Journal of Mammalogy, 84(4):1163–1181, 2003 KIN RECOGNITION IN GROUND SQUIRRELS AND OTHER RODENTS

Significant advances have been made in understanding kin recognition as it pertains to nepotism (preferential treatment of kin) and mate choice (optimization of inbreeding and outbreeding). Yet complementary knowledge about how animals discriminate conspecifics on the basis of genetic relatedness remains unclear for most species. Because of the di-versity of their scent sources and highly developed olfactory systems, rodents present a unique opportunity for examining chemical communication and kin recognition as a func-tion of sociality. I review general processes of kin recognition and summarize mechanisms of recognition used by rodents. As a case study, I also examine recognition systems of ground squirrels, relating odor production and perception to differences in patterns of nep-otism. Belding’s ground squirrels (Spermophilus beldingi) produce $2 odors (from oral and dorsal glands) that correlate with relatedness (kin labels), and they are able to use these odors to make precise discriminations among their unfamiliar relatives. Thus, S. beldingi can recognize their distant female kin and male kin, even though these kin are not treated nepotistically (e.g., through cooperative territory defense or alarm call production). Fur-thermore, S. beldingi use these kin labels and recognition abilities to interact differentiall