Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Testing a Claim about Population Proportion

Testing a Claim about Population Proportion

A complete procedure for testing a claim about a population proportion is provided here.
There are two methods of testing a claim about a population proportion: (1) Using the sample proportion from the data where a binomial distribution is approximated to the normal distribution and (2) Using the binomial probabilities calculated from the data.
The first method uses normal distribution as an approximation to the binomial distribution. The requirements are as follows: sample size is large...

Nondisjunction

Nondisjunction

Nondisjunction is the failure of homologous chromosomes or sister chromatids to separate correctly and move to the opposite poles of the cells. This produces daughter cells with abnormal chromosome numbers. Nondisjunction is common during anaphase I or anaphase II of meiosis. Mutations in synaptonemal complex proteins that attach homologous chromosomes increase the chances of nondisjunction in anaphase I of meiosis I. In contrast, mutations in topoisomerases and condensins that hold sister...

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...

Inclusive Fitness

Inclusive Fitness

Most altruistic behavior—in which one animal helps another at a cost to themselves—occurs between relatives. Scientists think these altruistic behaviors evolved because they increase the inclusive fitness of the animal providing help.

Mate Choice

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.

Parental Care

Parental Care

Many animals exhibit parental care behavior, including feeding, grooming, and protecting young offspring. Parental care is universal in mammals and birds, which often have young that are born relatively helpless. Several species of insects and fish, as well as some amphibians, also care for their young.

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Periodic Temperature Fluctuations as an Energy Source for RNA Evolution.

Life (Basel, Switzerland)·2026

Same author

Vaccine Ligand Binding Assay Life Cycle Management, Assay Maintenance, Monitoring and Transfer.

Bioanalysis·2026

Same author

GABAergic neuron fate specification and lineage allocation: from development to disorder.

Current opinion in genetics & development·2026

Same author

Real-World Data on the Use of Intravenous Fosfomycin for the Treatment of Central Nervous System Infections: a Subgroup Analysis from the FORTRESS Study.

Infectious diseases and therapy·2026

Same author

An endodermal subpopulation generates neural and mesodermal fates in the posterior chick embryo.

bioRxiv : the preprint server for biology·2026

Same author

2025 White Paper on Recent Issues in Bioanalysis: Biomarkers Calibrators & Stability; Evaluation of NULISA; Neurofilament & Autoantibody Biomarker Assays; Removing IgM Interference; ELISpot & FluoroSpot Best Practices; Modular HD Cytometry; Single-cell Analysis Imaging Cytometry (PART 2A - Recommendations on Biomarkers Discovery, Development, Validation & Regulatory Approval, Ligand-Binding Assays (LBA) and Cell-Based Assays (CBA) PART 2B - Regulatory Agencies' Input on Biomarkers, IVD/CDx and Biomarker Assay Validation (BAV)).

Bioanalysis·2026

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 12, 2026

Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses

Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses

Published on: September 19, 2011

New support for an old hypothesis: density affects extra-pair paternity.

Christian Mayer¹, Gilberto Pasinelli

¹University of Zurich, Institute of Evolutionary Biology and Environmental Studies Winterthurerstrasse 190, Zurich, Switzerland, CH-8057 ; FORNAT AG Universitätstrasse 65, Zurich, Switzerland, CH-8006.

Ecology and Evolution

|March 28, 2013

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Breeding density significantly influences extra-pair paternity (EPP) in reed buntings. Higher population density correlates with increased rates of extra-pair young (EPY), confirming density

Keywords:

Birds density extra-pair parentage microsatellites population

More Related Videos

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Published on: March 8, 2020

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 12, 2026

Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses

Using a Comparative Species Approach to Investigate the Neurobiology of Paternal Responses

Published on: September 19, 2011

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Assessing Differences in Sperm Competitive Ability in Drosophila

Published on: August 22, 2013

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Visually Sexing Loggerhead Shrike (Lanius Ludovicianus) Using Plumage Coloration and Pattern

Published on: March 8, 2020

Area of Science:

Behavioral Ecology
Avian Reproduction
Population Dynamics

Background:

Extra-pair paternity (EPP) is a common reproductive strategy in socially monogamous species.
The density hypothesis posits that increased population density facilitates EPP by enhancing mating opportunities.
Previous research on the density hypothesis has yielded controversial and inconsistent findings, particularly in interspecific comparisons.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the relationship between breeding density and EPP rates in the reed bunting (Emberiza schoeniclus).
To address confounding factors such as mate guarding, migratory behavior, and climatic conditions in density-EPP relationship studies.
To determine if density influences EPP variation within and among subpopulations.

Main Methods:

Analysis of EPP rates across 13 reed bunting subpopulations over a 4-year period.
Quantification of local breeding density and its correlation with the proportion of extra-pair young (EPY) in broods.
Inclusion of data from single-pair populations to establish a baseline for EPP absence.

Main Results:

A significant positive relationship was observed between local breeding density and the proportion of EPY within subpopulations.
Higher population density among subpopulations was also positively associated with increased EPP rates.
EPP was entirely absent in subpopulations with only single breeding pairs, indicating a lack of mating opportunities.

Conclusions:

Breeding density is a significant factor influencing EPP rates in reed buntings, both within and among subpopulations.
The findings support the density hypothesis, demonstrating its role in facilitating extra-pair mating opportunities.
While density is important, other unexamined mechanisms also contribute to the variation in EPP.