The risk of brood parasitism does not affect levels of extra-pair paternity in a cuckoo host
Data files
Dec 08, 2023 version files 7.36 KB
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Data_upload.csv
6.77 KB
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README.md
589 B
Abstract
In socially monogamous bird species, extra-pair paternity is common, but its level varies considerably within and among species. For hosts of brood parasites, the risk of brood parasitism may influence the costs of engaging in extra-pair copulations (e.g., leaving the nest undefended) and the benefits of having extra-pair young (e.g., spreading the risk of nest predation). However, whether brood parasitism risk affects extra-pair behavior in host species has rarely been tested. We investigated whether variation in the risk of brood parasitism affected levels of extra-pair paternity in Daurian redstarts, a socially monogamous passerine. As a common host of the common cuckoo, the redstart is unique in that its first clutch of the year takes place before the arrival of cuckoos. As a consequence, redstarts experience large seasonal variation in cuckoo parasitism risk, with no parasitism in the first egg-laying period and a high risk in the second period. We genotyped 995 nestlings (and unhatched eggs) from 181 broods and found moderate levels of extra-pair paternity, with 34.8% of broods containing at least one extra-pair young and 11.7% of all offspring being sired by an extra-pair male. However, levels of extra-pair paternity did not differ between the first and the second egg-laying period. Also, experimentally simulating parasitism risk during the first egg-laying period by broadcasting cuckoo vocalizations and presenting taxidermic models of cuckoos did not affect levels of extra-pair paternity in redstarts. Our results, therefore, suggest that the risk of brood parasitism does not affect host extra-pair paternity.
README
README
The key columns for dataset
year = study year
nest_id = nest identity
clutch = egg-laying period (first/second)
plot = subplot of the study site
treatment = manipulation of perceived brood parasitism risk (cuckoo/control); 'NA' indicates nest from 2018, when we did not conduct the manipulation
clutch_size = clutch size; 'NA' means the clutch size is unknown
typed_young = number of offspring genotyped
epy_yn = whether the brood includes extra-pair young or not
epp_loss = number of extra-pair young in the brood
prop_epy = proportion of extra-pair young in the brood