Mountain gorillas maintain strong affiliative biases for maternal siblings despite high male reproductive skew and extensive exposure to paternal kin

  1. Nicholas M Grebe  Is a corresponding author
  2. Jean Paul Hirwa
  3. Tara S Stoinski
  4. Linda Vigilant
  5. Stacy Rosenbaum
  1. Department of Anthropology, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, United States
  2. The Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund International, United States
  3. Department of Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Germany
8 figures, 8 tables and 1 additional file

Figures

Figure 1 with 2 supplements
Box and dot plots comparing relatedness categories (A, B) and sex categories (C, D) for play rates (left) and grooming rates (right).
Figure 1—figure supplement 1
Box and dot plots for play within gorilla dyads that have ‘early life familiarity’ only (n=6724), separated by relatedness and sex category.
Figure 1—figure supplement 2
Box and dot plots for grooming within gorilla dyads that have ‘early life familiarity’ only (n=6724), separated by relatedness and sex category.
Estimated rates of play (A) and grooming (B) across a range of age differences, separated by relatedness category.

Bars represent 95% CI for rates of behavior at a given age difference.

Estimated rates of play (A) and grooming (B) across a range of age differences, separated by sex category.

Bars represent 95% CI for rates of behavior at a given age difference.

Box and dot plots (A) and estimated trends across a range of age differences (B) for the time gorilla dyads spent in close proximity, separated by relatedness category.

Bars in (B) represent 95% CI for rates of proximity at a given age difference.

Figure 5 with 1 supplement
Box and dot plots (A) and estimated trends across a range of age differences (B) for aggression within gorilla dyads, separated by relatedness and sex category.

Bars in (B) represent 95% CI for rates of aggression at a given age difference.

Figure 5—figure supplement 1
Box and dot plots for aggression within gorilla dyads that have ‘early life familiarity’ only (n=6724), separated by relatedness and sex category.
Appendix 3—figure 1
Estimated trends of (A) play, (B) grooming, (C) close proximity, and (D) aggression across average age of gorilla dyads.

Trends adjusted for all parameters listed in Appendix 3—table 1. Bars represent 95% CI for rates of behavior at a given age .

Appendix 4—figure 1
Box and dot plots showing estimated non-contact aggression within gorilla dyads, separated by relatedness and sex category.
Appendix 4—figure 2
Box and dot plots showing estimated contact aggression within gorilla dyads, separated by relatedness, and sex category.

Tables

Appendix 1—table 1
Omnibus statistics for target parameters.

Effects p<0.05 bolded.

Effect (early life familiarity only)
RelatednessSex categoryAge differencesRel×sex categoryRel×age diffSex ×age diff
PlayF(3, 6682) = 1.61,
p = 0.184
F(2, 6682) = 5.79,
p = 0.003
F(1, 6682) = 167.31,
p < 0.001
F(6, 6682) = 1.06,
p = 0.387
F(3, 6682) = 0.10,
p = 0.963
F(2, 6682) = 3.47,
p = 0.031
GroomingF(3, 6682) = 24.15,
p < 0.001
F(2, 6682) = 3.83,
p = 0.022
F(1, 6682) = 5.28,
p = 0.022
F(6, 6682) = 1.12,
p = 0.347
F(3, 6682) = 0.94,
p = 0.419
F(2, 6682) = 9.56,
p < 0.001
ProximityF(3, 6682) = 43.90,
p < 0.001
F(2, 6682) = 3.58,
p = 0.028
F(1, 6682) = 23.33,
p < 0.001
F(6, 6682) = 0.36,
p = 0.904
F(3, 6682) = 11.56,
p < 0.001
F(2, 6682) = 0.26,
p = 0.771
AggressionF(3, 6682) = 0.18,
p = 0.910
F(2, 6682) = 0.67,
p = 0.510
F(1, 6682) = 34.49,
p < 0.001
F(6, 6682) = 0.97,
p = 0.444
F(3, 6682) = 0.59,
p = 0.621
F(2, 6682) = 4.46,
p = 0.012
Appendix 1—table 2
Estimated marginal means and standard errors across relatedness and sex categories.
RelatednessSex Category
Full siblingsMaternal halfPaternal halfNon-siblingsFemale-femaleMale-maleMixed-sex
Play2.35 (0.40)1.72 (0.33)0.99 (0.09)1.33 (0.10)1.16 (0.16)2.23 (0.26)1.36 (0.15)
Grooming1.94 (0.43)1.44 (0.27)0.22 (0.03)0.27 (0.03)1.57 (0.19)0.30 (0.05)0.56 (0.07)
Proximity42.5 (3.6)41.4 (2.9)14.2 (0.7)15.5 (0.6)30.4 (1.7)22.8 (1.4)22.4 (1.2)
Aggression0.41 (0.07)0.44 (0.08)0.55 (0.03)0.59 (0.03)0.39 (0.05)0.62 (0.06)0.48 (0.04)
Appendix 2—table 1
Omnibus statistics for target parameters.

