Skip to main content

Lund University Publications

LUND UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES

Extra-pair fertilizations in the Sedge Warbler

Langefors, Åsa LU ; Hasselquist, Dennis LU and von Schantz, Torbjörn LU (1998) In Journal of Avian Biology 29(2). p.134-144
Abstract
Parentage of 201 young (from 44 broods) in a population of Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus in South Central Sweden, 1990-1992, was determined by using multilocus DNA fingerprinting. The frequency of extra-pair young (EPY) was 7.5% and they occurred in 23% of the broods. For 11 out of 15 extra-pair young we could identify the true father; in all of the cases he was a close neighbour. Among ten broods with extra-pair young, nine contained only one extra-pair sire and the remaining brood two extra-pair sires. The frequency of EPF varied among years (1.8-11.8%). The seasonal timing of broods with and without extra-pair young did not differ, and the occurrence of extra-pair fertilizations (EPF) was not related to the length of the... (More)
Parentage of 201 young (from 44 broods) in a population of Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus in South Central Sweden, 1990-1992, was determined by using multilocus DNA fingerprinting. The frequency of extra-pair young (EPY) was 7.5% and they occurred in 23% of the broods. For 11 out of 15 extra-pair young we could identify the true father; in all of the cases he was a close neighbour. Among ten broods with extra-pair young, nine contained only one extra-pair sire and the remaining brood two extra-pair sires. The frequency of EPF varied among years (1.8-11.8%). The seasonal timing of broods with and without extra-pair young did not differ, and the occurrence of extra-pair fertilizations (EPF) was not related to the length of the pair male's mate-guarding period. EPF were not related to breeding synchrony (estimated as the mean number of fertile females per day during a female's fertile period). Pairs whose nests contained extra-pair young had more territories within 100 m of their nest than pairs without extra-pair young. Females that engaged in EPF had fewer attractive (i.e. singing) males to choose among the day before and at the day they formed their pair bend. Moreover, in all but one case the extra-pair male was not singing (i.e. not available as pair mate) the day the EPF-female settled. Males that fertilized extra-pair young tended to arrive earlier and to have higher pairing success than both males that were cuckolded and other males. Hence, female Sedge Warblers engaged in extra-pair fertilizations with attractive male neighbours. These results are consistent with the hypotheses that females participating in EPF are seeking genetic benefits to their offspring, but we cannot exclude the alternative explanation that attractive males are more efficient in forcing females to accept EPF. (Less)
Please use this url to cite or link to this publication:
author
; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
success, reproductive, acrocephalus-schoenobaenus, male parental care, bird, predominantly monogamous, red-winged blackbirds, great reed warbler, breeding synchrony, agelaius-phoeniceus, paternal investment, tree swallows
in
Journal of Avian Biology
volume
29
issue
2
pages
134 - 144
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0031809582
ISSN
0908-8857
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
ba4334a1-db4d-4d98-88a9-a9e31c86e288 (old id 1747667)
alternative location
http://www.jstor.org/stable/3677191
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:19:18
date last changed
2024-04-23 13:02:49
@article{ba4334a1-db4d-4d98-88a9-a9e31c86e288,
  abstract     = {{Parentage of 201 young (from 44 broods) in a population of Sedge Warblers Acrocephalus schoenobaenus in South Central Sweden, 1990-1992, was determined by using multilocus DNA fingerprinting. The frequency of extra-pair young (EPY) was 7.5% and they occurred in 23% of the broods. For 11 out of 15 extra-pair young we could identify the true father; in all of the cases he was a close neighbour. Among ten broods with extra-pair young, nine contained only one extra-pair sire and the remaining brood two extra-pair sires. The frequency of EPF varied among years (1.8-11.8%). The seasonal timing of broods with and without extra-pair young did not differ, and the occurrence of extra-pair fertilizations (EPF) was not related to the length of the pair male's mate-guarding period. EPF were not related to breeding synchrony (estimated as the mean number of fertile females per day during a female's fertile period). Pairs whose nests contained extra-pair young had more territories within 100 m of their nest than pairs without extra-pair young. Females that engaged in EPF had fewer attractive (i.e. singing) males to choose among the day before and at the day they formed their pair bend. Moreover, in all but one case the extra-pair male was not singing (i.e. not available as pair mate) the day the EPF-female settled. Males that fertilized extra-pair young tended to arrive earlier and to have higher pairing success than both males that were cuckolded and other males. Hence, female Sedge Warblers engaged in extra-pair fertilizations with attractive male neighbours. These results are consistent with the hypotheses that females participating in EPF are seeking genetic benefits to their offspring, but we cannot exclude the alternative explanation that attractive males are more efficient in forcing females to accept EPF.}},
  author       = {{Langefors, Åsa and Hasselquist, Dennis and von Schantz, Torbjörn}},
  issn         = {{0908-8857}},
  keywords     = {{success; reproductive; acrocephalus-schoenobaenus; male parental care; bird; predominantly monogamous; red-winged blackbirds; great reed warbler; breeding synchrony; agelaius-phoeniceus; paternal investment; tree swallows}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{134--144}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Journal of Avian Biology}},
  title        = {{Extra-pair fertilizations in the Sedge Warbler}},
  url          = {{http://www.jstor.org/stable/3677191}},
  volume       = {{29}},
  year         = {{1998}},
}