Cohesion in male singing behavior predicts group reproductive output in a social songbird

Abstract

SummaryAll social groups require organization to function optimally. Group organization is often shaped by social ‘rules’, which function to manage conflict, discourage cheating, or promote cooperation1–5. If social rules promote effective social living, then the ability to learn and follow these rules may be expected to influence individual and group-level fitness. However, such links can rarely be tested, due to the complexity of the factors mediating social systems and the difficulty of gathering data across multiple groups. Songbirds offer an opportunity to investigate the link between social rules and reproductive output because most of their social interactions are mediated by song, a well-studied and readily quantifiable behavior6,7. Using observations from 19 groups of brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater) studied across 15 years, we find evidence for a previously undocumented social rule: cohesive group transitions between dominance- and courtship-related singing. Comparing across groups, the degree of cohesion in male singing behavior predicts the reproductive output of their group. Experimental manipulation of group structure via the introduction of juvenile males to captive flocks reduced group cohesion and adult male reproductive success. Taken together, these results demonstrate that cohesion in group behavioral states can affect both individual and group-level reproductive success, suggesting that selection can act not only on individual-level traits, but also on an individual’s ability and opportunity to participate effectively in organized social interactions. Social cohesion could therefore be an unappreciated force affecting social evolution in many diverse systems.