Meeting Abstract
Recent debate has focused on how ecology shapes the evolution of group-living and cooperation in social vertebrates. Evidence suggests that group-living and cooperation enhance reproductive success under harsh local conditions in some species. Across two years, I studied two populations of Octodon degus, a plurally breeding rodent, to answer three questions: (1) Does living in large groups and having strong network strength improve access to resources in harsh environments? (2) Does increased access to resources improve the reproductive success of females? (3) Does living in large groups and having strong network strength improve reproductive success of females in harsh environments? I quantified group sizes and social network strength, ecological conditions at burrow systems, and per capita offspring weaned of social groups to answer these questions. I found site- and year-specific relationships in partial support of my predictions, demonstrating habitat-specific costs and benefits of social group-living and cooperation. I found associations between social network strength and food abundance in the site exhibiting more harsh conditions. In both sites, access to food and burrow openings did not improve reproductive success of females. In one site characterized by more harsh conditions, social network strength, but not group size, was associated with reproductive success of females.
