Data from: Individual variation and the source-sink group dynamics of extra-group paternity in a social mammal

Movement of individuals, or their genes, can influence eco-evolutionary processes in structured populations. We have limited understanding of the extent to which spatial behaviour varies among groups and individuals within populations. Here we use genetic pedigree reconstruction in a long-term study of European badgers (Meles meles) to characterise the extent of extra-group paternity, occurring as a consequence of breeding excursions, and to test hypothesised drivers of variation at multiple levels. We jointly estimate parentage and paternity distance (PD; distance between a cub's natal and its father's social group), and test whether population density and sex ratio influence mean annual PD. We also model cub-level PD and extra-group paternity (EGP) to test for variation among social groups and parental individuals. Mean PD varied among years but was not explained by population density or sex ratio. However, cub-level analysis shows strong effects of social group, and parental identities, with some parental individuals being consistently more likely to produce cubs with extra-group partners. Group effects were partially explained by local sex ratio. There was also a strong negative correlation between maternal and paternal social group effects on cub paternity distance, indicating source-sink dynamics. Our analyses of paternity distance and EGP indicate variation in extra-group mating at multiple levels – among years, social groups and individuals. The latter in particular is a phenomenon seldom documented and suggests that gene flow among groups may be disproportionately mediated by a non-random subset of adults, emphasising the importance of the individual in driving eco-evolutionary dynamics.Among-cohort paternity distances and population sizesThis file contains data used in analyses of annual mean paternity distances (PDc) and contains posterior modes of paternity distance as well as population sizes and numbers of adult males and females for each badger cub cohort (i.e. year)PDc_datafile.txtAmong-individual paternity distance and extra-group paternityThis file contains data used for the individual-level analyses of paternity distance (PDi) and extra-group paternity. Data were collected as part of the long-term mark-recapture study of badgers at Woodchester Park (UK). It includes unique identifiers for each badger (ID) as well as their assigned father (Sire ID) and mother (Dam ID), the natal group ID of each badger (Cub_SocG) and its father (Sire_SocG) as well as the distance from cub to paternal social group (zero if same group, measured in meters from social group main sett to social group main sett), parental ages (Dam and Sire Age) and weights (Dam and Sire weight) in kilos, and size (number of adults) and sex ratio (proprtion male) of badgers natal group (Cub_SocG size, sex ratio) and that of their father's social group ( Sire_SocG Size, Sex Ratio).ANON_EGPi_PDi_datafile.txtMicrosatellite genotypes and coordinate dataThis file contains the microsatellite genotypes and social group coordinates for each badger, used to reconstruct the pedigree. Includes badger identity (ID), latitude and longitude (Lat, Lng) and genotypes at each of 22 microsatellite markers (two columns per locus, a & b denote each allele, e.g. Mel101a, Mel101b)ANON_Microsat_LatLong.tx