DOI: 10.5061/dryad.qjq2bvqkc
title: Multilevel selection on social network traits differs between sexes in experimental populations of forked fungus beetles

description: Both individual and group behavior can influence individual fitness, but
 multilevel selection is rarely quantified on social behaviors. Social
 networks provide a unique opportunity to study multilevel selection on
 social behaviors, as they describe complex social traits and patterns of
 interaction at both the individual and group levels. In this study, we
 used contextual analysis to measure the consequences of both individual
 network position and group network structure on individual fitness in
 experimental populations of forked fungus beetles (Bolitotherus cornutus)
 with two different resource distributions. We found that males with high
 individual connectivity (strength) and centrality (betweenness) had higher
 mating success. However, group network structure did not influence their
 mating success. Conversely, we found that individual network position had
 no effect on female reproductive success but that females in populations
 with many social interactions experienced lower reproductive success. The
 strength of individual-level selection in males and group-level selection
 in females intensified when resources were clumped together, showing that
 habitat structure influences multilevel selection. Individual and emergent
 group social behavior both influence variation in components of individual
 fitness but impact male mating success and female reproductive success
 differently, setting up intersexual conflicts over patterns of social
 interactions at multiple levels.
description: These data describe patterns of social interaction in 12
 experimental populations of <em>Bolitotherus</em>
 <em>cornutus</em>. Each population experienced both a clumped
 and an even distribution of bracket fungi resources over two different
 three-week observation periods (i.e. the resource distribution was
 switched between observation periods). Social interactions were defined as
 individuals in close proximity (within 5cm) of one another and were
 collected through scan sampling three times a day. Fitness metrics (mate
 guarding in males and egg laying in females) were also documented during
 behavioral observations. Behavioral datasets were error-checked to remove
 all unidentifiable beetles and all impossible or partially recorded
 interactions. Weighted individual and group social network metrics were
 calculated from observed social interactions using the simple ratio index.
 Network density was calculated in the R package sna. All other weighted
 social network metrics were calculated in the R package tnet.
description: Variable names for the dataset are described in the attached
 readme file "README_Costello.txt". Briefly, the dataset lists
 weighted individual social network metrics for each individual forked
 fungus beetle during each observation period and weighted group social
 network metrics for each experimental population of forked fungus beetles
 during each observation period. Note that beetles with one or no social
 partners have undefined local clustering coefficients (variable
 "am"). Each R script analyzes multilevel selection on different
 pairs of individual and group social network metrics.