Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population.
Recent work on wild birds has revealed the importance of sperm competition as a source of sexual selection, but behavioral and paternity studies have previously provided only indirect evidence for mechanisms of sperm competition in wild birds. In a field study of collared flycatchers Ficedula albico...
| Main Authors: | , , , |
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| פורמט: | Journal article |
| שפה: | English |
| יצא לאור: |
2002
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| _version_ | 1826297422521827328 |
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| author | Michl, G Török, J Griffith, S Sheldon, B |
| author_facet | Michl, G Török, J Griffith, S Sheldon, B |
| author_sort | Michl, G |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Recent work on wild birds has revealed the importance of sperm competition as a source of sexual selection, but behavioral and paternity studies have previously provided only indirect evidence for mechanisms of sperm competition in wild birds. In a field study of collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis we used a previously uncharacterized method to determine the frequency and timing of extra-pair inseminations. By counting the number of sperm trapped on the perivitelline layer of eggs, we determined the timing of inseminations and estimated, on a day-to-day basis, the amount of sperm females stored. Our results showed that female collared flycatchers preferentially engaged in extra-pair copulations when mated to an unattractive male with a small white forehead patch. These copulations were timed for the middle part of their fertile period, at least 2 days after the last within-pair insemination. Although the mean number of extra-pair insemination events was only 1.33 per cuckolding female, the ratio between the number of sperm from extra-pair and pair inseminations was at least 5 to 1. Thus a single, well timed extra-pair insemination caused by female behavior could greatly bias fertilization probability in favor of an attractive extra-pair male. Our results suggest a possible behavioral mechanism for female control of sperm competition. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:31:22Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:ce6fd5e1-657c-4c1d-8d18-a12dcc9084e1 |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-07T04:31:22Z |
| publishDate | 2002 |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:ce6fd5e1-657c-4c1d-8d18-a12dcc9084e12022-03-27T07:35:35ZExperimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population.Journal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:ce6fd5e1-657c-4c1d-8d18-a12dcc9084e1EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2002Michl, GTörök, JGriffith, SSheldon, BRecent work on wild birds has revealed the importance of sperm competition as a source of sexual selection, but behavioral and paternity studies have previously provided only indirect evidence for mechanisms of sperm competition in wild birds. In a field study of collared flycatchers Ficedula albicollis we used a previously uncharacterized method to determine the frequency and timing of extra-pair inseminations. By counting the number of sperm trapped on the perivitelline layer of eggs, we determined the timing of inseminations and estimated, on a day-to-day basis, the amount of sperm females stored. Our results showed that female collared flycatchers preferentially engaged in extra-pair copulations when mated to an unattractive male with a small white forehead patch. These copulations were timed for the middle part of their fertile period, at least 2 days after the last within-pair insemination. Although the mean number of extra-pair insemination events was only 1.33 per cuckolding female, the ratio between the number of sperm from extra-pair and pair inseminations was at least 5 to 1. Thus a single, well timed extra-pair insemination caused by female behavior could greatly bias fertilization probability in favor of an attractive extra-pair male. Our results suggest a possible behavioral mechanism for female control of sperm competition. |
| spellingShingle | Michl, G Török, J Griffith, S Sheldon, B Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population. |
| title | Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population. |
| title_full | Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population. |
| title_fullStr | Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population. |
| title_short | Experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population. |
| title_sort | experimental analysis of sperm competition mechanisms in a wild bird population |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT michlg experimentalanalysisofspermcompetitionmechanismsinawildbirdpopulation AT torokj experimentalanalysisofspermcompetitionmechanismsinawildbirdpopulation AT griffiths experimentalanalysisofspermcompetitionmechanismsinawildbirdpopulation AT sheldonb experimentalanalysisofspermcompetitionmechanismsinawildbirdpopulation |