Most cooperatively breeding birds live in family groups, in which a breeding pair is assisted
by genetically related “helpers” who do not reproduce. In some species, however, several …

Cooperative breeding (ie when alloparents care for the offspring of other group members)
has been studied for nearly a century. Yet, inconsistent definitions of this breeding system …

Group-living species show a diversity of social organization, from simple mated pairs to
complex communities of interdependent individuals performing specialized tasks. The …

Extreme reproductive skew occurs when a dominant female/male almost monopolizes
reproduction within a group of multiple sexually mature females/males, respectively. It is …

Inbreeding is often avoided in natural populations by passive processes such as sex-biased
dispersal. But, in many social animals, opposite-sexed adult relatives are spatially clustered …

Kin selection plays a major role in the evolution of cooperative systems. However, many
social species exhibit complex within-group relatedness structures, where kin selection …

The evolution of helping behaviour in species that breed cooperatively in family groups is
typically attributed to kin selection alone. However, in many species, helpers go on to inherit …

The cost-benefit of social behavior depends on group size and the social interaction. As
group size increases, competition for resources increases, while individual vigilance may …

Many animals live in stable groups, where sexually mature individuals delay dispersal and
stay as nonbreeding subordinates, seemingly counter to their own evolutionary interests …

Kin selection theory predicts that genetic relatedness between group members can reduce
the asymmetry in resource partitioning between superior and inferior competitors. In social …