Male phenotype and ejaculate quality in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
T R Birkhead, F Fletcher

Abstract

We tested the idea that female preference for relatively attractive extra-pair males arises because the morphological and behavioural features that females find attractive covary with ejaculate features: Sheldon's (Proc. R. Soc. Lond. B 257 25-30 (1994) phenotype-linked fertility insurance hypothesis. Two phenotypic traits that female zebra finches find attractive in males are song rate and symmetry of chest band plumage, but we found neither of these to be significantly related to any of the following ejaculate features: number of sperm, percentage of live sperm, absolute number of sperm, sperm length or sperm swimming velocity. Furthermore, and surprisingly, we did not find the predicted negative relationship between male song rate and fluctuating asymmetry of chest band plumage. Because most ejaculate features (except sperm numbers in rested males) show low levels of repeatability, it is unlikely that female zebra finches could reliably obtain a better quality ejaculate by choosing to copulate with a more attractive male. There was thus no evidence for the phenotype-linked fertility insurance hypothesis. Nor did we obtain evidence for the more general fertility insurance hypothesis: we found that female zebra finches paired ...Continue Reading

References

Jul 7, 1988·Nature·T R BirkheadF M Hunter
Apr 1, 1989·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·H Temrin, A Arak
Jul 1, 1995·Trends in Ecology & Evolution·T Day, D Schluter
Feb 1, 1995·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Austin Burt

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jun 12, 2002·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·T Pizzari, T R Birkhead
Mar 11, 1998·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·E R RoldanM Gomendio
Jun 25, 2002·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Andrea PilastroAngelo Bisazza
Feb 8, 2005·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Aurelio F MaloMontserrat Gomendio
Mar 28, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Damian K Dowling, Leigh W Simmons
Jun 19, 2009·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Joachim RutherSven Steiner
Jul 21, 2007·Reproduction : the Official Journal of the Society for the Study of Fertility·Montserrat GomendioEduardo R S Roldan
Nov 14, 2014·Biology Letters·Clelia GaspariniJonathan P Evans
Jan 26, 2008·The Quarterly Review of Biology·Klaus Reinhardt
Apr 1, 2009·Animal Behaviour·Alison M BellKate L Laskowski
Jun 26, 2009·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Jim MossmanTim Birkhead
Apr 4, 2008·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Simone ImmlerTim R Birkhead
Dec 12, 2007·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Oddmund KlevenJan T Lifjeld
Jul 31, 2013·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·F R FinsethE K Adkins-Regan
Feb 5, 2013·Biological Reviews of the Cambridge Philosophical Society·Brian S MautzMichael D Jennions
Oct 8, 2013·Evolution; International Journal of Organic Evolution·Stefan Lüpold
Dec 31, 2009·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·J A MossmanT R Birkhead
Aug 21, 2015·Journal of Fish Biology·J K LeiserM Itzkowitz
Aug 25, 2015·Zoology : Analysis of Complex Systems, ZACS·Stephanie D JonesPhillip G Byrne
Jul 12, 2005·Current Biology : CB·Hanne LøvlieTommaso Pizzari
Jan 27, 2015·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Clair BennisonTim Birkhead
Mar 10, 2017·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·W ForstmeierB Kempenaers
Jan 27, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Oldřich TomášekTomáš Albrecht
Jul 24, 1998·Heredity·P I Ward
Mar 23, 2007·Journal of Experimental Zoology. Part B, Molecular and Developmental Evolution·Dominique JolyBéatrice Dejonghe
Mar 18, 2005·Nature·T R BirkheadH Castillo-Juarez
Jun 28, 2019·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·Luisana CarballoBart Kempenaers
Aug 18, 2017·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Nicola Hemmings, Tim Birkhead
Jan 19, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Laura L HurleyMelissah Rowe
Nov 8, 2018·Current Zoology·Silvia CattelanUNKNOWN Handling editor: Rudiger Riesch
Jul 28, 2018·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Tania MendoncaNicola Hemmings
Oct 20, 2017·Nature Ecology & Evolution·Kang-Wook KimJon Slate
Dec 3, 2015·American Journal of Human Biology : the Official Journal of the Human Biology Council·Austin John JefferyBernhard Fink

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Trending Feeds

COVID-19

Coronaviruses encompass a large family of viruses that cause the common cold as well as more serious diseases, such as the ongoing outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19; formally known as 2019-nCoV). Coronaviruses can spread from animals to humans; symptoms include fever, cough, shortness of breath, and breathing difficulties; in more severe cases, infection can lead to death. This feed covers recent research on COVID-19.

Blastomycosis

Blastomycosis fungal infections spread through inhaling Blastomyces dermatitidis spores. Discover the latest research on blastomycosis fungal infections here.

Nuclear Pore Complex in ALS/FTD

Alterations in nucleocytoplasmic transport, controlled by the nuclear pore complex, may be involved in the pathomechanism underlying multiple neurodegenerative diseases including Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Frontotemporal Dementia. Here is the latest research on the nuclear pore complex in ALS and FTD.

Applications of Molecular Barcoding

The concept of molecular barcoding is that each original DNA or RNA molecule is attached to a unique sequence barcode. Sequence reads having different barcodes represent different original molecules, while sequence reads having the same barcode are results of PCR duplication from one original molecule. Discover the latest research on molecular barcoding here.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

Chronic fatigue syndrome is a disease characterized by unexplained disabling fatigue; the pathology of which is incompletely understood. Discover the latest research on chronic fatigue syndrome here.

Evolution of Pluripotency

Pluripotency refers to the ability of a cell to develop into three primary germ cell layers of the embryo. This feed focuses on the mechanisms that underlie the evolution of pluripotency. Here is the latest research.

Position Effect Variegation

Position Effect Variagation occurs when a gene is inactivated due to its positioning near heterochromatic regions within a chromosome. Discover the latest research on Position Effect Variagation here.

STING Receptor Agonists

Stimulator of IFN genes (STING) are a group of transmembrane proteins that are involved in the induction of type I interferon that is important in the innate immune response. The stimulation of STING has been an active area of research in the treatment of cancer and infectious diseases. Here is the latest research on STING receptor agonists.

Microbicide

Microbicides are products that can be applied to vaginal or rectal mucosal surfaces with the goal of preventing, or at least significantly reducing, the transmission of sexually transmitted infections. Here is the latest research on microbicides.

Related Papers

Proceedings. Biological Sciences
J V Briskie, R Montgomerie
Journal of Evolutionary Biology
L LocatelloAndrea Pilastro
Reviews of Reproduction
T R Birkhead
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved