Genetic monogamy despite frequent extrapair copulations in "strictly monogamous" wild jackdaws.

ABSTRACT: "Monogamy" refers to different components of pair exclusiveness: the social pair, sexual partners, and the genetic outcome of sexual encounters. Avian monogamy is usually defined socially or genetically, whereas quantifications of sexual behavior remain scarce. Jackdaws (Corvus monedula) are considered a rare example of strict monogamy in songbirds, with lifelong pair bonds and little genetic evidence for extrapair (EP) offspring. Yet jackdaw copulations, although accompanied by loud copulation calls, are rarely observed because they occur visually concealed inside nest cavities. Using full-day nest-box video surveillance and on-bird acoustic bio-logging, we directly observed jackdaw sexual behavior and compared it to the corresponding genetic outcome obtained via molecular parentag

SUBMITTER: Gill LF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7191249 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature