Spatial patterns of extra-pair paternity in a waterbird colony: separating the effects of nesting density and nest site location

Minias, Piotr; Wojczulanis‐Jakubas, Katarzyna; Rutkowski, Robert; Kaczmarek, Krzysztof; Janiszewski, Tomasz

doi:10.1007/s00265-015-2056-0

Cited by 10 publications

(3 citation statements)

References 72 publications

(75 reference statements)

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“…Similar variation has been recorded in great cormorants ( Phalacrocorax carbo sinensis ), where Minias et al (2016) found higher rates of extrapair paternity in the periphery than in the centre of a nesting colony. This pattern was not explained by density but by variation in mate quality, as indicated by nest site location.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Individual variation and the source-sink group dynamics of extra-group paternity in a social mammal

et al. 2019

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Movement of individuals, or their genes, can influence eco-evolutionary processes in structured populations. We have limited understanding of the extent to which spatial behavior varies among groups and individuals within populations. Here, we use genetic pedigree reconstruction in a long-term study of European badgers ( Meles meles ) to characterize the extent of extra-group paternity, occurring as a consequence of breeding excursions, and to test hypothesized drivers of variation at multiple levels. We jointly estimate parentage and paternity distance (PD; distance between a cub’s natal and its father’s social group), and test whether population density and sex ratio influence mean annual PD. We also model cub-level PD and extra-group paternity (EGP) to test for variation among social groups and parental individuals. Mean PD varied among years but was not explained by population density or sex ratio. However, cub-level analysis shows strong effects of social group, and parental identities, with some parental individuals being consistently more likely to produce cubs with extra-group partners. Group effects were partially explained by local sex ratio. There was also a strong negative correlation between maternal and paternal social group effects on cub paternity distance, indicating source-sink dynamics. Our analyses of paternity distance and EGP indicate variation in extra-group mating at multiple levels—among years, social groups and individuals. The latter in particular is a phenomenon seldom documented and suggests that gene flow among groups may be disproportionately mediated by a nonrandom subset of adults, emphasizing the importance of the individual in driving eco-evolutionary dynamics.

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 78%

Individual variation and the source-sink group dynamics of extra-group paternity in a social mammal

et al. 2019

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“…In other species of bird, females may solicit extra pair copulations to increase fertility and therefore reproductive output [21], however no documented evidence currently exists of female Greater Flamingos (wild or captive) actively seeking copulations outside of their breeding pair [14]. The behaviour documented in this occurrence indicates that this female flamingo had not initiated and was not interested in the advances of the male bird.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 98%

Observation of an Attempted Forced Copulation within a Captive Flock of Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Rose

2022

Birds

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Flamingos (Phoenicopteriformes) are obligate colonial species that nest in large colonies, with monogamous pairs rearing a single chick following a synchronised group courtship display. Within this relatively simplistic behavioural description, deviations from these social and reproductive norms are apparent. Same sex pairings, multi-bird relationships and extra pair copulations are documented in the literature. Flamingos display highly sexually selected characteristics of plumage colour, carotenoid accumulation and diversity of display movements that underpin mate choice decisions. The brightest birds in best body condition are more successful at breeding. Therefore, documented mate guarding of female birds by male partners, is a relevant response to maximise investment in a pair bond. Limited information that describes the action of forced copulation by the male flamingo and the response of the female bird is available in the literature. This paper describes an occurrence of an attempted forced copulation by an older male Greater Flamingo to a younger female bird. Such behaviour may be an artefact of the captive environment, and limited mate choice when compared to the sizes of wild flocks, or it could be regularly apparent in the wild and therefore worthy of more scrutiny and empirical study.

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“…However, this avian group poses another challenge for this type of approach: attending adults are not easily captured at nests and genetic samples of complete families are therefore not available for conducting conventional parentage analyses [ 10 , 11 ]. Thus, so far, most inferences on the reproductive behavior of adults in wild waterbirds have been made mainly applying a methodological approach based on DNA-based kinship classification of nestling-pairs within nests, in the absence of parental genetic information [ 2 , 11 – 16 ]. However, there is ample agreement that greater statistical power is achieved in kinship analyses when more family members are sampled [ 5 , 17 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Use of noninvasive ‘bug-eggs’ to enable comparative inferences on genetic mating system with and without parental information: A study in a cattle egret colony

Souza¹,

Moralez-Silva²,

Valdes³

et al. 2017

PLoS ONE

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Colonial waterbirds such as herons, egrets and spoonbills exhibit ecological characteristics that could have promoted the evolution of conspecific brood parasitism and extra-pair copulation. However, an adequate characterization of the genetic mating systems of this avian group has been hindered by the lack of samples of elusive candidate parents which precluded conducting conventional parentage allocation tests. Here, we investigate the genetic mating system of the invasive cattle egret using hematophagous insects contained in fake eggs to collect blood from incubating adults in a wild breeding colony. We tested a protocol with a previously unused Neotropical Triatominae, Panstrongylus megistus, obtained blood samples from males and females in 31 nests built on trees, drew blood from 89 nestlings at those nests, and genotyped all samples at 14 microsatellite loci, including six new species-specific loci. We comparatively addressed the performance of parentage allocation versus kinship classification of nestlings to infer the genetic mating system of cattle egrets. In line with previous behavioral observations, we found evidence in support of a non-monogamous genetic mating system, including extra-pair paternity (EPP) and conspecific brood parasitism (CBP). Parentage allocation tests detected a higher percentage of nests with alternative reproductive tactics (EPP: 61.7%; CBP: 64.5%) than the kinship classification method (EPP: 50.0%; CBP: 43.3%). Overall, these results indicate that rates of alternative reproductive tactics inferred in the absence of parental genetic information could be underestimated and should be interpreted with caution. This study highlights the importance of incorporating samples from candidate parents to adequately determine the genetic mating system of a species. We expand knowledge on the reproductive tactics of colonial waterbirds, contributing novel data on the genetic mating system of the cattle egret, valuable for the design of management strategies for this invasive bird.

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Spatial patterns of extra-pair paternity in a waterbird colony: separating the effects of nesting density and nest site location

Cited by 10 publications

References 72 publications

Individual variation and the source-sink group dynamics of extra-group paternity in a social mammal

Individual variation and the source-sink group dynamics of extra-group paternity in a social mammal

Observation of an Attempted Forced Copulation within a Captive Flock of Greater Flamingos (Phoenicopterus roseus)

Use of noninvasive ‘bug-eggs’ to enable comparative inferences on genetic mating system with and without parental information: A study in a cattle egret colony

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