Data from: Genetic structure, spatial organization, and dispersal in two populations of bat-eared foxes

We incorporated radio-telemetry data with genetic analysis of bat-eared
foxes (Otocyon megalotis) from individuals in 32 different groups to
examine relatedness and spatial organization in two populations in South
Africa that differed in density, home-range sizes, and group sizes. Kin
clustering occurred only for female dyads in the high-density population.
Relatedness was negatively correlated with distance only for female dyads
in the high-density population, and for male and mixed-sex dyads in the
low-density population. Home-range overlap of neighboring female dyads was
significantly greater in the high compared to low-density population,
whereas overlap within other dyads was similar between populations. Amount
of home-range overlap between neighbors was positively correlated with
genetic relatedness for all dyad-site combinations, except for female and
male dyads in the low-density population. Foxes from all age and sex
classes dispersed, although females (mostly adults) dispersed farther than
males. Yearlings dispersed later in the high-density population, and
overall exhibited a male-biased dispersal pattern. Our results indicated
that genetic structure within populations of bat-eared foxes was
sex-biased, and was interrelated to density and group sizes, as well as
sex-biases in philopatry and dispersal distances. We conclude that a
combination of male-biased dispersal rates, adult dispersals, and
sex-biased dispersal distances likely helped to facilitate inbreeding
avoidance in this evolutionarily unique species of Canidae.