Genetic Social Organization

Abstract

In field studies of nonhuman primates, many aspects of a taxon's social organization are difficult to discern from observational data alone, but molecular genetic data provide an opportunity to study these features of social systems indirectly. The term “genetic social organization” is used to loosely refer to the inferences that can be made about the social organization of a taxon based on such data. Animals' behavioral decisions about dispersal, mating, and other social interactions are expected to have an important impact on how genetic variation within a population is structured among social groups and across the landscape. At the same time, we expect individuals' behavioral decisions to be influenced by the genetic and social milieu in which they find themselves, a milieu that depends in part on stochastic demographic factors as well as the history of prior behavior.