Abstract
THE Arctic skua is a polymorphic seabird with pale, intermediate and dark plumaged phenotypes. Sexual selection of the phenotypes takes place when pairs are being formed; during the breeding season the darker males generally mate before the paler males1,2. This gives them a selective advantage because a pair which breeds earlier in the season will fledge a greater average number of chicks1,3. Computer models have been used to estimate the females' mating preferences for the darker males3.
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References
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O'Donald, P., Wedd, N. S., and Davis, J. W. F., Heredity, 33, 1–16 (1974).
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O'DONALD, P., DAVIS, J. & BROAD, R. Variation in assortative mating in two colonies of Arctic skuas. Nature 252, 700–701 (1974). https://doi.org/10.1038/252700a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/252700a0
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