DOI: 10.5061/dryad.bcc2fqz97
title: Data from: Juvenile social dynamics reflect adult reproductive strategies in bottlenose dolphins

description: The juvenile period is a challenging life history stage, especially in
 species with a high degree of fission-fusion dynamics, such as bottlenose
 dolphins, where maternal protection is virtually absent. Here, we examined
 how juvenile male and female bottlenose dolphins navigate this vulnerable
 period. Specifically, we examined their grouping patterns, activity
 budget, network dynamics, and social associations in the absence of
 adults. We found that juveniles live in highly dynamic groups, with group
 composition changing every 10 minutes on average. Groups were generally
 segregated by sex, and segregation was driven by same-sex preference
 rather than opposite-sex avoidance. Juveniles formed strong associations
 with select individuals, especially kin and same-sex partners, and both
 sexes formed cliques with their preferred partners. Sex-specific
 strategies in the juvenile period reflected adult reproductive strategies,
 in which the exploration of potential social partners may be more
 important for males (which form long-term alliances in adulthood) than
 females (which preferentially associate with kin in adulthood). Females
 spent more time alone and were more focused on foraging than males, but
 still formed close same-sex associations, especially with kin. Males cast
 a wider social net than females, with strong same-sex associations and
 many male associates. Males engaged in more affiliative behavior than
 females. These results are consistent with the social bonds and skills
 hypothesis and suggest that delayed sexual maturity in species with
 relational social complexity may allow individuals to assess potential
 associates and explore a complex social landscape without the risks
 associated with sexual maturity (e.g. adult reproductive competition;
 inbreeding).
description: Data collected
 by the Shark Bay Dolphin Project in Shark Bay, Western Australia from
 boat-based observations.    
description: <strong>juvenile_joinleaves.csv</strong> - counts
 of join/leave events for juvenile focals, for calculating juvenile
 fission-fusion rate. For use with FissionFusionRate.R.
 <strong>juvenile_events.csv</strong> - behavioral
 events during juvenile focal follows, for calculating juvenile behavioral
 event rates. For use with FocalFollows.R. 
 <strong>juvenile_pointsamples.csv </strong>- behavioral point
 samples during juvenile focal follows, for calculating juvenile activity
 budgets. For use with FocalFollows.R. 
 <strong>juvenile_jlevents.csv</strong> - list of join/leave
 events between juveniles, for calculating Hinde's index. For use with
 HindesIndex.R. 
 <strong>juvenile_surveys_SSAS.csv</strong> - counts of
 juvenile males and juvenile females in surveys in which no adults were
 present, for calculating Sexual Segregation and Aggregation Statistic. For
 use with SexSegregation.R. 
 <strong>juvenile_surveys.csv</strong> - survey data from
 surveys containing at least 1 juvenile, for calculating summary statistics
 (e.g. mean group sizes) and plotting Figures 1 and 2. For use with
 SummaryStats.R. 
 <strong>juvenile_surveys_activity.csv</strong> - primary
 activity in all-juvenile surveys, for calculating juvenile survey activity
 budgets. For use with SurveyActivityBudget.R. 
 <strong>real_network_metrics_20190930.csv</strong> - observed
 social network metrics of 140 juvenile individuals, for spatially explicit
 null model analysis. For use with SignificanceTestingAndFigures.R. This
 csv file is generated by the script SENM.R; raw data available upon
 request. 
 <strong>all_random_metrics_20190930.csv</strong> - simulated
 social network metrics of 140 juvenile individuals, for spatially explicit
 null model analysis. For use with SignificanceTestingAndFigures.R. This
 csv file is generated by the script SENM.R; raw data available upon
 request.