Multiple paternity and kinship in the gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus)

Abstract

Despite mounting evidence that extra-pair copulations (EPCs) are common in the Canidae, no studies have examined the most basal member of this family, the gray fox ( Urocyon cinereoargenteus). In this study we explored the possibility that gray foxes may be socially, but not genetically, monogamous. Multiple paternity was confirmed in one litter and suspected in three others ( n=7), thus 14.3–57.1% of all litters had more than one father. In this high-density population, multiple paternity may be one strategy to reduce inbreeding, although only one pair was significantly related to each other ( r=0.36). Mother–daughter pairs were more common than father–son pairs. These results coupled with a previous study showing a female-biased sex ratio suggest male-biased dispersal and the potential for helper females.