1
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Mainwaring MC, Tobalske BW, Hartley IR. Born without a Silver Spoon: A Review of the Causes and Consequences of Adversity during Early Life. Integr Comp Biol 2023; 63:742-757. [PMID: 37280184 PMCID: PMC10805381 DOI: 10.1093/icb/icad061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Revised: 05/15/2023] [Accepted: 05/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/08/2023] Open
Abstract
A huge amount of research attention has focused on the evolution of life histories, but most research focuses on dominant individuals that acquire a disproportionate level of reproductive success, while the life histories and reproductive tactics of subordinate individuals have received less attention. Here, we review the links between early life adversity and performance during adulthood in birds, and highlight instances in which subordinate individuals outperform dominant conspecifics. Subordinate individuals are those from broods raised under high risk of predation, with low availability of food, and/or with many parasites. Meanwhile, the broods of many species hatch or are born asynchronously and mitigation of the asynchrony is generally lacking from variation in maternal effects such as egg size and hormone deposition or genetic effects such as offspring sex or parentage. Subordinate individuals employ patterns of differential growth to attempt to mitigate the adversity they experience during early life, yet they overwhelmingly fail to overcome their initial handicap. In terms of surviving through to adulthood, subordinate individuals employ other "suboptimal" tactics, such as adaptively timing foraging behaviors to avoid dominant individuals. During adulthood, meanwhile, subordinate individuals rely on "suboptimal" tactics, such as adaptive dispersal behaviors and competing for partners at optimal times, because they represent the best options available to them to acquire copulations whenever possible. We conclude that there is a gap in knowledge for direct links between early life adversity and subordination during adulthood, meaning that further research should test for links. There are instances, however, where subordinate individuals employ "suboptimal" tactics that allow them to outperform dominant conspecifics during adulthood.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Mainwaring
- School of Natural Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor LL57 2DG, UK
- Field Research Station at Fort Missoula, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Bret W Tobalske
- Field Research Station at Fort Missoula, Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, USA
| | - Ian R Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University, Lancaster LA1 4YQ, UK
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2
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Alfonso-González M, Llanes-Quevedo A, Navarro-Sigüenza AG, López GE. Genetic Evidence Documents Extra-Pair Paternity in Breeding Colonies of the Wood Stork Mycteria americana (Ciconiidae) in Cuba. CARIBB J SCI 2021. [DOI: 10.18475/cjos.v51i2.a3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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3
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD, Morrissey CA, Clark RG. The relative contribution of individual quality and changing climate as drivers of lifetime reproductive success in a short-lived avian species. Sci Rep 2020; 10:19766. [PMID: 33188255 PMCID: PMC7666198 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-75557-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/23/2020] [Accepted: 09/22/2020] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Animal populations are influenced strongly by fluctuations in weather conditions, but long-term fitness costs are rarely explored, especially in short-lived avian species. We evaluated the relative contributions of individual characteristics and environmental conditions to lifetime reproductive success (LRS) of female tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from two populations breeding in contrasting environments and geographies, Saskatchewan and British Columbia, Canada. Female swallows achieved higher LRS by breeding early in the season and producing more fledglings. Other measures of female quality had virtually no influence on LRS. Genetic factors did not predict LRS, as there was no correlation between life-history components for sister pairs nor between mothers and their daughters. Instead, climate variability-indexed by spring pond density (i.e., abundance of wetland basins holding water) during years when females bred-had strong positive effects on female LRS in more arid Saskatchewan but only weak positive effects of moisture conditions were detected in wetter British Columbia. Overall, several life history trait correlates of LRS were similar between populations, but local environmental factors experienced by individuals while breeding produced large differences in LRS. Consequently, variable and extreme environmental conditions associated with changing climate are predicted to influence individual fitness of distinct populations within a species' range.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L Berzins
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada.
