Female barn owls (Tyto alba) advertise good genes.

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Serval ID
serval:BIB_822B295FBE8B
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Title
Female barn owls (Tyto alba) advertise good genes.
Journal
Proceedings of the Royal Society of London B Biological Sciences
Author(s)
Roulin A., Jungi T.W., Pfister H., Dijkstra C.
ISSN
0962-8452
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2000
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
267
Number
1446
Pages
937-941
Language
english
Abstract
The good genes hypothesis of sexual selection postulates that ornamentation signals superior genetic quality to potential mates. Support for this hypothesis comes from studies on male ornamentation only, while it remains to be shown that female ornamentation may signal genetic quality as well. Female barn owls (Tyto alba) display more black spots on their plumage than males. The expression of this plumage trait has a genetic basis and it has been suggested that males prefer to mate with females displaying more black spots. Given the role of parasites in the evolution of sexually selected traits and of the immune system in parasite resistance, we hypothesize that the extent of female plumage 'spottiness' reflects immunological defence. We assessed the genetic variation in specific antibody production against a non-pathogenic antigen among cross-fostered nestlings and studied its covariation with the plumage spottiness of genetic parents. The magnitude of the antibody response was positively correlated with the plumage spottiness of the genetic mother but not of the genetic father. Our study thereby provides the first experimental support, to our knowledge, for the hypothesis that female ornamentation signals genetic quality.
Keywords
Animals, Antibody Formation/genetics, Erythrocytes/immunology, Female, Genetic Variation, Host-Parasite Interactions/genetics, Male, Models, Genetic, Pigmentation, Selection (Genetics), Sex Characteristics, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Sheep, Strigiformes/genetics, Strigiformes/immunology
Pubmed
Web of science
Create date
24/01/2008 17:43
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:42
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