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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jan 6, 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

Extra-pair paternity in birds.

Lyanne Brouwer^1,2,3, Simon C Griffith⁴

¹Department of Animal Ecology & Physiology, Institute for Water and Wetland Research, Radboud University, Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Molecular Ecology

|October 7, 2019

Summary

This summary is machine-generated.

Extra-pair paternity (EPP) in birds is widespread, but broad ecological factors do not explain its variation across species. Specific behaviors and local ecology, like breeding synchrony in noncolonial species, may be more important drivers of EPP.

Keywords:

mating system microsatellites parentage polyandry

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Area of Science:

Avian Ecology
Behavioral Ecology
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Over 500 studies have documented extra-pair paternity (EPP) in birds since the first molecular evidence emerged 30 years ago.
Existing research provides extensive data on EPP rates across numerous bird species, but patterns and biases in this data require careful examination for accurate interpretation.

Purpose of the Study:

To provide a comprehensive overview of the current literature on EPP in birds.
To identify and analyze sampling biases and patterns in the EPP dataset concerning taxonomy, phylogeny, and geography.
To test the influence of ecological and life history variables on EPP rates across socially monogamous species, accounting for phylogeny.

Main Methods:

Compiled and analyzed a comprehensive dataset of >500 studies reporting EPP in >300 bird species.
Examined sampling biases and patterns related to avian taxonomy, phylogeny, and global distribution.
Utilized phylogenetic comparative methods to test the roles of latitude, density, migration, generation length, dispersal, and climate variability in explaining EPP variation.

Main Results:

No clear evidence was found that broad ecological or life history variables (latitude, density, migration, etc.) explain interspecific variation in EPP after controlling for phylogeny.
Species averages may be unreliable due to high within-species heterogeneity in both EPP rates and predictor variables.
EPP was negatively associated with latitude within noncolonial species, suggesting a role for breeding synchrony.

Conclusions:

Broad-scale ecological drivers are insufficient to explain the interspecific variation in EPP.
Future research should focus on how specific ecological or life history factors influence EPP within particular species groups or populations, rather than seeking universal explanations.
The comprehensive dataset and overview provided will serve as a foundation for future studies on the drivers of EPP in birds.