| | - Russell D Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, Prince George, BC, V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Christy A Morrissey
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
- School of Environment and Sustainability, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5C8, Canada
| | - Robert G Clark
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 5E2, Canada
- Environment and Climate Change Canada, Saskatoon, SK, S7N 0X4, Canada
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4
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Griebel IA, Dawson RD. Nestling tree swallows (
Tachycineta bicolor
) alter begging behaviour in response to odour of familiar adults, but not their nests. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Ilsa A. Griebel
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program University of Northern British Columbia Prince George BC Canada
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5
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Berzins LL, Dawson RD. Does experimentally altered plumage brightness influence extra-pair mating success in female Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor)? CAN J ZOOL 2020. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2019-0142] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Recent empirical evidence suggests that ornamental traits displayed by female birds may reflect aspects of their quality, and function during competitive interactions and (or) social mate attraction; however, less is known about how such traits influence extra-pair paternity. In Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)), plumage brightness of females signals their quality and may be related to extra-pair paternity if it enables them to invade the territories of other females to seek extra-pair copulations and (or) if potential extra-pair mates perceive their plumage brightness as attractive. Therefore, to examine whether the plumage brightness displayed by females influence rates of extra-pair paternity and the number of sires per brood, we experimentally enhanced and reduced the plumage brightness of females relative to controls. Our results showed that plumage brightness treatment of the female did not influence the number of extra-pair offspring in nests or the likelihood of a brood containing extra-pair offspring. Additionally, the number of extra-pair males siring offspring within the broods of females did not differ by plumage brightness treatment. Although extra-pair paternity has been shown to be beneficial for female Tree Swallows, our results suggest that plumage brightness of females does not influence their ability to engage in extra-pair mating.
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Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
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6
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Hallinger KK, Vitousek MN, Winkler DW. Differences in perceived predation risk associated with variation in relative size of extra-pair and within-pair offspring. J Evol Biol 2019; 33:282-296. [PMID: 31677203 DOI: 10.1111/jeb.13564] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/03/2018] [Revised: 10/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/22/2019] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is a widespread phenomenon in birds. Researchers have long hypothesized that EPP must confer a fitness advantage to extra-pair offspring (EPO), but empirical support for this hypothesis is definitively mixed. This could be because genetic benefits of EPP only exist in a subset of environmental contexts to which a population is exposed. From 2013 to 2015, we manipulated perceived predator density in a population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding in New York to see whether fitness outcomes of extra-pair and within-pair offspring (WPO) varied with predation risk. In nests that had been exposed to predators, EPO were larger, longer-winged and heavier than WPO. In nonpredator nests, WPO tended to be larger, longer-winged and heavier than EPO, though the effect was nonsignificant. We found no differences in age, morphology or stress physiology between extra-pair and within-pair sires from the same nest, suggesting that additive genetic benefits cannot fully explain the differences in nestling size that we observed. The lack of an effect of predator exposure on survival or glucocorticoid stress physiology of EPO and WPO further suggests that observed size differences do not reflect more general variation in intrinsic genetic quality. Instead, we suggest that size differences may have arisen through differential investment into EPO and WPO by females, perhaps because EPO and WPO represent different reproductive strategies, with each type of nestling conferring a fitness advantage in specific ecological contexts.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kelly K Hallinger
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Fuller Evolutionary Biology Program, Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - Maren N Vitousek
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA
| | - David W Winkler
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell Lab of Ornithology, Ithaca, NY, USA.,Cornell University Museum of Vertebrates, Ithaca, NY, USA
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7
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Gow EA, Knight SM, Bradley DW, Clark RG, Winkler DW, Bélisle M, Berzins LL, Blake T, Bridge ES, Burke L, Dawson RD, Dunn PO, Garant D, Holroyd G, Horn AG, Hussell DJT, Lansdorp O, Laughlin AJ, Leonard ML, Pelletier F, Shutler D, Siefferman L, Taylor CM, Trefry H, Vleck CM, Vleck D, Whittingham LA, Norris DR. Effects of Spring Migration Distance on Tree Swallow Reproductive Success Within and Among Flyways. Front Ecol Evol 2019. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2019.00380] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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8
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Temperate-Tropical Variation in Breeding Synchrony and Extra-Pair Paternity Among New World Tachycineta Swallows. Sci Rep 2019; 9:12713. [PMID: 31481677 PMCID: PMC6722081 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-019-48980-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/16/2019] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Extra-pair paternity rates vary markedly across avian taxa, but patterns of variation in this trait have been obscured by a paucity of data on closely related species, especially those spanning broad environmental gradients. Here we compare variation in extra-pair paternity rates among five species in the widespread swallow genus Tachycineta. Rates of extra-pair paternity vary widely in this group, ranging from 13 to 87% of nests having extra-pair young. The inter-specific variation in extra-pair paternity within this small group of closely related swallows has a range equivalent to that found among all Hirundinidae and is close to the range of variation across all birds. Despite theory that predicts extra-pair paternity rates to be explained by latitudinal variation in breeding synchrony our results show that extra-pair paternity rates in this genus do not closely track a latitudinal gradient, as predicted by studies of other life-history traits, and are not explained by differences in breeding synchrony as previously suggested. The genetic mating systems of birds, described by the rates of extra-pair paternity, are connected to all other life-history traits through a complex network of trade-offs with organismal (phylogenetic) and ecological (environmental) factors. Disentangling each of these interactions to understand latitudinal patterns in any given life-history trait remains a daunting task.
