Kinship and its consequences in the cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler Turdoides bicolor

Nelson-Flower, Martha J

Kinship and its consequences in the cooperatively breeding southern pied babbler Turdoides bicolor

Doctoral Thesis

2009

Publisher

University of Cape Town

Department

Department of Biological Sciences

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Abstract

Cooperative breeding occurs when more than two individuals help to raise offspring that are not their own, and has been the focus of empirical and theoretical research for over forty years. Of central importance to this work are the fitness costs and benefits of helping, and the factors limiting the reproduction of helpers. To understand these, the genetic relationship between individuals must be known. In this thesis, I use genetic and observational data to explore kinship between individuals in groups of wild Southern Pied Babblers Turdoides bicolor.

Description

Includes abstract.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 119-132).

Keywords

Zoology

Reference:

Collections

PhD / Doctoral

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