The benefits of help in cooperative birds : Nonexistent or difficult to detect?
(2020) In American Naturalist 195(6). p.1085-1091- Abstract
In birds that breed cooperatively in family groups, adult offspring often delay dispersal to assist the breeding pair in raising their young. Kin selection is thought to play an important role in the evolution of this breeding system. However, evidence supporting the underlying assumption that helpers increase the reproductive success of breeders is inconsistent. In 10 out of 19 species where the effect of helpers on breeder reproductive success has been estimated while controlling for the effects of breeder and territory quality, no benefits of help were detected. Here, we use phylogenetic meta-analysis to show that the inconsistent evidence for helper benefits across species is explained by study design. After accounting for low... (More)
In birds that breed cooperatively in family groups, adult offspring often delay dispersal to assist the breeding pair in raising their young. Kin selection is thought to play an important role in the evolution of this breeding system. However, evidence supporting the underlying assumption that helpers increase the reproductive success of breeders is inconsistent. In 10 out of 19 species where the effect of helpers on breeder reproductive success has been estimated while controlling for the effects of breeder and territory quality, no benefits of help were detected. Here, we use phylogenetic meta-analysis to show that the inconsistent evidence for helper benefits across species is explained by study design. After accounting for low sample sizes and the different study designs used to control for breeder and territory quality, we found that helpers consistently enhanced the reproductive success of breeders. Therefore, the assumption that helpers increase breeder reproductive success is supported by evidence across cooperatively breeding birds.
(Less)
- author
- Downing, Philip A. LU ; Griffin, Ashleigh S. and Cornwallis, Charlie K. LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2020-06
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- Birds, Cooperative breeding, Indirect fitness, Kin selection, Offspring care
- in
- American Naturalist
- volume
- 195
- issue
- 6
- pages
- 7 pages
- publisher
- University of Chicago Press
- external identifiers
-
- pmid:32469661
- scopus:85084457989
- ISSN
- 0003-0147
- DOI
- 10.1086/708515
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 8d883df0-bb7d-4dfe-9876-a5293d641424
- date added to LUP
- 2020-06-15 09:12:08
- date last changed
- 2024-06-12 14:57:28
@article{8d883df0-bb7d-4dfe-9876-a5293d641424,
abstract = {{<p>In birds that breed cooperatively in family groups, adult offspring often delay dispersal to assist the breeding pair in raising their young. Kin selection is thought to play an important role in the evolution of this breeding system. However, evidence supporting the underlying assumption that helpers increase the reproductive success of breeders is inconsistent. In 10 out of 19 species where the effect of helpers on breeder reproductive success has been estimated while controlling for the effects of breeder and territory quality, no benefits of help were detected. Here, we use phylogenetic meta-analysis to show that the inconsistent evidence for helper benefits across species is explained by study design. After accounting for low sample sizes and the different study designs used to control for breeder and territory quality, we found that helpers consistently enhanced the reproductive success of breeders. Therefore, the assumption that helpers increase breeder reproductive success is supported by evidence across cooperatively breeding birds.</p>}},
author = {{Downing, Philip A. and Griffin, Ashleigh S. and Cornwallis, Charlie K.}},
issn = {{0003-0147}},
keywords = {{Birds; Cooperative breeding; Indirect fitness; Kin selection; Offspring care}},
language = {{eng}},
number = {{6}},
pages = {{1085--1091}},
publisher = {{University of Chicago Press}},
series = {{American Naturalist}},
title = {{The benefits of help in cooperative birds : Nonexistent or difficult to detect?}},
url = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1086/708515}},
doi = {{10.1086/708515}},
volume = {{195}},
year = {{2020}},
}