Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).

Female-biased dispersal (FBD) is predicted to occur in monogamous species due to local resource competition among females, but evidence for this association in mammals is scarce. The predicted relationship between FBD and monogamy may also be too simplistic, given that many pair-living mammals exhib...

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Main Author: Jason Munshi-South
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2008-09-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2528962?pdf=render
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author Jason Munshi-South
author_facet Jason Munshi-South
author_sort Jason Munshi-South
collection DOAJ
description Female-biased dispersal (FBD) is predicted to occur in monogamous species due to local resource competition among females, but evidence for this association in mammals is scarce. The predicted relationship between FBD and monogamy may also be too simplistic, given that many pair-living mammals exhibit substantial extra-pair paternity.I examined whether dispersal and gene flow are female-biased in the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana) in Borneo, a behaviorally monogamous species with a genetic mating system characterized by high rates (50%) of extra-pair paternity. Genetic analyses provided evidence of FBD in this species. As predicted for FBD, I found lower mean values for the corrected assignment index for adult females than for males using seven microsatellite loci, indicating that female individuals were more likely to be immigrants. Adult female pairs were also less related than adult male pairs. Furthermore, comparison of Bayesian coalescent-based estimates of migration rates using maternally and bi-parentally inherited genetic markers suggested that gene flow is female-biased in T. tana. The effective number of migrants between populations estimated from mitochondrial DNA sequence was three times higher than the number estimated using autosomal microsatellites.These results provide the first evidence of FBD in a behaviorally monogamous species without mating fidelity. I argue that competition among females for feeding territories creates a sexual asymmetry in the costs and benefits of dispersal in treeshrews.
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spelling doaj.art-7d95410f9f5748b8881509aee0c6c9c82022-12-22T03:47:51ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032008-09-0139e322810.1371/journal.pone.0003228Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).Jason Munshi-SouthFemale-biased dispersal (FBD) is predicted to occur in monogamous species due to local resource competition among females, but evidence for this association in mammals is scarce. The predicted relationship between FBD and monogamy may also be too simplistic, given that many pair-living mammals exhibit substantial extra-pair paternity.I examined whether dispersal and gene flow are female-biased in the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana) in Borneo, a behaviorally monogamous species with a genetic mating system characterized by high rates (50%) of extra-pair paternity. Genetic analyses provided evidence of FBD in this species. As predicted for FBD, I found lower mean values for the corrected assignment index for adult females than for males using seven microsatellite loci, indicating that female individuals were more likely to be immigrants. Adult female pairs were also less related than adult male pairs. Furthermore, comparison of Bayesian coalescent-based estimates of migration rates using maternally and bi-parentally inherited genetic markers suggested that gene flow is female-biased in T. tana. The effective number of migrants between populations estimated from mitochondrial DNA sequence was three times higher than the number estimated using autosomal microsatellites.These results provide the first evidence of FBD in a behaviorally monogamous species without mating fidelity. I argue that competition among females for feeding territories creates a sexual asymmetry in the costs and benefits of dispersal in treeshrews.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2528962?pdf=render
spellingShingle Jason Munshi-South
Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).
PLoS ONE
title Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).
title_full Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).
title_fullStr Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).
title_full_unstemmed Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).
title_short Female-biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal, the large treeshrew (Tupaia tana).
title_sort female biased dispersal and gene flow in a behaviorally monogamous mammal the large treeshrew tupaia tana
url http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC2528962?pdf=render
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