Low Frequency of Extra-Pair Fertilizations in the Great Tit Parus major Revealed by DNA Fingerprinting

1997 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 231 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nanette Verboven ◽  
A. Christa Mateman
2019 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. 1870-1881 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vinicius H da Silva ◽  
Veronika N Laine ◽  
Mirte Bosse ◽  
Lewis G Spurgin ◽  
Martijn F L Derks ◽  
...  

Abstract Chromosome inversions have clear effects on genome evolution and have been associated with speciation, adaptation, and the evolution of the sex chromosomes. In birds, these inversions may play an important role in hybridization of species and disassortative mating. We identified a large (≈64 Mb) inversion polymorphism in the great tit (Parus major) that encompasses almost 1,000 genes and more than 90% of Chromosome 1A. The inversion occurs at a low frequency in a set of over 2,300 genotyped great tits in the Netherlands with only 5% of the birds being heterozygous for the inversion. In an additional analysis of 29 resequenced birds from across Europe, we found two heterozygotes. The likely inversion breakpoints show considerable genomic complexity, including multiple copy number variable segments. We identified different haplotypes for the inversion, which differ in the degree of recombination in the center of the chromosome. Overall, this remarkable genetic variant is widespread among distinct great tit populations and future studies of the inversion haplotype, including how it affects the fitness of carriers, may help to understand the mechanisms that maintain it.


Ornis Svecica ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 28 (2–4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Sören Svensson ◽  
Germund Kadin

A Great Tit Parus major without any yellow pigment in the plumage was ringed in southern Swedish Lapland in 2006. Such pale birds are known to appear with a low frequency throughout the species’ range. Superficially they look like the eastern (sub)species Parus (major) minor. The focal bird was a yearling with a wing length well above that of minor so there is no reason to suspect eastern origin. The yellow pigment, a carotenoid, is obtained through food, particularly green larvae. Such larvae were available in reasonably high numbers in 2006. The focal bird was an exception as no other pale Great Tit has been recorded during more than fifty years of fieldwork in the area. Yellow at the flange of the gape indicates that the bird had not completely lost its capacity to take up pig-ments, only the plumage was affected.


2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew Gosler ◽  
Peter Clement ◽  
David Christie
Keyword(s):  

2021 ◽  
Vol 176 ◽  
pp. 67-76
Author(s):  
Nina Bircher ◽  
Kees van Oers ◽  
Marc Naguib
Keyword(s):  

2006 ◽  
Vol 43 (4) ◽  
pp. 239-241
Author(s):  
I. Mobedi ◽  
M. Sehhatisabet ◽  
E. Razmjou ◽  
S. Shafiei

AbstractSeven males and thirteen female Diplotriaena henryi Blanc 1919 were collected from body cavities (heart, sternum, and chest) of tits (one Parus major and three Parus ater) in plain woodland of Noor, in Northern Iran.


Behaviour ◽  
2004 ◽  
Vol 141 (8) ◽  
pp. 935-958 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sandra Blumenrath ◽  
Torben Dabelsteen

AbstractSongbirds living in temperate forests experience great seasonal changes in habitat acoustics during the part of the breeding season when singing activity is high. These changes, which are brought about by accelerated vegetation growth and leaf burst in spring, affect sound propagation and potentially render vocal communication more difficult as the total number of scattering and absorbing obstacles increases. We investigated this in a sound transmission experiment in which representative great tit (Parus major) songs were broadcast in a typical forest habitat before and after foliation. Speaker and microphone were placed at natural separation distances and in typical sender and receiver positions. For each song note we quantified several aspects of sound degradation and found that they all increased considerably when leaves were present. Before foliation the same amount of degradation would only be obtained by doubling the transmission distance, i.e. foliage shortens the active space of great tit song. This inevitably alters distance information, provided that distance-dependent, structural changes of received songs are used as ranging cues. Moreover, sender and receiver positions within the canopy become unfavourable compared to heights just below the canopy when the aim is to maximise song propagation distances. Altogether, the presence of foliage greatly affects the potential for vocal information transfer in great tits and requires behavioural and/or perceptual adjustment of the communicating individuals to counteract or reduce the impact of foliage on signal degradation.


1998 ◽  
Vol 9 (4) ◽  
pp. 388-396 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sabine Strohbach ◽  
Eberhard Curio ◽  
Andrea Bathen ◽  
Jōrg Epplen ◽  
Thomas Lubjuhn

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