The ties that bind: genetic relatedness predicts the fission and fusion of social groups in wild African elephants

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
Elizabeth A ArchieSusan C Alberts

Abstract

Many social animals live in stable groups. In contrast, African savannah elephants (Loxodonta africana) live in unusually fluid, fission-fusion societies. That is, 'core' social groups are composed of predictable sets of individuals; however, over the course of hours or days, these groups may temporarily divide and reunite, or they may fuse with other social groups to form much larger social units. Here, we test the hypothesis that genetic relatedness predicts patterns of group fission and fusion among wild, female African elephants. Our study of a single Kenyan population spans 236 individuals in 45 core social groups, genotyped at 11 microsatellite and one mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) locus. We found that genetic relatedness predicted group fission; adult females remained with their first order maternal relatives when core groups fissioned temporarily. Relatedness also predicted temporary fusion between social groups; core groups were more likely to fuse with each other when the oldest females in each group were genetic relatives. Groups that shared mtDNA haplotypes were also significantly more likely to fuse than groups that did not share mtDNA. Our results suggest that associations between core social groups persist for decade...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1974·Behaviour·J Altmann
Jul 1, 1964·Journal of Theoretical Biology·W D Hamilton
Jul 1, 1964·Journal of Theoretical Biology·W D Hamilton
Jun 11, 1996·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·J AltmannM W Bruford
Aug 15, 1996·Nucleic Acids Research·P TaberletJ Bouvet
May 23, 1998·Comparative Immunology, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases·P J KellyH F Cadman
Jan 29, 1999·Mammalian Genome : Official Journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society·R S SmithM T Davisson
Oct 18, 2000·Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America·K B Armitage, O A Schwartz
Jun 18, 2003·Current Opinion in Pharmacology·Brendan J Canning
Sep 2, 2003·Molecular Biology and Evolution·Yinglei Lai, Fengzhu Sun
Jun 8, 2004·Pediatric Research·Jacqueline A Noonan
Jan 1, 1999·Primates; Journal of Primatology·C P van Schaik
Mar 1, 1989·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·David C Queller, Keith F Goodnight

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Apr 14, 2009·Journal of Mathematical Biology·Eric Durand, Olivier François
Jul 10, 2008·International Journal of Legal Medicine·James Chun-I LeeLi-Chin Tsai
May 8, 2013·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Casimiro CorbachoAlfonso Ramos
Jun 19, 2008·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Jackie D MethenyR Mark Brigham
Jan 9, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Noa Pinter-WollmanLynette A Hart
Jul 17, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·George WittemyerHans R Siegismund
Mar 17, 2007·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Joan B Silk
Apr 18, 2007·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Anja Widdig
Jul 29, 2011·BMC Ecology·Shermin de SilvaSergey Kryazhimskiy
Sep 1, 2014·Behavioural Processes·Cibele BiondoVera S R Bussab
Feb 19, 2016·American Journal of Primatology·Veronika StädeleLinda Vigilant
Feb 24, 2016·Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology·Phyllis C LeeCynthia J Moss
Jan 30, 2014·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·L S EggertJ E Maldonado
Jul 1, 2008·Behavioural Processes·Luis A Ebensperger, Loren D Hayes
Sep 18, 2007·Journal of Theoretical Biology·Eric DurandOlivier François
Jul 25, 2014·Human Nature : an Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective·Robert S Walker, Kim R Hill
Sep 6, 2007·Molecular Ecology·Elizabeth A ArchieSusan C Alberts
May 29, 2009·American Journal of Primatology·Kevin LangergraberLinda Vigilant
Sep 2, 2008·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·K S GobushS K Wasser
May 23, 2013·Conservation Biology : the Journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·M A AhleringJ L Brown
Sep 3, 2011·Molecular Ecology·T H Clutton-Brock, D Lukas
Sep 29, 2011·Molecular Ecology·Joel G Ortega-OrtizA Rus Hoelzel
Apr 7, 2011·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Larissa SwedellMathew Pines
Dec 18, 2013·Annals of the New York Academy of Sciences·Lauren J N BrentMichael L Platt
May 7, 2016·Royal Society Open Science·E F Baerwald, R M R Barclay
Sep 5, 2014·Molecular Ecology Resources·Jack PewTimothy R Frasier
Jun 2, 2015·Animal Behaviour·Steffen FoersterAnne E Pusey
Jan 29, 2014·Behavioural Processes·Alexander SilvisJoshua B Johnson

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.