Familiarity between mates improves few aspects of reproductive performance in house sparrows

Behaviour ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 145 (3) ◽  
pp. 365-376 ◽  
Author(s):  
David Westneat ◽  
Margret Hatch
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Older Individuals ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Female Age

AbstractMany hypotheses have been proposed to account for the increased reproductive success with age documented in most birds. One, the mate familiarity hypothesis, suggests that older individuals are likely to have partners with whom they have bred before, which may enhance reproductive success. We found that pairs of house sparrows that bred together previously fledged more young than pairs that were newly formed. This was primarily due to newly-formed pairs with at least one yearling having fewer nesting attempts than continuing pairs. We also examined the possibility that continuing pairs were better coordinated in parental duties, but found no evidence for this in terms of amount of overlap at the nestbox or amount of time nestlings were unattended. Our results suggest the higher success of continuing pairs may be a matter of female age and quality and not due to benefits accrued by coordination with their mate.

Fitness Measures In Female House Sparrows: No Correlation With The Expression Of Two Plumage Ornaments

2013 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
pp. 4-13
Author(s):  
Ian Stewart ◽  
Daniel P. Wetzel ◽  
David F. Westneat
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Social Dominance ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
House Sparrow ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Fitness Measures ◽  
Status Signals ◽  
Male House

Abstract Male birds often possess conspicuous or colourful plumage traits which are thought to function either in mate choice or as status signals which indicate their competitive ability. Many studies have confirmed that the size or expression of these traits is positively correlated with their success at attracting mates, their social dominance, or their fitness. However, relatively few studies have examined plumage variation in females, likely because it is much less pronounced than in males. We examined whether female plumage is associated with fitness measures in the house sparrow (Passer domesticus). Male house sparrows have a conspicuous throat patch of black feathers that has been correlated with social dominance and fitness, and females also possess a variably-coloured throat patch, although the variation is much more subtle than in males. However, neither the timing of breeding nor reproductive performance was associated with throat patch colouration of female sparrows in any of three continuous study years, nor was it related to female age. The size of the other obvious female plumage trait, the wing bar, also did not predict fitness. We conclude that female plumage variation is not under sexual selection in the house sparrow.

scholarly journals Sexual attractiveness and reproductive performance in ageing females of a coccoid insect

2018 ◽  
Vol 14 (7) ◽  
pp. 20180262 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jun Tabata ◽  
Mayumi Teshiba
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Sexual Conflict ◽  
Communication System ◽  
Rapid Decline ◽  
Sexual Attractiveness ◽  
Sexual Signals ◽  
Pheromone Communication ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Pheromone Communication System

Female age strongly influences reproductive success in various animals. Males are, therefore, expected to show preferential responses to sexual signals released from females of ages suitable for reproduction. Here, however, we report an unexpected and contradictory effect of ageing on sexual attractiveness and reproductive performance in a coccoid insect: the pheromone-based attractiveness of females increased with ageing, though their reproductive performance was in rapid decline. Surprisingly, senescent females continued releasing relatively high amounts of pheromone and maintained their sexual attractiveness, even at ages when they had almost completely lost fertility, with reduced densities of endosymbionts to support their physiology. Our dataset suggests a potential sexual conflict within a pheromone communication system, where females benefit at males' expense through deceptive signals of fertility.

scholarly journals Multi-Farm Analyses Indicate a Novel Boar Pheromone Improves Sow Reproductive Performance

Animals ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 37
Author(s):  
John McGlone ◽  
Arlene Garcia ◽  
Anoosh Rakhshandeh
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Cost Effective ◽  
Experimental Unit ◽  
Commercial Farm ◽  
Treatment Interaction ◽  
And Performance ◽  
Meta Analyses

The objective of this study was to examine the effectiveness of a novel 3-molecule boar pheromone (BOARBETTER®, BB,) to improve sow reproductive performance (breeding, conception, farrowing rates, pigs born alive, stillborn, mummies and total born). Data from 12 commercial farm sites were used to evaluate the effectiveness of BB. Each farm was used as the experimental unit in the meta-analyses. Individual sows records were collected, merged and analyzed in overall analyses. Relative to CON, BB increased the number of total born pigs per litter (13.81 ± 0.11 vs. 14.30 ± 0.11 pigs/litter, respectively; p < 0.01) and the number of pigs born alive (12.76 ± 0.14 vs. 13.13 ± 0.14 pigs/litter, respectively; p < 0.05). In the merged dataset analyses, the parity by treatment interaction was significant for total pigs and pigs born alive per litter (p < 0.01). In parities one through three, treatment with BB increased total pigs born by 0.88 per litter, and pigs born alive per litter by 0.73 pigs per litter (p < 0.05). However, BB had no effect on these parameters in sows from parities four through six. BOARBETTER® increased reproductive success, is cost effective, safe, and can meaningfully improve sow reproductive success and performance.

