共查询到20条相似文献,搜索用时 15 毫秒
1.
Michael P. Lombardo Patrick A. Thorpe Sango Otieno Dan Weglarz Alyssa Hawker 《Journal of avian biology》2021,52(1)
The initial investment a female bird makes in an offspring is her production of its egg. The size of this investment can have important evolutionary consequences for both the female and her offspring. Between 2008 and 2016, we weighed 1977 tree swallow eggs freshly laid in nest boxes in west Michigan to investigate factors associated with egg mass. Breeding female age class was not associated with egg mass. Overall, eggs that hatched weighed significantly more than those that did not. An egg's mass was not associated with clutch size but increased with its position in the laying sequence. Females that bred multiple times showed high repeatability of egg mass. Mother–daughter narrow sense heritability of egg mass was low. There were statistically significant associations, both positive and negative, between female morphological characteristics and egg mass in some years but not others. Similarly, relationships between egg mass and weather conditions during egg formation were statistically significant in some years but not others. In summary, female characteristics and weather conditions were associated with tree swallow egg mass, but their influences varied yearly. These results reinforce the importance of long‐term studies for identifying the causes of selection that shape life‐history characteristics. 相似文献
2.
Makarewich CA Stenzler LM Ferretti V Winkler DW Lovette IJ 《Molecular ecology resources》2009,9(2):631-635
We describe 30 microsatellite loci developed from three species of swallows in the genus Tachycineta: T. bicolor (tree swallow), T. albilinea (mangrove swallow), and T. leucorrhoa (white‐rumped swallow). These commonly studied birds nest in secondary cavities and are distributed from Alaska to Argentina. Primer pairs were designed for each species individually and tested for cross‐amplification in 40–48 individuals of all three species. Polymorphism ranged from 5 to 65 alleles per locus (mean = 19.1). These markers will allow comparative studies of extra‐pair paternity rates among members of the genus as well as the assessment of population structure. 相似文献
3.
David A. Wiggins 《Evolution; international journal of organic evolution》1991,45(5):1169-1174
I measured natural selection on body size and laying date in a population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) from 1986 to 1988. There was little evidence of selection on body size associated with overwinter survival. Disruptive selection on tarsus length, associated with female reproductive success, was detected in one of three years. Both repeatability and mother-daughter regression suggested that laying date was heritable. I found weak evidence of selection on laying date, associated with both overwinter survival and reproduction in females. The ecological implications of both tarsus length and laying date variation in this population could not be identified. Consequently, although I was able to identify the targets of natural selection, the ecological link between trait variation and selection remains unknown. 相似文献
4.
Daniel R. Ardia Jonathan H. Pérez Ethan D. Clotfelter 《Journal of Field Ornithology》2006,77(3):339-344
ABSTRACT. Orientation of nests can influence nest microclimate, particularly temperature. However, few investigators have examined orientation preference and microclimate simultaneously. We examined the possible correlation between entrance orientation of artificial nest boxes used by Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor ) and the internal temperature of boxes. Tree Swallows showed a preference for east- and south-facing boxes, but only during the first half of the breeding season (before 1 June). During the second half of the breeding season (after 1 June), Swallows selected boxes based on availability. We found that east- and south-facing boxes were warmer than north- and west-facing boxes, but only during the first half of the breeding season when those boxes were preferred. Entrance orientation and box temperature were only correlated during the morning (06:00–12:00); the temperature of all boxes was similar during the afternoon. Our results suggest that Tree Swallows show a preference for nest boxes with a certain entrance orientation only when orientation influences microclimate, suggesting that warmer nest temperatures may provide fitness benefits. 相似文献
5.
Conrad KF Johnston PV Crossman C Kempenaers B Robertson RJ Wheelwright NT Boag PT 《Molecular ecology》2001,10(5):1301-1308
Molecular genetic studies have suggested that apparently nonbreeding males ('floaters') may account for a significant proportion of extra-pair paternity (EPP) in avian populations. Attempts to determine the influence of breeding density on EPP are therefore confounded by the presence of a subpopulation of floaters whose numbers are difficult to estimate. To study EPP in a tree swallow (Tachycineta bicolor) population with few floaters, we chose a nestbox grid on an island with an excess of available breeding sites and very few floaters. We obtained DNA samples from 13 complete families and performed DNA profiling on them using four microsatellite loci. For comparison, we also obtained a sample of 58 extra-pair young (EPY) from a mainland population typed at five microsatellite loci. Paternity assignments among resident males in both populations were made using the microsatellite profiles and a likelihood-based statistical method. Of the 67 island nestlings typed, we found 37 (55%) nestlings from 11 (85%) different nests that were EPY. The proportion of nestlings that were EPY and the proportion of broods containing EPY did not differ significantly between island and mainland populations studied previously. There was no significant difference between island and mainland populations in the proportion of extra-pair paternities assigned among neighbouring resident males. Male breeding density does not appear to affect the ability of female tree swallows to obtain extra-pair fertilizations, at least over the range of densities studied so far. The rate of EPP has remained remarkably consistent over many years, studies and populations implying an important role of active female choice in determining EPP. 相似文献
6.
ABSTRACT The potential advantages of repeated breeding at a particular location should improve reproductive performance in long‐lived species of birds. However, for short‐lived species, natural selection should favor individuals that most quickly develop competency in reproduction. Therefore, we hypothesized that local breeding experience beyond the first breeding attempt at a particular location would have little effect on subsequent reproductive performance of Tree Swallows (Tachycineta bicolor), a species where about 50% of adults breed only once in their lives. We tested this hypothesis using data collected from Tree Swallows in Michigan from 1993 to 2002. Because we were specifically interested in examining the effects of local breeding experience on reproductive performance, we restricted our analyses to after‐second‐year (ASY) females and their mates that we first encountered as breeders. Consistent with our hypothesis, we found no relationship between repeated local breeding experience and the reproductive performance of ASY female Tree Swallows and their mates as measured by clutch size and number of fledged young. However, pairs with more combined total local experience tended to lay eggs earlier in the season. These results suggest that Tree Swallows may benefit from breeding site fidelity, not because repeated local experience improves reproductive performance as measured by the production of fledglings, but because returning individuals acquire nest cavities earlier and are able to begin breeding earlier, providing time to renest in case of early nest failure. 相似文献
7.
Life‐histories and demographic parameters of southern temperate bird species have been little studied. We estimated return rates between years and sexes, and adult apparent survival and recapture probabilities with mark–recapture data on White‐rumped Swallows and found a lower return rate of unsuccessful females. There was little support for influences of sex or year on survival rates. The estimates were equivalent to the lowest value reported for a northern congener, in contrast to the prediction of geographical variation under life‐history theory. 相似文献
8.
Effects of breeding density, synchrony, and experience on extrapair paternity in tree swallows 总被引:2,自引:6,他引:2
Dunn Peter O.; Whittingham Linda A.; Lifjeld Jan T.; Robertson Raleigh J.; Boag Peter T. 《Behavioral ecology》1994,5(2):123-129
Breeding density, synchrony, and experience are expected toinfluence the frequency of extrapair paternity in birds. UsingDNA fingerprinting, we examined the effect of these factorson tree swallows nesting at relatively high (grids of nest-boxes)and low (solitary boxes at least 100 m from the nearest neighbor)densities and in relatively synchronous (Alberta) and asynchronous(Ontario) populations in Canada. The mean percentage of extrapairoffspring per nest did not differ significantly between birdsnesting in grids (43%, n = 22 families) and solitary boxes (57%,n = 12 families). Similarly, there was no significant differencein the mean percentage of extrapair offspring per nest betweenrelatively synchronous (60%, n = 12 Alberta families) and asynchronous(41%, n = 22 Ontario families) populations. We also found noconsistent pattern between extrapair paternity and breedingexperience among seven males and seven females examined overtwo to three breeding seasons. Female tree swallows can influencethe fertilization success of extrapair males by active selectionand rejection of copulation partners. We suggest that this abilitylimits the predicted effect of various ecological factors onthe frequency of extrapair paternity 相似文献
9.