Effects p<0.05 bolded.

Effect (strict relatedness categories)
RelatednessSex categoryAge differencesRel×sex categoryRel×age diffSex ×age diff
PlayF(3, 7586) = 1.23,
p = 0.296
F(2, 7596) = 2.65,p = 0.071F(1, 7586) = 121.42,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7596) = 2.60,
p = 0.016
F(3, 7586) = 1.01,
p = 0.387
F(2, 7596) = 5.66,
p = 0.003
GroomingF(3, 7586) = 15.28,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7596) = 2.82,
p = 0.060
F(1, 7586) = 3.74,
p = 0.053
F(6, 7596) = 1.36,
p = 0.229
F(3, 7586) = 2.73,
p = 0.043
F(2, 7596) = 8.26,
p < 0.001
ProximityF(3, 7586) = 31.67,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7596) = 2.34,
p = 0.097
F(1, 7596) = 16.75,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7596) = 1.30,
p = 0.255
F(3, 7586) = 18.83,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7596) = 0.25,
p = 0.778
AggressionF(3, 7586) = 0.14,
p = 0.936
F(2, 7596) = 0.19,
p = 0.825
F(1, 7596) = 21.96,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7596) = 2.17,
p = 0.043
F(3, 7586) = 0.16,
p = 0.927
F(2, 7596) = 5.21,
p = 0.006
Appendix 2—table 2
Estimated marginal means and standard errors across relatedness and sex categories.
RelatednessSex category
Full siblingsMaternal halfPaternal halfNon-siblingsFemale-femaleMale-maleMixed-sex
Play2.35 (0.43)2.16 (0.43)1.08 (0.11)1.04 (0.08)1.23 (0.17)2.45 (0.31)1.22 (0.16)
Grooming2.19 (0.46)1.67 (0.41)0.26 (0.03)0.31 (0.03)1.55 (0.19)0.39 (0.08)0.68 (0.09)
Proximity43.4 (3.7)42.1 (4.0)15.1 (0.7)17.7 (0.7)31.4 (1.8)23.5 (1.6)25.0 (1.5)
Aggression0.47 (0.08)0.62 (0.14)0.61 (0.04)0.75 (0.04)0.53 (0.07)0.70 (0.09)0.60 (0.06)
Appendix 3—table 1
Omnibus statistics for target parameters.

Effects p<0.05 bolded.

