Abstract
The role that kin selection might play in the evolution of lekking in birds remains controversial. Recent molecular data suggest that males displaying on leks are related. Here we investigated the genetic structure and pattern of relatedness on leks of a declining population of capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) using microsatellite genetic markers. Since the species is highly sensitive to disturbance, we adopted a non-invasive method by using faecal samples collected in the field. Based on a dataset of 50 males distributed in 6 sub-populations, we found significant genetic structuring among sub-populations, and a significant pattern of isolation by distance among leks. Estimates of relatedness showed that males displaying on the same lek were related, even when controlling for the effects of genetical differentiation among sub-populations. In addition, the frequency distribution of relatedness values indicated that leks contain a mixture of close kin and unrelated individuals (34 and 66%, respectively). This pattern is consistent with the hypothesis that leks often contain kin associations, which might be due to very restricted dispersal of some of the males or to joint dispersal of kin. The results are discussed with respect to their implication for the conservation of endangered populations.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Andersson M (1995) Sexual Selection. Princeton University Press, Princeton
Bouzat JL, Johnson K (2004). Genetic structure among closely spaced leks on a peripheral population of lesser prairie-chickens. Mol. Ecol. 13: 499–505
Caizergues A, Bernard-Laurent A, Brenot JF, Ellison L, Rasplus JY (2003a) Population genetic structure of rock ptarmigan Lagopus mutus in Northern and Western Europe. Mol. Ecol. 12: 2267–2274
Caizergues A, Dubois S, Loiseau A, Mondor G, Rasplus JY (2001) Isolation and characterization of microsatellite loci in black grouse (Tetrao tetrix). Mol. Ecol. Notes 1: 36–38
Caizergues A, Ratti O, Helle P, Rotelli L, Ellison L, Rasplus JY (2003b). Population genetic structure of male black grouse (Tetrao tetrix L.) in fragmented vs. continuous landscapes. Mol. Ecol. 12: 2297–2305
Fiske P, Rintamaki P, Karvonen E (1998). Mating success in lekking males: A meta-analysis. Behavioural Ecology 9: 328–338
Frankham R, Ballou JD, Briscoe DA (2002). An Introduction to Conservation Genetics. University Press, Cambridge
Fridolfsson AK, Ellegren H (1999). A simple and universal method for molecular sexing of non-ratite birds. J. Avian Biol. 30: 116–121
Goodnight KF, Queller DC (1999). Computer software for performing likelihood tests of pedigree relationship using genetic markers. Mol. Ecol. 8: 1231–1234
Goudet J (1995). FSTAT (vers. 1.2): A computer program to calculate F-statistics. J. Hered. 86: 485–486
Hoglund J (2003). Lek-kin in birds – provoking theory and surprising new results. Ann. Zool. Fenn. 40: 249–253
Hoglund J, Alatalo RV, Lundberg A, Rintamaki PT, Lindell J (1999). Microsatellite markers reveal the potential for kin selection on black grouse leks. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 266: 813–816
Kokko H, Lindström J (1996). Kin selection and the evolution of leks: Whose success do young male maximize?. Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B Biol. Sci. 263: 919–923
Leclercq B (1987) Ecologie et dynamique des populations du grand tétras dans le Jura francais. PhD thesis, Université de Bourgogne, Dijon, France
Leclercq B (2004) Evolution des populations du grand tétras dans le Jura Francais, Actes des 4èmes Rencontres Jurassiennes, Mijoux, France
Møller AP (2003). Sexual selection and extinction: Why sex matters and why asexual models are insufficent. Ann. Zool. Fenn. 40: 221–230
Petrie M, Krupa A, Burke T (1999). Peacocks lek with relatives even in the absence of social and environmental cues. Nature 401: 155–157
