Socio-spatial organization reveals paternity and low kinship in the Honduran white bat(Ectophylla alba)in Costa Rica

摘要

Ectophylla alba is a tent-making bat that roosts in mixed-sex clusters comprising adults and offspring.Our goal was to determine the genetic identity of individuals belonging to different roosting groups.We tested the hypothesis of kin selection as a major force structuring group composition.We used 9 microsatellites designed for E.alba to determine the genetic identity and probability of parentage of individuals.We analyzed parentage and kinship using the software ML-Relate,GenAIEx,and Cervus.The obtained relationship probabilities(0.5)revealed a clear maternal relationship between female adults and offspring with allele compatibility,and at least 5 relationships between male adults and pups.We found a low degree of relatedness within roosting groups.Between roosting groups at different sites,the mean probability of a half-sibling relationship ranged from 0.214 to 0.244 and,for full-sibling relationship,from 0.383 to 0.553.Genetically,adult individuals were poorly related within clusters,and kinship as an evolutionary force could not explain group membership.