Cooperation by necessity: condition- and density-dependent reproductive tactics of female house mice

Ferrari, Manuela ORCID: 0000-0003-4610-2806, Lindholm, Anna K, Ozgul, Arpat, Oli, Madan K and Konig, Barbara (2022) Cooperation by necessity: condition- and density-dependent reproductive tactics of female house mice. COMMUNICATIONS BIOLOGY, 5 (1). 348-.

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Official URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03267-2

Abstract

Optimal reproductive strategies evolve from the interplay between an individual's intrinsic state and extrinsic environment, both factors that are rarely fixed over its lifetime. Conditional breeding tactics might be one evolutionary trajectory allowing individuals to maximize fitness. We apply multi-state capture-mark-recapture analysis to a detailed 8-year data set of free-ranging house mice in a growing population to discern causes and fitness consequences of two alternative reproductive tactics in females, communal and solitary breeding. This allows us to integrate natural variation in life-history traits when analysing the expression of two alternative reproductive tactics in females. We find that communal breeding reduces average population fitness, but nevertheless increases over our 8-year study period. The tactic proves to be expressed conditionally dependent on both population density and female body mass - allowing females to breed under subpar conditions, i.e. at high density or when of low body mass. Our results contradict previous laboratory studies and emphasize the importance of studying cooperation under natural conditions, including natural variation in state-dependent survival and breeding probabilities.

Item Type:	Article
Uncontrolled Keywords:	Animals, Mice, Probability, Population Density, Reproduction, Female, Biological Evolution
Divisions:	Faculty of Health and Life Sciences Faculty of Health and Life Sciences > Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences
Depositing User:	Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited:	19 May 2022 07:53
Last Modified:	18 Jan 2023 21:01
DOI:	10.1038/s42003-022-03267-2
Open Access URL:	https://doi.org/10.1038/s42003-022-03267-2
Related URLs:	Author Publisher
URI:	https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3155102