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9
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Garant D, Bourret A, Schmitt C, Turcotte A, Pelletier F, Bélisle M. Effects of blood parasite infection and innate immune genetic diversity on mating patterns in a passerine bird breeding in contrasted habitats. PeerJ 2018; 6:e6004. [PMID: 30505637 PMCID: PMC6254242 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.6004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2018] [Accepted: 10/26/2018] [Indexed: 11/20/2022] Open
Abstract
Genetic diversity at immune genes and levels of parasitism are known to affect patterns of (dis)assortative mating in several species. Heterozygote advantage and/or good genes should shape mate choice originating from pathogen/parasite-driven selection at immune genes. However, the stability of these associations, and whether they vary with environmental conditions, are still rarely documented. In this study, we describe mating patterns in a wild population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) over 4 years and assess the effects of haemosporidian parasite infection and immune genetic diversity at β-defensin genes on those patterns within two habitats of contrasting environmental quality, in southern Québec, Canada. We first show that mating patterns were only very weakly related to individual status of infection by haemosporidian parasites. However, we found a difference between habitats in mating patterns related to infection status, which was likely due to a non-random distribution of individuals, as non-infected mating pairs were more frequent in lower quality habitats. Mating patterns also differed depending on β-defensin heterozygosity at AvBD2, but only for genetic partners outside of the social couple, with heterozygous individuals pairing together. Our study underlines the importance of considering habitat heterogeneity in studies of sexual selection.
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Affiliation(s)
- Dany Garant
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Audrey Bourret
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Clarence Schmitt
- Institut d'Ecologie et des Sciences de l'Environnement de Paris, Sorbonne Universités, UPMC Univ Paris 06, UPEC, Paris 7, CNRS, INRA, IRD, Paris, France
| | - Audrey Turcotte
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Fanie Pelletier
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
| | - Marc Bélisle
- Département de Biologie, Université de Sherbrooke, Sherbrooke, Québec, Canada
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10
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Berzins LL, Shrimpton JM, Dawson RD. Experimentally altering pre-breeding sex steroids reduces extra-pair paternity in female tree swallows. Ethology 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12745] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Lisha L. Berzins
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program; University of Northern British Columbia; Prince George BC Canada
| | - J. Mark Shrimpton
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program; University of Northern British Columbia; Prince George BC Canada
| | - Russell D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program; University of Northern British Columbia; Prince George BC Canada
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11
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LaBarbera K, Cramer ERA, Veronese D, Lovette IJ. Growth benefit to house wren nestlings of having an asynchronously late-hatching nestmate is greater for extra-pair offspring. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2283-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
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12
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The influence of iridescent coloration directionality on male tree swallows’ reproductive success at different breeding densities. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2164-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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13
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Whittingham LA, Dunn PO. Experimental evidence that brighter males sire more extra-pair young in tree swallows. Mol Ecol 2016; 25:3706-15. [PMID: 27105297 DOI: 10.1111/mec.13665] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2015] [Revised: 02/28/2016] [Accepted: 04/18/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Across taxa, extra-pair mating is widespread among socially monogamous species, but few studies have identified male ornamental traits associated with extra-pair mating success, and even fewer studies have experimentally manipulated male traits to determine whether they are related directly to paternity. As a consequence, there is little experimental evidence to support the widespread hypothesis that females choose more ornamented males as extra-pair mates. Here, we conducted an experimental study of the relationship between male plumage colour and fertilization success in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), which have one of the highest levels of extra-pair mating in birds. In this study, we experimentally dulled the bright blue plumage on the back of males (with nontoxic ink markers) early in the breeding season prior to most mating. Compared with control males, dulled males sired fewer extra-pair young, and, as a result, fewer young overall. Among untreated males, brighter blue males also sired more extra-pair young, and in paired comparisons, extra-pair sires had brighter blue plumage than the within-pair male they cuckolded. These results, together with previous work on tree swallows, suggest that extra-pair mating behaviour is driven by benefits to both males and females.
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Affiliation(s)
- Linda A Whittingham
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
| | - Peter O Dunn
- Behavioral and Molecular Ecology Group, Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, Milwaukee, WI, 53211, USA
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14
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Sakaoka K, Suzuki I, Kasugai N, Fukumoto Y. Paternity testing using microsatellite DNA markers in captive Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae). Zoo Biol 2014; 33:463-70. [PMID: 25157452 DOI: 10.1002/zoo.21165] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2014] [Revised: 06/08/2014] [Accepted: 07/24/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the paternity of 39 Adélie penguins (Pygoscelis adeliae) hatched at the Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium between 1995 and 2005 breeding seasons using microsatellite DNA markers. Among the 13 microsatellite marker loci tested in this study, eight markers amplified and were found to be polymorphic in the colony's founders of the captive population (n = 26). Multiple marker analysis confirmed that all the hatchlings shared alleles with their social fathers and that none of them were sired by any male (all males ≥4 years old in the exhibit tank during each reproductive season; n = 9-15) other than the one carrying out parental duties, except in the case of two inbred hatchlings whose half-sibling parents shared the same father. These results demonstrated that extra-pair paternity (EPP) did not occur in this captive population and that even if EPP has been detected among them, the probability of excluding all other possible fathers in the exhibit tank is extremely high based on paternity exclusion probabilities across the investigated loci. The paternity exclusion probabilities were almost the same between 1994 and 2005. The probability of identity across the investigated loci declined between the two time points, but was still high. These results are reflected in a very short history of breeding in this captive population. In other words, the parentage analyses using a suite of microsatellite markers will be less effective as generations change in small closed populations, such as zoo and aquarium populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ken Sakaoka
- Port of Nagoya Public Aquarium, Nagoya, Japan
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15
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Harriman V, Dawson R, Clark R, Fairhurst G, Bortolotti G. Effects of ectoparasites on seasonal variation in quality of nestling Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). CAN J ZOOL 2014. [DOI: 10.1139/cjz-2013-0209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Reproductive success often declines with breeding date in diverse taxa, including temperate-nesting bird species. The date hypothesis predicts that seasonally deteriorating environmental quality drives this pattern. While mechanisms are not fully understood, a seasonal increase in parasitism may contribute to the declining quality of nestlings hatched later in the season. We examined the effect of ectoparasites on seasonal variation in indices of nestling quality and survival in Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor (Vieillot, 1808)) at breeding sites in British Columbia (PG) and Saskatchewan (SDNRA). In a parasite removal experiment, we detected no seasonal trend in flea abundance and, contrary to expectation, there were fewer blow flies in nests of late breeders. Negative effects of parasites on nestlings were documented at PG, where lengths of primary feather and head–bill were affected. Parental, rather than environmental, quality had the greatest effect on reproductive success at PG, as nestling survival declined seasonally regardless of treatment and despite seasonally increasing food biomass. Nestlings in control (i.e., parasitized) nests at SDNRA had elevated feather corticosterone levels, but no other effects of parasites were detected possibly because parent birds were of higher quality or parents and offspring had greater access to food such that nestlings were capable of coping with parasite-related challenges.
