Abstract
We investigated the presence of kin-biased cooperative breeding in the Common Eider (Somateria m. mollissima), a colonial seaduck commonly presumed to have a high rate of natal philopatry. Based on a 23-year-long time series of individually marked mothers and daughters, we found that on average 18% of the study population consisted of first-order relatives: mothers, daughters, and female siblings. However, there were years with no or only a few first-order kin pairs present. This was due to the overall low duckling survival in this species and the high rate of natal dispersal in this population. There was no apparent tendency for timely nesting relatives (laying within 3 days of each other) to approach each other, indicating no firm kin recognition. In a 3-year sampling of DNA from egg shell membranes, the annual rate of intraspecific brood parasitism in the population varied between 25 and 67%. However, becoming parasitized had no effect on the subsequent choice of brood tending tactics, i.e., whether to tend alone or communally. Neither was the choice of brood tending tactics affected by the number of own eggs in the clutch or by the female body condition. However, becoming a communal brood-tender was jointly contributed by the presence of alien eggs in the nest and the presence of first-order kin in the colony during early breeding. The greatest effect on females favoring communal brood care instead of rearing alone was due to the number of similar-aged broods nearby at the time of nest exodus. We found no evidence of firm kin recognition among individuals in our study population.
Zusammenfassung
Verwandtschaftsstruktur und Brutpflegetaktik in einer Population der Europäischen Eiderente ( Somateria m. mollissima )
Wir haben das Auftreten von verwandtschaftsbasiertem kooperativem Brüten bei der Europäischen Eiderente (Somateria m. mollissima) untersucht, einer koloniebrütenden Meerente, bei der im Allgemeinen eine ausgeprägte Geburtsortstreue angenommen wird. Basierend auf einer 23 Jahre währenden Zeitreihe individuell markierter Mütter und Töchter fanden wir, dass durchschnittlich 18% der untersuchten Population aus Verwandten ersten Grades bestanden: Müttern, Töchtern und Schwestern. Es gab jedoch Jahre, in denen nur wenige Verwandtschaftspaare ersten Grades anwesend waren. Dies war auf die insgesamt niedrige Überlebensrate der Entenküken bei dieser Art und die hohe Rate der Abwanderung vom Geburtsort in dieser Population zurückzuführen. Verwandte, die innerhalb von drei Tagen mit der Eiablage begannen, zeigten keine offensichtliche Tendenz, sich einander zu nähern, was darauf hindeutet, dass Verwandte nicht sicher erkannt werden. Die Entnahme von DNA-Proben aus der Eischalenmembran über einen Zeitraum von drei Jahren zeigte, dass die jährliche Rate von intraspezifischem Brutparasitismus in der Population zwischen 25 und 67% variierte. Ob ein Nest parasitiert wurde oder nicht, hatte jedoch keinen Einfluss darauf, ob Brutpflege anschließend allein oder gemeinsam betrieben wurde. Die Wahl der Brutpflegetaktik wurde auch nicht durch die Anzahl der eigenen Eier im Gelege oder die Körperkondition des Weibchens beeinflusst. Das Vorhandensein fremder Eier im Nest in Kombination mit der Anwesenheit von Verwandten ersten Grades in der Kolonie während der frühen Brutphase trug jedoch zum Auftreten gemeinschaftlicher Brutpflege bei. Die Anzahl der Bruten ähnlichen Alters in der Nähe zum Zeitpunkt des Verlassens des Nests begünstigte jedoch am stärksten das Auftreten gemeinschaftlicher Brutpflege. Wir fanden keine Hinweise darauf, dass die Individuen in der untersuchten Population Verwandte sicher erkennen konnten.
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Acknowledgments
Our sincere thanks are due to all our co-workers at Söderskär, especially to Chris Franson, Tuula Hollmén, Jukka T. Lehtonen, Outi Ovaskainen, Karl Selin, Henri Selin, and Pertti Muuronen. We greatly acknowledge the laboratory research done by Marjatta Säisä and Tuire Pankasalo. Thoughtful comments on an earlier draft were provided by two anonymous reviewers. The language was checked by Roy Siddall. This research was carried out in compliance with the current laws of Finland and received permission from the Ministry of Environment and the Animal Care committee of the University of Helsinki.
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Communicated by P. H. Becker.
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Hario, M., Koljonen, ML. & Rintala, J. Kin structure and choice of brood care in a Common Eider (Somateria m. mollissima) population. J Ornithol 153, 963–973 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0825-3
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-012-0825-3