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1.
Females of socially monogamous species may copulate with attractive non-mates to obtain access to the genes of such males,
and a preference for attractive copulation partners may result in sexual selection. Extra-pair copulations are common in the
socially monogamous barn swallow Hirundorustica, and a 2-year study of paternity using multi-locus DNA fingerprinting demonstrated that 33% of 63 broods and 28% of 261 offspring
were sired by extra-pair males. The frequency of extra-pair offspring within broods was highly skewed with the majority of
all broods having either no extra-pair offspring or only extra-pair offspring. Individual pairs were consistent in their frequency
of extra-pair paternity among broods, and the repeatability of extra-pair paternity of multiple broods of the same female
was statistically significant. The proportion of extra-pair offspring was negatively related to the tail length of the male
attending the nest. Behavioural observations showed that extra-pair fertilizations were more likely in broods raised by females
that had been observed to engage in extra-pair copulations. The frequency of extra-pair offspring was unrelated to the intensity
of two male paternity guards, mate guarding and the rate of intra-pair copulations. In an analysis of extra-pair paternity
and male parental care in different broods of the same male, male barn swallows fed their offspring relatively less frequently
if the brood contained more extra-pair offspring. Therefore, female barn swallows pursue extra-pair copulations with attractive
males, which may result in sexual selection, even though extra-pair paternity is costly for females due to the reduction of
paternal care by their social mates.
Received: 24 January 1997 / Accepted after revision: 2 August 1997 相似文献
2.
Female control of extra-pair fertilization in tree swallows 总被引:4,自引:0,他引:4
Summary In a Canadian population of tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor, DNA fingerprinting has previously shown that half of all broods contain many offspring resulting from extra-pair copulations (EPCs), whereas the other half contain only legitimate offspring. This bimodal pattern of extra-pair paternity might be due to variation in the effectiveness of male paternity guards, variation in female ability to resist EPCs, and/or variation in female pursuit of EPCs. Here we report experimental evidence for female control of copulations and fertilizations and the occurrence of two alternative copulation strategies among females in this population. Ten paired male tree swallows were removed on the day their mates laid the first egg. Replacement males took over the nestbox within 0.5–23 h and attempted to copulate with the widowed female. Assuming that eggs were fertilized approximately 24 h prior to laying, the first two eggs were fertilized before the male was removed, while the third and subsequent eggs could potentially be fertilized by the replacement male. Fingerprinting revealed that the first two eggs were sired by the resident males in five nests and by extra-pair males in the remaining five nests. The widows that had been faithful to their initially chosen mate rejected copulation attempts by the replacement male until most of the eggs had been laid. Consequently, nearly all eggs laid by these females were sired by the original male. The widows that had been unfaithful prior to male removal copulated sooner with the replacement male than females that were faithful to their mate. However, these replacement males also had a very low fertilization success; most eggs were sired by males that were not associated with the nest. This is consistent with the situation in non-experimental nests where unfaithful females copulate with their mate at the same rate as faithful females, yet unfaithful females have a majority of offspring sired by extra-pair males. We conclude that fertilization patterns to a large extent are determined by the female through active selection and rejection of copulation partners, though our results also allow some speculation that females have control over sperm competition. Female copulation tactics are probably determined some currently unknown fitness benefits of having the offspring sired by particular males.Correspondence to: Raleigh J. Robertson 相似文献
3.
Pair and extra-pair mating success relative to male quality in red-winged blackbirds 总被引:9,自引:0,他引:9
We tested whether the reproductive success of male red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) varied with male secondary sexual traits or with haematozoa prevalence, and whether these patterns were consistent with females preferring genetically superior males. We also determined whether the traits that correlated with male success on their own territories were also correlated with male success at siring young on other males territories. Our analysis included data from a 6-year study involving 617 nestlings for which paternity was determined by DNA profiling. Larger males sired more young on their territories, principally because they obtained larger harems. The success of larger males at acquiring more mates did not appear to be a consequence of larger males holding larger or better-quality territories. Older and longer-lived males sired more young by extra-pair fertilizations. Larger males sired the most offspring overall (on territory + off territory). Variation in epaulet size and color, responses to male and female models, nest defence and parasitism was not correlated with male success either on or off their territories or overall. Male success in a given year was significantly correlated with success the previous year, as expected if females were selecting genetically superior males. The male that was by far the most successful individual in this study was highly consistent from year to year. Because male body size is positively correlated with survival in this population (although not within the sample of males included in this study), female preference for larger males may have reflected a general preference for males with superior Survival ability. We propose that the direct advantage realized by older males in extra-pair matings might indicate that experience is important, such that experienced males are better at creating or exploiting the opportunities for extra-pair mating. This hypothesis is consistent with a pairwise analysis of cuckoldry that showed that cuckolders were most often older than the males they cuckolded. 相似文献
4.
