Parental kinship coefficient but not paternal coloration predicts early offspring growth in lake char.

ABSTRACT: The 'good genes' hypotheses of sexual selection predict that females prefer males with strong ornaments because they are in good health and vigor and can afford the costs of the ornaments. A key assumption of this concept is that male health and vigor are useful predictors of genetic quality and hence offspring performance. We tested this prediction in wild-caught lake char (Salvelinus umbla) whose breeding coloration is known to reveal aspects of male health. We first reanalyzed results from sperm competition trials in which embryos of known parenthood had been raised singly in either a stress- or non-stress environment. Paternal coloration did not correlate with any measures of offspring performance. However, offspring growth was reduced with higher kinship coefficients between the paren

SUBMITTER: Garaud L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11074127 | biostudies-literature | 2024 May

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature