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Social bonds between unrelated females increase reproductive success in feral horses
journal contribution
posted on 2023-05-17, 04:49 authored by Elissa Cameron, Setsaas, TH, Linklater, WLIn many mammals, females form close social bonds with members of their group, usually between kin. Studies of social bonds and their fitness benefits have not been investigated outside primates, and are confounded by the relatedness between individuals in primate groups. Bonds may arise from kin selection and inclusive fitness rather than through direct benefits of association. However, female equids live in long-term social groups with unrelated members. We present 4 years of behavioral data, which demonstrate that social integration between unrelated females increases both foal birth rates and survival, independent of maternal habitat quality, social group type, dominance status, and age. Also, we show that such social integration reduces harassment by males. Consequently, social integration has strong direct fitness consequences between nonrelatives, suggesting that social bonds can evolve based on these direct benefits alone. Our results support recent studies highlighting the importance of direct benefits in maintaining cooperative behavior, while controlling for the confounding influence of kinship.
History
Publication title
Proceedings of the National Academy of SciencesVolume
106Issue
33Pagination
13850-13853ISSN
0027-8424Department/School
School of Natural SciencesPublisher
Natl Acad SciencesPlace of publication
2101 Constitution Ave Nw, Washington, USA, Dc, 204Rights statement
Copyright © 2010 by the National Academy of SciencesRepository Status
- Restricted