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Behavioral Ecology Vol. 12 No. 5: 640-645
© 2001 International Society for Behavioral Ecology

Fitness consequences of long-term pair bonds in barnacle geese: monogamy in the extreme

Jeffrey M. Black

Department of Wildlife, Humboldt State University, Arcata, CA 95521, USA; Department of Arctic Ecology, Norwegian Institute for Nature Research, The Polar Environmental Centre, N-9296 Tromsø, Norway; and The Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust, Slimbridge, Gloucestershire GL2 7BT, UK

Address correspondence to J.M. Black at Humboldt State University. E-mail: jmb7002{at}humboldt.edu .

In barnacle geese Branta leucopsis, pair-bond members generally remain together every day, each year, often for life. Geese that maintain long-lasting pair bonds during their lifetime produce more offspring than those with shorter pair durations. This result was shown while statistically controlling for the birds' life span and the proportion of life spent without a partner, two variables that also influence lifetime reproductive success. I argue that continuous partnerships are maintained in highly competitive goose societies because of the constant need for female—male cooperation, without which acquiring adequate resources for reproduction would be prohibitive for both sexes.

Key words: barnacle geese, Branta leucopsis, cooperation, monogamy, lifetime reproductive success, mate familiarity, mate fidelity, pair bonds, partnerships, site fidelity.


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