Theoretical models suggest that sibling competition should selectfor conspicuous begging signals. If so, begging intensity mightbe expected to increase with the number of competitiors. Thepurpose of our study was to examine the relationship betweenbegging intensity and brood size using nestling tree swallows(Tachycineta bicolor) as our model. Over 2 years, we videotapedbegging behavior in unmanipulated broods of different sizes.We found that begging intensity increased with brood size. Theaverage weight of nestlings in each brood did not vary withbrood size, but feeding rate per nestling decreased with broodsize, suggesting that nestlings in larger broods begged moreintensively, possibly because they were hungrier. We also conductedan experiment to examine the effect of nest mates on beggingin different-sized broods. We found that nestlings with similarweights, previous competitive environments, and food deprivationbegged more intensively in large broods than in small broods.Overall, our study indicates that begging intensity increaseswith brood size in tree swallows. This relationship may resultfrom interactions among brood mates rather than from lower feeding
rates to individual nestlings in larger broods. 相似文献
10.
11.
Intrasexual competition is an important selective force that can favor the evolution of honest signals of fighting ability. Research has focused predominantly on male birds, but many female birds also possess plumage ornaments that could mediate the outcome of competitive interactions. We examined the relationship between blue and white structural coloration and aggression in female tree swallows Tachycineta bicolor. Tree swallows are secondary cavity nesters and females show delayed plumage maturation which may be related to intense competition for nest sites. We compared plumage reflectance of second‐year (SY) and after‐second year (ASY) females, and within‐individual changes in plumage reflectance of ASY females in two successive years. We assessed aggression by placing a caged SY female 2 m from the nest box of an ASY female and quantified the ASY female's response in relation to her own plumage coloration. We found substantial differences in plumage reflectance of SY and ASY females, but found that ASY females became greener with duller white coloration in the second year. This may be due to poor weather that made reproduction particularly costly in the first year of the study and suggests coloration is influenced by condition. We found no relationship between dorsal coloration and aggressiveness. Rather, brighter white females spent more time on their nest box and within 2 m of the intruder than females with dull breasts. Our findings suggest that brighter white ASY females may perceive a SY female as less of a threat or that there may be a trade‐off associated with aggression and parental care that is related to white brightness. 相似文献
12.
13.
ABSTRACT. In territorial species, increased density is often linked to an increase in aggressive interactions, which may result in trade-offs between competitive behavior and nest construction. We examined the impact of nesting in areas of high-density versus low-density nest boxes on conspecific interactions and nest-building effort in a population of Tree Swallows ( Tachycineta bicolor ). We also examined whether expected differences in behavior related to variation in nest quality and reproductive success in high-density and low-density areas. No differences in either nest-building behavior or reproductive success were observed between areas of high-density and low-density boxes, but there was a tendency of more frequent behavioral interactions at high density. Similarly, there was a significant difference between pairs defending single nest boxes and those defending multiple nest boxes in the number of interactions with conspecifics. These results suggest that although there may be more competition with conspecifics for Tree Swallows nesting at high density, this does not appear to affect either nest quality or reproductive success. 相似文献
14.
Vanessa B. Harriman Russell D. Dawson Lauren E. Bortolotti Robert G. Clark 《Ecology and evolution》2017,7(7):2122-2132
For organisms in seasonal environments, individuals that breed earlier in the season regularly attain higher fitness than their late‐breeding counterparts. Two primary hypotheses have been proposed to explain these patterns: The quality hypothesis contends that early breeders are of better phenotypic quality or breed on higher quality territories, whereas the date hypothesis predicts that seasonally declining reproductive success is a response to a seasonal deterioration in environmental quality. In birds, food availability is thought to drive deteriorating environmental conditions, but few experimental studies have demonstrated its importance while also controlling for parental quality. We tested predictions of the date hypothesis in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) over two breeding seasons and in two locations within their breeding range in Canada. Nests were paired by clutch initiation date to control for parental quality, and we delayed the hatching date of one nest within each pair. Subsequently, brood sizes were manipulated to mimic changes in per capita food abundance, and we examined the effects of manipulations, as well as indices of environmental and parental quality, on nestling quality, fledging success, and return rates. Reduced reproductive success of late‐breeding individuals was causally related to a seasonal decline in environmental quality. Declining insect biomass and enlarged brood sizes resulted in nestlings that were lighter, in poorer body condition, structurally smaller, had shorter and slower growing flight feathers and were less likely to survive to fledge. Our results provide evidence for the importance of food resources in mediating seasonal declines in offspring quality and survival. 相似文献
15.
