Sexual selection and the barn swallow
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
Sexual selection and the barn swallow
（Oxford series in ecology and evolution）
Oxford University Press, 1994
- : hbk
- : pbk
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Note
Bibliography: p. [335]-355
Includes indexes
Description and Table of Contents
- Volume
-
: pbk ISBN 9780198540281
Description
An important empirical test of the theoretical predictions of sexual selection theory, this book presents a long-term field study of the monagamous barn swallow. By using information on behaviour, ecology, morphology, genetics, and evolution, the book reviews this theory and its two components: male-male competition and female choice.
The selective advantages of a long tail are investigated for this common bird, demonstrating such effects as mating behaviour, copulation behaviour, migration strategies, and host-parasite interactions.
A rich informative text which clearly elucidates the mechanisms and consequences of sexual selection.
Table of Contents
- 1. Introduction
- 2. Models of sexual selection and monogamy
- 3. The study organism
- 4. Male mating advantages
- 5. Benefits of mate choice
- 6. Determinants of tail ornament size
- 7. Advantages of early arrival
- 8. Options for unmated males
- 9. Parasites and sexual selection
- 10. Parental care and male ornamentation
- 11. Sperm competition and sexual selection
- 12. Sexual size dimorphism and female ornaments
- 13. Geographic variation in ornament size
- 14. Synthesis
- References
- Author index
- Subject index
- Taxonomic index
- Volume
-
: hbk ISBN 9780198540298
Description
The main theme of this study is that sexual selection is important, and affects many aspects of animal life such as mating behaviour, parental care, host-parasite interactions and migration strategies. Birds with extravagant feather ornaments are the standard example of sexual selection. Here, the selective advantages of a long tail are investigated for a common bird, the barn swallow, in the context of sexual selection theory This study constitutes a major empirical text of the theoretical predictions and will be of especial interest to students on behavioural and evolutionary ecology. The first two chapters present a concise review of sexual selection theory and its two main components, male-male competition and female choice. Subsequent chapters investigate the advantage for males of being extravagantly adorned and the advantages that females acquire by being choosy when selecting a mate, using evidence from the author's long-term work on the monogamous barn swallow Moeller explores the roles of behaviour, ecology, morphology, genetics and evolution to provide a synthesis of this work to date. Anders Pape Moeller is co-author (with T.R. Birkhead) of "Sperm Competition in Birds
Table of Contents
- Models of sexual selection and monogamy
- the study organism
- male mating advantages
- benefits of mate choice
- determinants of tail ornament size
- advantages of early arrival
- options for unmated males
- parasites and sexual selection
- parental care and male ornamentation
- sperm competition and sexual selection
- sexual size dimorphism and female ornaments
- geographic variation in ornament size
- synthesis.
by "Nielsen BookData"
