Environmental and parental influences on offspring health and growth in great tits (Parus major).

ABSTRACT: Sexual selection requires both that there is heritable variation in traits related to fitness, and that either some of this variation is linked to traits of the parents, and/or that there are direct benefits of choosing particular individuals as mates. This suggests that if direct benefits are important offspring performance should be predicted by traits of the rearing adults. But if indirect benefits are more significant offspring performance should be predicted by traits of the adults at the nest-of-origin. We conducted cross-fostering experiments in great tits (Parus major) over four years, in two of which we manipulated environmental conditions by providing supplemental food. In a third year, some nestlings were directly supplemented with carotenoids. Nestlings in broods whose rearing

SUBMITTER: Pickett SR 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC3728352 | biostudies-literature | 2013

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature