Ecology of Paternal Behavior in the Hoary Marmot (Marmota caligata): An Evolutionary Interpretation

Abstract

Male hoary marmots living in isolated colonies at Mount Rainier National Park demonstrated a significantly greater involvement with their infants than did males living in a larger, more interactive social situation. Paternal behavior correlated inversely with frequencies of extrapaternal social interaction. This pattern is seen as maximizing male fitness in each situation by providing for male defense of his reproductive interests when this is dictated by the proximity of other adults and facilitating direct paternal involvement when relative isolation reduces the advantages of extrapaternal sociality.