Journal
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
Volume 12, Issue 5, Pages 640-645Publisher
OXFORD UNIV PRESS INC
DOI: 10.1093/beheco/12.5.640
Keywords
barnacle geese; Branta leucopsis; cooperation; monogamy; lifetime reproductive success; mate familiarity; mate fidelity; pair bonds; partnerships; site fidelity
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In barnacle geese Branta leucopsis, pair-bond members generally remain together every day, each year, often for life. Geese that maintain long-lasting pair bonds during their lifetime produce more offspring than those with shorter pair durations. This result was shown while statistically controlling for the birds' life span and the proportion of life spent without a partner, two variables that also influence lifetime reproductive success. I argue that continuous partnerships are maintained in highly competitive goose societies because of the constant need for female-male cooperation, without which acquiring adequate resources for reproduction would be prohibitive for both sexes.
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