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Repeatability of extra-pair mating in tree swallows.

Linda A Whittingham1, Peter O Dunn, Mary K Stapleton

  • 1Department of Biological Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, 53201, USA. whitting@uwm.edu

Molecular Ecology
|February 28, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Female tree swallows show repeatable extra-pair mating behavior across clutches, suggesting a strategy to maximize offspring genetic diversity. This study explores mating preferences in a wild population.

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Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Behavioral ecology
  • Ornithology

Background:

  • Sexual selection models often assume heritable and repeatable female mating preferences.
  • Previous research on mating preference repeatability focused on captive individuals and social mate choice.
  • Extra-pair mating is common in wild populations and significantly impacts sexual selection dynamics.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the repeatability of extra-pair mating behavior in a wild population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor).
  • To determine if individual females exhibit consistent patterns in their extra-pair mating across different mating episodes within a breeding season.

Main Methods:

  • The study was conducted on a wild population of tree swallows.
  • Females were experimentally induced to lay two clutches in rapid succession within the same season.

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  • Extra-pair mating patterns were analyzed by examining offspring paternity and sire diversity for individual females.

    • Main Results:

    • The proportion of extra-pair young and the number of distinct extra-pair sires were highly repeatable for individual females.
    • However, the repeatability of specific extra-pair sires across clutches was low.
    • This suggests a nuanced female mating strategy rather than consistent preference for particular males.

    Conclusions:

    • Female tree swallows exhibit repeatable patterns in their propensity to engage in extra-pair mating and the number of partners.
    • The low repeatability of specific extra-pair sires suggests females may prioritize genetic diversity over specific male traits.
    • This mating strategy could be driven by a female's effort to maximize offspring heterozygosity, enhancing offspring survival and fitness.