DOI: 10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffx2
title: Data from: Genetic analysis provides insight into the mating system of <em>Meleagris gallopavo</em> (wild turkey) and reveals frequent extra-pair paternity

description: Lekking is a polygynous mating strategy where males gather on communal
 display grounds to attract females, who primarily visit these sites to
 mate. Females at leks are considered free to choose their mates, and only
 a few dominant males are expected to obtain most mating opportunities. The
 wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo spp.) is a widely distributed, ground
 nesting, uniparental galliform that exhibits a polygynous mating strategy,
 but aspects of the species’ mating system are poorly understood. Our
 objective was to describe the mating system for eastern wild turkeys (M.
 g. sylvestris) using DNA extracted from eggshell membranes obtained from
 hatched clutches. We identified 307 offspring across 34 nests, assigned
 parentage, and examined sibling relationships among offspring. Our
 findings revealed that 19 (56 %) nests had a single mother and father,
 whereas we detected multiple paternity in 15 (44 %) nests. Additionally,
 we found that intraspecific nest parasitism occurred in 2.94 % of nests,
 and we observed quasi-parasitism in our 1 nest containing an egg from an
 additional mother, indicating that parasitism is not a common alternative
 reproductive strategy represented in successful wild turkey nests. We
 observed that occurrences of multiple paternity were comparable to rates
 reported in other lekking species and suggest that multiple mating by
 females is an important alternative reproductive strategy for wild
 turkeys. Number of offspring sired by individual males increased with an
 increasing number of mates, and 6 males were responsible for 28 % of all
 offspring, indicating a few males are most likely obtaining most mating
 opportunities. Our findings offer new insights into sexual selection and
 mating strategies of the wild turkey.
description: # Data from: Genetic analysis provides insight into the mating system of
 *Meleagris gallopavo* (wild turkey) and reveals frequent extra-pair
 paternity Dataset DOI:
 [10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffx2](https://doi.org/10.5061/dryad.9ghx3ffx2) ##
 Description of the data and file structure Genotypes of females, males,
 and offspring for input into Program COLONY.  ### Files and variables ####
 File: MarkerTypeErrorRate.txt **Description:** Input for program COLONY,
 marker error rate #### File:
 SRS_EWT_Genotypes_mind25geno10maf20_Eggshells_ColonyInput.txt
 **Description:** Input for offspring for program COLONY, 328 individuals
 and 259 variants ##### Variables: First Column: Individual ID #### File:
 SRS_EWT_Genotypes_mind25geno10maf20_Females_ColonyInput.txt
 **Description:** Input for mothers  for program COLONY, 117 individuals
 and 259 variants #### File:
 SRS_EWT_Genotypes_mind25geno10maf20_Males_ColonyInput.txt **Description:**
 Input for fathers for COLONY, 90 individuals and 259 variants #####
 Variables: First Column: Individual ID ##### #### File:
 SRS_ExcludeMaternity.txt **Description:** Females to exclude in COLONY
 ##### #### File: SRS_ExcludePaternity_040325.txt **Description:** Males to
 exclude as potential fathers in COLONY ##### #### File:
 SRS_KnownMaternity.txt **Description:** Known mothers input for COLONY
 #### File:
 Georgia_EWT_Genotypes_mind25geno10maf20_Eggshells_ColonyInput.txt
 **Description:** Input for offspring for program COLONY, 134 individuals,
 259 variants ##### #### File:
 Georgia_EWT_Genotypes_mind25geno10maf20_Females_ColonyInput.txt
 **Description:** Input for mothers  for program COLONY, 137 individuals
 and 259 variants ##### #### File:
 Georgia_EWT_Genotypes_mind25geno10maf20_Males_ColonyInput.txt
 **Description:** Input for fathers for program COLONY, 80 individuals, and
 259 variants ##### #### File: Georgia_KnownMaternity.txt
 **Description:** Known mothers input for COLONY #### **File:
 COLONY_Results_2Ornith.csv** **Description:** Results from COLONY
 excluding any clutches missing more than 2 genotyped offspring #####
 Variables: ##### ClusterIndex: Specific number assigned to each
 family cluster ##### Probability: Probability of FatherID and MotherID
 being correct for offspring. 1 represents high probability and 0 represent
 low probability ##### FatherID: Unique identifier of presumed father for
 offspring ##### MotherID: Unique identifier of presumed mother for
 offspring ##### NestID: Unique identifier of nest from which the offspring
 belongs ##### Year: Year of nest ##### Site: Study area where nests were
 located #### File: **COLONY_Results_FullSib_SRS_2Ornith.csv**
 **Description:** Full Sibling results from COLONY for SRS study site
 excluding any clutches missing more than 2 genotyped offspring, results
 are in a matrix format ##### Variables: ##### OffspringID1: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID1: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring1 belong to ##### OffspringID2: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID2: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring2 belong to ##### Probability: probability
 offspring are full siblings, 1 represents high probability and 0
 represents no probability ##### Site: Study area where nests
 were located #### File: **COLONY_Results_HalfSib_SRS_2Ornith.csv**
 **Description:** Half Sibling results from COLONY for SRS study site
 excluding any clutches missing more than 2 genotyped offspring, results
 are in a matrix format ##### Variables: ##### OffspringID1: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID1: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring1 belong to ##### OffspringID2: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID2: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring2 belong to ##### Probability: probability
 offspring are half siblings, 1 represents high probability and 0
 represents no probability ##### Site: Study area where nests
 were located #### File: **COLONY_Results_FullSib_GA_2Ornith.csv**
 **Description:** Full Sibling results from COLONY for GA study site
 excluding any clutches missing more than 2 genotyped offspring, results
 are in a matrix format ##### Variables: ##### OffspringID1: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID1: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring1 belong to ##### OffspringID2: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID2: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring2 belong to ##### Probability: probability
 offspring are full siblings, 1 represents high probability and 0
 represents no probability ##### Site: Study area where nests
 were located #### File: **COLONY_Results_HalfSib_GA_2Ornith.csv**
 **Description:** Half Sibling results from COLONY for GA study site
 excluding any clutches missing more than 2 genotyped offspring, results
 are in a matrix format ##### Variables: ##### OffspringID1: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID1: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring1 belong to ##### OffspringID2: Unique
 identifier for offspring ##### NestID2: Unique identifier for
 nest that offspring2 belong to ##### Probability: probability
 offspring are half siblings, 1 represents high probability and 0
 represents no probability ##### Site: Study area where nests
 were located #### File: DryadRepositoryCode_Network.R **Description:** R
 Studio code to create the network analysis for sibling relationship ##
 Code/software Program COLONY Version 2.0.7.1 RStudio