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An experimental test of relatedness-based mate discrimination in a social lizard
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-18, 22:34 authored by Bordogna, G, Cunningham, G, Luisa FitzpatrickLuisa Fitzpatrick, Benjamin HalliwellBenjamin Halliwell, MacGregor, HEA, Kirke MunchKirke Munch, Erik WapstraErik Wapstra, Geoffrey WhileGeoffrey WhileOne of the major decisions individuals of many species make when deciding who to mate with is whether or not to inbreed. The prevailing theory is that individuals should avoid mating with closely related individuals because of the fitness costs associated with decreased offspring quality. However, theoretical work has suggested that levels of inbreeding depression need to be considerable for these costs to outweigh the possible, kin selected, benefits of inbreeding. While evidence for a preference for inbreeding exists in the literature, empirical results currently lag well behind theory. Here, we conducted an experiment to examine mate discrimination and preference with respect to relatedness in a natural population of the family living lizard, Liopholis whitii. We show that both male and female L. whitii distinguish between related and unrelated individuals and, furthermore, that both sexes preferentially associate with more closely related members of the opposite sex. These results correspond closely with patterns of pairing observed in the wild where both males and females have been shown to choose mating pairs that are more closely related to them than expected by chance. Combined, our findings suggest that mate choice in this system may represent an active preference for mating with related individuals rather than a result of passive constraints associated with population viscosity.
Funding
Australian Research Council
History
Publication title
Behavioral Ecology and SociobiologyVolume
70Issue
12Pagination
2139-2147ISSN
0340-5443Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Springer-VerlagPlace of publication
175 Fifth Ave, New York, USA, Ny, 10010Rights statement
Copyright 2016 Springer-Verlag Berlin HeidelbergRepository Status
- Restricted