Invertebrate prey availability limits reproductive success but not breeding population size in suburban House Sparrows Passer domesticus

Ibis ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 157 (3) ◽  
pp. 601-613 ◽  
Author(s):  
Will J. Peach ◽  
John W. Mallord ◽  
Nancy Ockendon ◽  
Chris J. Orsman ◽  
William G. Haines
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Population Size ◽  
Prey Availability ◽  
Passer Domesticus ◽  
Breeding Population ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Invertebrate Prey

scholarly journals Endoparasite Infection Has Both Short- and Long-Term Negative Effects on Reproductive Success of Female House Sparrows, as Revealed by Faecal Parasitic Egg Counts

PLoS ONE ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. e0125773 ◽  
Author(s):  
Håkon Holand ◽  
Henrik Jensen ◽  
Jarle Tufto ◽  
Henrik Pärn ◽  
Bernt-Erik Sæther ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
House Sparrows ◽  
Short And Long Term

scholarly journals Effects of chronic thermal stress on the reproductive performance of male Octopus maya

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura López-Galindo ◽  
Clara Galindo-Sánchez ◽  
Alberto Olivares ◽  
Omar Hernando Avila-Poveda ◽  
Fernando Díaz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Thermal Stress ◽  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Multiple Paternity ◽  
Paternity Analysis ◽  
Control Group ◽  
Thermal Limits ◽  
Histological Damage ◽  
Paternal Contribution ◽  
Octopus Maya

AbstractIn female Octopus maya the reproductive success has well-defined thermal limits; beyond which, spawning, number of eggs, fecundity, and the viability of the embryos are reduced. Observations of wild male O. maya suggest that temperatures below 27°C favour their reproductive performance. From these observations we hypothesize that, as in females, the temperature modulates the reproductive performance of adult O. maya males. The study was directed to evaluate the physiological condition, reproductive success, and histological damage in testis of male O. maya exposed to thermal stress, to determine the implications of ocean warming over their reproductive performance. High temperatures (28-30°C) negatively affect the growth and health of male O. maya. In octopuses maintained at 30°C, as a consequence of the thermal stress we observed an increment in the haemocytes number, a reduction in the oxygen consumption rate, and an inflammatory process in the testis. The number of spermatozoa per spermatophore was not affected by temperature, but higher spermatophores production was observed at 30°C. The paternity analysis showed that the offspring had multiple paternity with an average of 10 males contributing in a single spawn. The paternal contribution was affected by temperature with high, medium, or no paternal contribution in animals maintained at 24°C (control group), 28°C, and 30°C, respectively. The temperatures from 28°C to 30°C deeply affected the reproductive performance of Octopus maya males.

scholarly journals No effect of partner age and lifespan on female age-specific reproductive performance in blue tits

2017 ◽  
Vol 48 (4) ◽  
pp. 544-551 ◽  
Author(s):  
Seyed Mehdi Amininasab ◽  
Martijn Hammers ◽  
Oscar Vedder ◽  
Jan Komdeur ◽  
Peter Korsten
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Female Age ◽  
Blue Tits

Reproductive performance of American Kestrels laying replacement clutches

1985 ◽  
Vol 63 (11) ◽  
pp. 2590-2593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Reed Bowman ◽  
David M. Bird
Keyword(s):  
Reproductive Success ◽  
Reproductive Performance ◽  
Falco Sparverius ◽  
Nestling Growth ◽  
Fledging Success ◽  
American Kestrels ◽  
First Clutch ◽  
Second Clutch

Egg dimensions, nestling growth, and reproductive success were compared between first and second clutch nests of American Kestrels (Falco sparverius) to determine the influence of renesting on fledging success. Eggs were removed from 11 nests during 1982–1983. Eight nests served as controls. Most pairs (81.8%) renested on their original territory. We found no significant differences in egg dimensions, fertility, or hatchability between the two groups. Second clutch males (n = 6 clutches) were smaller at hatching than males from first clutches (n = 8 clutches). By day 24 these males (n = 5 clutches) were heavier, with significantly longer manus and antebrachia than first clutch males (n = 3 clutches). However, five of eight first clutch nests fledged all males before day 24. Males remaining in first clutch nests beyond day 24 were lighter with significantly smaller antebrachia by day 18 than males fledging before day 24. This may have biased our comparisons between first and second clutch males. No significant differences in growth were found between female groups. First-clutch progeny fledged significantly younger than second-clutch birds. Males fledged earlier than females in first clutches, but the sexes fledged simultaneously in second clutches.

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