Lifespan, Lifetime Reproductive Performance And Paternity Loss Of Within-pair And Extra-pair Offspring In The Coal Tit Periparus Ater

Female birds frequently engage in extra-pair mating behaviour and may thereby increase the genetic quality of offspring in terms of either viability or sexual attractiveness. In contrast to the first idea, extra-pair offspring did not differ in lifespan from within-pair offspring in the socially monogamous coal tit. Moreover, in contrast to expectations, male within-pair offspring reared more social offspring over their lifetime than male extra-pair offspring.

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Filed under: Veterinary on October 1st, 2008