Breeding synchrony and paternity in the barn swallow (Hirundo rustica) |
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Authors: | N Saino C R Primmer H Ellegren A P Møller |
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Institution: | (1) Dipartimento di Biologia, Sez. Zoologia Scienze Naturali Università di Milano, Via Celoria 26, I-20133 Milan, Italy e-mail: n.saino@imiucca.csi.unimi.it, Fax: +39-2-2362726, IT;(2) Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences Uppsala Biomedical Centre, Box 597, S-75124 Uppsala Sweden, SE;(3) Laboratoire d'Ecologie, CNRS URA 258 Université Pierre et Marie Curie, 7 quai St. Bernard, Case 237 F-75252 Paris Cedex 05, France, FR |
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Abstract: | 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 |
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Keywords: | Breeding synchrony Breeding density Hirundo rustica Paternity Male ornaments Mate guarding |
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