Extra-pair paternity in the long-tailed finchPoephila acuticauda

Although the majority of passerine birds are socially monogamous, true genetic monogamy is rare, with extra-pair paternity (EPP) occurring in almost 90% of surveyed socially monogamous species. We present the first molecular data on the genetic breeding system of the long-tailed finch,Poephila acuticauda, a grass finch endemic to the tropical northern savannah of Australia. Although the species forms socially monogamous pair bonds during the breeding season, we found that extra-pair males sired 12.8% of 391 offspring, in 25.7% of 101 broods. Our findings provide only the second estimate of extra-pair paternity in the estrildid finch family.

Download Full-text

Monogamy without parental care? Social and genetic mating systems of avian brood parasites

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rstb.2018.0201 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 374 (1769) ◽

pp. 20180201 ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

William E. Feeney ◽

Christina Riehl

Keyword(s):

Parental Care ◽

Mating Systems ◽

Host Density ◽

Molecular Data ◽

Social Monogamy ◽

Brood Parasites ◽

Parasitic Species ◽

Genetic Monogamy ◽

Pair Bonds ◽

The Social

Classic evolutionary theory predicts that monogamy should be intimately linked with parental care. It has long been assumed, therefore, that avian brood parasites—which lay their eggs in the nests of ‘host’ species and provide little, if any, parental care—should be overwhelmingly promiscuous. However, recent studies have revealed that the social mating systems of brood parasites are surprisingly diverse, encompassing lek polygyny, monogamy, polygamy and promiscuity. What ecological or phylogenetic factors explain this variation, and why are some brood parasites apparently monogamous? Here we review the social and genetic mating systems of all 75 brood parasitic species for which data are available and evaluate several hypotheses that may help explain these patterns. We find that social monogamy is widespread, often co-occurring with territoriality and cooperative behaviour by the mated pair. Comparative studies, though preliminary, suggest that in some species, monogamy is associated with low host density and polygamy with higher host density. Interestingly, molecular data show that genetic and social mating systems can be entirely decoupled: genetic monogamy can occur in parasitic species that lack behavioural pair-bonds, possibly as a by-product of territoriality; conversely, social monogamy has been reported in parasites that are genetically polygamous. This synthesis suggests that social and genetic monogamy may result from very different selective pressures, and that male–female cooperative behaviours, population density and territoriality may all interact to favour the evolution of monogamous mating in brood parasites. Given that detailed descriptive data of social, and especially genetic, mating systems are still lacking for the majority of brood parasitic species, definitive tests of these hypotheses await future work. This article is part of the theme issue ‘The coevolutionary biology of brood parasitism: from mechanism to pattern’.

Download Full-text

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

Papéis Avulsos de Zoologia ◽

10.11606/1807-0205/2021.61.67 ◽

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.

Download Full-text

Heritability of the extra-pair mating behaviour of the pied flycatcher in Western Siberia

PeerJ ◽

10.7717/peerj.9571 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 ◽

pp. e9571

Author(s):

Vladimir G. Grinkov ◽

Andreas Bauer ◽

Helmut Sternberg ◽

Michael Wink

Keyword(s):

Western Siberia ◽

Mating Behaviour ◽

Bird Species ◽

Pied Flycatcher ◽

Point Estimate ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Monogamous Species ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Pair Mating ◽

Extra Pair Mating

Males and females take part in extra-pair copulations in most socially monogamous bird species. The mechanisms leading to the frequent occurrence of extra-pair offspring in socially monogamous couples are strongly debated and unresolved, and they are often difficult to distinguish from one another. Most hypotheses explaining the evolution of extra-pair reproduction suggest selective and adaptive scenarios for their origination and persistence. Is extra-pair paternity a heritable trait? We evaluated the heritability of extra-pair paternity in the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca) nesting in Western Siberia. Estimated heritability was low: depending on the model used, the point estimate of the heritability (mode) varied from 0.005 to 0.11, and the bounds of the 95% confidence interval are [0–0.16] in the widest range. Thus, it seems that extra-pair mating behaviour in the pied flycatchers is a plastic phenotypic mating tactic with a small or no genetic component. Our data can help to understand the evolution of extra-pair mating behaviour in socially monogamous species.

