@misc{9226121,
  abstract     = {{Assortative mating describes reproductive patterns in which individuals pair based on their phenotypic similarity. Although this has often been explained as a result of mutual mate choice, recent reviews suggest that it may instead arise from indirect ecological mechanisms or methodological biases. Here, I studied a colony of spotless starlings (Sturnus unicolor) to analyse the relationship between feather reflectance, age, and sex. Reflectance was a dimorphic, age-dependent trait: males showed overall higher reflectance than females, but the relationship between reflectance and age differed between the sexes. Analysing the population as a whole, I found no evidence of assortative mating for any of the ornaments studied. However, there was significant positive assortment based on feather reflectance in pairs with stable bonds, but not in recently formed pairs. This pattern remained robust after applying inverse probability weighting to correct for biases arising from differential capture probability. These findings run counter to predictions of assortative mate choice and instead support the hypothesis that reflectance is a condition-dependent trait, with phenotypic convergence over time driven by shared environmental influences.}},
  author       = {{García Díaz, Carmen}},
  language     = {{eng}},
  note         = {{Student Paper}},
  title        = {{Pair-bond duration leads to convergence in feather iridescence in the spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor)}},
  year         = {{2026}},
}