Fecal sample collection and DNA extraction
We collected fecal samples from 41 individuals (3-15 samples per individual) living in 14 family groups, including 19 putative offspring of 9 family groups (1 to 5 offspring per group). Five other groups either did not have offspring during the study period (or they had disappeared before we could collect samples) or the samples could not be collected because the offspring were still very small and thus their defecations too diminutive to be detected or not habituated enough. Also due to differential habituation to the presence of humans, for some groups we could not obtain samples from all group members. For those groups that were habituated in the beginning of the study period, we collected samples from offspring from several consecutive years.
Fecal samples were collected immediately after an identified individual was seen defecating. We kept the samples in 15 mL falcon tubes containing silica gel beads (Carl Roth, Karlsruhe, Germany) and stored them at ambient temperature, replacing the silica beads when necessary, until shipping to the Germany.
We extracted DNA (at least two samples per individual) from ca. 200 mg of feces using the Macherey-Nagel NucleSpin DNA stool kit with a final elution of the DNA in 50 µL elution buffer. DNA concentration of the extracts was measured using NanoDrop (Spectrophotometer ND-1000, PEQLAB Biotechnologie GmbH) and Qubit Fluorometer (Thermo Fisher).