Is Male Unpredictability a Paternity Assurance Strategy?

Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (6) ◽  
pp. 675-690
Author(s):  
Etienne Danchin ◽  
Fabrice Helfenstein ◽  
Richard Wagner
Keyword(s):  
High Probability ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
General Strategy ◽  
Minimum Duration ◽  
Rissa Tridactyla ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Paternity Assurance ◽  
Socially Monogamous ◽  
The Many

AbstractIn socially monogamous birds, levels of extra-pair paternity vary widely across species. A possible explanation for this variation is that the costs to both sexes of pursuing extra-pair copulations (EPCs) varies widely, which may substantially depend upon the effectiveness of the paternity assurance tactics employed by pair males. Given the prevalence of extra-pair paternity, an enigma exists in non-mate-guarding species in which males have no apparent means of assuring their paternity and yet rarely or never lose paternity. We propose that males in some species may pursue a subtle but effective paternity assurance tactic consisting of unpredictable behaviour. By departing and returning to and from their mates at unpredictable intervals males may be able to deter other males and their mates from attempting EPCs. Consistent with this idea, we found in the monogamous kittiwake Rissa tridactyla that the absences of males became decreasingly predictable in duration as their mates' fertile periods approached. Moreover, the durations of 80% of male absences were shorter than the minimum duration of copulations, creating a high probability of pair males returning in time to prevent EPCs. Factors other than male unredictability may explain the lack of extra-pair paternity in kittiwakes. Nevertheless, the unpredictable male hypothesis is testable in the many species with variable levels of EPP. Furthermore, we suggest that unpredictability may comprise a general strategy by which animals of both sexes protect various reproductive assets such as food, mates and territories.

scholarly journals The couple that sings together stays together: duetting, aggression and extra-pair paternity in a promiscuous bird species

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (2) ◽  
pp. 20151025 ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel T. Baldassarre ◽  
Emma I. Greig ◽  
Michael S. Webster
Keyword(s):  
Physical Aggression ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Pair Bond ◽  
Behavioural Consistency ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Paternity Assurance

When individuals mate outside the pair bond, males should employ behaviours such as aggression or vocal displays (e.g. duetting) that help assure paternity of the offspring they care for. We tested whether male paternity was associated with aggression or duetting in the red-backed fairy-wren, a species exhibiting high rates of extra-pair paternity. During simulated territorial intrusions, aggression and duetting were variable among and repeatable within males, suggesting behavioural consistency of individuals. Males with quicker and stronger duet responses were cuckolded less often than males with slower and weaker responses. In contrast, physical aggression was not correlated with male paternity. These results suggest that either acoustic mate guarding or male–female vocal negotiations via duetting lead to increased paternity assurance, whereas physical aggression does not.

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

The Auk ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 136 (1) ◽  
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.

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

2002 ◽  
Vol 50 (6) ◽  
pp. 565 ◽  
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.

scholarly journals Report of an extra-pair copulation in the Rufous Hornero, Furnarius rufus (Aves: Furnariidae)

2021 ◽  
Vol 61 ◽  
pp. e20216167
Author(s):  
Pedro Diniz ◽  
Carlos Biagolini-Jr.
Keyword(s):  
Food Access ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Breeding Biology ◽  
Territorial Male ◽  
Aggressive Interaction ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Monogamous Species ◽  
Bird Breeding ◽  
Socially Monogamous ◽  
Low Levels

In the last decade, studies in bird breeding biology have shown that infidelity is prevalent in socially monogamous species. Here, we describe an extra-pair copulation (EPC) event in the Rufous Hornero (Furnarius rufus), a socially monogamous bird with year-round territoriality and low levels of extra-pair paternity. Before the EPC, a within-pair copulation (WPC) occurred inside the pair’s territory. The WPC occurred on the ground and between a banded male (ca. 6 years-old) and an unbanded female. Ten minutes later this breeding pair invaded a neighboring territory, presumably to forage. The territorial male was chased back to its territory by an unbanded male neighbor after being detected. The male neighbor was paired with an unbanded female that did not participate in the aggressive interaction. When flying back to its territory the male neighbor copulated with the territorial female on the ground (ie. EPC). The territorial male flew, vocalized, and perched above the male neighbor, interrupting the EPC. The aggressive interaction then ceased as each pair resumed foraging in their respective territories. These observations suggest that Rufous Horneros can use EPC to obtain immediate benefits (food access in a neighbor’s territory). Moreover, WPC may be detected by neighbors and physical mate guarding and/or frequent WPC may be necessary to prevent EPC in the Rufous Hornero.

scholarly journals Old female reed buntings (Emberiza schoeniclus) increase extra-pair paternity in their broods when mated to young males

Behaviour ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 142 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 1449-1463 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karen M. Bouwman ◽  
Jan Komdeur
Keyword(s):  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Young Males ◽  
Young Females ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
The Social ◽  
Socially Monogamous ◽  
Behavioural Interactions ◽  
Emberiza Schoeniclus ◽  
Older Males

