Data from: The benefits of pair bond tenure in the cooperatively breeding pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor)

The benefits of stable pair bonds (that persist between breeding attempts) have been well described, but are relatively less well known in cooperatively breeding species. If pair bonds are beneficial, then it is possible that the bond between the behaviorally and socially dominant pair may influence factors such as reproductive success and group stability in cooperative species. Here we used long-term data to investigate the relationships between pair bond tenure, reproductive success and group stability in the cooperatively breeding pied babbler (Turdoides bicolor). Pair bond tenure positively influenced both the number of offspring recruited annually per pair, and total reproductive success (over entire pair bond duration), indicating that pair bond tenure has an important influence on reproductive success. The likelihood of immigration into the group was lower for groups containing a bonded pair with long tenure, indicating that the duration of pair bonds may impact group stability. These findings suggest that pair tenure, a hitherto relatively unexplored factor in cooperative species, may have an important influence on group dynamics.

稳定配偶关系（即繁殖尝试之间持续存在的配对纽带）的益处已得到充分阐释，但该类关系在合作繁殖物种（cooperatively breeding species）中的相关认知仍相对匮乏。若配偶关系确实具有益处，则行为与社会层面均占据优势的配对之间的纽带，可能会影响合作繁殖物种的繁殖成功率、群体稳定性等关键因素。本研究依托长期监测数据，探究合作繁殖物种斑鸫鹛（Turdoides bicolor）的配偶关系存续时长、繁殖成功率与群体稳定性三者间的关联。分析结果显示，配偶关系存续时长对单对繁殖个体的年度幼鸟招募量，以及整个配偶关系存续周期内的总繁殖成功率均存在正向影响，表明配偶存续时长对繁殖成功率具有重要作用。对于包含长期存续配偶关系配对的群体，外来个体迁入该群体的概率更低，这提示配偶关系时长或会对群体稳定性产生影响。上述研究结果表明，配偶存续时长——这一此前在合作繁殖物种中较少被探讨的因素——或对群体动态具有重要调控作用。