The evolution of a rare mammalian trait - Benefits and costs of male philopatry in proboscis bats

Abstract

While inbreeding avoidance is widely accepted as the major driver of female natal dispersal, the evolution of male philopatry is still poorly understood and discussed to be driven by male mating strategy, mate competition among male kin and kin cooperation. During a twelve-year study, we gathered detailed genetic and observational data of individually marked proboscis bats to assess the degree of male philopatry as well as its costs and benefits to improve the understanding of its evolution. Our results reveal several patrilines with simultaneous presence of closely related males and a small proportion of unrelated immigrant males in their colonies. Philopatric males benefit from avoiding the costs of immigration into foreign colonies through significantly longer tenure, better integration (i.e. frequent nocturnal presence in the colonies) and consequently significantly higher reproductive success compared to immigrant males. Finally, we illustrate that despite a high proportion of philopatric males in the groups, the number of closely related competing males is low. Thus, the hypothesised costs of mate competition among male kin seem to be low in promiscuous mammalian societies with unrelated females and a small degree of male immigration and are readily outweighed by the benefits of staying in the natal group.