Individuals differ in the quantity and quality of their associations with conspecifics. The resulting variation in the positions that individuals occupy within their social environment can affect several aspects of life history, including reproduction. While research increasingly shows how social factors can predict dyadic mating patterns (who will breed with whom), much less is known about how an individual’s social position affects its overall likelihood to acquire mating partner(s). We studied social networks of socially monogamous blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus) to investigate whether the number and strength of connections to opposite-sex conspecifics, the ratio between same- and opposite-sex connections, and the tendency to move between social groups in the months prior to breeding affect individuals’ success in acquiring 1) a breeding partner and 2) an extrapair partner. After controlling for differences in spatial location, we show that males that moved more often between social groups were more likely to acquire a breeding partner. Moreover, adult males that associated with more females were more likely to sire extrapair young. The number of female associates also predicted the proportion of familiar female breeding neighbors, suggesting that familiarity among neighbors may facilitate opportunities for extrapair matings. In females, none of the network metrics significantly predicted the likelihood of acquiring a breeding or extrapair partner. Our study suggests that the positioning of males within their social environment prior to breeding can translate into future mating success, adding an important new dimension to studies of (extrapair) mating behavior.

中文翻译：

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社交网络位置预测小雀形目中雄性交配成功

个体与同种动物的联系在数量和质量上有所不同。由此产生的个人在其社会环境中所处位置的变化会影响生活史的几个方面，包括生殖。虽然研究越来越多地表明社会因素如何预测二元交配模式（谁将与谁交配），但人们对个人的社会地位如何影响其获得交配伴侣的总体可能性知之甚少。我们研究了社会一夫一妻制的蓝山雀（Cyanistes caeruleus）的社交网络，以调查与异性同种动物的联系的数量和强度、同性和异性联系之间的比率、以及在繁殖前几个月在社会群体之间移动的趋势会影响个体在获得 1）繁殖伙伴和 2）外配对伙伴方面的成功。在控制了空间位置的差异后，我们发现在社会群体之间移动更频繁的雄性更有可能获得繁殖伙伴。此外，与更多雌性相关的成年雄性更有可能生出外胎。女性同事的数量也预测了熟悉的女性繁殖邻居的比例，这表明邻居之间的熟悉可能会促进外对交配的机会。在女性中，没有一个网络指标能显着预测获得繁殖或配对伴侣的可能性。