In cooperative breeders, mature males may compete for fertilizations. In this study, we measured the degree of multiple paternity
in a natural population of a cooperatively breeding fish. Neolamprologus pulcher (Perciformes: Cichlidae) is a highly social cichlid endemic to Lake Tanganyika. We used highly variable microsatellite loci
to survey 12 groups with an average number of 10.6 brood care helpers per group and a total of 43 offspring (mean 3.6 per
brood). In 11 of 12 groups, all young were assigned to the dominant female. The dominant male sired all offspring in three
groups, part of the offspring in four groups, and in five groups, he had no paternity at all. In total, 44.2% of young were
not fathered by the current male territory owner. Multiple paternity was found in 5 of 12 broods (41.7 %), with 8 of 35 young
(22.9 %) being sired by males other than the respective territory owners. This is an exceptionally high rate of extra-pair
paternity among cooperatively breeding vertebrates. Neither helpers present in these territories during collection nor neighbouring
males were unequivocally assigned to have sired these extra-pair young. However, behavioural observations suggest that male
helpers may have produced these young before being expelled from the territory in response to this reproductive parasitism.
We discuss these results in the light of reproductive skew theory, cooperative breeding in vertebrates and alternative reproductive
tactics in fish. 相似文献
5.
Craig W. LaMunyon 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1994,34(6):403-408
Paternity of offspring in natural populations of insects has received little attention due to the difficulties inherent in following females and sampling each of their mates. Here, an existing statistical technique is modified to estimate paternity based on allozyme variation found in the female and her last mate, thus allowing paternity in nature to be studied by collecting copulating pairs of insects. Using this technique, paternity was investigated in naturally-occurring females of the arctiid moth Utetheisa ornatrix. These females mate promiscuously: upon dissection, they were found to contain up to 13 spermatophores. Statistical paternity estimation revealed considerable variation in the share of offspring sired by the female's last mate: approximately 25% of the males sired all the offspring, while another 25% fathered no offspring; the remainder sired at least some offspring. The proportion of offspring sired by the last male did not correlate with latency to oviposition, the extent of previous mating by the female, or male wing length. Male U. ornatrix are known to make substantial nuptial investments during mating, and this study shows that mating males frequently sire few or no offspring. Thus, male moths stand a chance of being cuckolded. 相似文献
6.
Linda A. Whittingham 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1989,25(1):73-80
Summary The effect of brood size and female nesting status on male parental behavior was investigated in red-winged blackbirds Agelaius phoeniceus using brood size manipulation experiments. Male redwings allocated parental effort on the basis of brood size and nestling age. Males began assisting females only at nests with at least three offspring older than three days. Female nesting status had no singificant influence on male parental care. When females were unable to meet a brood's demand for food, males assisted females with nestling feeding. Females did not reduce the amount of food delivered to nestlings when males assisted. The amount of food brought to nestlings by the male was additional to the amount of food provided by the female. Male assistance increased fledgling success. When female provisioning was sufficient to meet a brood's demand for food males did not assist. The value of male parental care varied inversely with the ability of the female to meet nestling food demands. The ability of unassisted females to provide sufficient food and to raise a brood of nestlings successfully appeared to be influenced by resource abundance. 相似文献
7.
Condition-dependent control of paternity by female purple martins: implications for coloniality 总被引:9,自引:0,他引:9
Proposed causal links between extra-pair copulation (EPC) and colony formation in socially monogamous birds hinge on the
question of which sex controls fertilizations. We examined in colonial purple martins Progne subis (1) whether EPCs were forced or accepted by females, and (2) the degree to which apparently receptive females were able to
obtain EPCs against their mates’ paternity defenses. Paternity analyses of multilocus DNA fingerprinting confirmed previous
findings of a marked relationship between age class and extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs), with young males losing paternity
of 43% (n = 53) of their putative offspring compared to 4% (n = 85) by old males. All assignable extra-pair offspring were sired by old males, with one male obtaining most EPFs each year.
Contrary to the hypothesis that EPCs are forced, EPF frequency within age class did not increase with seasonal increases in
the number of males per fertile female. Whereas the male control hypothesis predicted that the male age class that mate-guarded
more would be cuckolded less, the reverse was true: young males guarded significantly more intensely. The male age class difference
in cuckoldry could not be explained by the possibility that young and inexperienced females (which are usually paired to young
males) were more vulnerable to forced copulation because EPFs were unrelated to female age. These findings suggest that females
(1) pair with old males and avoid EPCs, or (2) pursue a mixed mating strategy of pairing with young males and accepting EPCs
from old males. The receptivity to EPCs by females paired to young males put them in conflict with their mates. Two factors
determined the paternity achieved by young males: (1) the relative size of the male to the female, with young males achieving
much higher paternity when they were larger than their mates, and (2) the intensity of mate-guarding. Both variables together
explained 77% of the variance in paternity and are each aspects of male-female conflict. Given female receptivity to EPCs,
mate-guarding can be viewed as male interference with female mating strategies. We conclude that EPCs are rarely or never
forced, but the opportunity for females paired to young males to obtain EPCs is relative to the ability of their mates to
prevent them from encountering other males. Evidence of mixed mating strategies by females, combined with other features of
the martin mating system, is consistent with the female-driven “hidden lek hypothesis” of colony formation which predicts
that males are drawn to colonies when females seek extra-pair copulations.
Received: 23 March 1995/Accepted after revision: 14 January 1996 相似文献
8.
In polygynous species, males appear to gain additional offspring by pairing with multiple females simultaneously. However, this may not be true if some females copulate outside of the social pair bond. Polygynous males could experience lower paternity because of trade-offs among gaining multiple social mates, guarding fertility with these mates, and pursuing extra-pair matings. Alternatively, polygynous males could simultaneously gain extra social mates and have high paternity, either because of female preferences or because of male competitive attributes. We tested four predictions stemming from these hypotheses in a facultatively polygynous songbird, the dickcissel (Spiza americana). Unlike most previous studies, we found that males with higher social mating success (harem size) also tended to have higher within-pair paternity and that the number of extra-pair young a male sired increased significantly with his social mating success. Females that paired with mated males were not more likely to produce extra-pair young. In contrast, extra-pair paternity was significantly lower in the nests of females whose nesting activity overlapped that of another female on the same territory. This pattern of mating was robust to differences in breeding density. Indeed, breeding density had no effect on either extra-pair mating or on the association between polygyny and paternity. Finally, nest survival increased with harem size. This result, combined with the positive association between polygyny and paternity, contributed to significantly higher realized reproductive success by polygynous male dickcissels. 相似文献
9.
Kelley J. Kissner Patrick J. Weatherhead H. Lisle Gibbs 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2005,59(2):207-214
To resolve conflicting field observations regarding the action of sexual selection, we used breeding experiments and paternity analysis of the 927 resulting offspring to assess how male size, condition, tail length, genetic similarity to the female, and variation in operational sex ratio (OSR) affected male reproductive success and the incidence of polyandry in northern watersnakes (Nerodia sipedon). Only size affected male mating success. Large males were more successful, but only when male size varied substantially and competition among males was intense (i.e., male-biased OSR). The conditional nature of the size advantage may explain why studies of free-living watersnakes have produced inconsistent results regarding the relationship between male size and mating success. Size differences between males did not affect the proportion of offspring each male sired within multiply sired litters. We found positive size-assortative mating, but only when the OSR was female biased, suggesting that smaller males had improved access to females when competition among males was reduced, but that competition with larger males still restricted mating opportunities of small males to less preferred, smaller females. Most litters (58%) were multiply sired and larger females were more likely to produce multiply sired litters, similar to free-living watersnakes. There was no association between the incidence of multiple paternity and OSR, however, suggesting that polyandry is not simply a function of opportunity, with females passively waiting for males to court them. 相似文献
10.
Susan L. Balenger L. Scott Johnson Brian S. Masters 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(3):403-411
Ornamental traits are thought to evolve because they give individuals an advantage in securing multiple mates. Thus, the presence
of ornamentation among males in many monogamous bird species presents something of a conundrum. Under certain conditions,
extra-pair paternity can increase the variance in reproductive success among males, thus increasing the potential for sexual
selection to act. We addressed this possibility in the mountain bluebird (Sialia currucoides), a socially monogamous songbird in which males possess brilliant ultraviolet (UV)-blue plumage. Specifically, we asked whether
a male’s success at siring offspring within his own nest and within the nests of other males was related to his coloration.
