Mates of Competitive Females: The Relationships between Female Aggression, Mate Quality, and Parental Care

摘要: Though rarely mate-limited, females in a wide variety of species express traits commonly associated with mate competition males. Recent research has shown that these competitive (ornaments, armaments, and intense aggression) often function the context female-female for nonsexual reproductive resources are positively related to success. Increased success could occur because acquire limited ecological (nest sites, territories, etc.) or they pair high quality males, is, older, more ornamented, parental Further, males paired aggressive/low care may compensate by increasing their paternal efforts. Here, I examined patterns social pairing free-living dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis), biparental songbird. found no detectable relationship between female behavior (aggression) male (age, size, ornamentation) provisioning. Thus, neither choice hypotheses (females compete prefer aggressive females) was supported. Instead, results suggest is secondary consideration. also negative provisioning rates, suggesting partners adjust level effort response partner’s