IDEAS home Printed from https://ideas.repec.org/a/nat/nature/v411y2001i6833d10.1038_35075000.html
   My bibliography  Save this article

Hybridization and adaptive mate choice in flycatchers

Author

Listed:
  • Thor Veen

    (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University
    University of Groningen)

  • Thomas Borge

    (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University)

  • Simon C. Griffith

    (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University
    EGI, University of Oxford)

  • Glenn-Peter Saetre

    (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University)

  • Stanislav Bures

    (Palacky University, Laboratory of Ornithology)

  • Lars Gustafsson

    (Evolutionary Biology Centre, Uppsala University)

  • Ben C. Sheldon

    (EGI, University of Oxford)

Abstract

Hybridization in natural populations is strongly selected against when hybrid offspring have reduced fitness. Here we show that, paradoxically, pairing with another species may offer the best fitness return for an individual, despite reduced fitness of hybrid offspring. Two mechanisms reduce the costs to female collared flycatchers of pairing with male pied flycatchers. A large proportion of young are sired by conspecific male collared flycatchers through extra-pair copulations, and there is a bias in favour of male offspring (which, unlike females, are fertile) within hybrid pairs. In combination with temporal variation in breeding success, these cost-reducing mechanisms yield quantitative predictions about when female collared flycatchers should accept a male pied flycatcher as a mate; empirical data agree with these predictions. Apparent hybridization may thus represent adaptive mate choice under some circumstances.

Suggested Citation

  • Thor Veen & Thomas Borge & Simon C. Griffith & Glenn-Peter Saetre & Stanislav Bures & Lars Gustafsson & Ben C. Sheldon, 2001. "Hybridization and adaptive mate choice in flycatchers," Nature, Nature, vol. 411(6833), pages 45-50, May.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:411:y:2001:i:6833:d:10.1038_35075000
    DOI: 10.1038/35075000
    as

    Download full text from publisher

    File URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/35075000
    File Function: Abstract
    Download Restriction: Access to the full text of the articles in this series is restricted.
    File URL: https://libkey.io/10.1038/35075000?utm_source=ideas
    LibKey link: if access is restricted and if your library uses this service, LibKey will redirect you to where you can use your library subscription to access this item
    ---><---

    As the access to this document is restricted, you may want to search for a different version of it.

    More about this item

    Statistics

    Access and download statistics

    Corrections

    All material on this site has been provided by the respective publishers and authors. You can help correct errors and omissions. When requesting a correction, please mention this item's handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:411:y:2001:i:6833:d:10.1038_35075000. See general information about how to correct material in RePEc.

    If you have authored this item and are not yet registered with RePEc, we encourage you to do it here. This allows to link your profile to this item. It also allows you to accept potential citations to this item that we are uncertain about.

    We have no bibliographic references for this item. You can help adding them by using this form .

    If you know of missing items citing this one, you can help us creating those links by adding the relevant references in the same way as above, for each refering item. If you are a registered author of this item, you may also want to check the "citations" tab in your RePEc Author Service profile, as there may be some citations waiting for confirmation.

    For technical questions regarding this item, or to correct its authors, title, abstract, bibliographic or download information, contact: Sonal Shukla or Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing (email available below). General contact details of provider: http://www.nature.com .

    Please note that corrections may take a couple of weeks to filter through the various RePEc services.

    IDEAS is a RePEc service. RePEc uses bibliographic data supplied by the respective publishers.