Helper plasticity in response to breeder turnover in gray wolves

Nonbreeding helpers can greatly improve the survival of young and reproductive fitness of breeders in many cooperatively breeding species. Breeder turnover, in turn, can have profound effects on dispersal decisions made by helpers. Despite its importance in explaining group size and predicting population demography of cooperative breeders, our current understanding of how individual traits influence animal behavior after disruptions to social structure is incomplete particularly for terrestrial mammals. We used 12 years of genetic sampling and group pedigrees of gray wolves (Canis lupus) in Idaho, USA, to ask questions about how breeder turnover affected the apparent decisions by mature helpers (>2-year-old) to stay or leave a group over a one-year time interval. We found that helpers showed plasticity in their responses to breeder turnover. Most notably, helpers varied by sex and appeared to base dispersal decisions on the sex of the breeder that was lost as well. Male and female he..., , , # Helper plasticity in gray wolves

[https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hdr7sqvs0](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.hdr7sqvs0)

Number of mature helpers in gray wolf packs derived from genetic sampling in Idaho, USA

## Description of the data and file structure

Number of mature helpers in gray wolf packs derived from genetic sampling in Idaho, USA.

NA's in the data were used when there was no breeding the following year (t+1) in a pack. 

year = year sampled

pack = pack name

NB_ID = individual ID for helper

r_to_pups = genetic relatedness of helper to pups

NB_sex = sex of helper

NB_stay_1 = did helper stay or go, stay = 1

become_breeder = did helper become a breeder

multiple_breeding_t_plus_1 = was there multiple breeding in group

no_adults = group size

turnover = was the breeder turnover

BF_t_plus_1 = who was the new breeding female at t+1

BM_t_plus_1= who was the new breeding male at t+1,

BF_change = was there a new, unrelated breeding female in group

BM_change = was there a n...