Evidence of extra-pair paternity in two socially monogamous Australian passerines: the Crescent Honeyeater and the Yellow-faced Honeyeater

AbstractWe investigated the behavioural context of pair (PCs) and extra-pair copulations (EPCs) in individually-marked socially-monogamous, long-lived seabirds, common murres (Uria aalge). Since forced EPCs have been documented for this species, we first examined which sex controls successful (cloacal contact achieved) copulation. The finding that all successful copulations required female cooperation and crouching suggested that benefits of successful EPCs accrue primarily to females. In a group of murres for which paternity analyses indicated no extra-pair paternity, behavioural observations over five breeding seasons showed that individual females engaged in EPCs primarily under two circumstances: (1) before they were reunited with their mates, and (2) when they were in the process of re-pairing. There was no such relationship between EPCs and re-pairing for males. Successful EPCs occurred with familiar neighboring males of apparent high quality, indicated by their high ledge attendance and prior reproductive success rates. Thus, EPCs may be used by females to attract potential high quality mates in situations where females are attempting to re-pair as a result of divorce or mate death.

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Effects of heterozygosity and MHC diversity on patterns of extra-pair paternity in the socially monogamous scarlet rosefinch

Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology ◽

10.1007/s00265-014-1858-9 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 69 (3) ◽

pp. 459-469 ◽

Cited By ~ 10

Author(s):

J. C. Winternitz ◽

M. Promerova ◽

R. Polakova ◽

M. Vinker ◽

J. Schnitzer ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Mhc Diversity

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The degree of extra-pair paternity increases with genetic variability

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences ◽

10.1073/pnas.95.16.9390 ◽

1998 ◽

Vol 95 (16) ◽

pp. 9390-9395 ◽

Cited By ~ 116

Author(s):

Marion Petrie ◽

Claudie Doums ◽

Anders Pape Møller

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variability ◽

Bird Species ◽

Interspecific Variation ◽

Genetic Quality ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Genome Wide ◽

Random Priming ◽

Confounding Variables ◽

Socially Monogamous

The amount of extra-pair paternity in socially monogamous bird species varies from 0% to 76% extra-pair offspring. The causes of this remarkable interspecific variation are largely unknown, although intraspecific analyses suggest that females seek extra-pair matings to improve the genetic quality of their offspring. If this is a general explanation for the occurrence of extra-pair matings, then proportionally more females should seek to modify the paternity of their clutch when there is more variation among males in their genetic quality. Here we test this prediction in birds and show that interspecific variation in the proportion of extra-pair offspring is positively related to the proportion of polymorphic loci as measured by protein electrophoresis, even when controlling for potentially confounding variables. Genetic variability was also assessed, for sister pairs of species and populations differing significantly in extra-pair paternity, by using random priming, which provides an estimate of genome-wide diversity. We found that genetic diversity was higher in the populations with a higher level of extra-pair paternity. These results suggest that the amount of genetic variability in a population may be an important factor influencing mating patterns.

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Duetting correlates with territory quality and reproductive success in a suboscine bird with low extra-pair paternity

The Auk ◽

10.1093/auk/uky004 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 136 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Pedro Diniz ◽

Regina H Macedo ◽

Michael S Webster

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Success ◽

Cooperative Behavior ◽

Mate Guarding ◽

Territory Quality ◽

Territory Defense ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Female Song ◽

Fitness Consequences ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Low Rate

AbstractDuetting has been intensively studied, but we still have little consensus about its fitness consequences. Some studies suggest that duetting functions in acoustic mate guarding to prevent cuckoldry (acoustic paternity guarding hypothesis), whereas other studies argue that duetting is a cooperative behavior to defend common resources (territory defense hypothesis). We tested these 2 hypotheses by investigating the relationships among song traits, extra-pair paternity, territory quality and reproductive success in the Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus), a Neotropical, socially monogamous bird. We found a low rate of extra-pair paternity (3.33% of 120 offspring and 6.52% of 46 broods), which suggests that acoustic paternity guarding is probably not a primary function of duetting behavior in this species. Female song output was positively correlated with territory quality, measured as the availability of territory foraging patches. The number of young that survived post-fledging was positively correlated with duet duration, but not with territory features. Our results support the territory defense hypothesis, suggesting that female song in duets might be used in the defense of food resources within territories. Our study provides the first evidence that song traits correlate with both territory features and reproductive success in a duetting species.

