Direct benefits and genetic costs of extrapair paternity for female American crows (Corvus brachyrhynchos)

The American Naturalist
Andrea K TownsendKevin J McGowan

Abstract

The idea that extrapair paternity (EPP) in birds is part of a mixed reproductive strategy driven primarily by females is controversial. In cooperatively breeding American crows, we compared predictions of four female benefits hypotheses-the genetic diversity, good genes, genetic compatibility, and direct benefits hypotheses-to our predictions if EPP was primarily male driven. We found that genetically diverse broods were not more successful, extrapair young were not in better condition and did not have a higher survival probability, and, contrary to prediction, offspring sired by within-group extrapair males were more inbred than within-pair offspring. There was evidence of direct benefits, however: provisioning rate and number of surviving offspring were higher in groups containing within-group extrapair sires. Females therefore derived no apparent benefits from extragroup extrapair males but both direct benefits and genetic costs from within-group extrapair males. We suggest that males and females both influence the distribution of EPP in this system.

Citations

May 7, 2010·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Andrea K TownsendElizabeth L Buckles
May 7, 2011·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Rachel A SlatyerMichael D Jennions
Oct 15, 2013·Molecular Ecology·X A HarrisonA J Young
Jan 11, 2014·Behavioural Processes·Raphael I DiasRegina H Macedo
Sep 18, 2018·Molecular Ecology·Andrea K TownsendRyane M Logsdon
Oct 7, 2019·Molecular Ecology·Lyanne Brouwer, Simon C Griffith
Apr 12, 2019·Behavioral Ecology : Official Journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·Andrea S GrunstElaine M Tuttle
Jul 1, 2021·Molecular Ecology·J Andrew DeWoodyJanna R Willoughby

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