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All-offspring dispersal in a tropical mammal with resource defense polygyny

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Abstract

In polygynous mammals, males are usually responsible for gene flow while females are predominantly philopatric. However, there is evidence that in a few mammalian species female offspring may disperse to avoid breeding with their father when male tenure exceeds female age at maturity. We investigated offspring dispersal and local population structure in the Neotropical bat Lophostoma silvicolum. The mating system of this species is resource defense polygyny, with the resource being active termite nests, excavated by single males, which are then joined by females. We combined field observations of 14 harems during 3 years and data about the genetic structure within and between these groups, calculated with one mitochondrial locus and nine nuclear microsatellite loci. The results show that both male and female offspring disperse before maturity. In addition, we estimated life span of excavated termite nests and the duration they were occupied by the same male. Our findings suggest that long male tenure of up to 30 months is indeed a likely cause for the observed dispersal by female offspring that can reach maturity at a low age of 6 months. We suggest that dispersal by offspring of both sexes may occur quite frequently in polygynous tropical bats and thus generally may be more common in mammals than previously assumed.

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Acknowledgements

The Roche Research Foundation and the ZUNIV-Fonds zur Förderung des Akademischen Nachwuchses (FAN) financed Dina Dechmann during this study. The Julius–Klaus–Stiftung (Zürich) and the Brachet Foundation (Belgium) financed the genetic analyses, which were carried out with much help from J. Garbely. We want to thank the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI) and the National Authority for the Environment (ANAM) for research permits and the staff of Barro Colorado Island, especially the game wardens for logistical support. The following people helped with fieldwork, development of equipment and/or with data analysis: A. Beck, M. Demir, S. Heucke, M. Kalka, R. Kays, J. Mandel, F. Neuhäuser-Wespy, K. Safi-Widmer, A. Schulz, M. Weinbeer, S. Wetterich, and especially K. Safi, A. Lang, S. Spehn, and C. Weise. We also thank M. Brigham, F. Mayer, A. McElligott, E. Petit, K. Safi, S. Spehn, and C. Voigt for valuable comments about the manuscript and B. König for her continuous support.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Zoologisches Institut, Universität Zürich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Dina K. N. Dechmann & Gerald Kerth

  2. Experimental Ecology, University of Ulm, Albert-Einstein Allee 11, 89069, Ulm, Germany

    Dina K. N. Dechmann & Elisabeth K. V. Kalko

  3. Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, P.O. Box 2072, Balboa, Panama

    Elisabeth K. V. Kalko

  4. Department of Ecology and Evolution, University of Lausanne, Biophore, 1015, Lausanne, Switzerland

    Gerald Kerth

  5. Institute of Anatomy - Division of Neuroanatomy, University Zürich-Irchel, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057, Zürich, Switzerland

    Dina K. N. Dechmann

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  1. Dina K. N. Dechmann
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  2. Elisabeth K. V. Kalko
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Correspondence to Dina K. N. Dechmann.

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Communicated by G. Wilkinson

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Dechmann, D.K.N., Kalko, E.K.V. & Kerth, G. All-offspring dispersal in a tropical mammal with resource defense polygyny. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 61, 1219–1228 (2007). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-007-0352-z

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