Sexual imprinting on continuous variation: do female zebra finches prefer or avoid unfamiliar sons of their foster parents

Sexual imprinting on discrete variation that serves the identification of species, morphs or sexes is well documented. By contrast, sexual imprinting on continuous variation leading to individual differences in mating preferences within a single species, morph and sex has been studied only once (in...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of evolutionary biology 2008-09, Vol.21 (5), p.1274-1280
Main Authors: SCHIELZETH, H, BURGER, C, BOLUND, E, FORSTMEIER, W
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal behavior
Animal reproduction
Animals
Birds
Cooperative Behavior
direct and indirect benefits
Evolutionary biology
Female
female choice
Females
Finches - physiology
Genetic Variation
Imprinting (Psychology)
inbreeding avoidance
kin recognition
Male
Mating Preference, Animal
Paternal Behavior
Phenotype
phenotypic flexibility
sexual imprinting
Taeniopygia guttata
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Summary:Sexual imprinting on discrete variation that serves the identification of species, morphs or sexes is well documented. By contrast, sexual imprinting on continuous variation leading to individual differences in mating preferences within a single species, morph and sex has been studied only once (in humans). We measured female preferences in a captive population of wild-type zebra finches. Individual cross-fostering ensured that all subjects grew up with unrelated foster parents and nest mates. Females from two cohorts (N = 113) were given a simultaneous choice between (two or four) unfamiliar males, one of which was a genetic son of their foster parents (SFP). We found no significant overall preference for the SFP (combined effect size d = 0.14 ± 0.15). Additionally, we tested if foster parent traits could potentially explain between-female variation in preferences. However, neither the effectiveness of cooperation between the parents nor male contribution to parental care affected female preferences for the son of the foster father. We conclude that at least in zebra finches sexual imprinting is not a major source of between-individual variation in mating preferences.
ISSN:1010-061X
1420-9101
DOI:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2008.01568.x