scholarly journals Superb Fairy-Wren (Malurus cyaneus) Sons and Daughters Acquire Song Elements of Mothers and Social Fathers

2016 ◽  
Vol 4 ◽  
Author(s):  
Christine Evans ◽  
Sonia Kleindorfer
Keyword(s):  
Social Fathers ◽  
Malurus Cyaneus

scholarly journals Extrapair Fertilizations in Red Bishops (Euplectes Orix): Do Females Follow Conditional Extrapair Strategies?

The Auk ◽  
2005 ◽  
Vol 122 (1) ◽  
pp. 57-70
Author(s):  
Thomas W. P. Friedl ◽  
Georg M. Klump
Keyword(s):  
Good Genes ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Extrapair Paternity ◽  
Insurance Hypothesis ◽  
Mating Opportunities ◽  
Sperm Depletion ◽  
Fertility Insurance ◽  
Social Fathers ◽  
Rule Out

Abstract Although many studies have revealed differences in patterns of extrapair paternity between species and between populations of the same species, possible differences in female extrapair behavior within populations have received far less attention. Here, we propose and test the hypothesis that females of the highly polygynous Red Bishop (Euplectes orix) follow two different extrapair strategies, with benefits of extrapair copulations depending on the quality of their social mate (”conditional-extrapair-strategy hypothesis”). In particular, we propose that females mated to low-quality males enhance the genetic quality of their offspring by performing extrapair copulations with males of higher quality than their social mate (in accordance with the good-genes hypothesis), whereas females mated to high-quality males perform extrapair copulations as insurance against temporary infertility of their social mate caused by sperm depletion due to frequent copulations (in accordance with the fertility-insurance hypothesis). Several predictions derived from our hypothesis, regarding differences in frequency and distribution of both unhatched eggs and extrapair young between high-quality and low-quality males, are tested and shown to be supported. Most importantly, hatching failures occurred more often in territories of high-quality males than in those of low-quality males, and the proportion of unhatched eggs within the territory was positively correlated to breeding synchrony for high-quality males only. Those results suggest that sperm depletion is a risk for females mated to high-quality males with many mating opportunities. The fact that broods of high-quality males without unhatched eggs had a significantly higher proportion of extrapair young than broods of high-quality males with unhatched eggs is consistent with the hypothesis that females mated to high-quality males were successful in performing EPCs as insurance against temporary infertility of their social mates. Furthermore, genetic fathers of extrapair young hatched in territories of low-quality males were found to be of higher quality than the corresponding social fathers, whereas no difference in quality was found between genetic and social fathers of extrapair young hatched in territories of high-quality males. Although we cannot exclude the possibility that the observed pattern was a result of females mating randomly from within the available pool of extrapair males, it is in accordance with our prediction that females mated to low-quality males perform extrapair copulations with males of higher quality than their social mate to enhance offspring fitness. Overall, the data presented here suggest that females within our study colony adjusted their extrapair behavior to the quality of their social mate, even if we cannot entirely rule out alternative explanations for some of the results obtained. Thus, the study provides support for the conditional-extrapair-strategy hypothesis, which states that within populations, females may follow different extrapair strategies to gain different benefits. Fertilizaciones Extra-pareja en Euplectes orix: ¿Siguen las Hembras Estrategias Extra-pareja Condicionales?

scholarly journals Coresidential Father Transitions and Biological Parents’ Coparenting Quality in Early and Middle Childhood

2016 ◽  
Vol 38 (5) ◽  
pp. 677-699 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anne Martin ◽  
Rebecca M. Ryan ◽  
Elizabeth M. Riina ◽  
Jeanne Brooks-Gunn
Keyword(s):  
Growth Curve ◽  
Middle Childhood ◽  
Fragile Families ◽  
Child Wellbeing ◽  
Growth Curve Models ◽  
Biological Parents ◽  
Social Fathers

