Fidelity to natal social groups and mating within and between social groups in an endangered false killer whale population

Kk Martien,Sd Mahaffy,Rw Baird,Bl Taylor,Sj Chivers,Am Gorgone

doi:10.3354/esr00995

Abstract

Fidelity to natal social groups and mating within and between social groups in an endangered false killer whale population

Highlights

In most species of mammals, members of one or both sexes disperse from their natal group (Greenwood 1980)
We examined parentage patterns within the main Hawaiian Islands (MHI) population of false killer whales using previously published (Martien et al 2014) nuclear DNA (nuDNA) microsatellite genotype data
We used published genetic data (Martien et al 2014) generated from 107 false killer whales sampled between 2000 and 2011, all of which have been assigned to the MHI insular population based on analysis of association patterns from photo-identification studies (Baird et al 2008, Baird 2009)

Summary

Introduction

In most species of mammals, members of one or both sexes disperse from their natal group (Greenwood 1980). Natal dispersal can confer several benefits to dispersing individuals (Lawson Handley & Perrin 2007). Dispersers often have to traverse inhospitable territory, possibly facing an increased risk of predation or a lack of adequate food resources (Johnson & Gaines 1990). They may lose the benefit of familiarity with their natal foraging habitat, and the foraging tactics best suited to the natal habitat may not be transferrable to new habitats (Greenwood 1980). The importance of familiarity with the habitat and the inclusive fitness benefits of foraging with kin can be especially high in species that hunt cooperatively and/or share food resources (Baird & Dill 1996, Wright et al 2016)

Methods

Results

Conclusion