Structural equation modeling reveals determinants of fitness in a cooperatively breeding bird.

ABSTRACT: Even in well-studied organisms, it is often challenging to uncover the social and environmental determinants of fitness. Typically, fitness is determined by a variety of factors that act in concert, thus forming complex networks of causal relationships. Moreover, even strong correlations between social and environmental conditions and fitness components may not be indicative of direct causal links, as the measured variables may be driven by unmeasured (or unmeasurable) causal factors. Standard statistical approaches, like multiple regression analyses, are not suited for disentangling such complex causal relationships. Here, we apply structural equation modeling (SEM), a technique that is specifically designed to reveal causal relationships between variables, and which also allows to includ

SUBMITTER: Busana M 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9015215 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Mar-Apr

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature