title: Local environment but not genetic differentiation influences biparental care in ten plover populations.
abstract: Social behaviours are highly variable between species, populations and individuals. However, it is contentious whether behavioural variations are primarily moulded by the environment, caused by genetic differences, or a combination of both. Here we establish that biparental care, a complex social behaviour that involves rearing of young by both parents, differs between closely related populations, and then test two potential sources of variation in parental behaviour between populations: ambient environment and genetic differentiation. We use 2904 hours behavioural data from 10 geographically distinct Kentish (Charadrius alexandrinus) and snowy plover (C. nivosus) populations in America, Europe, the Middle East and North Africa to test these two sources of behavioural variation. We show that local ambient temperature has a significant influence on parental care: with extreme heat (above 40 °C) total incubation (i.e. % of time the male or female incubated the nest) increased, and female share (% female share of incubation) decreased. By contrast, neither genetic differences between populations, nor geographic distances predicted total incubation or female's share of incubation. These results suggest that the local environment has a stronger influence on a social behaviour than genetic differentiation, at least between populations of closely related species.
authors.affiliation: Evolutionary Ecology Group, Hungarian Department of Biology and Ecology, Babeş-Bolyai University, Cluj Napoca, Romania. orsolya.vincze@vocs.unideb.hu
authors.forename: Orsolya
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Vincze
authors.forename: Tamás
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Székely
authors.forename: Clemens
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Küpper
authors.forename: Monif
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Alrashidi
authors.forename: Juan A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Amat
authors.forename: Araceli Argüelles
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Ticó
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Burgas
authors.forename: Terry
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Burke
authors.forename: John
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Cavitt
authors.forename: Jordi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Figuerola
authors.forename: Mohammed
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Shobrak
authors.forename: Tomas
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Montalvo
authors.forename: András
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kosztolányi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D046091:Charadriiformes / Q000235:genetics*; D004777:Environment; D005260:Female; D014644:Genetic Variation; D008018:Life Cycle Stages / Q000235:genetics; D008297:Male; D009425:Nesting Behavior