Kin recognition for incest avoidance in Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis

Leedale, Amy E.; Vullioud, Philippe; Seager, David; Zöttl, Markus; Glauser, Gaétan; Clutton-Brock, Tim

Abstract

Across taxa, breeding among close relatives is usually avoided because it incurs fitness costs to offspring. Incest is often averted through the dispersal of either sex from the natal area to breed. In some philopatric species, association among relatives extends into adulthood, and an ability to discriminate kin may be required for individuals to reduce inbreeding risk. Here, we aim to determine the mechanism of kin recognition for incest avoidance in the Damaraland mole-rat Fukomys damarensis , a cooperative breeder characterized by extreme reproductive skew. Pairs of opposite-sex adults were formed in the laboratory and, within pairs, genetic relatedness and degree of familiarity were manipulated through cross-fostering experiments. We found that unfamiliar pairs were more likely to engage in sexual behaviours and bred more successfully than familiar pairs, regardless of their genetic similarity. Females paired with unfamiliar males were also more likely to exhibit reproductive activation, characterized by increased levels of oestradiol and progesterone. This study shows that in Damaraland mole-rats, inbreeding avoidance can be achieved through a discrimination mechanism that relies on association during rearing, and that ovulation is induced by mating. This study advances our understanding of incest avoidance in species with constrained dispersal.

Citation

Leedale, A. E., Vullioud, P., Seager, D., Zöttl, M., Glauser, G., & Clutton-Brock, T. (2024). Kin recognition for incest avoidance in Damaraland mole-rats, Fukomys damarensis. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, 291(2033), Article 20241138. https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1138

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Sep 11, 2024
• Online Publication Date: Oct 16, 2024
• Publication Date: 2024-10
• Deposit Date: Sep 17, 2024
• Publicly Available Date: Oct 25, 2024
• Journal: Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences
• Print ISSN: 0962-8452
• Electronic ISSN: 1471-2954
• Publisher: The Royal Society
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 291
• Issue: 2033
• Article Number: 20241138
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2024.1138