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Mate choice, male condition-dependent ornamentation and MHC in the pheasant

von Schantz, Torbjörn LU ; Wittzell, Håkan LU ; Göransson, Görgen and Grahn, Mats LU (1997) In Hereditas 127(2). p.133-140
Abstract
The Hamilton and Zuk model predicts that genes for resistance to various pathogens may be continuously heritable due to selection disequilibria caused by coadaptional cycles of hosts and pathogens. The model further suggests that the expression of male secondary ornaments is condition-dependent and that only individuals with superior genetic disease resistance and vigour can fully express exaggerated secondary ornaments. Female choice is therefore expected to discriminate among males on the basis of secondary sexual characters in order to pass on genes for disease resistance that improve fitness in the offspring. In wild ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus, of the Revinge area in southern Sweden, females prefer to mate with... (More)
The Hamilton and Zuk model predicts that genes for resistance to various pathogens may be continuously heritable due to selection disequilibria caused by coadaptional cycles of hosts and pathogens. The model further suggests that the expression of male secondary ornaments is condition-dependent and that only individuals with superior genetic disease resistance and vigour can fully express exaggerated secondary ornaments. Female choice is therefore expected to discriminate among males on the basis of secondary sexual characters in order to pass on genes for disease resistance that improve fitness in the offspring. In wild ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus, of the Revinge area in southern Sweden, females prefer to mate with long-spurred males and data on reproductive success indicate that they may improve their chicks' survival rate by doing so. Male spur length is positively correlated with age, body size and viability. MHC genotyping for both class I and class II B of pheasant males trapped in the study area identified eight MHC haplotypes and a total of 17 different MHC genotypes. Multivariate analyses revealed that MHC genotype is significantly associated with variation in both male spur length and male viability. These data indicate that polymorphic genes with a central role in immune recognition can be associated with viability and the expression of a condition-dependent intersexually selected male trait, thus supporting essential parts of the Hamilton and Zuk model. (Less)
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author
; ; and
organization
publishing date
type
Contribution to journal
publication status
published
subject
keywords
great reed warbler, b-complex, major histocompatibility complex, red jungle fowl, class-ii genes, phasianus-colchicus, mating, sexual selection, female choice, preferences, evolution
in
Hereditas
volume
127
issue
2
pages
133 - 140
publisher
Wiley-Blackwell
external identifiers
  • scopus:0030786765
ISSN
1601-5223
DOI
10.1111/j.1601-5223.1997.t01-1-00133.x
project
Avian MHC genes
language
English
LU publication?
yes
id
dd04b103-49ae-4f61-95cd-a6171803a525 (old id 1747810)
date added to LUP
2016-04-01 12:00:41
date last changed
2022-01-26 21:28:32
@article{dd04b103-49ae-4f61-95cd-a6171803a525,
  abstract     = {{The Hamilton and Zuk model predicts that genes for resistance to various pathogens may be continuously heritable due to selection disequilibria caused by coadaptional cycles of hosts and pathogens. The model further suggests that the expression of male secondary ornaments is condition-dependent and that only individuals with superior genetic disease resistance and vigour can fully express exaggerated secondary ornaments. Female choice is therefore expected to discriminate among males on the basis of secondary sexual characters in order to pass on genes for disease resistance that improve fitness in the offspring. In wild ring-necked pheasants, Phasianus colchicus, of the Revinge area in southern Sweden, females prefer to mate with long-spurred males and data on reproductive success indicate that they may improve their chicks' survival rate by doing so. Male spur length is positively correlated with age, body size and viability. MHC genotyping for both class I and class II B of pheasant males trapped in the study area identified eight MHC haplotypes and a total of 17 different MHC genotypes. Multivariate analyses revealed that MHC genotype is significantly associated with variation in both male spur length and male viability. These data indicate that polymorphic genes with a central role in immune recognition can be associated with viability and the expression of a condition-dependent intersexually selected male trait, thus supporting essential parts of the Hamilton and Zuk model.}},
  author       = {{von Schantz, Torbjörn and Wittzell, Håkan and Göransson, Görgen and Grahn, Mats}},
  issn         = {{1601-5223}},
  keywords     = {{great reed warbler; b-complex; major histocompatibility complex; red jungle fowl; class-ii genes; phasianus-colchicus; mating; sexual selection; female choice; preferences; evolution}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  number       = {{2}},
  pages        = {{133--140}},
  publisher    = {{Wiley-Blackwell}},
  series       = {{Hereditas}},
  title        = {{Mate choice, male condition-dependent ornamentation and MHC in the pheasant}},
  url          = {{http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1601-5223.1997.t01-1-00133.x}},
  doi          = {{10.1111/j.1601-5223.1997.t01-1-00133.x}},
  volume       = {{127}},
  year         = {{1997}},
}