Journal
SCIENCE
Volume 323, Issue 5921, Pages 1605-1607Publisher
AMER ASSOC ADVANCEMENT SCIENCE
DOI: 10.1126/science.1168928
Keywords
-
Categories
Funding
- Australian Research Council
- L'Oreal [Women in Science Fellowship]
- Save The Gouldian Fund
- [New South Global Postdoctoral Fellowship]
Ask authors/readers for more resources
Genetic compatibility may drive individual mate choice decisions because of predictable fitness effects associated with breeding with incompatible partners. In Gouldian finches (Erythrura gouldiae), females paired with genetically incompatible males of alternative color morphs overproduce sons, presumably to reduce investment in inviable daughters. We also observed a reduced overall investment in clutch size, egg size, and care to offspring resulting from incompatible matings. Within-female experimental pairings demonstrate that female birds have the ability to adaptively adjust the sex of their eggs and allocate resources on the basis of partner quality. Female Gouldian finches thus make cumulative strategic allocation decisions to minimize the costs of poor-quality pairings when faced with a genetically incompatible partner.
Authors
I am an author on this paper
Click your name to claim this paper and add it to your profile.
Reviews
Recommended
No Data Available