Download Full-text

Low Extra-Pair Paternity in White-Tailed Ptarmigan

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/104.1.192 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 192-197 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

David P. Benson

Keyword(s):

National Park ◽

Glacier National Park ◽

Lagopus Leucurus ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Monogamous Species ◽

Socially Monogamous

Abstract The White-tailed Ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus) is one of the few socially monogamous species within the highly polygynous grouse subfamily (Tetraoninae). I found White-tailed Ptarmigan in Glacier National Park, Montana, to be nearly genetically monogamous. Of 58 chicks with putative fathers identified, three were the result of extra-pair copulations (5%). Three of 18 clutches (17%) contained extra-pair offspring. I suggest that White-tailed Ptarmigan males are able to guard their females effectively from extra-pair copulations because of high visibility in their habitat and their ability to forage alongside their mate. The three extra-pair offspring were sired by unknown males. Baja Paternidad Extra-Pareja en Lagopus leucurus Resumen. Lagopus leucurus es una de las pocas especies socialmente monógama dentro de la subfamilia Tetraoninae que se caracteriza por ser altamente polígina. En el “Glacier National Park,” Montana, encontré que los individuos de L. leucurus eran casi completamente monógamos en términos genéticos. De 58 polluelos con padres putativos, tres (5%) fueron el resultado de copulaciones extra-pareja. Tres de 18 nidadas (7%) presentaron hijos extra-pareja. Sugiero que los machos de L. leucurus son capaces de proteger efectivamente a sus hembras para evitar copulaciones extra-pareja debido a la alta visibilidad del hábitat en que se encuentran y a la habilidad de forrajear junto con la hembra. Los tres hijos de origen extra-pareja no fueron engendrados por machos que estaban en pareja.

Download Full-text

Measuring Pre- and Post-Copulatory Sexual Selection and Their Interaction in Socially Monogamous Species with Extra-Pair Paternity

Cells ◽

10.3390/cells10030620 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 10 (3) ◽

pp. 620

Author(s):

Emily Rebecca Alison Cramer

Keyword(s):

Sexual Selection ◽

Fertilization Success ◽

Direct Selection ◽

Selection Gradients ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Male Trait ◽

Monogamous Species ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Sperm Trait ◽

Sperm Traits

When females copulate with multiple males, pre- and post-copulatory sexual selection may interact synergistically or in opposition. Studying this interaction in wild populations is complex and potentially biased, because copulation and fertilization success are often inferred from offspring parentage rather than being directly measured. Here, I simulated 15 species of socially monogamous birds with varying levels of extra-pair paternity, where I could independently cause a male secondary sexual trait to improve copulation success, and a sperm trait to improve fertilization success. By varying the degree of correlation between the male and sperm traits, I show that several common statistical approaches, including univariate selection gradients and paired t-tests comparing extra-pair males to the within-pair males they cuckolded, can give highly biased results for sperm traits. These tests should therefore be avoided for sperm traits in socially monogamous species with extra-pair paternity, unless the sperm trait is known to be uncorrelated with male trait(s) impacting copulation success. In contrast, multivariate selection analysis and a regression of the proportion of extra-pair brood(s) sired on the sperm trait of the extra-pair male (including only broods where the male sired ≥1 extra-pair offspring) were unbiased, and appear likely to be unbiased under a broad range of conditions for this mating system. In addition, I investigated whether the occurrence of pre-copulatory selection impacted the strength of post-copulatory selection, and vice versa. I found no evidence of an interaction under the conditions simulated, where the male trait impacted only copulation success and the sperm trait impacted only fertilization success. Instead, direct selection on each trait was independent of whether the other trait was under selection. Although pre- and post-copulatory selection strength was independent, selection on the two traits was positively correlated across species because selection on both traits increased with the frequency of extra-pair copulations in these socially monogamous species.

Download Full-text

Genetic monogamy and mate choice in a pair-living primate

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-020-77132-9 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Author(s):

Sofya Dolotovskaya ◽

Christian Roos ◽

Eckhard W. Heymann

Keyword(s):

Genetic Diversity ◽

Mate Choice ◽

Microsatellite Loci ◽

Inbreeding Avoidance ◽

Peruvian Amazon ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Genetic Monogamy ◽

Titi Monkeys ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Study Population

