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Danel S, Zidat T, Lucas A, Biro D, Bonadonna F. First description of nest-decoration behaviour in a wild sub-Antarctic shorebird. Behav Processes 2021; 188:104408. [PMID: 33895252 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2021.104408] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/01/2020] [Revised: 04/13/2021] [Accepted: 04/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/18/2022]
Abstract
A wide range of animal species accumulate objects in, on, and/or around structures they build. Sometimes, these accumulations serve specific functions (e.g. structural or isolating features) or are purely incidental, while in other cases the materials are deliberately displayed to serve signalling purposes (extended phenotype signals). In this pilot study, we employed systematic in situ observations and camera trapping to describe for the first time that both partners of a territorial shorebird, the black-faced sheathbill (Chionis minor ssp minor) collect, carry, and arrange colourful marine shells and dry twigs within and around their nest cavity. Our observations expand the taxonomic breadth of avian extended phenotype signals, by showing that at least one species within a largely understudied group i.e., Charadriiformes, exhibits nest-decoration behaviour. Multiple manipulative experiments are needed to explore further the signalling function of these decorations, which opens new exciting avenues for animal communication and cognition research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samara Danel
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK.
| | - Timothée Zidat
- Cardiff University, School of Bioscience, Museum Avenue, Cardiff, Wales, CF10 3AX, UK.
| | - Annick Lucas
- CEFE, Univ Montpellier, CNRS, EPHE, IRD, Montpellier, France.
| | - Dora Biro
- Department of Zoology, University of Oxford, Oxford, OX1 3PS, UK; Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY 14627, USA.
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2
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Järvinen P, Brommer JE. Lining the nest with more feathers increases offspring recruitment probability: Selection on an extended phenotype in the blue tit. Ecol Evol 2020; 10:13327-13333. [PMID: 33304540 PMCID: PMC7713941 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.6931] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/18/2020] [Revised: 09/14/2020] [Accepted: 09/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/10/2022] Open
Abstract
Birds, among various other taxa, construct nests. Nests form an extended phenotype of the individual building it. Nests are used to extend control over the conditions in which offspring develop, and are therefore commonly considered to be shaped by selection. Nevertheless, scarcely any scientific evidence exist that nest composition is under selection. Here, we demonstrate with data from over 400 blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus) nests collected over 8 years that a higher proportion of feathers in the nest lining is positively associated with the probability of offspring to recruit as a breeding adult later in life. Strikingly, the extended phenotype (nest) was associated stronger with recruitment probability than phenotypic traits that have typically been considered important in selection (laying date, and female size and condition). Our findings suggest that the choice of nest material could be a maternal behavior with potential lifelong effects on her offspring.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jon E. Brommer
- Department of BiologyUniversity of TurkuTurkuFinland
- NOVIA University of Applied SciencesEkenäsFinland
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3
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Järvinen P, Brommer JE. Nest ornaments and feather composition form an extended phenotype syndrome in a wild bird. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2020. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-020-02912-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Many species throughout the animal kingdom construct nests for reproduction. A nest is an extended phenotype—a non-bodily attribute—of the individual building it. In some bird species, including our study population of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), conspicuous feathers or other material are placed on top of the nest. These so-called nest ornaments do not contribute to nest insulation, but are hypothesised to have a signalling function. Here, we apply the concept of behavioural syndromes, with focus on between-individual variation (repeatability) and between-individual correlations, to the study of avian nest construction. We find that nest ornamentation is a moderately repeatable trait in female blue tits, which suggests it is an extended phenotype of the female. Furthermore, the tendency to ornament the nest covaries across females with another aspect of her extended phenotype, the composition of the nest lining material, and these two traits thus form an extended phenotype syndrome. Assuming the correlation is reflected on a genetic level, it implies that nest ornamentation and composition of the nest lining do not evolve in isolation; one aspect may be an evolutionary by-product of selection on the other aspect and their overall flexibility to respond to change is reduced.
Significance statement
The avian nest is an extended phenotype (a non-bodily attribute) of its builder with potentially multiple functions in terms of insulation and signalling. In particular, many bird species’ nests contain nest ornaments, feathers or other materials that are placed on top of the nest and that stand out from the nest material due to their colour and/or size. We quantified between-individual variation (repeatability) of nest ornamentation behaviour in a wild population of blue tits and between-individual covariation (syndrome) of nest ornamentation to other features of nest construction. We find that nest ornamentation is a repeatable trait limited to females in our study population. The tendency to ornament the nest covaries across females with another aspect of her extended nest phenotype, the composition of the nest lining material. These correlated traits thus form an extended phenotype syndrome. It hence becomes crucial to recognise that a study of a single aspect of nest construction in isolation captures only a part of the complexity, as one aspect may have evolved as a correlated response of selection on the other aspect. Moreover, such a syndrome implies limited flexibility in the range of adaptive response.
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4
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Briggs KB, Mainwaring MC. Experimental evidence of non-random nest material selection in pied flycatchers. Behav Processes 2019; 164:59-64. [PMID: 31014981 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2019.04.008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2018] [Revised: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Nest building is a taxonomically widespread behaviour that consists of the construction of a suitable receptacle with collected materials for the incubation of eggs and sometimes for the raising of offspring. The use of specific nest materials has important fitness consequences for avian parents and offspring because they help to determine the thermal, parasitic and bacterial environment within nests and may also influence parental investment via intraspecific signalling. However, we presently know very little about the process by which nest materials are selected from the wider environment and specifically, it is unclear whether wild birds randomly or non-randomly select nest materials in relation to their local availability. Here, we report an experiment in which we provided experimental pairs of pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) with wool, feathers and deer hair - commonly used nest materials found in their woodland habitats - close to their nests during the nest building period whilst control pairs were not provided with any materials. We found that females at experimental nests showed very clear preferences for deer hair, whilst almost completely avoiding the wool and feathers, thereby demonstrating that females exhibited very strong preferences for certain nest materials but not others. We therefore conclude that birds select nest materials in a non-random manner and do not simply use the materials most commonly available to them.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Mark C Mainwaring
- Division of Biological Sciences, University of Montana, Missoula, MT, 59812, USA.
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5
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Soler JJ, Morales J, Cuervo JJ, Moreno J. Conspicuousness of passerine females is associated with the nest-building behaviour of males. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2019. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blz015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Juan José Soler
- Estación Experimental de Zonas Áridas (EEZA-CSIC), Almería, Spain
| | - Judith Morales
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| | | | - Juan Moreno
- Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (MNCN-CSIC), Madrid, Spain
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6
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Ruiz-Castellano C, Tomás G, Ruiz-Rodríguez M, Soler JJ. Nest material preferences by spotless starlings. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx139] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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7
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Rubalcaba JG, Fuentes D, Veiga JP, Polo V. Nest decoration as social signals by males and females: greenery and feathers in starling colonies. Behav Ecol 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arx101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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8
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Mainwaring MC. Causes and Consequences of Intraspecific Variation in Nesting Behaviors: Insights from Blue Tits and Great Tits. Front Ecol Evol 2017. [DOI: 10.3389/fevo.2017.00039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
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9
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Soler JJ, Ruiz-Castellano C, Figuerola J, Martín-Vivaldi M, Martínez-de la Puente J, Ruiz-Rodríguez M, Tomás G. Telomere length and dynamics of spotless starling nestlings depend on nest-building materials used by parents. Anim Behav 2017. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2017.01.018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/29/2022]
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Rubalcaba JG, Polo V, Maia R, Rubenstein DR, Veiga JP. Sexual and natural selection in the evolution of extended phenotypes: the use of green nesting material in starlings. J Evol Biol 2016; 29:1585-92. [DOI: 10.1111/jeb.12893] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2016] [Accepted: 05/04/2016] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- J. G. Rubalcaba
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica; Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - V. Polo
- Departamento de Biología, Geología, Física y Química Inorgánica; Área de Biodiversidad y Conservación; Universidad Rey Juan Carlos; Móstoles Madrid Spain
