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Consistent cooperation in a cichlid fish is caused by maternal and developmental effects rather than heritable genetic variation.

  • Kasper C Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50A, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland claudia.kasper@iee.unibe.ch.
  • Kölliker M Institute of Evolutionary Biology, University of Basel, Vesalgasse 1, 4051 Basel, Switzerland.
  • Postma E Department of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies, University of Zurich, Winterthurerstrasse 190, 8057 Zürich, Switzerland.
  • Taborsky B Department of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Wohlenstrasse 50A, 3032 Hinterkappelen, Switzerland.
  • 2017-07-14
Published in:
  • Proceedings. Biological sciences. - 2017
cichlid
cooperation
heritability
maternal effects
repeatability
Animals
Behavior, Animal
Breeding
Cichlids
Cooperative Behavior
Female
Genetic Variation
Helping Behavior
Social Environment
English Studies on the evolution of cooperative behaviour are typically confined to understanding its adaptive value. It is equally essential, however, to understand its potential to evolve, requiring knowledge about the phenotypic consistency and genetic basis of cooperative behaviour. While previous observational studies reported considerably high heritabilities of helping behaviour in cooperatively breeding vertebrates, experimental studies disentangling the relevant genetic and non-genetic components of cooperative behaviour are lacking. In a half-sibling breeding experiment, we investigated the repeatability and heritability of three major helping behaviours performed by subordinates of the cooperatively breeding fish Neolamprologus pulcher To experimentally manipulate the amount of help needed in a territory, we raised the fish in two environments differing in egg predation risk. All three helping behaviours were significantly repeatable, but had very low heritabilities. The high within-individual consistencies were predominantly due to maternal and permanent environment effects. The perceived egg predation risk had no effect on helping, but social interactions significantly influenced helping propensities. Our results reveal that developmentally plastic adjustments of provided help to social context shape cooperative phenotypes, whereas heritable genetic variation plays a minor role.
Language
  • English
Open access status
bronze
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https://sonar.ch/global/documents/312
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