AbstractIn pair-living mammals, genetic monogamy is extremely rare. One possible reason is that in socially monogamous animals, mate choice can be severely constrained, increasing the risk of inbreeding or pairing with an incompatible or low-quality partner. To escape these constraints, individuals might engage in extra-pair copulations. Alternatively, inbreeding can be avoided by dispersal. However, little is known about the interactions between mating system, mate choice, and dispersal in pair-living mammals. Here we genotyped 41 wild individuals from 14 groups of coppery titi monkeys (Plecturocebus cupreus) in Peruvian Amazon using 18 microsatellite loci. Parentage analyses of 18 young revealed no cases of extra-pair paternity, indicating that the study population is mostly genetically monogamous. We did not find evidence for relatedness- or heterozygosity-based mate choice. Despite the lack of evidence for active inbreeding avoidance via mate choice, mating partners were on average not related. We further found that dispersal was not sex-biased, with both sexes dispersing opportunistically over varying distances. Our findings suggest that even opportunistic dispersal, as long as it is not constrained, can generate sufficient genetic diversity to prevent inbreeding. This, in turn, can render active inbreeding avoidance via mate choice and extra-pair copulations less necessary, helping to maintain genetic monogamy.

Download Full-text

No Extra-Pair Fertilization in Flammulated Owls Despite Aggregated Nesting

The Condor ◽

10.1093/condor/104.1.197 ◽

2002 ◽

Vol 104 (1) ◽

pp. 197-202 ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

David P. Arsenault ◽

Peter B. Stacey ◽

Guy A. Hoelzer

Keyword(s):

Parental Care ◽

Dna Fingerprinting ◽

Nearest Neighbor ◽

Breeding Density ◽

Neighbor Distance ◽

Genetic Monogamy ◽

Monogamous Species ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Nearest Neighbor Distance ◽

Aggregated Nesting

Abstract We used DNA fingerprinting to estimate the frequency of extra-pair fertilization in the Flammulated Owl (Otus flammeolus), a socially monogamous species often found nesting in aggregations. We observed owls on 44 territories, 42 of which were located in aggregations of 3 to 10 territories with a mean nearest-neighbor distance of 539 m (± 160 m). We sampled a subset of these nests and compared band sharing and numbers of novel fragments among 17 social pairs and 37 offspring. Like other socially monogamous raptors, the Flammulated Owls we studied were genetically monogamous despite their relatively high breeding density. We suggest that the necessity of male parental care may be an important factor contributing to genetic monogamy in this species. Ausencia de Fertilización Extra-Pareja en Otus flammeolus a pesar de Nidificación Agregada Resumen. Usamos huellas dactilares genéticas (i.e., DNA fingerprinting) para estimar la frecuencia de fertilización extra-pareja en Otus flammeolus, una especie social monógama frecuentemente hallada nidificando en agregaciones. Observamos lechuzas en 44 territorios, 42 de los cuales se encontraron en agregaciones de entre 3 a 10 territorios, con una distancia media al territorio vecino más cercano de 539 m (± 160 m). Muestreamos un subconjunto de los nidos localizados y comparamos las bandas compartidas y el número de fragmentos nuevos entre 17 pares sociales y 37 hijos. Al igual que otras rapaces sociales monógamas, los individuos de O. flammeolus que estudiamos fueron genéticamente monógamos, a pesar de la relativamente alta densidad de individuos presentes en la época de cría. Sugerimos que la necesidad de cuidado parental masculino puede ser un factor importante que contribuye a la monogamia genética en esta especie.

Download Full-text

Cooperative breeding and monogamy in mammalian societies

Proceedings of The Royal Society B Biological Sciences ◽

10.1098/rspb.2011.2468 ◽

2012 ◽

Vol 279 (1736) ◽

pp. 2151-2156 ◽

Cited By ~ 182

Author(s):

Dieter Lukas ◽

Tim Clutton-Brock

Keyword(s):

Cooperative Breeding ◽

Mammalian Species ◽

Breeding Systems ◽

Single Male ◽

Extra Pair Paternity ◽

Monogamous Species ◽

Cooperatively Breeding ◽

Socially Monogamous ◽

Group Members ◽

Reproductive Altruism

Comparative studies of social insects and birds show that the evolution of cooperative and eusocial breeding systems has been confined to species where females mate completely or almost exclusively with a single male, indicating that high levels of average kinship between group members are necessary for the evolution of reproductive altruism. In this paper, we show that in mammals, the evolution of cooperative breeding has been restricted to socially monogamous species which currently represent 5 per cent of all mammalian species. Since extra-pair paternity is relatively uncommon in socially monogamous and cooperatively breeding mammals, our analyses support the suggestion that high levels of average kinship between group members have played an important role in the evolution of cooperative breeding in non-human mammals, as well as in birds and insects.

Download Full-text