Kinship influences social bonds among male southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. australis)

Diaz‐Aguirre, Fernando; Parra, Guido J.; Passadore, Cecilia; Möller, Luciana M.

doi:10.1007/s00265-018-2621-4

Cited by 30 publications

(32 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Thus, kinship facilitated bond formation, but clearly was not a prerequisite for establishing very strong ties. This pattern mirrors results on philopatric males in dolphins, baboons, chimpanzees and humans, where close kin usually form strong bonds (Dal Pesco, 2020; Diaz‐Aguirre, Parra, Passadore, & Möller, 2018; Langergraber et al., 2007; Mitani, 2009; Parsons et al., 2003; Sandel et al., 2020), but strong bonds are not restricted to related males (Christakis & Fowler, 2014; Connor & Krützen, 2015; Dal Pesco, 2020; Gerber et al., 2020; Langergraber et al., 2007; Möller et al., 2001; Patzelt et al., 2014; Rodseth, 2012; Wiszniewski, Brown, & Möller, 2012).…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Bonds of bros and brothers: Kinship and social bonding in postdispersal male macaques

et al. 2020

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Group‐living animals often maintain a few very close affiliative relationships—social bonds—that can buffer them against many of the inevitable costs of gregariousness. Kinship plays a central role in the development of such social bonds. The bulk of research on kin biases in sociality has focused on philopatric females, who typically live in deeply kin‐structured systems, with matrilineal dominance rank inheritance and life‐long familiarity between kin. Closely related males, in contrast, are usually not close in rank or familiar, which offers the opportunity to test the importance of kinship per se in the formation of social bonds. So far, however, kin biases in male social bonding have only been tested in philopatric males, where familiarity remains a confounding factor. Here, we studied bonds between male Assamese macaques, a species in which males disperse from their natal groups and in which male bonds are known to affect fitness. Combining extensive behavioural data on 43 adult males over a 10‐year period with DNA microsatellite relatedness analyses, we find that postdispersal males form stronger relationships with the few close kin available in the group than with the average nonkin. However, males form the majority of their bonds with nonkin and may choose nonkin over available close kin to bond with. Our results show that kinship facilitates bond formation, but is not a prerequisite for it, which suggests that strong bonds are not restricted to kin in male mammals and that animals cooperate for both direct and indirect fitness benefits.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 65%

Bonds of bros and brothers: Kinship and social bonding in postdispersal male macaques

et al. 2020

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“…The inner area of Coffin Bay is a complex inshore environment, where females exhibit a high degree of site fidelity, and range over relatively small areas, likely due to predictable food resources within the small sub-embayments 48 . Our results also provide insights into the mechanism promoting the formation of male associations based on kinship relationships in Coffin Bay 50 . Considering that the population is relatively large 47 and organised into two social communities 49 , and that females prefer to associate with kin and with others in similar reproductive condition, young male calves may encounter opportunities to associate and develop social bonds with other males that are genetically related.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 67%

“…obs.). In addition, male dolphins in Coffin Bay form small groups, likely alliances, which could function to increase their access to females 50 . Thus females may also benefit by forming social groups to defend against sequestering or coercion attempts by males (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Considering that the population is relatively large 47 and organised into two social communities 49 , and that females prefer to associate with kin and with others in similar reproductive condition, young male calves may encounter opportunities to associate and develop social bonds with other males that are genetically related. As males grow older these associations may become stronger and form the basis for the formation of social preferences observed in the adult male population 50 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The Coffin Bay dolphin population is socially structured into two communities with discrete core ranges, where individuals from the same communities are on average more bi-parentally related than individuals from different communities 49 . Furthermore, males tend to form kin-based associations, which may enhance their access to females for mating 50 .…”

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Kinship and reproductive condition correlate with affiliation patterns in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins

