Abstract
Reproductive effort was manipulated in a free-living population of house sparrows (Passer domesticus) to investigate the trade-off between reproductive investment and the expression of a condition-dependent sexually selected ornament. Phenotypic plasticity in the expression of this trait was related to the experimentally manipulated size of the brood reared by a male. Males that invested more in current reproduction subsequently became more attractive to females in this population as they showed a preference for males with smaller badges. This supports the argument that direct benefits are a primary focus for mate choice by females. Trade-offs between reproductive effort and the expression of sexual ornaments are a potentially important source of phenotypic variation in both sexual ornaments and life-history traits.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 1115-1119 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Journal | Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences |
| Volume | 267 |
| Issue number | 1448 |
| Publication status | Published - 7 Jun 2000 |
| Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- Life history
- Ornament expression
- Rendition dependence
- Sexual selection
- Trade-offs
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