Piertney SB, McColl AD, Bacon PJ, Dallas JF (1998). Local genetic structure in the red grouse (Lagopus lagopus scoticus): Evidence from microsatellite markers. Mol. Ecol. 7: 1645–1654
Queller DC, Goodnight KF (1989). Estimating relatedness using genetic markers. Evolution 242: 258–275
Regnaut S, Lucas FS, Fumagalli L DNA degradation in avian faecal samples and feasibility of non-invasive genetic studies of threatened capercaillie populations. Conserv. Genet., doi: 10.1007/s10592-005-9023-7
Sachot S (2002) Viability and management of an endangered capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) metapopulation. PhD thesis, Université de Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland
Sachot S, Leclercq B, Montadert M (2002). Population trends of Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in the Jura mountains between 1991 and 1999. Game Wildl. Sci. 19: 41–54
Sachot S, Perrin N (2004). Capercaillie (Tetrao urogallus) in Western Switzerland - Viability and management of an endangered grouse metapopulation. In: Akçakaya HR, Burgman MA, Kindvall O, Wood CC, Sjögren-Gulve P, Hatfield JS, McCarthy MA (eds) Species conservation and management - Case studies. Oxford University Press, Oxford
Saether SA (2002). Kin selection, female preferences and the evolution of leks: Direct benefits may explain kin structuring. Anim. Behav. 63: 1017–1019
Segelbacher G, Hoglund J, Storch I (2003). From connectivity to isolation: Genetic consequences of population fragmentation in capercaillie across Europe. Mol. Ecol. 12: 1773–1780
Segelbacher G, Paxton RJ, Steinbrück G, Trontelj P, Storch I (2000). Characterization of microsatellites in capercaillie Tetrao urogallus (Aves). Mol. Ecol. 9: 1934–1935
Segelbacher G, Storch I (2002). Capercaillie in the Alps: Genetic evidence of metapopulation structure and population decline. Mol. Ecol. 11: 1669–1677
Shorey L, Piertney S, Stone J, Höglund J (2000). Fine-scale genetic structuring on Manacus manacus leks. Nature 408: 352–253
Storch I (1995). Annual home ranges and spacing patterns of capercaillie in central Europe. J. Wildl. Manag. 59: 392–400
Storch I (2000). Grouse: Status Survey and Conservation Action Plan 2000–2004. IUCN Publications Services, Cambridge
Storch I, Segelbacher G (2000). Genetic correlates of spatial population structure in central European capercaillie Tetrao urogallus and black grouse T. tetrix: A project in progress. Wildl. Biol. 6: 305–310
Taberlet P, Griffin S, Goossens B, Questiau S, Manceau V, Escaravage N, Waits LP, Bouvet J (1996). Reliable genotyping of samples with very low DNA quantities using PCR. Nucl. Acids Res. 24: 3189–3194
Valière N, Berthier P, Mouchiroud D, Pontier D (2002). Gemini: Software for testing the effects of genotyping errors and multitubes approach for individual identification. Mol. Ecol. Notes 2: 83–86
Watson A, Moss R, Parr R, Mountford MD, Rothery P (1994). Kin landownership, differential aggression between kin and nonkin, and population fluctuations in red grouse. J. Anim. Ecol. 63: 39–50
Acknowledgements
We thank I. Dupanloup, P. Fontanillas, J. Goudet, H. Niculita, N. Perrin and P. Taberlet for helpful discussions; F. Guillaume for help with the likelihood analysis; A. Bloc (Parc Naturel Régional de la Haute Chaîne du Jura, France), B. Leclercq (Groupe Tétras Jura, France) and S. Sachot (Conservation de la Faune du Canton de Vaud, Switzerland) for organising the sampling and providing essential information on leks. We also thank C. Primmer and two anonymous reviewers for helpful comments on earlier drafts of this paper.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Appendix A
Appendix A
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Regnaut, S., Christe, P., Chapuisat, M. et al. Genotyping faeces reveals facultative kin association on capercaillie’s leks. Conserv Genet 7, 665–674 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-005-9097-2
Received:
Accepted:
Published:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10592-005-9097-2