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by claude@2026-07, 2026-07-04
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This study investigates whether genotypes of social partners (mothers, fathers, and helpers) exert indirect genetic effects on juvenile morphometric traits over development in a wild cooperative-breeding Florida scrub-jay, using animal-model statistical methods to estimate direct and partner-mediated genetic contributions. The authors find indirect genetic effects of helpers and fathers on nestling weight, but no indirect genetic effect from mothers, and they report that additive genetic variation for weight and tarsus length increases across ontogeny. A key caveat is that the conclusions are specific to the sampled population and the particular morphometric traits and social structure examined, leaving other traits or species contexts unaddressed. The paper does not explicitly discuss endometriosis or adenomyosis; it was included in the corpus via a keyword match in the upstream search index.
Abstract
Social interactions are ubiquitous in nature and have the potential to affect trait evolution, particularly in group-living animals such as cooperative breeders. Interactions among conspecific individuals can affect the amount of additive genetic variation for a trait when the phenotype of an individual is also affected by the genotype of its social partner(s) via indirect genetic effects. Thus, quantifying both direct and indirect genetic effects of social partners is critical for understanding and predicting evolutionary trajectories. While much is known about maternal indirect genetic effects, empirical estimates of indirect genetic effects from other social partners remain limited, particularly in wild populations. Here, we use animal models to assess the contribution of indirect genetic effects from all social partners in a family group (mothers, fathers, and helpers) on juvenile morphometric traits across ontogeny in the cooperatively-breeding Florida scrub-jay ( Aphelocoma coerulescens ). We found indirect genetic effects of helpers and fathers on nestling weight, but no indirect genetic effect of mothers. Across ontogeny, we found increasing additive genetic variation in both weight and tarsus length. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of within-group indirect genetic effects in a cooperative breeder and highlights the importance of considering indirect genetic effects beyond maternal effects.
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Abstract
Social interactions are ubiquitous in nature and have the potential to affect trait evolution, particularly in group-living animals such as cooperative breeders. Interactions among conspecific individuals can affect the amount of additive genetic variation for a trait when the phenotype of an individual is also affected by the genotype of its social partner(s) via indirect genetic effects. Thus, quantifying both direct and indirect genetic effects of social partners is critical for understanding and predicting evolutionary trajectories. While much is known about maternal indirect genetic effects, empirical estimates of indirect genetic effects from other social partners remain limited, particularly in wild populations. Here, we use animal models to assess the contribution of indirect genetic effects from all social partners in a family group (mothers, fathers, and helpers) on juvenile morphometric traits across ontogeny in the cooperatively-breeding Florida scrub-jay (Aphelocoma coerulescens). We found indirect genetic effects of helpers and fathers on nestling weight, but no indirect genetic effect of mothers. Across ontogeny, we found increasing additive genetic variation in both weight and tarsus length. Our study provides a comprehensive assessment of within-group indirect genetic effects in a cooperative breeder and highlights the importance of considering indirect genetic effects beyond maternal effects.
Competing Interest Statement
The authors have declared no competing interest.
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