%0 Journal Article %J Trends Ecol Evol %D 2014 %T Kin-selected cooperation without lifetime monogamy: human insights and animal implications. %A Kramer, Karen L %A Russell, Andrew F %K Animals %K Biological Evolution %K Cooperative Behavior %K Hominidae %K Humans %K Pair Bond %K Phylogeny %K Sexual Behavior %K Sexual Behavior, Animal %K Social Behavior %X

Recent phylogenetic analyses suggest that monogamy precedes the evolution of cooperative breeding involving non-breeding helpers. The rationale: only through monogamy can helper-recipient relatedness coefficients match those of parent-offspring. Given that humans are cooperative breeders, these studies imply a monogamy bottleneck during hominin evolution. However, evidence from multiple sources is not compelling. In reconciliation, we propose that selection against cooperative breeding under alternative mating patterns will be mitigated by: (i) kin discrimination, (ii) reduced birth-intervals, and (iii) constraints on independent breeding, particularly for premature and post-fertile individuals. We suggest that such alternatives require consideration to derive a complete picture of the selection pressures acting on the evolution of cooperative breeding in humans and other animals.

%B Trends Ecol Evol %V 29 %P 600-6 %8 2014 Nov %G eng %U http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25267298 %N 11 %R 10.1016/j.tree.2014.09.001