Environmental variability directly affects the prevalence of divorce in monogamous albatrosses.

ABSTRACT: In many socially monogamous species, divorce is a strategy used to correct for sub-optimal partnerships and is informed by measures of previous breeding performance. The environment affects the productivity and survival of populations, thus indirectly affecting divorce via changes in demographic rates. However, whether environmental fluctuations directly modulate the prevalence of divorce in a population remains poorly understood. Here, using a longitudinal dataset on the long-lived black-browed albatross (Thalassarche melanophris) as a model organism, we test the hypothesis that environmental variability directly affects divorce. We found that divorce rate varied across years (1% to 8%). Individuals were more likely to divorce after breeding failures. However, regardless of previou

SUBMITTER: Ventura F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8611344 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature