A Test of the “Sexy Son” Hypothesis: Sons of Polygynous Collared Flycatchers Do Not Inherit Their Fathers’ Mating Status

According to the original “sexy son” hypothesis, a female may benefit from pairing with an already‐mated male despite a reduction in fecundity because her sons inherit their father’s attractiveness. We used data from a long‐term study of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) collected during 24...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The American naturalist 2006-02, Vol.167 (2), p.297-302
Main Authors: Gustafsson, Lars, Qvarnström, Anna
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal nesting
Animal populations
Animal reproduction
Animals
Bird nesting
Birds
Breeding
Effects
Evolutionary biology
Fecundity
Female
Female animals
Fertility
Ficedula albicollis
Flycatchers
Inheritance Patterns
Male
Male animals
Mating behavior
Nature
Nesting Behavior
Notes and Comments
Passeriformes - anatomy & histology
Passeriformes - physiology
Preferences
Reproductive success
Sexual Behavior, Animal
Sons
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Summary:According to the original “sexy son” hypothesis, a female may benefit from pairing with an already‐mated male despite a reduction in fecundity because her sons inherit their father’s attractiveness. We used data from a long‐term study of collared flycatchers (Ficedula albicollis) collected during 24 years to test this prediction. Our results show that the sons of polygynously mated females fledged in poor condition and therefore did not inherit their father’s large forehead patch (a condition‐dependent display trait) or mating status. From the female’s perspective, polygynous pairing resulted in fewer recruited grandchildren than did a monogamous pairing. The reproductive value of sons did not outweigh the fecundity costs of polygyny because the low paternal care reduced the attractiveness of sons. When there are long‐lasting parental effects on offspring attractiveness, costs of polygyny may include the production of nonsexy sons.
ISSN:0003-0147
1537-5323
DOI:10.1086/498623