A1 Journal article (refereed)
Age, condition and dominance-related sexual ornament size before and during the breeding season in the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix (2018)

Harris, S., Kervinen, M., Lebigre, C., Pike, T. W., & Soulsbury, C. D. (2018). Age, condition and dominance-related sexual ornament size before and during the breeding season in the black grouse Lyrurus tetrix. Journal of Avian Biology, 49(7), Article e01648. https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.01648

JYU authors or editors

Kervinen, Matti

Publication details

All authors or editors: Harris, Sarah; Kervinen, Matti; Lebigre, Christophe; Pike, Thomas W.; Soulsbury, Carl D.

Journal or series: Journal of Avian Biology

ISSN: 0908-8857

eISSN: 1600-048X

Publication year: 2018

Volume: 49

Issue number: 7

Article number: e01648

Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell Publishing Ltd

Publication country: United Kingdom

Publication language: English

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/jav.01648

Research data link: http://dx.doi.org/10.5061/dryad.55304br

Publication open access: Not open

Publication channel open access:

Abstract

Male ornaments function as honest cues of male quality in many species and are subject to intra‐ and intersexual selection. These ornaments are generally studied during peak expression, however their size outside the breeding season may determine ultimate ornament size and costliness, and as such reproductive success. We investigated whether male black grouse Lyrurus tetrix eye comb size was related to age, condition and measures of male dominance before and during the breeding season. Total combined eye comb size began to increase ~70 d before the start of the breeding season. Adult males (aged ≥ 2 yr old) had consistently larger eye combs than younger males (1 yr old) both before and during the breeding season. Heavier and more dominant adult males (attending the lek more frequently and successfully reproducing) had larger eye combs. For younger males, those that were heavier had larger eye combs. Additionally, males that spent more time on the lek showed increased eye comb size as the breeding season approached. Overall we find that ornament size is positively related to dominance and condition before and during the breeding season. Since dominance is accrued through year‐round interactions in many species, the ability to maintain larger signals over prolonged periods, including outside of the breeding season, is likely to be beneficial for adults. For younger males, it is likely that they cannot sustain or are constrained from producing larger eye combs over long periods of time. They therefore prioritise growth of their ornaments later, and according to the amount of time they spend on the lek.

Keywords: sexual selection; age; condition; male animals; black grouse

Free keywords: sexual ornamentation; dominance; Lyrurus tetrix

Fields of science: