Journal
ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR
Volume 77, Issue 2, Pages 503-512Publisher
ACADEMIC PRESS LTD- ELSEVIER SCIENCE LTD
DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.10.030
Keywords
American crow; bird; cooperative breeding; copulation; Corvus brachyrhynchos; inbreeding; incest; mate guarding; mating system; reproductive skew
Categories
Funding
- National Science Foundation [NSF-SGER 29444]
- National Institutes of Health [NIH (R21)-1064305]
- Animal Behavior Society
- Cornell Sigma Xi
- Frank M. Chapman Memorial Fund
- Kieckhefer Adirondacks Fellowship
- Cooper Ornithological Society
- Wilson Ornithological Society
- Andrew Mellon Foundation
- Sigma Delta Epsilon/Graduate Women in Science
- American Association of University Women
- National Science Foundation
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Understanding the benefits of cooperative breeding for group members of different social and demographic classes requires knowledge of their reproductive partitioning and genetic relatedness. During 2004-2007, we examined parentage as a function of relatedness and social interactions among members of 21 American crow, Corvus brachyrhynchos, family groups. Paired female breeders monopolized maternity of all offspring in their broods, whereas paired male breeders sired 82.7% of offspring, within-group auxiliary males sired 6.9% of offspring and extragroup males sired 10.4% of offspring. Although adult females had fewer opportunities for direct reproduction as auxiliaries than males, they appeared to have earlier opportunities for independent breeding. These different opportunities for direct reproduction probably contributed to the male-biased adult auxiliary sex ratio. Patterns of reproductive partitioning and conflict among males were most consistent with a synthetic reproductive skew model, in which auxiliaries struggled with breeders for a limited reproductive share, beyond which breeders could evict them. Counter to a frequent assumption of reproductive skew models, female breeders appeared to influence paternity, although their interests might have agreed with the interests of their paired males. Unusual among cooperative breeders, close inbreeding and incest occurred in this population. Incest avoidance between potential breeders did not significantly affect reproductive skew. (C) 2008 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
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