Assortative Mating in Relation to Plumage Traits Shared by Male and Female American Robins

[摘要] Abstract. Whereas the ecological and evolutionary causes and consequences of sexual dimorphism in birds have been widely explored, the functional significance of female ornamentation in mutually ornamented species is less well understood. One hypothesis for mutual ornamentation is mutual sexual selection, where similar selective pressures shape the ornamental traits in both sexes. We examined multiple melanin-based plumage traits (chestnut-colored breast plumage, tail-spot size and damage) in male and female American Robins (Turdus migratorius) in relation to patterns of mating, individual quality, breeding performance, and incidence of extra-pair paternity. We found positive assortative social mating based on breast color and tail-spot damage. Tail-spot size was unrelated to patterns of social mating, and none of the plumage traits examined was associated with the incidence of extra-pair paternity. Brighter breast plumage and less damage to tail spots were positively associated with several measures of b...

[学科分类] 动物科学

[关键词] American Robin;assortative mating;plumage coloration;melanin;sexual selection;tail spots;Turdus migratorius