Experimental evidence that kin discrimination in the Seychelles warbler is based on association and not on genetic relatedness
(2004) In Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences 271(1542). p.963-969- Abstract
- In cooperative breeding systems driven by kin selection, effective kin-recognition cues are important. Recognition could be achieved by the direct assessment of the genetic relatedness of individuals or by learning through association. In the Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, female subordinates maximize indirect fitness by preferentially helping genetically related nestlings. Help seems to be based on the continued presence of the primary female who previously fed the subordinate in the nest but it has, so far, been impossible to discount the direct assessment of genetic relatedness. We used a cross-fostering experiment to separate the two possible cues. Adult birds did not discriminate between their own and cross-fostered... (More)
- In cooperative breeding systems driven by kin selection, effective kin-recognition cues are important. Recognition could be achieved by the direct assessment of the genetic relatedness of individuals or by learning through association. In the Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, female subordinates maximize indirect fitness by preferentially helping genetically related nestlings. Help seems to be based on the continued presence of the primary female who previously fed the subordinate in the nest but it has, so far, been impossible to discount the direct assessment of genetic relatedness. We used a cross-fostering experiment to separate the two possible cues. Adult birds did not discriminate between their own and cross-fostered eggs or nestlings. Cross-fostering resulted in nestlings that were unrelated to the primary female that raised them, but control nestlings were closely related to their primary females. The proportions of cross-fostered and control female offspring that stayed and became helpers on their 'natal' territory were similar. However, for both groups the chance of becoming a subordinate helper was associated with the continued presence of the primary female and not with any other factor tested. Our study provides strong evidence that helping decisions are based on associative-learning cues. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
https://lup.lub.lu.se/record/279669
- author
- Komdeur, J ; Richardson, David LU and Burke, T
- organization
- publishing date
- 2004
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- kin discrimination, cooperative breeding, Seychelles warbler, associative learning, kin recognition, genetic relatedness
- in
- Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences
- volume
- 271
- issue
- 1542
- pages
- 963 - 969
- publisher
- Royal Society Publishing
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000221199600011
- pmid:15255052
- scopus:2342568380
- pmid:15255052
- ISSN
- 1471-2954
- DOI
- 10.1098/rspb.2003.2665
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- additional info
- The information about affiliations in this record was updated in December 2015. The record was previously connected to the following departments: Animal Ecology (Closed 2011) (011012001)
- id
- 2daee393-7fe4-4cc2-82f6-86195fc9ad57 (old id 279669)
- date added to LUP
- 2016-04-01 16:05:05
- date last changed
- 2022-01-28 17:11:44
@article{2daee393-7fe4-4cc2-82f6-86195fc9ad57,
abstract = {{In cooperative breeding systems driven by kin selection, effective kin-recognition cues are important. Recognition could be achieved by the direct assessment of the genetic relatedness of individuals or by learning through association. In the Seychelles warbler, Acrocephalus sechellensis, female subordinates maximize indirect fitness by preferentially helping genetically related nestlings. Help seems to be based on the continued presence of the primary female who previously fed the subordinate in the nest but it has, so far, been impossible to discount the direct assessment of genetic relatedness. We used a cross-fostering experiment to separate the two possible cues. Adult birds did not discriminate between their own and cross-fostered eggs or nestlings. Cross-fostering resulted in nestlings that were unrelated to the primary female that raised them, but control nestlings were closely related to their primary females. The proportions of cross-fostered and control female offspring that stayed and became helpers on their 'natal' territory were similar. However, for both groups the chance of becoming a subordinate helper was associated with the continued presence of the primary female and not with any other factor tested. Our study provides strong evidence that helping decisions are based on associative-learning cues.}},
author = {{Komdeur, J and Richardson, David and Burke, T}},
issn = {{1471-2954}},
keywords = {{kin discrimination; cooperative breeding; Seychelles warbler; associative learning; kin recognition; genetic relatedness}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{1542}},
pages = {{963--969}},
publisher = {{Royal Society Publishing}},
series = {{Royal Society of London. Proceedings B. Biological Sciences}},
title = {{Experimental evidence that kin discrimination in the Seychelles warbler is based on association and not on genetic relatedness}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2003.2665}},
doi = {{10.1098/rspb.2003.2665}},
volume = {{271}},
year = {{2004}},
}