Population genetic structure of the common warthog (Phacochoerus africanus) in Uganda: evidence for a strong philopatry among warthogs and social structure breakdown in a disturbed population
Fine-scale genetic structure of large mammals is rarely analysed. Yet it is potentially important in estimating gene flow between the now fragmented wildlife habitats and in predicting re-colonization following local extinction events. In this study, we examined the extent to which warthog populations from five localities in Uganda are genetically structured using both mitochondrial control […]
Communal nesting is unrelated to burrow availability in the common warthog
Warthogs, Phacochoerus africanus, are an unusual ungulate. They are facultative cooperative breeders where females within the same population display both solitary and cooperative reproductive strategies. Warthogs require burrows for sleeping and rearing their young, yet they are unable to dig their own burrows and rely on aardvark excavations. Studies of warthogs have failed to show […]
A pigheaded compromise: do competition and predation explain variation in warthog group size?
The reproductive payoff to an individual for participating in a group will often be affected by the size of the group. Competition for resources and predation pressure are 2 primary factors that influence sociality and group size in a variety of species. In this correlative study, I investigated how resource competition and predation influenced group […]
Fitness Consequences of Maternal Rearing Strategies in Warthogs: Influence of Group Size and Composition
Cooperatively breeding species are defined by the presence of individuals who help in rearing the offspring of others. This seemingly altruistic behaviour has been difficult to define and the help provided has not always resulted in a reproductive advantage to the recipient. We examine maternal rearing strategies in the common warthog, Phacochoerus africanus, a facultative, […]