Date: October 26,
2015
Source: University
of Zurich
Can animals
recognize distantly related, unfamiliar individuals of the same species?
Siberian jays possess this ability as evolutionary biologists recently could
demonstrate for the first time. This bird species belongs to the crow family
and is able to accurately assess the degree of kinship to unfamiliar
individuals. This ability provides advantages when sharing food and other forms
of cooperation.
In few mammal,
birds and fish species, individuals can recognize unfamiliar siblings. Until
now, however, it remained unclear whether animals also are able to identify
more distant, unfamiliar relatives. Evolutionary biologists from the University
of Zurich recently demonstrated that Siberian jays, a member of the crow
family, evolved this ability.
Kinship is a
critical factor favoring cooperation between individuals. The reason behind
this pattern is that helping closely related individuals aids propagating own
genes. Consequently, most insects, meerkats or birds that breed cooperatively,
i.e., individuals help to raise offspring that are not their own, live in
family groups. The Siberian jay, which occurs in Northern Scandinavia and the
Siberian taiga, lives in family groups that share a territory.
Non-breeding
birds are both offspring that remain with their parents for several year beyond
independency and individuals that immigrate into groups early in their lives.
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