In pairwise comparisons, males that sired extra-pair offspring were not more colorful than the males that they cuckolded.
However, males that sired at least one extra-pair offspring were, on average, brighter and more UV-blue than males that did
not sire extra-pair offspring. Brighter, more UV-blue males sired more offspring both with their own mate and tended to sire
more offspring with extra-pair mates and thus sired more offspring overall. Our results support the hypothesis that the brilliant
UV-blue ornamental plumage of male mountain bluebirds evolved at least in part because it provides males with an advantage
in fertilizing the eggs of multiple females. 相似文献
11.
Low frequency of extra-pair paternity in pied flycatchers revealed by DNA fingerprinting 总被引:8,自引:0,他引:8
Jan T. Lifjeld Tore Slagsvold Helene M. Lampe 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1991,29(2):95-101
Summary Genetic parentage of 135 nestlings from 27 broods of polygynous and monogamous pied flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca was analyzed by means of multilocus DNA fingerprinting. The minisatellite probe alpha-globin 3HVR detected approximately 12 scorable bands per fingerprint, and the proportion of bands shared between presumably unrelated adults averaged 0.22+0.08 SD. The fingerprints of 125 of the 135 nestlings made a complete match to those of their putative parents. In 4 nestlings a single mismatched band occurred, but since band sharing with both putative parents was high, the single mismatches were assumed to be caused by mutation. The 6 remaining nestlings had 5 or more mismatched bands each, low band-sharing proportions with their putative father and high band-sharing proportions with their putative mother. We thus conclude that they were all sired through extra-pair copulations (EPCs). Hence, only 4% of nestlings were sired through EPCs, and none resulted from intraspecific brood parasitism. One of the cuckolding males was identified, explaining all 5 mismatched bands in the nestling's fingerprint. Three of the illegitimate nestlings were from primary nests of polygynous males; 3 were from nests of monogamous males. The fact that many males in this study started to advertise for a second female in a distant territory several days before their first mate began egglaying, and still managed to secure almost exclusive paternity in their first brood, suggests that male polyterritoriality is not costly in terms of lost paternity. Common anti-cuckoddry tactics performed by male birds, like high rate of within-pair copulation and continuous mate-guarding thoughout the female's fertilizable period, do not seem to be important in pied flycatchers.Offprint requests to: J.T. Lifjeld 相似文献
12.
13.
Historically, most mammals have been classified as polygynous; although recent molecular evidence suggests that many mammals may be polygynandrous, particularly the ground-dwelling sciurids. We genotyped 351 round-tailed ground squirrels (Xerospermophilus tereticaudus) using seven microsatellite loci to determine paternity in 31 litters from 2004 to 2007. Polygyny was evident in all years except in 2007, when the population size was reduced. Multiple paternity occurred in the majority of litters (55%) with 2.5 ± 0.26 sires/litter (n = 31). Forty-nine percent of resident males (n = 114) sired offspring, and of males that sired offspring (n = 56) 27% sired young in multiple litters in a single breeding season. Litter size was positively correlated with the number of sires. Through an indirect analysis of paternity, we found 21 litters (68%) with an average relatedness of 0.5 or less. Males had a greater opportunity for sexual selection (I s = 1.60) than females (I s = 0.40); Bateman’s gradient was also greater in males (1.07 ± 0.04, n = 56) than females (0.82 ± 0.08, n = 31). The mating system in round-tailed ground squirrels defined through genetic analyses and Bateman’s gradients is polygynandrous compared to the previously suggested polygynous mating system as established by behavioral observations and fits within the predictions of the ground squirrel sociality models. Upon evaluating the predictions of the sociality models among sciurid species, we found a negative relationship between the level of sociality with litter size and the average percentage of multiple paternity within a litter. Thus, recent genetic information and reclassification of mating systems support the predictions of the ground-dwelling squirrel sociality models. 相似文献
14.
