"Appariement en fonction de l'hétérozygotie chez les mésanges bleues (Cyanistes caeruleus) : implications pour l'évolution du choix de partenaire"

Proceedings of the Royal Society B - Biological Sciences
Published online before print May 27, 2009, doi: 10.1098/rspb.2009.0417

Heterozygosity-based assortative mating in blue @#$%& (Cyanistes caeruleus): implications for the evolution of mate choice

1. Vicente García-Navas1,
2. Joaquín Ortego2 and
3. Juan José Sanz1,2,*

-Author Affiliations

1.
1
Departamento de Ciencias Ambientales, Facultad de Medio Ambiente
, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha,
Avenida Carlos III s/n, E-45071 Toledo
, Spain
2.
2
Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva
, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC),
C/ José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006 Madrid
, Spain

Abstract

The general hypothesis of mate choice based on non-additive genetic traits suggests that individuals would gain important benefits by choosing genetically dissimilar mates (compatible mate hypothesis) and/or more heterozygous mates (heterozygous mate hypothesis). In this study, we test these hypotheses in a socially monogamous bird, the blue tit (Cyanistes caeruleus). We found no evidence for a relatedness-based mating pattern, but heterozygosity was positively correlated between social mates, suggesting that blue @#$%& may base their mating preferences on partner's heterozygosity. We found evidence that the observed heterozygosity-based assortative mating could be maintained by both direct and indirect benefits. Heterozygosity reflected individual quality in both @#$%&: egg production and quality increased with female heterozygosity while more heterozygous males showed higher feeding rates during the brood-rearing period. Further, estimated offspring heterozygosity correlated with both paternal and maternal heterozygosity, suggesting that mating with heterozygous individuals can increase offspring genetic quality. Finally, plumage crown coloration was associated with male heterozygosity, and this could explain unanimous mate preferences for highly heterozygous and more ornamented individuals. Overall, this study suggests that non-additive genetic traits may play an important role in the evolution of mating preferences and offers empirical support to the resolution of the lek paradox from the perspective of the heterozygous mate hypothesis.

Intéressant, non ? smiling smiley

Généralités et Environnement

Une base génétique au choix de partenaire chez la mésange bleue