Looks play factor in bird mating game
If the activity of the North American barn swallow is a clue, then those that are in the market for love need to maintain their appearances.
New research shows that the female North American barn swallow, even after pairing with a male, still comparison shops for sexual partners. Forget about personality; females judge males by their looks, especially the chestnut color of the males’ breast and belly feathers, according to a team of researchers that includes School of Life Sciences assistant professor Kevin McGraw.
In a study featured on the Sept. 30 cover of the journal Science, the researchers explain that if the males’ brown breast is not as dark as other males in the population, the female is more likely to leave him and copulate with another male. The article, “Dynamic Paternity Allocation as a Function of Male Plumage Color in Barn Swallows,” has evolutionary implications and shows how ornamental traits – such as the deep color of a male barn swallow or the antlers of a deer – are costly to males but provide an edge over rival suitors.
Exerpt from ASU Insight, September 30, 2005 - by Skip Derra
Additional information can be found at the following links.
ASU Insight, September 30, 2005 Issue
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