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Heritability of female extra-pair paternity rate in song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia )

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2010.1704 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 278 (1708) ◽

pp. 1114-1120 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

Jane M. Reid ◽

Peter Arcese ◽

Rebecca J. Sardell ◽

Lukas F. Keller

Keyword(s):

Genetic Variance ◽

Additive Genetic Variance ◽

Melospiza Melodia ◽

Accurate Estimation ◽

Pedigree Data ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Song Sparrows ◽

Genetic Benefits ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Genetic Value

The forces driving the evolution of extra-pair reproduction in socially monogamous animals remain widely debated and unresolved. One key hypothesis is that female extra-pair reproduction evolves through indirect genetic benefits, reflecting increased additive genetic value of extra-pair offspring. Such evolution requires that a female's propensity to produce offspring that are sired by an extra-pair male is heritable. However, additive genetic variance and heritability in female extra-pair paternity (EPP) rate have not been quantified, precluding accurate estimation of the force of indirect selection. Sixteen years of comprehensive paternity and pedigree data from socially monogamous but genetically polygynandrous song sparrows ( Melospiza melodia ) showed significant additive genetic variance and heritability in the proportion of a female's offspring that was sired by an extra-pair male, constituting major components of the genetic architecture required for extra-pair reproduction to evolve through indirect additive genetic benefits. However, estimated heritabilities were moderately small (0.12 and 0.18 on the observed and underlying latent scales, respectively). The force of selection on extra-pair reproduction through indirect additive genetic benefits may consequently be relatively weak. However, the additive genetic variance and non-zero heritability observed in female EPP rate allow for multiple further genetic mechanisms to drive and constrain mating system evolution.

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Extra-pair paternity in a long-distance migratory songbird beyond neighbors’ borders and across male age classes

Canadian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1139/cjz-2016-0277 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 96 (1) ◽

pp. 49-54 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Leonard R. Reitsma ◽

James A. Jukosky ◽

Alexi J. Kimiatek ◽

Marrisa L. Goodnow ◽

Michael T. Hallworth

Keyword(s):

Bird Species ◽

Breeding Population ◽

Age Classes ◽

Long Distance ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Migratory Songbird ◽

Potential Strategy ◽

Underlying Mechanisms ◽

Demographic Patterns

Roughly 90% of socially monogamous bird species exhibit some degree of extra-pair paternity (EPP), although the extent and the underlying mechanisms vary among species. We analyzed spatial and demographic patterns of EPP over a 6 year period (2005–2010) as part of a long-term population study of Canada Warblers (Cardellina canadensis (L., 1766)). We identified 12 microsatellite loci used to assess paternity for 185 nestlings from 61 nests. Extra-pair young (EPY) accounted for 41.6% of all nestlings and 57.4% of nests contained at least one EPY. Fewer than half of EPY were sired by males who shared territorial boundaries, and some males sired young in nests 1 km from their territory. The age of social males did not differ from males who cuckolded them. The majority (83%) of EPY were sired by males in older age classes (2+ years old), while <17% were sired by 1 year olds. Of the young sired by older males, 58.5% were sired by males 3–7 years old. Males that sired more EPY sired fewer within-pair young (WPY); those without EPY sired more WPY suggesting a possible fitness trade-off between these two strategies. Our findings suggest multiple age-based strategies within a single breeding population, as well as potential strategy shifts to maximize lifetime fitness as they age.

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Extra-Pair Paternity in a Socially Monogamous Neotropical Tanager, the Ringed Warbling-FinchPoospiza torquata

Acta Ornithologica ◽

10.3161/00016454ao2017.52.2.007 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 52 (2) ◽

pp. 197-208 ◽

Cited By ~ 2

Author(s):

Rocio Sánchez ◽

Pedro G. Blendinger ◽

Amanda Xuereb ◽

Stephen C. Lougheed

Keyword(s):

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Socially Monogamous

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Extra-pair paternity and mate-guarding behaviour in the brown thornbill

Australian Journal of Zoology ◽

10.1071/zo02037 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 50 (6) ◽

pp. 565 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

David J. Green ◽

Anne Peters ◽

Andrew Cockburn

Keyword(s):

Mate Guarding ◽

Male Size ◽

Fertile Period ◽

Young Males ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Close Proximity ◽

Multilocus Dna Fingerprinting ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

The Relationship ◽

Older Males

We used multilocus DNA fingerprinting to assess parentage in the brown thornbill, Acanthiza pusilla, a socially monogamous Australian passerine. Extra-pair paternity was uncommon (6.2% of 178 offspring; 11.9% of 67 broods) and there was no evidence of intra-specific brood parasitism. Extra-pair paternity was limited because pairs spent more time together when females were fertile and males were able to evict intruding males before they could approach the female. Males were responsible for the close proximity of partners during the fertile period. Mate guarding therefore appears to be a male tactic aimed at preventing female infidelity rather than a cooperative behaviour of the pair aimed at preventing extra-pair copulations and/or female harassment. Females did not attempt to escape male guarding and were rarely observed to solicit copulations from intruding males. Nevertheless, females paired to smaller and younger males were more likely to cuckold their mates than females paired to larger and older males. This suggests that females may be more likely to seek or accept extra-pair matings when paired to small, young males or that old, large males are better at preventing their mates from engaging in extra-pair copulations. We found that male age but not male size influences mate-guarding behaviour. Older males tended to respond more aggressively to intruders. We therefore speculate that the relationship between male size/age and extra-pair paternity in brown thornbills may arise because female thornbills prefer large males as mates but are unable to express this preference as easily when paired to older males.

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