Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Optimal Foraging00:48

Optimal Foraging

How animals obtain and eat their food is called foraging behavior. Foraging can include searching for plants and hunting for prey and depends on the species and environment.
Mate Choice01:20

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.
Fixed Action Patterns01:06

Fixed Action Patterns

A fixed action pattern (FAP) is a specific, hard-wired sequence of behaviors that occurs in response to an external stimulus, called a sign stimulus. The behavior is “fixed” because it is essentially unchangeable—proceeding similarly across individuals of a species every time it occurs.
Predator-Prey Interactions02:39

Predator-Prey Interactions

Predators consume prey for energy. Predators that acquire prey and prey that avoid predation both increase their chances of survival and reproduction (i.e., fitness). Routine predator-prey interactions elicit mutual adaptations that improve predator offenses, such as claws, teeth, and speed, as well as prey defenses, including crypsis, aposematism, and mimicry. Thus, predator-prey interactions resemble an evolutionary arms race.Although predation is commonly associated with carnivory, for...
Evolutionary Psychology01:20

Evolutionary Psychology

Evolutionary psychology explores the origins of human behavior and mental processes by framing them within the context of natural selection, a theory famously propounded by Charles Darwin. This field asserts that many behaviors common across human societies — ranging from instinctive fear reactions to complex social interactions — arose as evolutionary adaptations. These adaptations enhanced the survival and reproductive success of our ancestors, thereby becoming embedded in the human psyche...
Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective01:23

Criticisms of the Evolutionary Perspective

In a study where individuals posing as strangers offered compliments and proposed casual sex to students, the responses differed significantly based on gender. Not a single woman accepted the proposal, while 70% of the men agreed. This outcome provides a useful scenario to explore through the lens of evolutionary psychology and social learning theory, highlighting the diverse perspectives on human sexual behaviors.
Evolutionary psychology provides one explanation for these findings, suggesting...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Double Parasitism by Two Cuckoo Gentes in a Daurian Redstart Nest.

Ecology and evolution·2026
Same author

The collective application of shorebird tracking data to conservation.

Conservation biology : the journal of the Society for Conservation Biology·2026
Same author

Sex differences in testosterone and hematocrit levels reflect mating system differences of two Arctic-breeding shorebird species.

Behavioral ecology : official journal of the International Society for Behavioral Ecology·2025
Same author

Evolution of Large Polymorphic Inversions in a Panmictic Songbird.

Molecular biology and evolution·2025
Same author

Programmed DNA elimination drives rapid genomic innovation in two thirds of all bird species.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2025
Same author

Nestling birds learn socially to eavesdrop on heterospecific alarm calls through acoustic association.

Proceedings. Biological sciences·2025

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients
07:34

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients

Published on: August 22, 2018

Behavioural ecology: cuckolder eggs come first.

Bart Kempenaers1

  • 1Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Department Behavioural Ecology & Evolutionary Genetics, E. Gwinnerstr., 82305 Starnberg (Seewiesen), Germany. b.kempenaers@orn.mpg.de

Current Biology : CB
|May 15, 2009
PubMed
Summary

Female promiscuity may not confer genetic benefits. A new study reveals that improved offspring fitness in mixed paternity broods is primarily driven by maternal effects, not genetic advantages.

More Related Videos

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria
07:25

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria

Published on: July 20, 2017

Windowing Chicken Eggs for Developmental Studies
15:01

Windowing Chicken Eggs for Developmental Studies

Published on: October 1, 2007

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 23, 2026

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients
07:34

Probing the Limits of Egg Recognition Using Egg Rejection Experiments Along Phenotypic Gradients

Published on: August 22, 2018

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria
07:25

Basic Methods for the Study of Reproductive Ecology of Fish in Aquaria

Published on: July 20, 2017

Windowing Chicken Eggs for Developmental Studies
15:01

Windowing Chicken Eggs for Developmental Studies

Published on: October 1, 2007

Area of Science:

  • Evolutionary biology
  • Behavioral ecology

Background:

  • Mixed paternity broods are common in many species.
  • Extra-pair offspring often exhibit higher fitness than within-pair siblings.
  • This has been traditionally attributed to genetic benefits for females choosing multiple mates.

Discussion:

  • This study challenges the genetic benefits hypothesis for female promiscuity.
  • It highlights the significant role of maternal effects on offspring fitness.
  • Non-genetic factors, such as maternal provisioning or care, can influence offspring performance.

Key Insights:

  • Offspring fitness differences in mixed paternity broods may be primarily due to maternal effects.
  • The perceived genetic benefits of female promiscuity might be overestimated.
  • Maternal influence is a crucial, often overlooked, factor in offspring success.

Outlook:

  • Further research is needed to disentangle genetic and maternal contributions to offspring fitness.
  • Understanding maternal effects can refine evolutionary models of mating strategies.
  • This finding has implications for conservation efforts focusing on reproductive success.