David F. Westneat Anne B. Clark Katherine C. Rambo D. F. Westneat 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1995,37(5):349-356
We video-taped male and female red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) feeding individual chicks in order to test the hypothesis that food might be differently allocated to within-pair offspring and extra-pair young. We found no evidence that paternity influenced the allocation of food by either males or females. Both males and females fed male offspring significantly more, but there was no tendency for paternity to be skewed by gender. Females fed older offspring significantly more, whereas males did not; extra-pair fertilizations, however, were not associated with lay or hatch order of the chicks. Given that males do not appear to discriminate within-pair from extra-pair offspring directly, these results are consistent with current theory on the effect of paternity on paternal behavior. We discuss briefly some of the possible reasons why discrimination might be lacking in red-winged blackbirds and in other species in which the possibility of discrimination of paternity and allocation of paternal behavior has been studied. 相似文献
15.
Corey R. Freeman-Gallant 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,40(6):395-400
Empirical relationships between parentage and male parental care are commonly interpreted in the context of life-history
models that consider increased offspring survivorship as the only benefit of paternal effort. However, indirect benefits associated
with male care can also influence a male's response to cuckoldry: if females allocate paternity according to their prior experience
with male parental care, it may pay for males to provision extra-pair young in early broods. Here, I assess the relationship
between first-brood parentage and paternal care in a population of Savannah sparrows (Passerculussandwichensis) where a male's fertilization success in the second brood appears to be influenced by his prior parental performance. Based
on the multi-locus DNA fingerprinting of 17 first broods, male feeding effort was influenced by parentage (percent of brood
resulting from within-pair fertilizations) but not by brood size, male mating status (monogamous versus polygynous), timing
of breeding (hatching date), structural size (wing length) or condition (mass). Males provided more care to broods that contained
few within-pair young. This result supports the idea that males provision young to increase their future mating success, but
alternative hypotheses involving male quality and timing of breeding cannot be excluded.
Received: 13 August 1996 / Accepted after revision: 22 February 1997 相似文献
16.
J. Scott Keogh Kate D. L. Umbers Eleanor Wilson Jessica Stapley Martin J. Whiting 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2013,67(4):629-638
Sexual selection theory predicts different optima for multiple mating in males and females. We used mating experiments and genetic paternity testing to disentangle pre- and postcopulatory mechanisms of sexual selection and alternate reproductive tactics in the highly promiscuous lizard Eulamprus heatwolei. Both sexes mated multiply: 30–60 % of clutches were sired by two to four fathers, depending on the experiment. Larger males sired more offspring when we allowed male contest competition: 52 % of large males but only 14 % of small males sired at least one offspring. In the absence of male contest competition, females mated promiscuously and there was no large male advantage: 80 % of large males and 90 % of small males sired at least one offspring, and there was no evidence for last-male precedence. Multiple mating did not yield obvious direct or indirect benefits to females. E. heatwolei represents a complex system in which males attempt to improve their fertility success by limiting rivals from access to females and through adopting alternate reproductive tactics. Conversely, females exhibit no obvious precopulatory mate choice but may influence fitness through postcopulatory means by either promoting sperm competition or through cryptic female choice. Our results support the hypothesis that female multiple mating in nonavian reptiles is best explained by the combined effect of mate encounter frequency and high benefits to males but low costs to females. 相似文献
17.
Mating system of the cooperatively breeding noisy miner Manorina melanocephala,as revealed by DNA profiling 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
In this study we examined parentage within broods of the cooperatively breeding noisy miner using multi-locus DNA profiling. Previous studies of noisy miners described them as highly promiscuous, leading to the suggestion that promiscuous mating behaviour was a tactic used by females to recruit males as provisioners to their nests (Dow 1978). At our study site in south-east Queensland, Australia, we found that both multiple and extra-group paternity (i.e. a female mating with a male outside the group of male provisioners at her nest) were rare. In nests where multiple paternity was possible (i.e. clutch size > 1) 97% of 31 broods were sired by only a single male. Overall, 96.5% of all nestlings (n = 85) were the result of monogamous matings. Also, at the vast majority of nests, the male that sired the nestlings was also the main provisioner among all male nest attendants. Our results show that the mating system of the noisy miner can no longer be considered cooperative polyandry (Brown 1987) but is clearly genetic monogamy. We discuss the implications of this finding for understanding the complex social system of this species. 相似文献
18.
