The kinship matrix: inferring the kinship structure of a population from its demography. (5th October 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Coste, Christophe F. D.; Bienvenu, François; Ronget, Victor; Ramirez‐Loza, Juan‐Pablo; Cubaynes, Sarah; Pavard, Samuel
• Editors: Coulson, Tim
• Is Part Of: Ecology letters. Volume 24:Number 12(2021)
• Page Start: 2750
• Page End: 2762
• Publication Date: 2021-10-05
• Subjects: familial structure -- kinship demography -- population projection matrices -- relatedness -- structured populations; Ecology -- Periodicals; 577
• DOI: 10.1111/ele.13854
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1461-023X

Abstract

Abstract: The familial structure of a population and the relatedness of its individuals are determined by its demography. There is, however, no general method to infer kinship directly from the life cycle of a structured population. Yet, this question is central to fields such as ecology, evolution and conservation, especially in contexts where there is a strong interdependence between familial structure and population dynamics. Here, we give a general formula to compute, from any matrix population model, the expected number of arbitrary kin (sisters, nieces, cousins, etc) of a focal individual ego, structured by the class of ego and of its kin. Central to our approach are classic but little‐used tools known as genealogical matrices. Our method can be used to obtain both individual‐based and population‐wide metrics of kinship, as we illustrate. It also makes it possible to analyse the sensitivity of the kinship structure to the traits implemented in the model. Abstract : Inferring the familial structure of a population from its demography is a long‐standing open problem in ecology and evolution. Here we provide a general formula to compute the expected familial structure directly from the projection matrix of a structured population. This formula makes it possible to quantify the effect of demographical traits on relatedness and inclusive fitness.