INVESTIGADORES
CENTRON Daniela
artículos
Título:
Relatedness and social organization of coypus in the Argentinean pampas.
Autor/es:
TÚNEZ JI, GUICHÓN ML, CENTRÓN D, HENDERSON AP, CALLAHAN C, AND CASSINI MH.
Revista:
MOLECULAR ECOLOGY
Editorial:
WILEY-BLACKWELL PUBLISHING, INC
Referencias:
Lugar: Oxford; Año: 2009 vol. 18 p. 147 - 155
ISSN:
0962-1083
Resumen:
Behavioural and trapping studies of the social organization of coypus have suggested the
occurrence of kin groups and a polygynous mating system. We used 16 microsatellite markers
to analyse parentage and relatedness relationships in two populations (Jáuregui and Villa
Ruiz) in the Argentinean Pampas. At Jáuregui, a dominant male monopolized most paternities,
leading to a high variance in reproductive success between males and a high level of polygyny.
At Villa Ruiz, variance in reproductive success was low among resident males and males
were the fathers of zero to four offspring each. For females, no significant differences were
found. Two different social groups in each study site were used to assess genetic relatedness
within and between groups. These groups were neighbouring at Jáuregui but not at Villa
Ruiz. At Villa Ruiz, coypus were significantly more related within than between groups,
suggesting that behavioural groups were also genetic ones, and adult females were more
related within than between groups, as should be expected for kin groups. This relationship
was not found at Jáuregui. Our results provide support to previous studies based on behavioural
and trapping data which, indicate that coypus form social groups and have a polygynous
mating system. However, we found differences in social organization between the two
populations. This is the first study to determine parentage and/or relatedness in coypus.