Dataset Information

Male age and its association with reproductive traits in captive and wild house sparrows.

ABSTRACT: Evolutionary theory predicts that females seek extra-pair fertilizations from high-quality males. In socially monogamous bird species, it is often old males that are most successful in extra-pair fertilizations. Adaptive models of female extra-pair mate choice suggest that old males may produce offspring of higher genetic quality than young males because they have proven their survivability. However, old males are also more likely to show signs of reproductive senescence, such as reduced sperm quality. To better understand why old males account for a disproportionally large number of extra-pair offspring and what the consequences of mating with old males are, we compared several sperm traits of both captive and wild house sparrows, Passer domesticus. Sperm morphological traits and cloacal protuberance volume (a proxy for sperm load) of old and young males did not differ substantially. However, old males delivered almost three times more sperm to the female's egg than young males. We discuss the possibility of a post-copulatory advantage for old over young males and the consequences for females mated with old males.

SUBMITTER: Girndt A

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8653889 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Male age and its association with reproductive traits in captive and wild house sparrows.

Girndt Antje A Cockburn Glenn G Sánchez-Tójar Alfredo A Hertel Moritz M Burke Terry T Schroeder Julia J

Journal of evolutionary biology 20190926 12

Evolutionary theory predicts that females seek extra-pair fertilizations from high-quality males. In socially monogamous bird species, it is often old males that are most successful in extra-pair fertilizations. Adaptive models of female extra-pair mate choice suggest that old males may produce offspring of higher genetic quality than young males because they have proven their survivability. However, old males are also more likely to show signs of reproductive senescence, such as reduced sperm q ...[more]

PMID: 31529748

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Project description:Urbanization is increasing at a rapid pace globally. Understanding the links among environmental characteristics, phenotypes, and fitness enables researchers to predict the impact of changing landscapes on individuals and populations. Although avian reproductive output is typically lower in urban compared with natural areas, the underlying reasons for this discrepancy may lie at the intersection of abiotic and biotic environmental and individual differences. Recent advances in urban ecology highlight the effect of heavy metal contamination on stress physiology. As high levels of glucocorticoid hormones decrease parental investment, these hormones might be the link to decreased reproductive success in areas of high environmental pollution. In this study, we aimed to identify which abiotic stressors are linked to avian reproductive output in urban areas and whether this link is mediated by individual hormone levels. We used fine-scaled estimates (2 m2 spatial resolution) of nighttime light, noise, and urban density to assess their impacts on the physiological condition of adult house sparrows (Passer domesticus). We measured circulating levels of lead and glucocorticoid concentrations in 40 breeding pairs of free-living house sparrows and related these physiological traits to reproductive success. Using structural equation modeling, we found that increased urban density levels linked directly to increased plasma corticosterone and lead concentrations that subsequently led to decreased fledgling mass. Sparrows with increased lead concentrations in plasma also had higher corticosterone levels. Although urban areas may be attractive due to decreased natural predators and available nesting sites, they may act as ecological traps that increase physiological damage and decrease fitness. To illustrate, avian development is strongly explained by parental corticosterone levels, which vary significantly in response to urban density and lead pollution. With fine-scale ecological mapping for a species with small home ranges, we demonstrated the presence and impacts of urban stressors in a small city with high human densities.

Dataset Information

Male age and its association with reproductive traits in captive and wild house sparrows.

Publications

Male age and its association with reproductive traits in captive and wild house sparrows.

Similar Datasets

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