When Older Males Sire More Offspring-Increased Attractiveness or Higher Fertility?

ABSTRACT:

Abstract

In birds with extrapair mating, older males usually have higher fertilization success than younger males. Two hypotheses can potentially explain this pattern: 1) females prefer older, and often more ornamented males, or 2) older males invest more in reproduction and fertility than younger males. Here we studied factors associated with age-related male fertilization success in a population of barn swallows Hirundo rustica in Canada. We document that male fertilization success increased gradually up to a minimum age of four-year old. The age effect was especially strong for the number of extrapair offspring obtained and the occurrence of a second brood. The higher fertilization success of older males was also associated with an early start of breeding in spring. The l

SUBMITTER: Lifjeld JT 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9034975 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature