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Lekking without a paradox in the buff-breasted sandpiper
R B Lanctot1, K T Scribner, R B Lanctot
1National Biological Service, Alaska Science Center, 1011 E. Tudor Road, Anchorage, Alaska 99503, USA.
The American Naturalist
|June 1, 1997
Summary
In buff-breasted sandpipers, sexual selection is weaker than expected. Paternity analyses reveal low variance in male reproductive success due to alternative mating tactics and female multiple mating.
Area of Science:
- Evolutionary Biology
- Behavioral Ecology
- Ornithology
Background:
- Lek-breeding species exhibit strong female mate choice, theoretically reducing genetic variance in male traits.
- The lek paradox describes the persistence of female choice despite predicted decreases in additive genetic variance.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the variance in male reproductive success in buff-breasted sandpipers (Tryngites subruficollis).
- To determine if sexual selection is weaker than predicted in this lek-breeding species.
Main Methods:
- Combined detailed behavioral observations with paternity analyses.
- Utilized single-locus minisatellite DNA probes for parentage determination.
Main Results:
- Found significantly lower variance in male reproductive success than anticipated.
- Identified numerous males siring offspring in sampled broods (20 and 39 in consecutive years).
- Attributed low variance to alternative male tactics, female mating off-lek, and female multiple mating.
Conclusions:
- Sexual selection via female choice appears weak in buff-breasted sandpipers.
- Leks may be less paradoxical in lek-breeding species than commonly assumed.
- Further paternity studies in similar species are recommended to test these findings.
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