Exploration and social environment affect inbreeding avoidance in a small mammal
Data files
Nov 09, 2023 version files 106.66 KB
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Raw_Data.csv
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README.md
Nov 27, 2023 version files 107.80 KB
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Raw_Data.csv
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README.md
Abstract
Individual exploration types are based on the cognitive speed-accuracy trade-off, which suggests that higher speed of information acquisition is done by sacrificing information quality. In a mating context, fast exploration could thus increase the probability of finding mates at the cost of mating with kin or suboptimal partners. We tested this hypothesis by studying male mate choice patterns in a species with a scramble competition mating system. We used genotyping, localisation by radio-collar, trapping, and repeated exploration measures from a long-term study on wild Eastern chipmunks (Tamias striatus). We predicted that, according to the speed-accuracy trade-off hypothesis, slower-thorough explorers should be choosier than faster-superficial ones, and thus avoid inbreeding. We found that slower males reproduced more often with less related females, but only on one site where variance in relatedness and female density were high. Males showed no preference for their mates’ exploration type. Our results suggest that superficial exploration decreases male choosiness and increases the risk of inbreeding, but only under decreased mate search costs due to high variance in relatedness among mates (at high density). Our findings reveal exploration-related, among-individual variance in inbreeding, highlighting the complexity of mate choice, and showing that many aspects of an individual’s life contribute to animal decision-making.
README: Exploration and social environment affect inbreeding avoidance in a small mammal
https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.ncjsxkt1m
This dataset was collected on a wild population of eastern chipmunks in the mounts Sutton area, Québec, Canada. The study system consists of 3 separate rectangular sites with transects marked with permanently fixed stakes at 20 m intervals, and Longworth traps set at 40 m intervals. Data on site 1 was collected from 2006 to 2009, and data on sites 2 and 3 was collected from 2012 to 2018. Sites were trapped from May to September. Each chipmunk was uniquely marked with ear tags and a PIT tag.
For more information, please see the original article.
Description of the data and file structure
Column | Description |
---|---|
year | Year that the data was collected. |
site | Site on which the individuals were located, among 3 separate sites. |
id.male | Unique identifier for the male. |
id.year.male | Combination of the id of the male and the year the data was collected. |
id.female | Unique identifier for the female. |
id.year.female | Combination of the id of the female and the year the data was collected. |
reproduction | Binomial variable. Wether the male-female couple produced at least one offspring this year. 0 if they did not, 1 if they did. |
distance | Distance between the burrow centers of both individuals, in meters. |
exploration.blup.male | BLUP of the exploration value of the male, measured by an Open-field test. Value is standardized. |
exploration.blup.female | BLUP of the exploration value of the female, measured by an Open-field test. Value is standardized. |
relatedness | Relatedness between the male and female, calculated from genotyping of both individuals. Value is standardized. |
female.density | Density of females in the mate search area of the male. Value is standardized. |
border.effect | Distance between the burrow of the male and the center of the grid, in meters. |
max.search.distance | Distance between the male and the farthest female with which he sired an offspring that year, in meters. |
season | Whether the mating season was during spring or summer. |