Surplus nest boxes and the potential for polygyny affect clutch size and offspring sex ratio in house wrens
| Autor: | Thomas Getty, E Dale Kennedy, Natalie S. Dubois |
|---|---|
| Jazyk: | angličtina |
| Rok vydání: | 2006 |
| Předmět: |
Avian clutch size
Male General Immunology and Microbiology Reproductive success Ecology Reproduction General Medicine Biology General Biochemistry Genetics and Molecular Biology Nesting Behavior Songbirds Sexual Behavior Animal Nest Sexual selection Animals Evolutionary ecology Female Sex Ratio General Agricultural and Biological Sciences Parental investment Polygyny Sex ratio General Environmental Science Demography Research Article |
| Popis: | Females of many species can gain benefits from being choosy about their mates and even exhibit context-dependent investment in reproduction in response to the quality of their breeding situation. Here, we show that if a male house wren is provided with surplus nest boxes in his territory, his mate lays a larger clutch with a significantly higher proportion of sons. This response to a territory characteristic directly associated with male competitive ability, and ultimately to male reproductive success, suggests that male competition over access to high-quality territories with surplus nest boxes (i.e. those able to support polygyny) may influence female reproductive investment decisions. The results of this study have interesting implications, particularly considering the important role that studies of cavity nesting birds utilizing nest boxes have played in advancing our understanding of behaviour, ecology and evolution. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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