This study examined how the entrances and exits of biological and social fathers into and out of children’s households were associated with biological parents’ coparenting quality. Piecewise growth curve models tested for variation in these associations between child ages 1 and 3, 3 and 5, and 5 and 9. Data came from the Fragile Families and Child Wellbeing Study ( n = 2,394). Results indicated that in all three age intervals, a biological father’s entrance was associated with a contemporaneous increase in coparenting quality, whereas his exit was associated with a contemporaneous decrease. A biological father’s exit between child ages 1 and 3, or 3 and 5, was associated with declining coparenting quality in subsequent intervals. A social father’s entrance was consistently associated with a contemporaneous decrease in the biological parents’ coparenting quality, whereas his exit was associated with a contemporaneous increase between ages 3 and 5, and 5 and 9.

scholarly journals Learned recognition of brood parasitic cuckoos in the superb fairy-wren Malurus cyaneus

2012 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 798-805 ◽  
Author(s):  
N. E. Langmore ◽  
W. E. Feeney ◽  
J. Crowe-Riddell ◽  
H. Luan ◽  
K. M. Louwrens ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Malurus Cyaneus

scholarly journals Recognition of other species' aerial alarm calls: speaking the same language or learning another?

2008 ◽  
Vol 276 (1657) ◽  
pp. 769-774 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert D Magrath ◽  
Benjamin J Pitcher ◽  
Janet L Gardner
Keyword(s):  
Sympatric Species ◽  
Specific Structure ◽  
Geographical Range ◽  
Alarm Calls ◽  
Acoustic Similarity ◽  
Complex Task ◽  
Signal Design ◽  
Interspecific Recognition ◽  
Malurus Cyaneus

Alarm calls given by other species potentially provide a network of information about danger, but little is known about the role of acoustic similarity compared with learning in recognition of heterospecific calls. In particular, the aerial ‘hawk’ alarm calls of passerines provide a textbook example of signal design because many species have converged on a design that thwarts eavesdropping by hawks, and call similarity might therefore allow recognition. We measured the response of fairy-wrens ( Malurus cyaneus ) to playback of acoustically similar scrubwren ( Sericornis frontalis ) aerial alarm calls. First, if call similarity prompts escape independent of learning, then fairy-wrens should flee to playback of scrubwren calls outside their geographical range. However, fairy-wrens fled only in sympatry. Second, if call similarity is necessary for learning heterospecific calls, then fairy-wrens should not respond to sympatric species with different calls. We found, on the contrary, that fairy-wrens fled to the very different aerial alarm calls of a honeyeater ( Phylidonyris novaehollandiae ). Furthermore, response to the honeyeater depended on the specific structure of the call, not acoustic similarity. Overall, call similarity was neither sufficient nor necessary for interspecific recognition, implying learning is essential in the complex task of sifting the acoustic world for cues about danger.

Edge effects on the distribution and abundance of birds in a southern Victorian forest

2001 ◽  
Vol 28 (3) ◽  
pp. 239 ◽  
Author(s):  
Lainie Berry
Keyword(s):  
Habitat Fragmentation ◽  
Bird Species ◽  
Forest Edge ◽  
Bird Communities ◽  
Forest Edges ◽  
Forest Interior ◽  
Open Country ◽  
Habitat Edge ◽  
Malurus Cyaneus ◽  
Grey Shrike

An important consequence of habitat fragmentation for wildlife communities is the effect of an increase in the ratio of habitat edge to interior. This study compares the bird communities at forest/farmland edges and in forest interior at Bunyip State Park, Victoria. Overall, there was a significantly higher number of bird species and individuals in forest edge than in forest interior sites. The greater diversity of species at edge sites appeared to be due to an increase in forest-edge specialists, as opposed to an influx of open-country species. Four bird species: the white-throated treecreeper (Cormobates leucophaeus), the superb fairy-wren (Malurus cyaneus), the grey shrike-thrush (Colluricincla harmonica) and the grey fantail (Rhipidura fuliginosa) were significantly more abundant in edge sites. There were no species that were significantly more abundant in interior sites. Differences between the bird communities in edge and interior sites were attributed to increased foraging opportunities in the open country adjacent to forest edges.

Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document