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Egg Speckling Patterns Do Not Advertise Offspring Quality or Influence Male Provisioning in Great Tits

Author(s): Stoddard, Mary Caswell; Fayet, Annette L.; Kilner, Rebecca M.; Hinde, Camilla A.

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dc.contributor.authorStoddard, Mary Caswell-
dc.contributor.authorFayet, Annette L.-
dc.contributor.authorKilner, Rebecca M.-
dc.contributor.authorHinde, Camilla A.-
dc.date.accessioned2019-05-30T15:57:33Z-
dc.date.available2019-05-30T15:57:33Z-
dc.date.issued2012-07-17en_US
dc.identifier.citationStoddard, Mary Caswell, Fayet, Annette L, Kilner, Rebecca M, Hinde, Camilla A. (2012). Egg Speckling Patterns Do Not Advertise Offspring Quality or Influence Male Provisioning in Great Tits. PLoS ONE, 7 (7), e40211 - e40211. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040211en_US
dc.identifier.urihttp://arks.princeton.edu/ark:/88435/pr14q6j-
dc.description.abstractMany passerine birds lay white eggs with reddish brown speckles produced by protoporphyrin pigment. However, the function of these spots is contested. Recently, the sexually selected eggshell coloration (SSEC) hypothesis proposed that eggshell color is a sexually selected signal through which a female advertises her quality (and hence the potential quality of her future young) to her male partner, thereby encouraging him to contribute more to breeding attempts. We performed a test of the SSEC hypothesis in a common passerine, the great tit Parus major. We used a double cross-fostering design to determine whether males change their provisioning behavior based on eggshell patterns they observe at the nest. We also tested the assumption that egg patterning reflects female and/or offspring quality. Because birds differ from humans in their color and pattern perception, we used digital photography and models of bird vision to quantify egg patterns objectively. Neither male provisioning nor chick growth was related to the pattern of eggs males observed during incubation. Although heavy females laid paler, less speckled eggs, these eggs did not produce chicks that grew faster. Therefore, we conclude that the SSEC hypothesis is an unlikely explanation for the evolution of egg speckling in great tits.en_US
dc.format.extente40211 - e40211en_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.relation.ispartofPLoS ONEen_US
dc.rightsFinal published version. This is an open access article.en_US
dc.titleEgg Speckling Patterns Do Not Advertise Offspring Quality or Influence Male Provisioning in Great Titsen_US
dc.typeJournal Articleen_US
dc.identifier.doidoi:10.1371/journal.pone.0040211-
dc.date.eissued2012-07-17en_US
dc.identifier.eissn1932-6203-
pu.type.symplectichttp://www.symplectic.co.uk/publications/atom-terms/1.0/journal-articleen_US

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