Molecular techniques have revealed that avian mating system is more diverse and complex than previously thought. Both males and females can use alternative reproductive tactics to increase their fitness. Here, we have determined the prevalence of conspecific brood parasitism (CBP, 22% of nests), quasi-parasitism (QP, 6.5% of nests) and extra-pair paternity (EPP, 51.2% of nests) in European subspecies of barn swallow (Hirundo rustica rustica). In contrast to EPP and CBP, QP is rare and has been described in only a few bird species. Our data indicate nonrandom QP patterns, suggesting that this tactic can be considered a third alternative reproductive strategy, alongside CBP and EPP. Sexual ornaments are usually assumed to evolve as condition-dependent signals of individual quality. In this context, a positive correlation between the expression of ornamental traits and survival, is expected. Evolutionary theory predicts that females seek extra-pair fertilizations from high-quality (more ornamented) males and EPP has consequently been proposed as a principal protagonist in the evolution of male secondary sexual traits, however empirical evidence in support of the assertion is relatively scarce. Despite decades of research into the role of EPP in sexual selection, the potential fitness advantages for...
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:nusl.cz/oai:invenio.nusl.cz:448037 |
| Date | January 2021 |
| Creators | Michálková, Romana |
| Contributors | Albrecht, Tomáš, Sedláček, Ondřej, Svobodová, Jana |
| Source Sets | Czech ETDs |
| Language | Czech |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | info:eu-repo/semantics/doctoralThesis |
| Rights | info:eu-repo/semantics/restrictedAccess |
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