritability of three major helping behaviours performed by subordinates of the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher To experimentally manipulate the amount of he

SUBMITTER: Kasper C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5524489 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature