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ABSTRACT: The magnitude of sexual size dimorphism can be affected by sex differences in environmental sensitivity early in ontogeny
that result in differential growth rates of male and female nestlings. Here, the larger sex might either be more sensitive
because of higher food demands or less sensitive due to greater competitive ability. When environmental conditions deteriorate
during the breeding season, this “environmental stress” hypothesis predicts differential seasonal declines in the performance
of male and female offspring. Based on a sample of molecularly sexed Coal Tit (Periparus ater) nestlings from 2years, we investigated sexual size dimorphism in body mass, condition (i.e. size-corrected mass), tarsus
and wing length and whether its magnitude changed from early to late broods. Male offspring were heavier, larger (in terms
of tarsus and wing length) and had higher size-corrected mass than their female nest mates (the same was evident in adult
breeders). In 2002 (the year with the longer effective breeding season), body mass and condition declined with progressing
hatching date and this effect was significantly more pronounced in male than in female nestlings. There was also a seasonal
decline in male wing length, while female wing length remained relatively constant, which resulted in males having shorter
wings than females in late broods. Tarsus length was unaffected by time of breeding, except that the difference between males
and females was relatively smaller in late (i.e. second) broods in 2002. While these results are in accordance with the idea
of an increased environmental sensitivity of the larger males, confounding effects of sex-differential hatching order cannot
be ruled out.
04/2012; 149(4):565-577.
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ABSTRACT: Females of many socially monogamous bird species commonly engage in extra-pair copulations. Assuming that extra-pair males
are more attractive than the females’ social partners and that attractiveness has a heritable component, sex allocation theory
predicts facultative overproduction of sons among extra-pair offspring (EPO) as sons benefit more than daughters from inheriting
their father’s attractiveness traits. Here, we present a large-scale, three-year study on sex ratio variation in a passerine
bird, the coal tit (Parus ater). Molecular sexing in combination with paternity analysis revealed no evidence for a male-bias in EPO sex ratios compared
to their within-pair maternal half-siblings. Our main conclusion, therefore, is that facultative sex allocation to EPO is
absent in the coal tit, in accordance with findings in several other species. Either there is no net selection for a deviation
from random sex ratio variation (e.g. because extra-pair mating may serve goals different from striving for ‘attractiveness
genes’) or evolutionary constraints preclude the evolution of precise maternal sex ratio adjustment. It is interesting to
note that, however, we found broods without EPO as well as broods without mortality to be relatively female-biased compared
to broods with EPO and mortality, respectively. We were unable to identify any environmental or parental variable to co-vary
with brood sex ratios. There was no significant repeatability of sex ratios in consecutive broods of individual females that
would hint at some idiosyncratic maternal sex ratio adjustment. Further research is needed to resolve the biological significance
of the correlation between brood sex ratios and extra-pair paternity and mortality incidence, respectively.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 04/2012; 60(4):563-571. · 3.18 Impact Factor
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Tapio Eeva,
Suvi Ruuskanen,
Juha-Pekka Salminen,
Eugen Belskii,
Antero Järvinen,
Anvar Kerimov,
Erkki Korpimäki,
Indrikis Krams,
Juan Moreno,
Chiara Morosinotto,
Raivo Mänd,
Markku Orell,
Anna Qvarnström,
Heli Siitari,
Fred M Slater,
Vallo Tilgar,
Marcel E Visser, Wolfgang Winkel,
Herwig Zang,
Toni Laaksonen
[show abstract]
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ABSTRACT: Carotenoids in the egg yolks of birds are considered to be important antioxidants and immune stimulants during the rapid growth of embryos. Yolk carotenoid composition is strongly affected by the carotenoid composition of the female's diet at the time of egg formation. Spatial and temporal differences in carotenoid availability may thus be reflected in yolk concentrations. To assess whether yolk carotenoid concentrations or carotenoid profiles show any large-scale geographical trends or differences among habitats, we collected yolk samples from 16 European populations of the pied flycatcher, Ficedula hypoleuca. We found that the concentrations and proportions of lutein and some other xanthophylls in the egg yolks decreased from Central Europe northwards. The most southern population (which is also the one found at the highest altitude) also showed relatively low carotenoid levels. Concentrations of β-carotene and zeaxanthin did not show any obvious geographical gradients. Egg yolks also contained proportionally more lutein and other xanthophylls in deciduous than in mixed or coniferous habitats. We suggest that latitudinal gradients in lutein and xanthophylls reflect the lower availability of lutein-rich food items in the northern F. hypoleuca populations and in montane southern populations, which start egg-laying earlier relative to tree phenology than the Central European populations. Similarly, among-habitat variation is likely to reflect the better availability of lutein-rich food in deciduous forests. Our study is the first to indicate that the concentration and profile of yolk carotenoids may show large-scale spatial variation among populations in different parts of the species' geographical range. Further studies are needed to test the fitness effects of this geographical variation.
Oecologia 02/2011; 165(2):277-87. · 3.41 Impact Factor
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Suvi Ruuskanen,
Heli Siitari,
Tapio Eeva,
Eugen Belskii,
Antero Järvinen,
Anvar Kerimov,
Indrikis Krams,
Juan Moreno,
Chiara Morosinotto,
Raivo Mänd,
Erich Möstl,
Markku Orell,
Anna Qvarnström,
Juha-Pekka Salminen,
Fred Slater,
Vallo Tilgar,
Marcel E Visser, Wolfgang Winkel,
Herwig Zang,
Toni Laaksonen
[show abstract]
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ABSTRACT: Reproductive, phenotypic and life-history traits in many animal and plant taxa show geographic variation, indicating spatial variation in selection regimes. Maternal deposition to avian eggs, such as hormones, antibodies and antioxidants, critically affect development of the offspring, with long-lasting effects on the phenotype and fitness. Little is however known about large-scale geographical patterns of variation in maternal deposition to eggs. We studied geographical variation in egg components of a passerine bird, the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), by collecting samples from 16 populations and measuring egg and yolk mass, albumen lysozyme activity, yolk immunoglobulins, yolk androgens and yolk total carotenoids. We found significant variation among populations in most egg components, but ca. 90% of the variation was among individuals within populations. Population however explained 40% of the variation in carotenoid levels. In contrast to our hypothesis, we found geographical trends only in carotenoids, but not in any of the other egg components. Our results thus suggest high within-population variation and leave little scope for local adaptation and genetic differentiation in deposition of different egg components. The role of these maternally-derived resources in evolutionary change should be further investigated.
PLoS ONE 01/2011; 6(11):e25360. · 4.09 Impact Factor
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Jon E Brommer,
Jussi S Alho,
Clotilde Biard,
Joanne R Chapman,
Anne Charmantier,
Amelie Dreiss,
Ian R Hartley,
Mårten B Hjernquist,
Bart Kempenaers,
Jan Komdeur,
Toni Laaksonen,
Paula K Lehtonen,
Thomas Lubjuhn,
Samantha C Patrick,
Balázs Rosivall,
Joost M Tinbergen,
Marco van der Velde,
Kees van Oers,
Tomasz Wilk, Wolfgang Winkel
[show abstract]
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ABSTRACT: In many socially monogamous animals, females engage in extrapair copulation (EPC), causing some broods to contain both within-pair and extrapair young (EPY). The proportion of all young that are EPY varies across populations and species. Because an EPC that does not result in EPY leaves no forensic trace, this variation in the proportion of EPY reflects both variation in the tendency to engage in EPC and variation in the extrapair fertilization (EPF) process across populations and species. We analyzed data on the distribution of EPY in broods of four passerines (blue tit, great tit, collared flycatcher, and pied flycatcher), with 18,564 genotyped nestlings from 2,346 broods in two to nine populations per species. Our Bayesian modeling approach estimated the underlying probability function of EPC (assumed to be a Poisson function) and conditional binomial EPF probability. We used an information theoretical approach to show that the expected distribution of EPC per female varies across populations but that EPF probabilities vary on the above-species level (tits vs. flycatchers). Hence, for these four passerines, our model suggests that the probability of an EPC mainly is determined by ecological (population-specific) conditions, whereas EPF probabilities reflect processes that are fixed above the species level.
The American Naturalist 08/2010; 176(2):178-87. · 4.72 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: The hypothesis that females of socially monogamous species obtain indirect benefits (good or compatible genes) from extra-pair mating behaviour has received enormous attention but much less generally accepted support. Here we ask whether selection for adult survival and fecundity or sexual selection contribute to indirect selection of the extra-pair mating behaviour in socially monogamous coal tits (Periparus ater). We tracked locally recruited individuals with known paternity status through their lives predicting that the extra-pair offspring (EPO) would outperform the within-pair offspring (WPO). No differences between the WPO and EPO recruits were detected in lifespan or age of first reproduction. However, the male WPO had a higher lifetime number of broods and higher lifetime number of social offspring compared with male EPO recruits, while no such differences were evident for female recruits. Male EPO recruits did not compensate for their lower social reproductive success by higher fertilization success within their social pair bonds. Thus, our results do not support the idea that enhanced adult survival, fecundity or within-pair fertilization success are manifestations of the genetic benefits of extra-pair matings. But we emphasize that a crucial fitness component, the extra-pair fertilization success of male recruits, has yet
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 10/2008; 276(1655):337-45. · 5.41 Impact Factor
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Evi Van den Steen,
Rianne Pinxten,
Veerle L B Jaspers,
Adrian Covaci,
Emilio Barba,
Claudio Carere,
Mariusz Cichoń,
Anna Dubiec,
Tapio Eeva,
Philipp Heeb, [......],
Markku Orell,
Petr Podzemny,
Juan José Sanz,
Juan Carlos Senar,
Juan José Soler,
Alberto Sorace,
János Török,
Marcel E Visser, Wolfgang Winkel,
Marcel Eens
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ABSTRACT: Large-scale studies are essential to assess the emission patterns and spatial distribution of organohalogenated pollutants (OHPs) in the environment. Bird eggs have several advantages compared to other environmental media which have previously been used to map the distribution of OHPs. In this study, large-scale geographical variation in the occurrence of OHPs, such as polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs), was investigated throughout Europe using eggs of a terrestrial residential passerine species, the great tit (Parus major). Great tit eggs from 22 sampling sites, involving urban, rural and remote areas, in 14 European countries were collected and analysed (5-8 eggs per sampling site). The environmentally most important congeners/compounds of the analysed pollutants were detectable in all sampling locations. For PCBs, PBDEs and OCPs, no clear geographical contamination pattern was found. Sum PCB levels ranged from 143 ng/g lipid weight (lw) to 3660 ng/g lw. As expected, PCB concentrations were significantly higher in the sampled urban compared to the remote locations. However, the urban locations did not show significantly higher concentrations compared to the rural locations. Sum PBDEs ranged from 4.0 ng/g lw to 136 ng/g lw. PBDEs were significantly higher in the urbanized sampling locations compared to the other locations. The significant, positive correlation between PCB and PBDE concentrations suggests similar spatial exposure and/or mechanisms of accumulation. Significantly higher levels of OCPs (sum OCPs ranging from 191 ng/g lw to 7830 ng/g lw) were detected in rural sampling locations. Contamination profiles of PCBs, PBDEs and OCPs differed also among the sampling locations, which may be due to local usage and contamination sources. The higher variance among sampling locations for the PCBs and OCPs, suggests that local contamination sources are more important for the PCBs and OCPs compared to the PBDEs. To our knowledge, this is the first study in which bird eggs were used as a monitoring tool for OHPs on such a large geographical scale.
Environment international 10/2008; 35(2):310-7. · 4.79 Impact Factor
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Ibis 04/2008; 141(4):683 - 686. · 2.43 Impact Factor
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Bernt-Erik Saether,
Steinar Engen,
Vidar Grøtan,
Wolfgang Fiedler,
Erik Matthysen,
Marcel E Visser,
Jonathan Wright,
Anders Pape Møller,
Frank Adriaensen,
Hans van Balen,
Dawn Balmer,
Mark C Mainwaring,
Robin H McCleery,
Miriam Pampus, Wolfgang Winkel
[show abstract]
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ABSTRACT: 1. Synchronous fluctuations of geographically separated populations are in general explained by the Moran effect, i.e. a common influence on the local population dynamics of environmental variables that are correlated in space. Empirical support for such a Moran effect has been difficult to provide, mainly due to problems separating out effects of local population dynamics, demographic stochasticity and dispersal that also influence the spatial scaling of population processes. Here we generalize the Moran effect by decomposing the spatial autocorrelation function for fluctuations in the size of great tit Parus major and blue tit Cyanistes caeruleus populations into components due to spatial correlations in the environmental noise, local differences in the strength of density regulation and the effects of demographic stochasticity. 2. Differences between localities in the strength of density dependence and nonlinearity in the density regulation had a small effect on population synchrony, whereas demographic stochasticity reduced the effects of the spatial correlation in environmental noise on the spatial correlations in population size by 21.7% and 23.3% in the great tit and blue tit, respectively. 3. Different environmental variables, such as beech mast and climate, induce a common environmental forcing on the dynamics of central European great and blue tit populations. This generates synchronous fluctuations in the size of populations located several hundred kilometres apart. 4. Although these environmental variables were autocorrelated over large areas, their contribution to the spatial synchrony in the population fluctuations differed, dependent on the spatial scaling of their effects on the local population dynamics. We also demonstrate that this effect can lead to the paradoxical result that a common environmental variable can induce spatial desynchronization of the population fluctuations. 5. This demonstrates that a proper understanding of the ecological consequences of environmental changes, especially those that occur simultaneously over large areas, will require information about the spatial scaling of their effects on local population dynamics.
Journal of Animal Ecology 04/2007; 76(2):315-25. · 4.94 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: An important step to a better understanding of the adaptive significance of extrapair mating behavior in socially monogamous species is to uncover the identity of extrapair sires (EPS). Here, we used a combination of multilocus DNA fingerprinting and microsatellite analysis to identify EPS in the socially monogamous coal tit (Periparus ater), a passerine bird with high rates of extrapair paternity. We then analyzed how fertilization success was related to male age in 2 consecutive first brood periods based on knowledge of the exact age of the majority of territorial males. EPS were significantly older compared with the males they cuckolded. Furthermore, extrapair and, as a consequence, also total fertilization success were positively related to male age, while within-pair success was not. Interestingly, fertilization success did not increase linearly with male age but leveled off for older age classes and was most parsimoniously described by the inverse term of male age. Results were consistent over the 2 years, while the demography of the study population differed with respect to the age distribution of territorial males. Furthermore, we also show that individual males increased their extrapair fertilization (EPF) success with age indicating that cross-sectional analyses were not confounded by cohort effects. Together with the results from other species, these findings suggest that male age (or a strong correlate thereof) is a major determinant of EPF success in several socially monogamous bird species. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.
Behavioral Ecology. 01/2007; 18(6):1073-1081.
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ABSTRACT: In polygynous species with biparental care, the amount of paternal support often varies considerably. In the pied flycatcher (Ficedula hypoleuca), females mated with monogamous males receive more male assistance during the nestling phase than females mated with bigynous males, as the latter have to share their mates with another female. Bigynous males, however, give more support to their primary broods than to their secondary broods. Using a long-term dataset (31 years), the present study revealed that direct reproductive success, i.e. number of fledglings, was lower in females that mated with bigynous males, especially in secondary broods without male assistance, than in females that mated with monogamous males. Secondary broods with male assistance were more affected than primary broods. Female survival was independent of mating status. In primary broods, a delayed compensation for inferior direct reproductive success was found in terms of the number of grandoffspring, a phenomenon that did not occur in secondary broods. Delayed compensation in primary broods refers to indirect effects, i.e. good genes. According to the sexy son hypothesis, genetically superior (i.e. sexy) males may have sons with a higher number of broods belonging to a polygynous breeding status than do sons from broods with a monogamous father. This was indeed the case for sons descending from primary broods, but not for sons descending from secondary broods.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 08/2006; 273(1594):1681-8. · 5.41 Impact Factor
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Christiaan Both,
Juan José Sanz,
Aleksandr V Artemyev,
Bert Blaauw,
Richard J Cowie,
Aarnoud J Dekhuizen,
Anders Enemar,
Antero Järvinen,
N Erik,
I Nyholm,
Jaime Potti,
Pierre-Alain Ravussin,
Bengt Silverin,
Fred M Slater,
Leonid V Sokolov,
Marcel E Visser, Wolfgang Winkel,
Jonathan Wright,
Herwig Zang
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ABSTRACT: 2006. Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca travelling from Africa to breed in Europe: differential effects of winter and migration condi-tions on breeding date. Ardea 94(3): 511–525. In most bird species there is only a short time window available for opti-mal breeding due to variation in ecological conditions in a seasonal environment. Long-distance migrants must travel before they start breeding, and conditions at the wintering grounds and during migration may affect travelling speed and hence arrival and breeding dates. These effects are to a large extent determined by climate variables such as rainfall and temperature, and need to be identified to predict how well species can adapt to climate change. In this paper we analyse effects of vegetation growth on the wintering grounds and sites en route on the annual timing of breeding of 17 populations of Pied Flycatchers Ficedula hypoleuca studied between 1982–2000. Timing of breeding was largely correlated with local spring temperatures, supplemented by striking effects of African vegetation and NAO. Populations differed in the effects of vegetation growth on the wintering grounds, and on their northern African staging grounds, as well as ecological conditions in Europe as measured by the winter NAO. In general, early breeding populations (low altitude, western European populations) bred earlier in years with more vegetation in the Northern Sahel zone, as well as in Northern Africa. In contrast, late breeding populations (high altitude and north-ern and eastern populations) advanced their breeding dates when cir-cumstances in Europe were more advanced (high NAO). Thus, timing of breeding in most Pied Flycatcher populations not only depends upon local circumstances, but also on conditions encountered during travel-ling, and these effects differ across populations dependent on the timing of travelling and breeding.
Ardea. 01/2006; 94.
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ABSTRACT: Avian extrapair mating systems provide an interesting model to assess the role of genetic benefits in the evolution of female multiple mating behavior, as potentially confounding nongenetic benefits of extrapair mate choice are seen to be of minor importance. Genetic benefit models of extrapair mating behavior predict that females engage in extrapair copulations with males of higher genetic quality compared to their social mates, thereby improving offspring reproductive value. The most straightforward test of such good genes models of extrapair mating implies pairwise comparisons of maternal half-siblings raised in the same environment, which permits direct assessment of paternal genetic effects on offspring traits. But genetic benefits of mate choice may be difficult to detect. Furthermore, the extent of genetic benefits (in terms of increased offspring viability or fecundity) may depend on the environmental context such that the proposed differences between extrapair offspring (EPO) and within-pair offspring (WPO) only appear under comparatively poor environmental conditions. We tested the hypothesis that genetic benefits of female extrapair mate choice are context dependent by analyzing offspring fitness-related traits in the coal tit (Parus ater) in relation to seasonal variation in environmental conditions. Paternal genetic effects on offspring fitness were context dependent, as shown by a significant interaction effect of differential paternal genetic contribution and offspring hatching date. EPO showed a higher local recruitment probability than their maternal half-siblings if born comparatively late in the season (i.e., when overall performance had significantly declined), while WPO performed better early in the season. The same general pattern of context dependence was evident when using the number of grandchildren born to a cuckolding female via her female WPO or EPO progeny as the respective fitness measure. However, we were unable to demonstrate that cuckolding females obtained a general genetic fitness benefit from extrapair fertilizations in terms of offspring viability or fecundity. Thus, another type of benefit could be responsible for maintaining female extrapair mating preferences in the study population. Our results suggest that more than a single selective pressure may have shaped the evolution of female extrapair mating behavior in socially monogamous passerines.
Evolution 04/2005; 59(3):645-57. · 5.15 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Despite substantial research effort, the benefits of female extra-pair matings in socially monogamous bird species remain elusive. The good genes hypothesis assumes that females engage in extra-pair copulations with males of superior genetic quality compared to their respective social mate. Therefore, a negative association between the degree of cuckoldry and male survival is predicted, if genetic quality is phenotypically reflected by high viability. Furthermore, genetic sires of extra-pair offspring (EPO) should survive better than the social fathers they cuckolded. We tested these predictions in a nestbox population of the coal tit (Parus ater), a socially monogamous passerine with low breeding dispersal and high rates of extra-pair paternity (EPP). Based on 257 genotyped first broods of two consecutive years, we found no relationship between the incidence of EPP or the proportion of EPO within a given brood and male or female recapture probabilities. Furthermore, recapture rates did not differ between social and genetic fathers of EPO or males that did or did not appear as extra-pair sires in other broods. Our results were not affected by differential (short-range) breeding dispersal with respect to EPP or by other potentially confounding variables. Hence, they are not in accordance with the good genes as viability genes hypothesis.
09/2004; 145(4):327-333.
