Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.

Reproductive investment affects both offspring and parental fitness and influences the evolution of life histories. Females may vary their overall primary reproductive effort in relation to the phenotypic characteristics of their mate. However, the effects of male quality on differential resource al...

Full description

Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Maud Poisbleau, Nina Dehnhard, Laurent Demongin, Charline Parenteau, Petra Quillfeldt, Marcel Eens
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Public Library of Science (PLoS) 2013-01-01
Series:PLoS ONE
Online Access:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23967280/pdf/?tool=EBI
_version_ 1818575268445421568
author Maud Poisbleau
Nina Dehnhard
Laurent Demongin
Charline Parenteau
Petra Quillfeldt
Marcel Eens
author_facet Maud Poisbleau
Nina Dehnhard
Laurent Demongin
Charline Parenteau
Petra Quillfeldt
Marcel Eens
author_sort Maud Poisbleau
collection DOAJ
description Reproductive investment affects both offspring and parental fitness and influences the evolution of life histories. Females may vary their overall primary reproductive effort in relation to the phenotypic characteristics of their mate. However, the effects of male quality on differential resource allocation within clutches have been largely neglected despite the potential implications for mate choice and population dynamics, especially in species exhibiting biparental care and brood reduction. Female southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome paired with heavy mates reduced intra-clutch variation in egg and albumen masses. Females paired with new mates also reduced intra-clutch variation in yolk androgen levels. Since both an increased mass and increased androgen concentrations positively influence chick survival under sibling competition, the chances of fledging the whole clutch are likely to be higher for newly formed pairs with heavy males than for previously formed pairs with light males. Interestingly, total clutch provisioning did not vary with male quality. We show for the first time that females vary intra-clutch variation in resource allocation according to male quality. In species with brood reduction, it may be more adaptive for females to modulate the distribution of resources within the clutch according to breeding conditions, than to change their total clutch provisioning.
first_indexed 2024-12-15T00:38:01Z
format Article
id doaj.art-86a1533176844316be4f7ca2f84aaade
institution Directory Open Access Journal
issn 1932-6203
language English
last_indexed 2024-12-15T00:38:01Z
publishDate 2013-01-01
publisher Public Library of Science (PLoS)
record_format Article
series PLoS ONE
spelling doaj.art-86a1533176844316be4f7ca2f84aaade2022-12-21T22:41:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0188e7213610.1371/journal.pone.0072136Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.Maud PoisbleauNina DehnhardLaurent DemonginCharline ParenteauPetra QuillfeldtMarcel EensReproductive investment affects both offspring and parental fitness and influences the evolution of life histories. Females may vary their overall primary reproductive effort in relation to the phenotypic characteristics of their mate. However, the effects of male quality on differential resource allocation within clutches have been largely neglected despite the potential implications for mate choice and population dynamics, especially in species exhibiting biparental care and brood reduction. Female southern rockhopper penguins Eudyptes chrysocome paired with heavy mates reduced intra-clutch variation in egg and albumen masses. Females paired with new mates also reduced intra-clutch variation in yolk androgen levels. Since both an increased mass and increased androgen concentrations positively influence chick survival under sibling competition, the chances of fledging the whole clutch are likely to be higher for newly formed pairs with heavy males than for previously formed pairs with light males. Interestingly, total clutch provisioning did not vary with male quality. We show for the first time that females vary intra-clutch variation in resource allocation according to male quality. In species with brood reduction, it may be more adaptive for females to modulate the distribution of resources within the clutch according to breeding conditions, than to change their total clutch provisioning.https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23967280/pdf/?tool=EBI
spellingShingle Maud Poisbleau
Nina Dehnhard
Laurent Demongin
Charline Parenteau
Petra Quillfeldt
Marcel Eens
Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.
PLoS ONE
title Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.
title_full Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.
title_fullStr Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.
title_full_unstemmed Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.
title_short Females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra-clutch differences in resource allocation.
title_sort females paired with new and heavy mates reduce intra clutch differences in resource allocation
url https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/pmid/23967280/pdf/?tool=EBI
work_keys_str_mv AT maudpoisbleau femalespairedwithnewandheavymatesreduceintraclutchdifferencesinresourceallocation
AT ninadehnhard femalespairedwithnewandheavymatesreduceintraclutchdifferencesinresourceallocation
AT laurentdemongin femalespairedwithnewandheavymatesreduceintraclutchdifferencesinresourceallocation
AT charlineparenteau femalespairedwithnewandheavymatesreduceintraclutchdifferencesinresourceallocation
AT petraquillfeldt femalespairedwithnewandheavymatesreduceintraclutchdifferencesinresourceallocation
AT marceleens femalespairedwithnewandheavymatesreduceintraclutchdifferencesinresourceallocation