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Affiliation(s)
- V.B. Harriman
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - R.D. Dawson
- Ecosystem Science and Management Program, University of Northern British Columbia, 3333 University Way, Prince George, BC V2N 4Z9, Canada
| | - R.G. Clark
- Prairie and Northern Wildlife Research Centre, Environment Canada, 115 Perimeter Road, Saskatoon, SK S7N 0X4, Canada; Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - G.D. Fairhurst
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
| | - G.R. Bortolotti
- Department of Biology, University of Saskatchewan, 112 Science Place, Saskatoon, SK S7N 5E2, Canada
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16
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Wan D, Chang P, Yin J. Causes of extra-pair paternity and its inter-specific variation in socially monogamous birds. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2013. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chnaes.2013.03.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
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17
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Mainwaring MC, Hartley IR. Causes and Consequences of Differential Growth in Birds. ADVANCES IN THE STUDY OF BEHAVIOR 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-12-394288-3.00006-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/24/2022]
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18
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Krist M, Munclinger P. Superiority of extra-pair offspring: maternal but not genetic effects as revealed by a mixed cross-fostering design. Mol Ecol 2011; 20:5074-91. [PMID: 22061105 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-294x.2011.05337.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Extra-pair copulations (EPC) are the rule rather than an exception in socially monogamous birds, but despite widespread occurrences, the benefits of female infidelity remain elusive. Most attention has been paid to the possibility that females gain genetic benefits from EPC, and fitness comparisons between maternal half-siblings are considered to be a defining test of this hypothesis. Recently, it was shown that these comparisons may be confounded by within-brood maternal effects where one such effect may be the distribution of half-siblings in the laying order. However, this possibility is difficult to study as it would be necessary to detect the egg from which each chick hatched. In this study, we used a new approach for egg-chick assignment and cross-fostered eggs on an individual basis among a set of nests of the collared flycatcher Ficedula albicollis. After hatching, chicks were ascribed to mothers and therefore to individual eggs by molecular genetic methods. Extra-pair young predominated early in the laying order. Under natural conditions, this should give them a competitive advantage over their half-siblings, mediated by hatching asynchrony. However, we experimentally synchronized hatching, and after this treatment, extra-pair young did not outperform within-pair young in any studied trait including survival up to recruitment and several indicators of reproductive success and attractiveness. We obtained only modest sample sizes for the last two traits and did not test for extra-pair success of male offspring. Thus, we cannot exclude the possibility of advantages of extra-pair young during the adult phase of life. However, our data tentatively suggest that the more likely reason for females' EPCs is the insurance against the infertility of a social mate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Miloš Krist
- Museum of Natural History, nám. Republiky 5, 771 73 Olomouc, Czech Republic.
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19
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Anmarkrud JA, Kleven O, Augustin J, Bentz KH, Blomqvist D, Fernie KJ, Magrath MJL, Pärn H, Quinn JS, Robertson RJ, Szép T, Tarof S, Wagner RH, Lifjeld JT. Factors affecting germline mutations in a hypervariable microsatellite: a comparative analysis of six species of swallows (Aves: Hirundinidae). Mutat Res 2011; 708:37-43. [PMID: 21291898 DOI: 10.1016/j.mrfmmm.2011.01.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2010] [Revised: 01/07/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Microsatellites mutate frequently by replication slippage. Empirical evidence shows that the probability of such slippage mutations may increase with the length of the repeat region as well as exposure to environmental mutagens, but the mutation rate can also differ between the male and female germline. It has been hypothesized that more intense sexual selection or sperm competition can also lead to elevated mutation rates, but the empirical evidence is inconclusive. Here, we analyzed the occurrence of germline slippage mutations in the hypervariable pentanucleotide microsatellite locus HrU10 across six species of swallow (Aves: Hirundinidae). These species exhibit marked differences in the length range of the microsatellite, as well as differences in the intensity of sperm competition. We found a strong effect of microsatellite length on the probability of mutation, but no residual effect of species or their level of sperm competition when the length effect was accounted for. Neither could we detect any difference in mutation rate between tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding in Hamilton Harbour, Ontario, an industrial site with previous documentation of elevated mutation rates for minisatellite DNA, and a rural reference population. However, our cross-species analysis revealed two significant patterns of sex differences in HrU10 germline mutations: (1) mutations in longer alleles occurred typically in the male germline, those in shorter alleles in the female germline, and (2) male germline mutations were more often expansions than contractions, whereas no directional bias was evident in the female germline. These results indicate some fundamental differences in male and female gametogenesis affecting the probability of slippage mutations. Our study also reflects the value of a comparative, multi-species approach for locus-specific mutation analyses, through which a wider range of influential factors can be assessed than in single-species studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jarl A Anmarkrud
- National Centre for Biosystematics, Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172 Blindern, NO-0318 Oslo, Norway.
