Offspring sex ratios in relation to mutual ornamentation and extra-pair paternity in the Black Swan Cygnus atratus
2007
Komdeur, Jan | Ming, Ma | Kraaijeveld, Ken | Mulder, Raoul A.
In sexually dichromatic birds, females may adaptively adjust the sex ratio of their offspringprior to hatching in relation to male ornamentation, for example, by producing more sonswhen paired to a highly attractive partner. However, to our knowledge no studies have investigatedoffspring sex ratio modification in species in which both sexes are ornamented, andit is unknown whether such a process would be adaptive. Here we examine variation in offspringsex ratio in the mutually ornamented Black SwanCygnus atratus. Brood sex ratio wasnot related to the degree of ornament elaboration in either parent, or to extra-pair paternity.We suggest that parental attractiveness may not be inherited in a sex-linked manner, or maybe largely non-heritable. Thus, females may not benefit from biasing the sex ratio of theiroffspring in relation to parental attractiveness.
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