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© 1996 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

research-article

Social assemblages and mating relationships in prairie dogs: a DNA fingerprint analysis

Steven E. Travis, C. N. Slobodchikoff and Paul Kefan

Department of Biological Sciences, Box 5640, Northern Arizona University, Flagstaff, AZ 86011-5640, USA

ABSTRACT

Mating system characterizations have been hindered by difficulties in accurately assigning parentage to offspring. We investigated the relationship between social assemblages and mating relationships in a territorial harem polygynous mammal, the Gunnison's prairie dog, using a combination of behavioral and molecular analyses. We demonstrate multiple paternity and an extraordinarily high incidence of extraterritorial fertilizations (i.e., 61% of all progeny), in combination with the existence of female kin groups. On this basis, we conclude that social assemblages alone provide a poor description of the Gunnison's prairie dog mating system, and suggest several potential reasons for the maintenance of territoriality in this species.

Key words: Cynomys gunnisoni DNA fingerprinting, kin group, mating system, paternity.


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