Swallowing ornamental asymmetry
Article Abstract:
Whether the ability of male swallows of the species Hirundo rustica to breed successfully is affected by the length and symmetry of their outermost tail feathers has become controversial among behavioral scientists. The hypothesis that female swallows prefer males with symmetrical feathers because they are likelier to produce strong offspring is undermined by a lack of evidence and by alternative hypotheses such as the influence of tail aerodynamics. The rebuttal view is that tail manipulation experiments have shown that the size of ornamental feathers and female parental care affect each other.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1992
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Mutual sexual selection in a monogamous seabird
Article Abstract:
The sexual responses of the monogamous seabird Asthea cristatella or crested auklet were studied to test the effects of ornamental traits on the mating preferences of this species. The responses of male and female auklets on opposite-sex models with shortened and lengthened crest ornaments were observed. Results show that both males and females exhibited more sexual displays to a prospect with an accentuated (lengthened) crest. This confirms Darwin's theory that mutual sexual selection fuels the evolution of ornaments in monogamous sexually monomorphic animals.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1993
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Aerodynamics and the evolution of long tails in birds
Article Abstract:
Scientists are starting to accept the belief that long tails in birds are the result of sexual selection, but this analysis fails to take into account aerodynamics. Certain tail types, such as shallow-forked, long tails, actually improve aerodynamics and therefore may be the result of natural selection rather than sexual selection. However, certain un-aerodynamically beneficial long-tail types such as graduated tails do appear to be the result of sexual selection and are more common in species that do not fly long distances.
Publication Name: Nature
Subject: Zoology and wildlife conservation
ISSN: 0028-0836
Year: 1993
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