Long-term pair bonding and genetic evidence for monogamy among urban coyotes (<i>Canis latrans</i>)

Hennessy, Cecilia; Dubach, Jean; Gehrt, Stanley D.

doi:10.1644/11-mamm-a-184.1

Cited by 39 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 60 publications

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“…It shows that individuals were highly faithful to their summer home range during the winter period, which contrasts with our first prediction. Although we observed that individuals could roam over relatively wide areas when leaving their terrestrial winter home ranges, home range fidelity remained generally high for both pair mates, suggesting interactions between them (Hennessy et al 2012) and year-round maintenance of the pair bond.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Winter home range fidelity and extraterritorial movements of Arctic fox pairs in the Canadian High Arctic

et al. 2017

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The sociality of the Arctic fox has been extensively studied during the breeding season, so that its summer territorial and generally monogamous social systems are now well described. A key knowledge gap remains, however, during the winter season, when logistic challenges preclude detailed observation of individuals. We have studied the socio-spatial winter dynamics of Arctic fox pairs to determine: (1) winter fidelity of Arctic fox pair mates to their summer home range; (2) the degree to which extraterritorial movements are simultaneous between pair mates; and (3) spatial proximity between pair mates when they perform simultaneous extraterritorial movements. To meet these objectives, 15 Arctic fox pairs from Bylot Island (Nunavut, Canada) were tracked during at least one winter in 2007-2011, using Argos satellite collars, for a total of 21 pair-years. Arctic foxes were generally faithful to their summer home ranges during winter, but some variation occurred among pairs. The degree of territory fidelity was highly correlated between pair mates. When foxes did extraterritorial movements, they performed excursions that were short in duration and generally not synchronized among pair mates. When pair mates were outside the territory at the same time, they did not travel together and rather foraged independently. We discuss some ecological implications of our findings, and suggest that different patterns may be observed in other Arctic fox populations. If such is the case, replicating our study in other parts of the species range will allow productive hypothesis testing regarding the determinants of Arctic fox winter sociality.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 64%

Winter home range fidelity and extraterritorial movements of Arctic fox pairs in the Canadian High Arctic

et al. 2017

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“…However, population density did not seem to affect EPP in swift foxes studied by and urban coyotes living at high density with high resource availability were entirely genetically monogamous (Hennessy et al, 2012).…”

Section: Population Densitymentioning

confidence: 78%

“…However, this study did not control for effects of population density, which often correlates with resource availability (e.g., Clark, 1972;White and Garrott, 1997) and thus could have been responsible for greater EPP closer to the goose colony. However, this hypothesis was not supported in a study of urban coyotes, wherein despite optimal food availability, pairs were strictly genetically monogamous (96 offspring from 18 litters, Hennessy et al, 2012).…”

Section: Resource Availability and Reliance On Paternal Carementioning

confidence: 96%

Monogamy: Cause, Consequence, or Corollary of Success in Wild Canids?

et al. 2019

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The Canidae are successful, being a widespread, abundant, speciose, and adaptable family. Several canids in particular have recently experienced rapid expansions in range and abundance, with similar situations mirrored on several continents by different species. Despite extreme behavioral diversity between and within species, monogamy is a common denominator in canid societies. In this review, we ask why canids are monogamous and how monogamy is related to their success. We begin with an overview of canid social monogamy, describing the pair bonding, paternal care, and often alloparental care that is characteristic of the family, and discuss theories on the evolution of mammalian social monogamy. We discuss why and how monogamy is maintained in canids, either voluntarily or enforced, and how ecological conditions influence either the functional advantages of monogamy or ability for enforcement and thus whether social monogamy is maintained. Social monogamy does not necessitate exclusive mating and many canids exhibit extra-pair paternity. We consider the costs and benefits of extra-pair mating for male and female canids and how ecological conditions can shift this cost/benefit balance and thus affect its prevalence. Monogamy may be responsible for many of the unusual canid reproductive characteristics through facilitating alloparental care and monogamy enforcement, and the domestic dogs' departure from monogamy supports our interpretation that it is an adaptation to resource availability. In asking whether monogamy is responsible, at least in part, for their success, we propose the monogamy as pro-cooperative hypothesis, suggesting four characteristics have contributed to canid success: (1) ecological flexibility, (2) high mobility, (3) high reproductive rates, and (4) sociality/cooperation, with the latter two being consequences of monogamy. These four interconnected traits enhance one another and it is their combination, with monogamy at its foundation enabling cooperative sociality and thereby enhanced reproduction and survival, that together comprise the formula of canid success.

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“…Further, true monogamy is rare in nature, as genetic evidence in many socially monogamous species often reveals extra‐pair copulations (Petrie and Kempenaers , Hennessy et al. ). Although our models do not precisely map onto any specific system (nor were they intended to do so), they provided general insights on the relationships among mating systems and stochastic processes in a single, unified framework.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stochasticity in social structure and mating system drive extinction risk

2020

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As anthropogenic activities continue to threaten species across the globe, many populations have seen dramatic reductions in abundance from historical values. While the underlying causes are varied, such long‐term population declines greatly increase these species’ susceptibility to extinction via stochastic processes. Previous research has established that demographic stochasticity and environmental stochasticity play important roles in extinction risk, but few studies have investigated the role of stochasticity in social dynamics, such as group formation and mating systems. Here, we developed a suite of simulation models incorporating different combinations of stochastic processes, while also varying group size and mating system. Using these models, we evaluated the interacting effects of different mating systems coupled with varied sources of stochasticity on extinction risk. Extinction risk was generally higher for populations with mating systems more dependent on even sex ratios in groups (e.g., monogamy). However, in more flexible mating systems (e.g., polygynandry), stochasticity in the formation of individual groups actually reduced extinction risk in certain scenarios. By identifying the factors most important to the stochastic extinction risk of species with different mating systems and social structures, we provide insight into conservation and management strategies for such species facing population declines.

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Long-term pair bonding and genetic evidence for monogamy among urban coyotes (Canis latrans)

Cited by 39 publications

References 60 publications

Winter home range fidelity and extraterritorial movements of Arctic fox pairs in the Canadian High Arctic

Winter home range fidelity and extraterritorial movements of Arctic fox pairs in the Canadian High Arctic

Monogamy: Cause, Consequence, or Corollary of Success in Wild Canids?

Stochasticity in social structure and mating system drive extinction risk

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