Genomic data reveal unexpected relatedness between a brown female Eastern Bluebird and her brood
Document Type
Article
Publication Title
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
PubMed ID
38274864
Abstract
Because plumage coloration is frequently involved in sexual selection, for both male and female mate choice, birds with aberrant plumage should have fewer mating opportunities and thus lower reproductive output. Here we report an Eastern Bluebird (Sialia sialis) female with a brown phenotype that raised a brood of four chicks to fledging. The brown female and her mate were only related to their social offspring to the second degree and one of the offspring was a half-sibling. We propose four family tree scenarios and discuss their implications (e.g., extra-pair paternity, conspecific brood parasitism). Regardless of the tree, the brown female was able to find a mate, which may have been facilitated by the bottleneck created by the severe snowstorms in February 2021.
DOI
10.1002/ece3.10851
Publication Date
2024
Recommended Citation
Schroeder, Joseph L.; Worm, Alexander J.; Sweet, Andrew D.; and Rolland, Virginie, "Genomic data reveal unexpected relatedness between a brown female Eastern Bluebird and her brood" (2024). Faculty Publications. 61.
https://arch.astate.edu/scm-biofac/61
