Display rate by male fairy-wrens (Malurus cyaneus) during the fertile period of females has little influence on extra-pair mate choice |
| |
Authors: | D J Green H L Osmond M C Double A Cockburn |
| |
Institution: | (1) Evolutionary Ecology Group, Division of Botany and Zoology, Australian National University, Canberra, ACT 0200, Australia e-mail: andrew.cockburn@anu.edu.au Tel.: +61-2-62493727, Fax: +61-2-62495573, AU |
| |
Abstract: | Empirical and theoretical studies have only recently begun to examine how females use complex multi-component displays when
selecting mates. Superb fairy-wrens are well suited to the study of female choice because females have control over extra-group
paternity and cuckold their mates at high rates, while males possess a variety of sexually selected traits. Available evidence
suggests that females base their extra-group mate choice on the timing of male moult into breeding plumage or the onset of
display. However, males continue to perform elaborate displays throughout the season, and direct most displays to females
during their fertile period. We therefore conducted focal observations on fertile females to quantify the frequency of male
display and used microsatellite genotyping to compare the role of display rate during the breeding season and the timing of
male moult on female mate choice. We show that the addition of data on male display rate does not improve our ability to predict
which males obtain extra-group paternity. The timing of male moult into breeding plumage remains the only predictor of male
extra-group reproductive success. Nevertheless, we found that males displayed more to females that were unable to select extra-group
mates on the basis of the timing of moult or the onset of display. This raises the possibility that there are circumstances
when females use display rate to discriminate between potential extra-group sires. Overall this study supports the theoretical
prediction that females are more likely to base their mate choice on reliable indicators of male quality such as fixed morphological
traits and displays of endurance, in this case an early moult into breeding plumage and the performance of an elaborate display
during the winter, than a flexible behavioural trait such as display rate during the breeding season.
Received: 26 January 2000 / Revised: 1 August 2000 / Accepted: 26 August 2000 |
| |
Keywords: | Honest signalling Sexual selection Mate choice Extra-pair copulation Malurus cyaneus |
本文献已被 SpringerLink 等数据库收录! |
|