Publication Details

Category Text Publication
Reference Category Journals
DOI 10.1007/s00265-006-0337-3
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Title (Primary) Male sexual attractiveness affects the investment of maternal resources into the eggs in peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
Author Loyau, A.; Saint Jalme, M.; Mauge, R.; Sorci, G.
Source Titel Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology
Year 2007
Department NSF
Volume 61
Issue 7
Page From 1043
Page To 1052
Language englisch
Keywords good genes; maternal differential investment; egg size; yolk testosterone; sexual selection
Abstract According to the differential investment hypothesis, females paired with attractive mates are expected to invest more in the current reproduction relative to females paired with unattractive males. We experimentally tested this hypothesis in the peafowl (Pavo cristatus) by providing females with males that differed in sexual attractiveness. In agreement with the differential allocation hypothesis, females paired with more ornamented males laid larger eggs, and deposited higher amounts of testosterone into the egg yolk, independently of the sex of the embryo. These results show that the association between paternal phenotype and offspring quality could arise via a differential maternal investment. They also suggest that, if ornamented males do transmit good genes to the progeny, the maternal differential investment can amplify the effect of such good genes on the offspring fitness.
Persistent UFZ Identifier https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=20939&ufzPublicationIdentifier=2031
Loyau, A., Saint Jalme, M., Mauge, R., Sorci, G. (2007):
Male sexual attractiveness affects the investment of maternal resources into the eggs in peafowl (Pavo cristatus)
Behav. Ecol. Sociobiol. 61 (7), 1043 - 1052 10.1007/s00265-006-0337-3