| | - R. Maia
- Department of Ecology; Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; New York NY USA
| | - D. R. Rubenstein
- Department of Ecology; Evolution and Environmental Biology; Columbia University; New York NY USA
| | - J. P. Veiga
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales; CSIC; Madrid Spain
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11
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Abstract
Selective pressures imposed by pathogenic microorganisms to embryos have selected in hosts for a battery of antimicrobial lines of defenses that includes physical and chemical barriers. Due to the antimicrobial properties of volatile compounds of green plants and of chemicals of feather degrading bacteria, the use of aromatic plants and feathers for nest building has been suggested as one of these barriers. However, experimental evidence suggesting such effects is scarce in the literature. During two consecutive years, we explored experimentally the effects of these nest materials on loads of different groups of bacteria (mesophilic bacteria, Enterobacteriaceae, Staphylococcus and Enterococcus) of eggshells in nests of spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) at the beginning and at the end of the incubation period. This was also explored in artificial nests without incubation activity. We also experimentally increased bacterial density of eggs in natural and artificial nests and explored the effects of nest lining treatments on eggshell bacterial load. Support for the hypothetical antimicrobial function of nest materials was mainly detected for the year and location with larger average values of eggshell bacterial density. The beneficial effects of feathers and plants were more easily detected in artificial nests with no incubation activity, suggesting an active role of incubation against bacterial colonization of eggshells. Pigmented and unpigmented feathers reduced eggshell bacterial load in starling nests and artificial nest boxes. Results from artificial nests allowed us to discuss and discard alternative scenarios explaining the detected association, particularly those related to the possible sexual role of feathers and aromatic plants in starling nests. All these results considered together confirm the antimicrobial functionality mainly of feathers but also of plants used as nest materials, and highlight the importance of temporally and geographically environmental variation associated with risk of bacterial proliferation determining the strength of such effects. Because of costs associated to nest building, birds should adjust nest building effort to expected bacterial environments during incubation, a prediction that should be further explored.
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12
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Fitzpatrick CL, Altmann J, Alberts SC. Exaggerated sexual swellings and male mate choice in primates: testing the reliable indicator hypothesis in the Amboseli baboons. Anim Behav 2015; 104:175-185. [PMID: 26752790 PMCID: PMC4704114 DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.03.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
The paradigm of competitive males vying to influence female mate choice has been repeatedly upheld, but, increasingly, studies also report competitive females and choosy males. One female trait that is commonly proposed to influence male mate choice is the exaggerated sexual swelling displayed by females of many Old World primate species. The reliable indicator hypothesis posits that females use the exaggerated swellings to compete for access to mates, and that the swellings advertise variation in female fitness. We tested the two main predictions of this hypothesis in a wild population of baboons (Papio cynocephalus). First, we examined the effect of swelling size on the probability of mate-guarding ('consortship') by the highest-ranking male and the behavior of those males that trailed consorshipts ('follower males'). Second, we asked whether a female's swelling size predicted several fitness measures. We found that high-ranking males do not prefer females with larger swellings (when controlling for cycle number and conception) and that females with larger swellings did not have higher reproductive success. Our study-the only complete test of the reliable indicator hypothesis in a primate population-rejects the idea that female baboons compete for mates by advertising heritable fitness differences. Furthermore, we found unambiguous evidence that males biased their mating decisions in favor of females who had experienced more sexual cycles since their most recent pregnancy. Thus, rather than tracking the potential differences in fitness between females, male baboons appear to track and target the potential for a given reproductive opportunity to result in fertilization.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Jeanne Altmann
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, USA; National Museums of Kenya, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
| | - Susan C Alberts
- Department of Biology, Duke University, Durham, NC, USA; National Museums of Kenya, Institute of Primate Research, Nairobi, Kenya
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14
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15
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Mainwaring MC, Hartley IR, Lambrechts MM, Deeming DC. The design and function of birds' nests. Ecol Evol 2014; 4:3909-28. [PMID: 25505520 PMCID: PMC4242575 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.1054] [Citation(s) in RCA: 135] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/17/2013] [Revised: 03/05/2014] [Accepted: 03/11/2014] [Indexed: 11/07/2022] Open
Abstract
