A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Low heritability of nest construction in a wild bird
Authors: Jarvinen P, Kluen E, Brommer JE
Publisher: ROYAL SOC
Publication year: 2017
Journal: Biology Letters
Journal name in source: BIOLOGY LETTERS
Journal acronym: BIOL LETTERS
Article number: ARTN 20170246
Volume: 13
Issue: 10
Number of pages: 4
ISSN: 1744-9561
eISSN: 1744-957X
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2017.0246(external)
Abstract
In birds and other taxa, nest construction varies considerably between and within populations. Such variation is hypothesized to have an adaptive (i.e. genetic) basis, but estimates of heritability in nest construction are largely lacking. Here, we demonstrate with data collected over 10 years from 1010 nests built by blue tits in nest-boxes that nest size (height of nest material) and nest composition (proportion of feathers in the nest) are repeatable but only weakly (12-13%) heritable female traits. These findings imply that nest construction may evolve but only if subjected to strong and consistent selection pressures.
In birds and other taxa, nest construction varies considerably between and within populations. Such variation is hypothesized to have an adaptive (i.e. genetic) basis, but estimates of heritability in nest construction are largely lacking. Here, we demonstrate with data collected over 10 years from 1010 nests built by blue tits in nest-boxes that nest size (height of nest material) and nest composition (proportion of feathers in the nest) are repeatable but only weakly (12-13%) heritable female traits. These findings imply that nest construction may evolve but only if subjected to strong and consistent selection pressures.
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