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© 1998 International Society for Behavioral Ecology
research-article |
Genetic monogamy in blue-headed vireos and a comparison with a sympatric vireo with extrapair paternity
aConservation and Research Center, National Zoological Park 1500 Remount Road, Front Royal, VA 22630, USA bDepartmnent of Biology, York University North York, Ontario, M3J 1P3, Cananda c 3662 Kinter Hill Road, Edinboro, PA 16412, USA dMolecular Genetics Laboratory, National Zoological Park Washington, DC 20008, USA
Address correspondence to E. S. Morton. E-mail: nzpemo34{at}sivm.si.edu W. H. Piper is currently at the Department of Biology, George Mason Universit Fairfax, VA 22030, USA
ABSTRACT
Based on the breeding synchrony hypothesis, we predicted, in two congeners that nest in simiilar habitat but differ in nesting synchrony, that blue-headed vireos (Vireo solitarius) would have fewer extrapair fertilizations (EPFs) thaii red-eyed vireos (V. olivaceus EPFs were rare in blue-headed vireos (1/37 nestlings), but common in red-eyed vireos (11/19 nestlings). We studied the behavior of blue-headed vireos to determine what factors could promote genetic monogamy. We found no evidence that males mate guarded to prevent extrapair copulations from occurring. Males did not follow fertile mates closely when mates left the nest (14–25% of female departures) and, during the egg-laying period, males were often alone on the nest (22.3 mm/h). Female blue-headed vireos, but not red-eyed vireos, obtain direct benefits from social mates such as nest building and incubation (49.1% of the total), and they assess male quality long before becoming fertile. Female blue-headed vireos spent more time incubating when their mates had low incubation effort. Furthermore, male incubation effort was positively correlated with nest survival during incubation. We discuss the evolution of genetic monogamy and sex role convergence in blue-headed vireos in relation to asynchronous breeding.
Key words: blue-headed vireo, breeding synchrony, DNA fingerprinting, genetic monogamy, male incubation, mating systems, red-eyed vireo, sex roles, Vireo olivaceus, Vireonidae, Vitro solitarius.
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