Yitzchak Ben Mocha

Title: Advancing cooperative breeding research with a comprehensive and “live” Cooperative-Breeding Database (Co-BreeD).

Date: 10 September 2024

Summary

Comparative research on cooperative breeding is important for understanding sociality. Yet, large-scale comparative analyses often use considerably inaccurate datasets. Here, I will introduce the Cooperative- Breeding Database (Co-BreeD), a growing database of key socio-biological parameters of birds and mammals (including humans). First, I will discuss how Co-BreeD’s structure as a (i) sample-based, (ii) peer-reviewed and (iii) updatable resource is designed to facilitate accurate comparative research. Second, I will present some first results from Co-BreeD’s first datasets (N > 400 samples from 333 populations of 200 species), including evidence for considerable underestimation of the prevalence of cooperative breeding and female cooperation.

Suggested Readings:

1. Evidence for a reproductive sharing continuum in cooperatively breeding mammals and birds: consequences for comparative research.

2. What is cooperative breeding in mammals and birds? Removing definitional barriers for comparative research.

3. Advancing cooperative breeding research with a peer-reviewed and “live” Cooperative-Breeding Database (Co-BreeD).