Structural equation modeling as a tool to investigate correlates of extra-pair paternity in birds

Identifying relationships between variables in ecological systems is challenging due to the large number of interacting factors. One system studied in detail is avian reproduction, where molecular analyses have revealed dramatic variation in rates of extra-pair paternity-the frequency with which bro...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:PloS one 2018-02, Vol.13 (2), p.e0193365-e0193365
Main Authors: Crouch, Nicholas M A, Mason-Gamer, Roberta J
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal Distribution
Animals
Biology and Life Sciences
Birds
Complex variables
Complexity
Computer and Information Sciences
Correlation
Ecological monitoring
Ecology and Environmental Sciences
Extra-pair paternity
Female
Longevity
Male
Males
Mathematical models
Medicine and Health Sciences
Modelling
Models, Theoretical
Organ Size
Parus caeruleus
Passeriformes - anatomy & histology
Paternity
Physical Sciences
Physiological aspects
Reproduction
Sexual Behavior, Animal
Social Behavior
Structural equation modeling
Studies
Testes
Testis - anatomy & histology
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Summary:Identifying relationships between variables in ecological systems is challenging due to the large number of interacting factors. One system studied in detail is avian reproduction, where molecular analyses have revealed dramatic variation in rates of extra-pair paternity-the frequency with which broods contain individuals sired by different males. Despite the attention the topic has received, identification of ecological predictors of the observed variation remains elusive. In this study we evaluate how structural equation modeling-which allows for simultaneous estimation of covariation between all variables in a model-can help identify significant relationships between ecological variables and extra-pair paternity. We estimated the correlation of eight different variables using data from 36 species of passerines by including them in six different models of varying complexity. We recover strong support for species with lower rates of male care having higher rates of extra-pair paternity. Our results also suggest that testes size, range size, and longevity all potentially have a relationship with rates of extra-pair paternity; however, interpretation of this result is more challenging. More generally, these results demonstrate the utility of applying structural equation modeling to understanding correlations among interacting variables in complex biological systems.
ISSN:1932-6203
1932-6203
DOI:10.1371/journal.pone.0193365