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Evolutionary and ecological causes and fitness consequences of dispersal strategies and cooperative breeding in pre-industrial people

Objectif

The aim of this proposal is to investigate how evolutionary theory that applies to cooperative birds and mammals can explain the incidence of family living and cooperative breeding in pre-industrial humans. Such theory suggests that (1) families evolve when adverse ecological conditions render offspring dispersal costly and philopatry beneficial, and (2) cooperative breeding evolves when delayers can accrue fitness by helping.

Hypotheses will be primarily tested using data from pre-industrial Finns, but will be supplemented with similar data from Canadians and contemporary Dominicans. The data on Finns has been collected on a range of life-history (births, deaths, marriages, dispersal), ecological (weather, climate, harvest yield, famine, war) and social (class) variables for more than 2000 families from five different areas in Finland. The data is restricted to the pre-industrial era (1720-1900) when mortality was high and fertility natural.

This project will consequently result in the most comprehensive analyses yet conducted on this subject in humans, and aspects will rival the quality hitherto reserved for a few species of cooperative birds and mammals. It is proposed that powerful techniques of mixed and matrix statistical modelling are used to investigate two main questions:
(1) what are the ecological factors that promote family living? and
(2) does the presence of potential helpers influence lifetime reproductive success and overall fitness of breeders and the helpers themselves?

I predict that families will be more common where and when ecological conditions render dispersal and independent breeding costly and helping beneficial. Finally, I will model what costs of dispersal and benefits of helping are necessary to promote family living in humans. It is envisaged that this study will lead to substantial advances of our understanding of the evolutionary significance of the family in humans, and cooperative breeding in general.

Appel à propositions

FP6-2004-MOBILITY-5
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Coordinateur

THE UNIVERSITY OF SHEFFIELD
Contribution de l’UE
Aucune donnée
Adresse
Western Bank
SHEFFIELD
Royaume-Uni

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