AbstractIn birds, females are generally assumed to determine whether extra-pair copulations occur, and thus most studies on extra-pair paternity (EPP) have focussed on female preference for male traits, whereas female traits have been largely neglected. However, the occurrence of EPP is likely to be a result of behavioural interactions (e.g., mate guarding by the social male and escaping mate guarding by the female), and may be related to individual experience, which is expected to increase with age. We investigated the effect of age on levels of EPP in reed buntings Emberiza schoeniclus, a socially monogamous passerine with extremely high levels of extra-pair young (more than 50% of offspring). In broods of older males the rate of cuckoldry declined, which is in agreement with our previous finding that older males are more successful, either through female choice or through male experience. In contrast, older females tended to increase the level of extra-pair paternity in their broods. When including the age of the partner, we found that young males, but not old males, were cuckolded more by old females than by young females. The increase in EPP with female age is not likely to be due to disassortative mating with respect to age, an increased capacity of older females to raise a brood without male help, nor a male preference for older females. With age, males nor females changed their share in parental effort. We suggest that with increase in age, females become more choosy when selecting the male that sires their offspring, or alternatively, become more experienced at circumventing paternity assurance tactics of young males.

scholarly journals Working with what you've got: unattractive males show greater mate-guarding effort in a duetting songbird

2017 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 20160682 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jenélle Dowling ◽  
Michael S. Webster
Keyword(s):  
Decision Making ◽  
Black Males ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Empirical Testing ◽  
Alternative Tactics ◽  
Mating Tactics ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Malurus Melanocephalus ◽  
Relative Attractiveness ◽  
The Many

When mates are limited, individuals should allocate resources to mating tactics that maximize fitness. In species with extra-pair paternity (EPP), males can invest in mate guarding, or, alternatively, in seeking EPP. Males should optimize fitness by adjusting investment according to their attractiveness to females, such that attractive males seek EPP, and unattractive males guard mates. This theory has received little empirical testing, leaving our understanding of the evolution of mating tactics incomplete; it is unclear how a male's relative attractiveness influences his tactics. We conducted observations and experiments on red-backed fairy-wrens ( Malurus melanocephalus ) to address this question. We found that older, more attractive (red–black) males sought EPP, whereas unattractive (brown) males invested in alternative tactics—physical and acoustic mate guarding. Younger red–black males used intermediate tactics. This suggests that males adopt mating tactics appropriate to their attributes. Males obtained similar reproductive success, suggesting these alternative tactics may maximize each male's paternity gain. Though it is likely that female choice also determines paternity, rather than just male tactics, we establish that the many interconnected components of a male's sexual phenotype influence the evolution of his decision-making rules, deepening our understanding of how mating tactics evolve under sexual selection.

scholarly journals Determining the level of extra-pair paternity in yellow-bellied prinias, a socially monogamous passerine

2020 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1-8
Author(s):  
Zhi-Feng Ding ◽  
◽  
Chun-Lan Zhang ◽  
Wen-Sui Zhang ◽  
Qian-Min Yuan ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Socially Monogamous

scholarly journals Copulation Behavior, Mate Guarding, and Paternity in the Semipalmated Plover

The Condor ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 102 (1) ◽  
pp. 231-235 ◽  
Author(s):  
Yuri Zharikov ◽  
Erica Nol
Keyword(s):  
Large Time ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Energy Investment ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Multilocus Dna Fingerprinting ◽  
Clutch Initiation ◽  
Charadrius Semipalmatus ◽  
Copulation Behavior

Abstract We present behavioral observations and multilocus DNA fingerprinting data on Semipalmated Plovers (Charadrius semipalmatus) breeding in the sub-Arctic. We predicted that, where a large time/energy investment by males during incubation and chick-rearing is crucial for successful reproduction, both extra-pair copulation and fertilization rates would be low. Extra-pair copulations were infrequent (7% of total copulations), as were within pair copulations (0.44 hr−1). Copulations occurred, on average 6.2 days prior to clutch initiation. Males spent 64% of their time in visual contact with their mates. Mate guarding during the laying period was significantly more pronounced in coastal neighborhoods of breeding birds than among solitary-nesting pairs. Extra-pair fertilizations occurred in 4% of families resulting in an extra-pair paternity rate of 4.7%.

Effects of Supplemental Food on the Behaviour and Paternity Status of Male Indigo Buntings (Passerina CyaNea)

2018 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 67-73
Author(s):  
Brad T. McLeod ◽  
Gary Ritchison
Keyword(s):  
Time Budget ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Breeding Birds ◽  
Food Supplementation ◽  
Time Budgets ◽  
Blood Samples ◽  
Supplemental Food ◽  
Extra Pair Paternity ◽  
Passerina Cyanea ◽  
And Control

Breeding is energetically costly and, if energy-limited, birds may alter their time budgets, spending less time engaged in some activities and more time in others. Investigators who have provided breeding birds with supplemental food have noted changes in time budgets, but the extent and types of changes have been found to vary among species. Our objective was to determine how food supplementation might influence the time budgets and paternity status of male Indigo Buntings (Passerina cyanea). We studied Indigo Buntings from 8 May to 15 August 2009 in Madison County, Kentucky. Territories of male Indigo Buntings (n=30) were randomly assigned as either food supplemented (n=8) or controls (n=22). During time-budget observations, all behaviours were noted. To determine paternity status, blood samples were collected from adults and nestlings at 16 nests. Males with feeders in their territories spent significantly less time foraging and more time vocalising (chip notes) than males without feeders. Time spent singing and mate guarding by treatment and control males did not differ. Differences in the proportion of extra-pair young did not differ between nests in territories with and without supplemental food. Our results suggest that, when provided with supplemental food, male Indigo Buntings spend less time foraging and more time engaged in other activities. However, neither the presence of supplemental food nor differences in the behaviour of males in food-supplemented versus non-supplemented territories affected rates of extra-pair paternity.

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