Sperm variation in Great Tit males (Parus major) is linked to a haematological health‑related trait, but not ornamentation

Result code in IS VaVaI

<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68081766%3A_____%2F18%3A00489629" target="_blank" >RIV/68081766:_____/18:00489629 - isvavai.cz</a>

Alternative codes found

RIV/00216208:11310/18:10378581 RIV/60460709:41330/18:77174

Result on the web

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1559-7" target="_blank" >http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1559-7</a>

DOI - Digital Object Identifier

<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10336-018-1559-7" target="_blank" >10.1007/s10336-018-1559-7</a>

Result language

angličtina

Original language name

Sperm variation in Great Tit males (Parus major) is linked to a haematological health‑related trait, but not ornamentation

Original language description

The phenotype-linked fertility hypothesis (PLFH) proposes that both sexual ornaments and sperm traits are phenotypically plastic and co-affected by environmental factors through individual condition, resulting in a positive correlation between ornament expression and functional fertility. Ornaments may then serve females in the identification of the most fertile males. Despite intense research on the relationship between sexual characters and male ejaculate quality, published results are not consistent with the PLFH. The aim of our study was to test if sperm morphology is associated with sexual ornamentation and several health/condition-dependent traits in Great Tit males (Parus major). We evaluated the association between sperm morphology and two types of ornaments, carotenoid- and melanin-based ventral feather coloration, to evaluate predictions of the PLFH. As surrogates for condition and health/stress status, we used standardized male weight and the peripheral blood heterophil to lymphocyte ratio (H/L). Also, we used the immature erythrocyte frequency as a trait linked to the rate of haematopoiesis, and presumably metabolism and pace of life. Our results support an association of sperm traits with healthrelated traits: the within-male variability in total sperm length was negatively related to the H/L ratio. This either suggests that birds maintaining low sperm variability may afford to invest more into heterophil production or, in contrast to the PLFH, there could be a trade-off between individual investment in reproduction (ejaculate quality) and the avoidance of long-term physiological stress. Contrary to the predictions of the PLFH we were unable to identify any parameter of sperm morphology associated with either body condition or the expression of male sexual traits. Thus, our study contributes to evidence rejecting the hypothesis of ornamental involvement in fertility selection, while giving weak support to the sperm competition theory.

Czech name

—

Czech description

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Type

J_imp - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database

CEP classification

—

OECD FORD branch

10615 - Ornithology

Project

<a href="/en/project/GA15-11782S" target="_blank" >GA15-11782S: Biology of ageing: mechanisms and patterns of senescence in free-living birds</a><br>

Continuities

P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)

Publication year

2018

Confidentiality

S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů

Name of the periodical

Journal of Ornithology

ISSN

0021-8375

e-ISSN

—

Volume of the periodical

159

Issue of the periodical within the volume

3

Country of publishing house

US - UNITED STATES

Number of pages

8

Pages from-to

815-822

UT code for WoS article

000437001800018

EID of the result in the Scopus database

2-s2.0-85049259054