Assortative mating and gene flow in the Lesser Snow Goose: A modelling approach

Nonrandom mating with respect to color is well documented in the dimorphic Lesser Snow Goose. A set of mathematical models and data from the long-term study at La Pérouse Bay, Manitoba, Canada are used to examine various hypotheses advanced to explain the mechanisms behind the assortative mating. Among the factors considered are mate choice based on familial color, accidental formation of genetically unrelated families, and nonuniform distribution of colors in the region where mate selection occurs.