Although the theoretical benefits of kin recognition are clear, experimental and observational studies are necessary to determine the functional significance of kin recognition. By examining mitochondrial and nuclear DNA, the extent to which individuals in wild populations are genetically related can be determined. Using this technique, several studies will be undertaken to determine how animals make use of their kin recognition abilities. Experimental studies of the function of kin recognition thus will be conducted during both phases of amphibian life cycle. The social structure of natural schools will be examined by means of DNA analyses to determine whether siblings sort out and associate with each other. Laboratory experiments will be conducted to determine whether those sibling groups that survive and grow best in mixed groups also show the strongest tendencies to school with siblings. By integrating considerations of the mechanisms underlying kin recognition with the functional consequences of kin discrimination, these studies should lead to a greater understanding of how natural selection acts on behavioral mechanisms. The research has broader possible implications, however, because in accomplishing these goals, DNA analyses will be used for the first time to study the social behavior of individuals in natural populations. These methods promise to offer more power for resolving genetic relationships than previous techniques, and in the future may be applied to a variety of ecological problems, including the management of endangered species, studies of migration and dispersal, and determination of optimal sizes of breeding habitats. Only by conducting thorough analyses of population structure, can the appropriateness of the use of molecular markers for population ecology studies be evaluated.
