| Autor: |
Schlicht, Emmi, Gilsenan, Carol, Santema, Peter, Türk, Agnes, Wittenzellner, Andrea, Kempenaers, Bart |
| Rok vydání: |
2022 |
| Předmět: |
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| DOI: |
10.17605/osf.io/6ejzy |
| Popis: |
Male age is one of the most consistent predictors of male extra-pair siring success across bird species. In our long-term study of blue tits (Cyanistes caeruleus), this effect presents itself as a difference in extra-pair siring success between yearling (i.e. one-year-old) and adult (i.e. older) males: adult males are more than twice as likely to sire extra-pair young as yearling males. Two mechanisms may contribute to this effect. First, extra-pair siring success of yearling males may be suppressed in the presence of adult males. This may arise either because male-male competition prevents extra-pair success of yearling males, or because females prefer adult males as extra-pair partners, when given the choice. Second, extra-pair success of yearling males may be low, independent of the presence of adult males. This may arise either because yearling males intrinsically express extra-pair behaviour at a lower rate than adult males (e.g. because of lack of experience or reduced previous social interactions), or because females are unwilling to engage in extra-pair copulations with young males (regardless of the presence of older males). The aim of this study is to assess the relative importance of these two processes. We manipulated the age structure of our long-term study population such that in 2022 we expect that the far majority of breeding males are yearlings. Removal of adult males from the breeding population should release yearling males from effects of competition by adult males and remove opportunities for female choice of males based on age. This allows us to assess the effect of adult male presence on the extra-pair siring success of yearling males. |
| Databáze: |
OpenAIRE |
| Externí odkaz: |
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