Hunter-Gatherer Social Networks and Reproductive Success

Abigail E. Page; Nikhil Chaudhary; Sylvain Viguier; Mark Dyble; James Thompson; Daniel Smith; Gul D. Salali; Ruth Mace; Andrea Bamberg Migliano

doi:10.1038/s41598-017-01310-5

Hunter-Gatherer Social Networks and Reproductive Success

Abigail E. Page^*, Nikhil Chaudhary, Sylvain Viguier, Mark Dyble, James Thompson, Daniel Smith, Gul D. Salali, Ruth Mace, Andrea Bamberg Migliano

^*Corresponding author for this work

Bristol Medical School (PHS)

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article (Academic Journal) › peer-review

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Abstract

Individuals' centrality in their social network (who they and their social ties are connected to) has been associated with fertility, longevity, disease and information transmission in a range of taxa. Here, we present the first exploration in humans of the relationship between reproductive success and different measures of network centrality of 39 Agta and 38 BaYaka mothers. We collected three-meter contact ('proximity') networks and reproductive histories to test the prediction that individual centrality is positively associated with reproductive fitness (number of living offspring). Rather than direct social ties influencing reproductive success, mothers with greater indirect centrality (i.e. centrality determined by second and third degree ties) produced significantly more living offspring. However, indirect centrality is also correlated with sickness in the Agta, suggesting a trade-off. In complex social species, the optimisation of individuals' network position has important ramifications for fitness, potentially due to easy access to different parts of the network, facilitating cooperation and social influence in unpredictable ecologies.

Original language	English
Article number	1153
Number of pages	10
Journal	Scientific Reports
Volume	7
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-017-01310-5
Publication status	Published - 25 Apr 2017

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title = "Hunter-Gatherer Social Networks and Reproductive Success",

abstract = "Individuals' centrality in their social network (who they and their social ties are connected to) has been associated with fertility, longevity, disease and information transmission in a range of taxa. Here, we present the first exploration in humans of the relationship between reproductive success and different measures of network centrality of 39 Agta and 38 BaYaka mothers. We collected three-meter contact ('proximity') networks and reproductive histories to test the prediction that individual centrality is positively associated with reproductive fitness (number of living offspring). Rather than direct social ties influencing reproductive success, mothers with greater indirect centrality (i.e. centrality determined by second and third degree ties) produced significantly more living offspring. However, indirect centrality is also correlated with sickness in the Agta, suggesting a trade-off. In complex social species, the optimisation of individuals' network position has important ramifications for fitness, potentially due to easy access to different parts of the network, facilitating cooperation and social influence in unpredictable ecologies.",

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AU - Thompson, James

AU - Smith, Daniel

AU - Salali, Gul D.

AU - Mace, Ruth

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Hunter-Gatherer Social Networks and Reproductive Success

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