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Christiaan Both,
Aleksandr V Artemyev,
Bert Blaauw,
Richard J Cowie,
Aarnoud J Dekhuijzen,
Tapio Eeva,
Anders Enemar,
Lars Gustafsson,
Elena V Ivankina,
Antero Järvinen, [......],
Pierre-Alain Ravussin,
Juan Jose Sanz,
Bengt Silverin,
Fred M Slater,
Leonid V Sokolov,
János Török, Wolfgang Winkel,
Jonathan Wright,
Herwig Zang,
Marcel E Visser
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ABSTRACT: Advances in the phenology of organisms are often attributed to climate change, but alternatively, may reflect a publication bias towards advances and may be caused by environmental factors unrelated to climate change. Both factors are investigated using the breeding dates of 25 long-term studied populations of Ficedula flycatchers across Europe. Trends in spring temperature varied markedly between study sites, and across populations the advancement of laying date was stronger in areas where the spring temperatures increased more, giving support to the theory that climate change causally affects breeding date advancement.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 09/2004; 271(1549):1657-62. · 5.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: In order to assess the potentially harmful consequences of blood sampling in nestling coal tits (Parus ater), we analysed fledging success, fledgling local recruitment and recruit natal dispersal for nestlings originating from 27 blood-sampled broods and nestlings from 39 control broods. No adverse effects of blood sampling were detectable.
12/2003; 145(1):79-80.
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ABSTRACT: Differential survival of males and females affects the structure and dynamics of avian populations, but studying sex-specific survival rates is difficult. This is especially true for offspring if the period between hatching and first breeding is considered. Under certain conditions, however, the determination of offspring sex ratio, recruitment and dispersal may help in the investigation of sex-specific survival rates to the age of first breeding. Applying a molecular technique we sexed a large sample of Coal Tit (Parus ater) nestlings from a nest box population in a coniferous forest near Lingen/Emsland (Lower Saxony, Germany). The study covered a period of two years and included first and second broods. We found that the sex ratio did not deviate from unity. Through capturing breeding adults in the second year, we were able to examine local recruitment rates and natal dispersal distances of male and female offspring. The sexes differed significantly neither in recruitment probability, which was generally high, nor in dispersal distance, which was generally low. Our results indicate that there is no difference in the survival rate of male and female Coal Tits during their first year of life. The relevance of our findings are discussed with regard to the characteristics of the study population.ZusammenfassungDie Überlebensrate von Individuen beeinflusst erheblich die Zusammensetzung und Dynamik von Vogelpopulationen. Von besonderem Interesse ist hierbei die Frage, ob sich die Überlebenswahrscheinlichkeit von Männchen und Weibchen unterscheidet. Dies zu klären, gestaltet sich besonders schwierig, wenn das Überleben von Jungvögeln im ersten Jahr betrachtet werden soll, da die Geburtsortstreue oftmals weniger ausgeprägt ist als die Brutortstreue. Unter gewissen Bedingungen können jedoch Untersuchungen zur geschlechtsspezifischen Rekrutierungsrate und zur Entfernung zwischen Geburts- und Bruthöhle Rückschlüsse auf die Überlebensraten zulassen. Mittels molekularer Methoden haben wir das Geschlecht von insgesamt 2243 Jungvögeln der Tannenmeise (Parus ater) aus einer Nistkastenpopulation bei Lingen/Emsland (Niedersachsen) bestimmt. Die Untersuchung erstreckte sich über zwei Jahre (2000 und 2001) und schloss im ersten Jahr 91 Erstbruten sowie 55 Zweitbruten und im zweiten Jahr 159 Erstbruten ein. Basierend auf den Wiederfangraten im zweiten Jahr ließen sich Aussagen bezüglich der Geburtsortstreue der Jungvögel des Jahres 2000 treffen. Das Geschlechterverhältnis der Nestlinge war bei einem Männchen-Anteil zwischen 47,0 % und 53,8 % sowohl in beiden Jahren als auch in Erst- und Zweitbruten ausgeglichen. Zudem unterschieden sich Männchen und Weibchen weder bezüglich der Geburtsortstreue, die generell sehr ausgeprägt war (insgesamt 10,3 % der untersuchten Jungvögel konnten im Folgejahr als Brutvogel wiedergefangen werden), noch im Hinblick auf die Distanz zwischen Geburts- und Bruthöhle, die generell sehr niedrig war (durchschnittlich 549 ± 299 m). Unter Berücksichtigung der Tatsache, dass das Untersuchungsgebiet für die Tannenmeise ein optimales Habitat darstellt, deuten diese Befunde darauf hin, dass sich die Überlebensraten männlicher und weiblicher Tannenmeisen im ersten Lebensjahr nicht unterscheiden. Es muss jedoch offen bleiben, ob sich diese Schlussfolgerung ohne weiteres auf andere Populationen übertragen lässt.
Journal of Ornithology 03/2003; 144(2):148 - 156. · 1.64 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Whether female birds choose extra-pair mating partners to obtain genetic fitness benefits is intensely debated. The most straightforward and crucial test of 'good genes' models of female extra-pair mating is the comparison of naturally 'cross-fostered' maternal half-siblings sharing the same rearing environment as any systematic differences in performance between the two categories of offspring phenotype can be attributed to differential paternal genetic contribution. We analysed local recruitment and first-year reproductive performance of maternal half-siblings in the coal tit (Parus ater), a passerine bird with high levels of extra-pair paternity. We provide a highly comprehensive measure of the long-term fitness consequences of female extra-pair matings based on a large sample of 736 within-pair offspring (WPO) and 368 extra-pair offspring (EPO) from 91 first and 55 second broods, from which 132 breeders recruited into the study population. In contrast to predictions derived from 'good genes' models, we found no differences in local recruitment and seven parameters of first-year reproductive performance when comparing WPO and EPO. These results question the universal validity of findings in other bird species supporting 'good genes' models, particularly as they are based on the best approximation to female fitness obtained so far.
Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences 03/2003; 270(1512):259-64. · 5.41 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: One of the most interesting aspects of the mating system of pied flycatchers is the regular occurrence of polygyny. Here we
present data on the reproductive success of polygynously paired pied flycatcher males compared to monogamous males based on
paternity analyses through DNA fingerprinting. Males paired with two females suffered a higher loss in reproductive output
per female compared to monogamous males due to (1) a greater proportion of unhatched eggs in their broods, (2) greater nestling
mortality and (3) a greater probability of being cuckolded. Nevertheless, the number of fledglings was significantly greater
for polygynous males. Based on the number of nestlings that returned for subsequent breeding seasons, however, the reproductive
success of monogamous and polygynous males did not differ significantly. These data raise the question as to why males attempt
polygyny.
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology 05/2000; 48(1):12-17. · 3.18 Impact Factor
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ABSTRACT: Bei Lingen/Emsland (52.27 N, 7.15 E) in Norddeutschland wurden 31 Trauerschnpperbruten mit Hilfe des Oligonukleotid DNA-Fingerprintings untersucht. In 4 Bruten (12,9 %) fanden sich insgesamt 9 Nestlinge, die auf Fremdkopulationen der zurckgingen. Ihr Anteil an der Gesamtzahl der Nestlinge (n=165) betrug 5,5 %. Bezieht man den Verpaarungsstatus der in die Betrachtungen ein, findet sich ein signifikanter Unterschied: Nur eines von 20 anscheinend monogam verpaarten wurde betrogen, dagegen fanden sich bei nicht weniger als 3 von 7 bigyn verpaarten Nestlinge, die auf Fremdkopulationen der zurckgingen. Der Anteil betrogener bigyner wird dabei unter Umstnden sogar unterschtzt, da in drei Fllen die Primrbruten nicht untersucht werden konnten.The study deals with the occurrence of extra-pair copulations within a Pied Flycatcher population near Lingen/Emsland (52.27 N, 7.15 E) in northern Germany. As a whole, 31 Pied Flycatcher broods were investigated using oligonucleotide DNA finger-printing. In 4 broods (12.9 %) a sum of 9 nestlings were found to be due to extra-pair copulations of the females. Their proportion with regard to the total number of nestlings investigated (n=165) amounts to 5.5 %. Integrating the pairing status of males into the analyses a significant difference was found: Only one of 20 obviously monogamous males was cuckolded, while for 3 of 7 bigyneous males' nestlings were identified that resulted from extra-pair copulations of the females. The proportion of cuckolded bigyneous males may be even underestimated, because in three cases the primary broods could not be investigated.
01/1996; 137(4):435-446.