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20
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21
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Ferree ED, Dickinson J, Rendell W, Stern C, Porter S. Hatching order explains an extrapair chick advantage in western bluebirds. Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq056] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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Nest desertion is not predicted by cuckoldry in the Eurasian penduline tit. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2010; 64:1425-1435. [PMID: 20802790 PMCID: PMC2926902 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-0958-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2010] [Revised: 04/01/2010] [Accepted: 04/03/2010] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Engagement in extra-pair copulations is an example of the abundant conflicting interests between males and females over reproduction. Potential benefits for females and the risk of cuckoldry for males are expected to have important implications on the evolution of parental care. However, whether parents adjust parental care in response to parentage remains unclear. In Eurasian penduline tits Remiz pendulinus, which are small polygamous songbirds, parental care is carried out either by the male or by the female. In addition, one third of clutches is deserted by both male and female. Desertion takes place during the egg-laying phase. Using genotypes of nine microsatellite loci of 443 offspring and 211 adults, we test whether extra-pair paternity predicts parental care. We expect males to be more likely to desert cuckolded broods, whereas we expect females, if they obtain benefits from having multiple sires, to be more likely to care for broods with multiple paternity. Our results suggest that parental care is not adjusted to parentage on an ecological timescale. Furthermore, we found that male attractiveness does not predict cuckoldry, and we found no evidence for indirect benefits for females (i.e., increased growth rates or heterozygosity of extra-pair offspring). We argue that male Eurasian penduline tits may not be able to assess the risk of cuckoldry; thus, a direct association with parental care is unlikely to evolve. However, timing of desertion (i.e., when to desert during the egg-laying phase) may be influenced by the risk of cuckoldry. Future work applying extensive gene sequencing and quantitative genetics is likely to further our understanding of how selection may influence the association between parentage and parental care.
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Magrath MJL, Vedder O, van der Velde M, Komdeur J. Maternal Effects Contribute to the Superior Performance of Extra-Pair Offspring. Curr Biol 2009; 19:792-7. [PMID: 19409787 DOI: 10.1016/j.cub.2009.03.068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 83] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/17/2009] [Revised: 03/24/2009] [Accepted: 03/24/2009] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Michael J L Magrath
- Animal Ecology Group, Centre for Ecological and Evolutionary Studies, University of Groningen, P.O. Box 14, 9750 AA Haren, The Netherlands.
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Dunn PO, Lifjeld JT, Whittingham LA. Multiple paternity and offspring quality in tree swallows. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2009. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-009-0734-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/21/2022]
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He's healthy, but will he survive the plague? Possible constraints on mate choice for disease resistance. Anim Behav 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Zajitschek S, Brooks R. Distinguishing the Effects of Familiarity, Relatedness, and Color Pattern Rarity on Attractiveness and Measuring Their Effects on Sexual Selection in Guppies (Poecilia reticulata). Am Nat 2008; 172:843-54. [DOI: 10.1086/593001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/04/2022]
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Bitton PP, Dawson RD, Ochs CL. Plumage characteristics, reproductive investment and assortative mating in tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2008. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-008-0583-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 51] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Plumage brightness and age predict extrapair fertilization success of male tree swallows, Tachycineta bicolor. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.03.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
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Mate choice for genetic quality when environments vary: suggestions for empirical progress. Genetica 2007; 134:69-78. [PMID: 17987390 DOI: 10.1007/s10709-007-9220-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 61] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2007] [Accepted: 10/22/2007] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
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