Relatedness, polyandry and extra-group paternity in the cooperatively-breeding white-browed scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis ) 总被引:3,自引:0,他引:3
Linda A. Whittingham Peter O. Dunn Robert D. Magrath 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,40(4):261-270
We used DNA fingerprinting to examine the genetic parentage and mating system of the cooperatively breeding white-browed
scrubwren, Sericornis frontalis, in Canberra, Australia. Our analyses revealed a remarkable variety of mating tactics and social organization. Scrubwrens
bred in pairs or multi-male groups that consisted of a female and two or more males. Females were always unrelated to the
pair male or alpha (dominant) male. Among multi-male groups we found three different mating tactics. Firstly, when alpha and
beta (subordinate) males were unrelated, they usually shared paternity in the brood. This resulted in both males gaining reproductive
benefits directly. Secondly, when beta males were not related to the female but were related to the alpha males, beta males
sired offspring in some broods. In this situation, beta males gained reproductive benefits both directly and potentially indirectly
(through the related alpha male). Thirdly, when beta males were related to the female or both the female and alpha male, they
remained on their natal territory and did not sire any offspring. Thus beta males gained only indirect reproductive benefits.
Overall, when group members were related closely, the dominant male monopolized reproductive success, whereas when the members
were not related closely the two males shared paternity equally. This positive association between monopolization of reproduction
and relatedness is predicted by models of reproductive skew, but has not been reported previously within a single population
of birds. Other cooperatively breeding birds with both closely related and unrelated helpers may show a similar variety of
mating tactics. Finally, we found that extra-group paternity was more common in pairs (24% of young) than in multi-male groups
(6%), and we discuss three possible reasons for this difference.
Received: 21 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 14 December 1996 相似文献
19.
Katrin Brauch Keith Hodges Antje Engelhardt Kerstin Fuhrmann Eric Shaw Michael Heistermann 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2008,62(9):1453-1466
In a wide variety of species, male reproductive success is determined by contest for access to females. Among multi-male primate
groups, however, factors in addition to male competitive ability may also influence paternity outcome, although their exact
nature and force is still largely unclear. Here, we have investigated in a group of free-ranging Barbary macaques whether
paternity is determined on the pre- or postcopulatory level and how male competitive ability and female direct mate choice
during the female fertile phase are related to male reproductive success. Behavioural observations were combined with faecal
hormone analysis for timing of the fertile phase (13 cycles, 8 females) and genetic paternity analysis (n = 12). During the fertile phase, complete monopolisation of females did not occur. Females were consorted for only 49% of
observation time, and all females had ejaculatory copulations with several males. Thus, in all cases, paternity was determined
on the postcopulatory level. More than 80% of infants were sired by high-ranking males, and this reproductive skew was related
to both, male competitive ability and female direct mate choice as high-ranking males spent more time in consort with females
than low-ranking males, and females solicited copulations mainly from dominant males. As most ejaculatory copulations were
female-initiated, female direct mate choice appeared to have the highest impact on male reproductive success. However, female
preference was not directly translated into paternity, as fathers were not preferred over non-fathers in terms of solicitation,
consortship and mating behaviour. Collectively, our data show that in the Barbary macaque, both sexes significantly influence
male mating success, but that sperm of several males generally compete within the female reproductive tract and that therefore
paternity is determined by mechanisms operating at the postcopulatory level. 相似文献
20.
N. Saino C. R. Primmer H. Ellegren A. P. Møller 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,45(3-4):211-218
The barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a socially monogamous passerine which usually breeds in colonies where extra-pair copulations are frequent. Males intensively
guard their mates during the female fertile period. Since males are more likely to be available for extra-pair copulations
when their mate is not fertile, synchrony in timing of breeding may affect paternity of individual males. In this study, we
analysed the change in mate-guarding rate by males in relation to the fertility condition of the female, and the relationships
between breeding synchrony and density with paternity in first broods of 52 male barn swallows. Paternity (proportion of nestlings
fathered in own brood) was assessed by typing of three highly polymorphic microsatellite loci. Mate guarding by males peaked
during the fertile period of their mates. Paternity increased as breeding synchrony in the colony increased. Paternity of
barn swallows is positively associated with the degree of exaggeration of male tail ornaments. The relationship between male
ornamentation and paternity was partly mediated by an effect of ornament size on breeding synchrony. We suggest that females
might delay breeding with low-quality males to enhance their opportunities for being fertilised by high-quality extra-pair
males.
Received: 16 January 1998 / Accepted after revision: 25 October 1998 相似文献