The artificial nestbox on an Asian White Birch (Betula platyphylla) (1360 m in elevation) was used by a pair of Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) in Beijing, and five eggs were found in the nest in 2005....The artificial nestbox on an Asian White Birch (Betula platyphylla) (1360 m in elevation) was used by a pair of Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) in Beijing, and five eggs were found in the nest in 2005. One was much larger and was identified as the Oriental Cuckoo’s (Cuculus optatus) egg.展开更多
Background:Genes of the major histocompatibility complex(MHC)are an important component of the vertebrate immune system and play a significant role in mate choice in animal populations.However,the MHC genetic targets ...Background:Genes of the major histocompatibility complex(MHC)are an important component of the vertebrate immune system and play a significant role in mate choice in animal populations.However,the MHC genetic targets of female mate choice have not been clearly identified,and whether female mate choice is based on neutral genetic characteristics remains an open question.Here,we focus on the effects of morphological traits and genetic similarity among individuals in MHC class IIB(MHC IIB)exon 2 on mating in a sexually dimorphic songbird that exhibits social monogamy with extra-pair paternity(EPP).Methods:We sequenced 64 parent-offspring triads sampled over a 3-year period using two MHC class II loci to detect disassortative mating in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher(Ficedula zanthopygia).Results:We found that MHC similarity in social pairs was lower than that in random pairs.Extra-pair mate choice according to MHC IIB was observed,in which females’extra-pair mates had fewer MHC alleles than their within-pair mates,but there was no significant band-sharing between extra-pair sires and potential extra-pair mates.However,the interaction between the MHC diversity of females and that of the social males affected the occurrence of EPP.Conclusions:Our results support the“optimality hypothesis”of MHC-based social and extra-pair choice.Female choice probably maintains a certain level of MHC diversity in offspring in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher.展开更多
Acoustic signals play an important role in animal communication systems,and these signals can transfer diverse and meaningful information from a signaler to a receiver(e.g.,Yu et al.2019).Animal signals tend to be hon...Acoustic signals play an important role in animal communication systems,and these signals can transfer diverse and meaningful information from a signaler to a receiver(e.g.,Yu et al.2019).Animal signals tend to be honest;however,deception can occur when it is beneficial for receivers to send dishonest signals,such as by mimicking alarm calls to steal food from other individuals(Flower et al.2014).In birds,vocal mimicry is a widespread phenomenon that has 2 major functional explanation categories:intraspecific and interspecific communications(Dalziell et al.2015).Vocal mimicry in intraspecific communication mainly involves sexual selection and social affiliation(Dalziell et al.2015).In interspecific communication,studies on vocal mimicry are mostly related to predator–prey interactions(Dalziell et al.2015).Mimics could mimic calls of predators to scare off other predators or competitors.For example,some species of hole-nesting birds produce a snakelike hissing call to drive nest predators away(e.g.,Dutour et al.2020).Receiver should be particularly sensitive to the deceptive vocals of mimics if failing to respond to an actual model sound is costly.Therefore,the mimics could derive an advantage from mimicking the calls of predators of the receivers.A recent experimental study suggested that the bubbling calls of female common cuckoo Cuculus canorus mimic those of Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus,and they primarily serve to distract regular hosts after laying eggs(York and Davies 2017).However,Xia et al.(2019)found that female cuckoo calls have other functions,including attracting mates and repelling rivals.展开更多
文摘The artificial nestbox on an Asian White Birch (Betula platyphylla) (1360 m in elevation) was used by a pair of Yellow-rumped Flycatcher (Ficedula zanthopygia) in Beijing, and five eggs were found in the nest in 2005. One was much larger and was identified as the Oriental Cuckoo’s (Cuculus optatus) egg.
基金The study was financed by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.31801976 to ME and No.20111938 to HW)the University Student Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training Program of Jilin Province(No.202010205057 to ME)the Natural Science Foundation of Changchun Normal University.
文摘Background:Genes of the major histocompatibility complex(MHC)are an important component of the vertebrate immune system and play a significant role in mate choice in animal populations.However,the MHC genetic targets of female mate choice have not been clearly identified,and whether female mate choice is based on neutral genetic characteristics remains an open question.Here,we focus on the effects of morphological traits and genetic similarity among individuals in MHC class IIB(MHC IIB)exon 2 on mating in a sexually dimorphic songbird that exhibits social monogamy with extra-pair paternity(EPP).Methods:We sequenced 64 parent-offspring triads sampled over a 3-year period using two MHC class II loci to detect disassortative mating in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher(Ficedula zanthopygia).Results:We found that MHC similarity in social pairs was lower than that in random pairs.Extra-pair mate choice according to MHC IIB was observed,in which females’extra-pair mates had fewer MHC alleles than their within-pair mates,but there was no significant band-sharing between extra-pair sires and potential extra-pair mates.However,the interaction between the MHC diversity of females and that of the social males affected the occurrence of EPP.Conclusions:Our results support the“optimality hypothesis”of MHC-based social and extra-pair choice.Female choice probably maintains a certain level of MHC diversity in offspring in the Yellow-rumped Flycatcher.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31770419 and 31971402 to H.W.,31772453 and 31970427 to W.L.,and 32001094 to J.Y.)Science and Technology Research Project of the Education Department of Jilin Province(JJKH20190281KJ).
文摘Acoustic signals play an important role in animal communication systems,and these signals can transfer diverse and meaningful information from a signaler to a receiver(e.g.,Yu et al.2019).Animal signals tend to be honest;however,deception can occur when it is beneficial for receivers to send dishonest signals,such as by mimicking alarm calls to steal food from other individuals(Flower et al.2014).In birds,vocal mimicry is a widespread phenomenon that has 2 major functional explanation categories:intraspecific and interspecific communications(Dalziell et al.2015).Vocal mimicry in intraspecific communication mainly involves sexual selection and social affiliation(Dalziell et al.2015).In interspecific communication,studies on vocal mimicry are mostly related to predator–prey interactions(Dalziell et al.2015).Mimics could mimic calls of predators to scare off other predators or competitors.For example,some species of hole-nesting birds produce a snakelike hissing call to drive nest predators away(e.g.,Dutour et al.2020).Receiver should be particularly sensitive to the deceptive vocals of mimics if failing to respond to an actual model sound is costly.Therefore,the mimics could derive an advantage from mimicking the calls of predators of the receivers.A recent experimental study suggested that the bubbling calls of female common cuckoo Cuculus canorus mimic those of Eurasian sparrowhawk Accipiter nisus,and they primarily serve to distract regular hosts after laying eggs(York and Davies 2017).However,Xia et al.(2019)found that female cuckoo calls have other functions,including attracting mates and repelling rivals.