16.
Kelly K. Hallinger Maren N. Vitousek David W. Winkler 《Journal of evolutionary biology》2020,33(3):282-296
Extra‐pair paternity (EPP) is a widespread phenomenon in birds. Researchers have long hypothesized that EPP must confer a fitness advantage to extra‐pair offspring (EPO), but empirical support for this hypothesis is definitively mixed. This could be because genetic benefits of EPP only exist in a subset of environmental contexts to which a population is exposed. From 2013 to 2015, we manipulated perceived predator density in a population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) breeding in New York to see whether fitness outcomes of extra‐pair and within‐pair offspring (WPO) varied with predation risk. In nests that had been exposed to predators, EPO were larger, longer‐winged and heavier than WPO. In nonpredator nests, WPO tended to be larger, longer‐winged and heavier than EPO, though the effect was nonsignificant. We found no differences in age, morphology or stress physiology between extra‐pair and within‐pair sires from the same nest, suggesting that additive genetic benefits cannot fully explain the differences in nestling size that we observed. The lack of an effect of predator exposure on survival or glucocorticoid stress physiology of EPO and WPO further suggests that observed size differences do not reflect more general variation in intrinsic genetic quality. Instead, we suggest that size differences may have arisen through differential investment into EPO and WPO by females, perhaps because EPO and WPO represent different reproductive strategies, with each type of nestling conferring a fitness advantage in specific ecological contexts. 相似文献
17.
Models of sexual selection assume that female mating preferences are heritable and, thus, repeatable for individual females across multiple mating episodes. Previous studies of the repeatability of female preference have examined individuals in captivity and focused presumably on social mate choice. However, extra-pair mating is widespread and can also influence sexual selection. We examined the repeatability of extra-pair mating in a wild population of tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor) by experimentally inducing females to lay two clutches in rapid succession within the same season. We found that the proportion of extra-pair young and the number of extra-pair sires were highly repeatable for individual females. However, the repeatability of specific extra-pair sires was low. We suggest that this unusual pattern of mating may be due to females maximizing the heterozygosity of their offspring. 相似文献
18.
Variation in baseline glucocorticoid (cort) levels can be attributed, at least in part, to differences in energetic demands confronting individuals. Elevated baseline cort levels are routinely interpreted as indicating individuals in poor condition, with low relative fitness. However, when greater reproductive effort increases energetic demands, individuals with high cort might paradoxically be those with the highest fitness. Here, we experimentally test the hypothesis that increased reproductive demand causes increases in baseline cort (the Cort-Adaptation hypothesis). We measured maternal baseline cort before and after experimentally enlarging and reducing brood sizes in tree swallows (Tachycineta bicolor). Females with experimentally enlarged broods had greater increases in baseline cort and fledged more offspring than females with reduced broods. Additionally, females with greater increases in baseline cort had higher offspring-provisioning rates than females with lower changes in cort. These findings demonstrate that increased reproductive demand can cause increased baseline cort. As yet, we do not know if these increases in cort cause increased allocation of resources towards reproduction, but the positive relationship between parental behaviour and cort suggests that increased cort does not always interfere with reproductive investment, and might instead facilitate it. 相似文献
19.
The habitat of Osmoderma eremita, a vulnerable species in Europe restricted to tree cavities, was examined in southeastern Sweden. The occurrence of O. eremita larvae and fragments, larval frass and imagines were investigated in 135, 72 and 21 living oak trees with wood mould cavities, respectively. Living individuals and fragments were only found in hollows with frass. The correlation between different characteristics of the oaks and the occurrence of the beetle were examined by building multi-variate models with logistic regression. The frequency of O. eremita is higher in hollows with openings directed towards the sun (S or W) and in cavities with large amounts of wood mould. In one area the frequency was higher in trees which stand in an open or half open surrounding. The tendency to prefer sun exposed sites implies that the forestation of oak meadows, caused by cessation of traditional management, might be detrimental to the species. 相似文献