All birds construct nests in which to lay eggs and/or raise offspring. Traditionally, it was thought that natural selection and the requirement to minimize the risk of predation determined the design of completed nests. However, it is becoming increasingly apparent that sexual selection also influences nest design. This is an important development as while species such as bowerbirds build structures that are extended phenotypic signals whose sole purpose is to attract a mate, nests contain eggs and/or offspring, thereby suggesting a direct trade-off between the conflicting requirements of natural and sexual selection. Nest design also varies adaptively in order to both minimize the detrimental effects of parasites and to create a suitable microclimate for parents and developing offspring in relation to predictable variation in environmental conditions. Our understanding of the design and function of birds' nests has increased considerably in recent years, and the evidence suggests that nests have four nonmutually exclusive functions. Consequently, we conclude that the design of birds' nests is far more sophisticated than previously realized and that nests are multifunctional structures that have important fitness consequences for the builder/s.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark C Mainwaring
- Department of Biological Sciences, Macquarie University Sydney, NSW, 2109, Australia
| | - Ian R Hartley
- Lancaster Environment Centre, Lancaster University Lancaster, LA1 4YQ, U.K
| | - Marcel M Lambrechts
- Centre d'Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Evolutive, CEFE UMR 5175, Campus CNRS 1919 Route de Mende, F-34293, Montpellier Cedex 5, France
| | - D Charles Deeming
- School of Life Sciences, University of Lincoln Riseholme, Park, Lincoln, LN2 2LG, U.K
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García-Navas V, Ortego J, Ferrer ES, Sanz JJ. Feathers, suspicions, and infidelities: an experimental study on parental care and certainty of paternity in the blue tit. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12079] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Vicente García-Navas
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n; 13071; Ciudad Real; Spain
| | - Joaquín Ortego
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n; 13071; Ciudad Real; Spain
| | - Esperanza S. Ferrer
- Grupo de Investigación de la Biodiversidad Genética y Cultural; Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM-JCCM); Ronda de Toledo s/n; 13071; Ciudad Real; Spain
| | - Juan José Sanz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva; Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC); Calle José Gutiérrez Abascal, 2; 28006; Madrid; Spain
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17
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Tomás G, Merino S, Martínez-de la Puente J, Moreno J, Morales J, Rivero-de Aguilar J. Nest size and aromatic plants in the nest as sexually selected female traits in blue tits. Behav Ecol 2013. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/art015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 40] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
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18
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García-López de Hierro L, Moleón M, Ryan PG. Is Carrying Feathers a Sexually Selected Trait in House Sparrows? Ethology 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.12053] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Marcos Moleón
- Centre for African Ecology; School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand; Johannesburg; South Africa
| | - Peter G. Ryan
- Percy FitzPatrick Institute; DST/NRF Centre of Excellence; University of Cape Town; Rondebosch; South Africa
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19
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Sanz JJ, García-Navas V. Nest ornamentation in blue tits: is feather carrying ability a male status signal? Behav Ecol 2010. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arq199] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
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PERALTA-SANCHEZ JUANM, MØLLER ANDERSP, SOLER JUANJ. Colour composition of nest lining feathers affects hatching success of barn swallows, Hirundo rustica (Passeriformes: Hirundinidae). Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2010.01557.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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21
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Polo V, López-Rull I, Gil D, Veiga JP. Experimental Addition of Green Plants to the Nest Increases Testosterone Levels in Female Spotless Starlings. Ethology 2010. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01724.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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22
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Do spotless starlings place feathers at their nests by ultraviolet color? Naturwissenschaften 2009; 97:181-6. [DOI: 10.1007/s00114-009-0625-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/25/2008] [Revised: 10/30/2009] [Accepted: 10/30/2009] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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23
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VERGARA PABLO, FARGALLO JUANA, MARTÍNEZ-PADILLA JESÚS, LEMUS JESÚSA. Inter-annual variation and information content of melanin-based coloration in female Eurasian kestrels. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1095-8312.2009.01263.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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24
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Veiga J, Polo V. Fitness Consequences of Increased Testosterone Levels in Female Spotless Starlings. Am Nat 2008; 172:42-53. [DOI: 10.1086/587850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/03/2022]
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25
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Kelso EC, Martins EP. Effects of two courtship display components on female reproductive behaviour and physiology in the sagebrush lizard. Anim Behav 2008. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.07.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 36] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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