Variation in assortative mating in two colonies of Arctic skuas

NaturePublished 1 December 1974

Peter O’Donald, John W. Davis, Roger A. Broad

DOI10.1038/252700a0

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Citations14

SJR quartileQ1

SJR score18.29

SNIP10.16

TL;DR

Computer models have been used to estimate the females' mating preferences for the darker males, and it is found that a pair which breeds earlier in the season will fledge a greater average number of chicks.

Abstract

THE Arctic skua is a polymorphic seabird with pale, intermediate and dark plumaged phenotypes. Sexual selection of the phenotypes takes place when pairs are being formed; during the breeding season the darker males generally mate before the paler males1,2. This gives them a selective advantage because a pair which breeds earlier in the season will fledge a greater average number of chicks1,3. Computer models have been used to estimate the females' mating preferences for the darker males3.

Keywords

Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular BiologyEnvironmental Science

HeredityThe genetics of the colour phases of the Arctic skua

55 Citations1959Peter O’Donald, Peter E. D. Davis

This Arctic skua, Stercorarius parasiticus, is a colonial sea bird whose range extends from Scotland into the Arctic regions and is of genetic interest due to the dine in colour phases which it shows.

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HeredityMating preferences and sexual selection in the Arctic Skua

43 Citations1977Peter O’Donald

Models of female mating preferences in birds can be derived on the assumption that females have certain thresholds in their receptivity to male courtship that must be exceeded before they mate, which would explain the mating preferences that act in favour of melanic Arctic Skuas.

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Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological sciencesPolymorphism and behaviour in the Arctic Skua (Stercorarius Parasiticus (L.))

32 Citations1970R. J. Berry, Peter E. D. Davis

It is suggested that later hatching may be favoured in inland and northern parts of the species range, where the main food is small mammals (which usually become plentiful only later in the summer) and the frequency of Pale birds is much higher in such areas.

HeredityMating preferences and sexual selection in the arctic skua

28 Citations1974Peter O’Donald, N S Wedd +1 more

The relationship between breeding time and fitness in the Arctic skua is described in terms of a fitness function estimated from the empirical data, with no significant variation in the fitness function between pairs who have bred together for different numbers of years.

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NatureSexual Selection for Colour Phases in the Arctic Skua

11 Citations1972Peter O’Donald

A computer model, allowing for partial female mating preferences, showed that the preferred males can gain an advantage even when the earlier breeding pairs are not the fitter, and can produce stable polymorphisms when balanced by natural selection.