Diaz‐Aguirre

Parra

Passadore

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Social relationships in female mammals are usually determined by an interplay among genetic, endogenous, social and ecological factors that ultimately affect their lifetime reproductive success. However, few studies have attempted to control for, and integrate these factors, hampering our understanding of drivers underlying female sociality. Here, we used generalized affiliation indices, combined with social networks, reproductive condition, and genetic data to investigate drivers of associations in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins. Our analysis is based on photoidentification and genetic data collected through systematic boat surveys over a two-year study period. female dolphins formed preferred associations and social clusters which ranged from overlapping to discrete home ranges. Furthermore, matrilineal kinship and biparental relatedness, as well as reproductive condition, correlated with the strength of female affiliations. In addition, relatedness for both genetic markers was also higher within than between social clusters. The predictability of resources in their embayment environment, and the availability of same-sex relatives in the population, may have favoured the formation of social bonds between genetically related females and those in similar reproductive condition. This study highlights the importance of genetic, endogenous, social and ecological factors in determining female sociality in coastal dolphins. Female reproductive success in mammals is limited by the costs of lactation, gestation and caring for their young 1 , which in turn places constraints on their distribution and behaviour 2,3. Female social relationships and their spatial distribution are therefore largely determined by ecological factors affecting the quantity and quality of food they can obtain, which together with predation risk, influences the chances of offspring survival 4-6. In most mammals, females tend to remain in their natal areas and associate in groups, but in some species they are known to leave their natal ranges or social groups to avoid local competition for resources and mating opportunities 7,8. Females living in groups may benefit from reduced risk of predation, assistance in infant rearing, increased access to food resources, increased reproductive output, survival and psychological wellbeing, as well as protection from sexual coercion by males 4,8-13. For example, enhanced offspring survival has been demonstrated in female yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) that show close social bonds 14,15. Similarly, social factors have been attributed to partially drive calving success in bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. aduncus 11), and assistance in protection from male coercion 13,16. If social relationships have a positive effect on fitness (e.g. 11,14,15), kin selection theory predicts that social bonds should preferentially form among relatives 17. In agreement to this, kinship has been demonstrated to be an important factor on the development and maintenance of social bonds in many female mammals (b...

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The social behaviour of the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) in the coastal waters of Lampedusa Island (Strait of Sicily, Italy)

Corrias,

Moulins,

Filiciotto

et al. 2023

Aquatic Conservation

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Research on social structure and residency provides important information on the dynamics of a population, improving knowledge of the species' behaviour and ecology. This study investigated the social network, site fidelity, and residency patterns of common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) off Lampedusa Island. Direct visual detection and photo‐identification methods were used to collect data during 124 boat‐based surveys conducted from 2013 to 2020. A total of 117 groups (mean size 4.5 ± 3.3) were sighted; 73 well‐marked animals were identified, of which 59% were resighted over the years. The estimate of social differentiation was 0.72 (SE = 0.07), suggesting differentiated social groups within the community. Data were somewhat representative of the true social system, as the correlation coefficient was close to 0.4. However, the half‐weight index averaged 0.07 (±0.03), indicating individuals' low tendency to associate. Five social clusters were identified with strong relationships between individuals within each cluster, in which 94% of maximum association indices were ≥0.4. The data also highlighted preferred and avoided associations and stable relationships. The removal of individuals with the highest values of strength and eigenvector centrality from the network did not affect its connectivity, suggesting inherent robustness. Despite the different levels of site fidelity among individuals, the results indicated rather high levels of yearly sighting rate. Temporary migration into and out of the area shown by this study indicates that Lampedusa coastal waters are an important, regularly used bottlenose dolphin habitat. These results suggest extensive ranging behaviour, which implies the need for networking between institutions and organizations from the various states bordering the Strait of Sicily to address conservation efforts and inform regional management of the Mediterranean bottlenose dolphin population.

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Kinship influences social bonds among male southern Australian bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops cf. australis)

Cited by 30 publications

References 78 publications

Bonds of bros and brothers: Kinship and social bonding in postdispersal male macaques

Bonds of bros and brothers: Kinship and social bonding in postdispersal male macaques

Kinship and reproductive condition correlate with affiliation patterns in female southern Australian bottlenose dolphins

The social behaviour of the common bottlenose dolphin Tursiops truncatus (Montagu, 1821) in the coastal waters of Lampedusa Island (Strait of Sicily, Italy)

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