Effect (average age adjusted)
RelatednessSex categoryAge differencesAverage ageRel.×sex categoryRel.×age diff.Sex ×age diff.
PlayF(3, 7782) = 5.92,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7782) = 6.86,
p = 0.001
(1, 7782) = 105.95,
p < 0.001
F(1, 7782) = 859.52,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7782) = 1.22,
p = 0.294
F(3, 7782) = 1.94,
p = 0.121
F(2, 7782) = 8.99,
p < 0.001
GroomingF(3, 7782) = 23.14,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7782) = 5.74,
p = 0.003
F(1, 7782) = 3.20,
p = 0.074
F(1, 7782) = 11.83,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7782) = 2.16,
p = 0.044
F(3, 7782) = 3.31,
p = 0.019
F(2, 7782) = 6.68,
p = 0.001
ProximityF(3, 7782) = 39.59,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7782) = 3.79,
p = 0.023
F(1, 7782) = 31.58,
p < 0.001
F(1, 7782) = 23.46,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7782) = 1.14,
p = 0.339
F(3, 7782) = 25.41,
p < 0.001
F(2, 7782) = 0.10,
p = 0.907
AggressionF(3, 7782) = 0.24,
p = 0.871
F(2, 7782) = 0.35,
p = 0.703
F(1, 7782) = 40.38,
p < 0.001
F(1, 7782) = 103.42,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7782) = 1.55,
p = 0.158
F(3, 7782) = 0.11,
p = 0.957
F(2, 7782) = 4.73,
p = 0.009
Appendix 3—table 2
Estimated marginal means and standard errors across relatedness and sex categories, adjusting for average age.
RelatednessSex category
Full siblingsMaternal halfPaternal halfNon-siblingsFemale-femaleMale-maleMixed-sex
Play1.77 (0.29)1.61 (0.22)0.77 (0.06)0.87 (0.05)0.74 (0.08)2.20 (0.21)1.00 (0.10 )
Grooming2.08 (0.45)1.54 (0.29)0.26 (0.03)0.31 (0.03)1.61 (0.19)0.36 (0.06)0.62 (0.08)
Proximity44.6 (4.3)41.3 (2.9)15.1 (0.7)17.9 (0.7)31.6 (1.7)24.1 (1.5)24.2 (1.4)
Aggression0.46 (0.07)0.42 (0.08)0.62 (0.04)0.75 (0.04)0.45 (0.05)0.66 (0.07)0.55 (0.05)
Appendix 4—table 1
Omnibus statistics for target parameters.

Effects p<0.05 bolded.

Effect (separate aggression categories)
RelatednessSex categoryAge differencesRel.×sex categoryRel.×age diff.Sex ×age diff.
Contact
aggression
F(3, 7783) = 2.72,
p = 0.042
F(2, 7596) = 1.02,
p = 0.359
F(1, 7596) = 14.29,
p < 0.001
F(6, 7596) = 2.11,
p = 0.049
F(3, 7586) = 0.72,
p = 0.541
F(2, 7596) = 2.19,
p = 0.113
Non-contact
aggression
F(3, 7783) = 0.28,
p = 0.834
F(2, 7596) = 2.71,
p = 0.067
F(1, 7596) = 7.11,
p = 0.008
F(6, 7596) = 2.09,
p = 0.052
F(3, 7586) = 0.11,
p = 0.955
F(2, 7596) = 1.33,
p = 0.264
Appendix 4—table 2
Estimated marginal means and standard errors across relatedness and sex categories.
RelatednessSex Category
Full siblingsMaternal halfPaternal halfNon-siblingsFemale - femaleMale - maleMixed -
sex
Contact
aggression
0.25 (0.04)0.19 (0.05)0.31 (0.02)0.35 (0.02)0.22 (0.03)0.29 (0.04)0.30 (0.03)
Non-contact
aggression
0.12 (0.04)0.18 (0.05)0.18 (0.02)0.23 (0.02)0.21 (0.03)0.18 (0.03)0.14 (0.02)

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  1. Nicholas M Grebe
  2. Jean Paul Hirwa
  3. Tara S Stoinski
  4. Linda Vigilant
  5. Stacy Rosenbaum
(2022)
Mountain gorillas maintain strong affiliative biases for maternal siblings despite high male reproductive skew and extensive exposure to paternal kin
eLife 11:e80820.
https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.80820