The effects of kinship on structuring complex social networks: a cross-sectional study in mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx)

亲属关系是影响动物社会中社会关系和社会网络的主要驱动力之一，了解其对社会性进化的影响是行为生态学的中心目标之一。我们的主要目标是阐明亲缘选择如何塑造野生山魈（Mandrillus sphinx）的社会，并确定亲缘相关行为的适应性后果。由于普遍存在的雌性亲缘关系和雄性出生分散，灵长类动物的亲属选择研究大多局限于亲缘关系。然而，有许多通过父系联系的个体彼此不熟悉，因为他们在不同的母系家庭中长大。然而，亲缘选择也会影响父系亲属之间的社会关系。在这个项目中，我们将研究不熟悉的父系亲属之间行为偏差的证据。此外，我们将研究亲属歧视的近因机制。最后，我们将分析与亲属互动的最终后果。为了实现这些目标，我们将对两个具有主要优势的山魈种群进行研究：圈养的山魈种群将使我们能够操纵动物并使用实验性生物分析来测试近似机制，我们将启动长期的行为研究，研究野生种群中近亲相关行为的适应性后果。结果将有助于澄清亲属选择在形成复杂社会和社会网络中的作用。

Kinship is one of the major driving forces influencing social relationships and social networks in animal societies, and understanding its impact upon the evolution of sociality is one of the central goals in behavioural ecology. Our main objectives are to illuminate how kin selection shapes the society of wild mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx) and to determine the fitness consequences of kin-related behaviour. As a result of widespread female philopatry and male natal dispersal, most studies of kin selection in primates have been restricted to relationships occurring between familiar maternal kin. However, there are numerous individuals related through the paternal line that are unfamiliar with each other because they are raised in different matrilineal families. Kin selection should, however, also affect social relationships that occur between paternal kin. In this project, we will examine the evidence for behavioural biases between unfamiliar paternal kin. Moreover, we will study the proximate mechanisms responsible for kin discrimination. Finally, we will analyse the ultimate consequences of interacting with kin. To attain these objectives, we will work on two mandrill populations, each with major strengths: a captive colony of mandrills will allow us to manipulate animals and to test proximate mechanisms using experimental bioassays, and we will initiate long-term behavioural studies of the fitness consequences of kin-related behaviour in a wild population of habituated mandrills. Results will contribute to the clarification of the role of kin selection in shaping complex societies and social networks.