Colour Cues That Are Not Directly Attached to the Body of Males Do Not Influence the Mate Choice of Zebra Finches - Fig 3

<p>Parameters assessed in experiment 2: a) the proportion of time the females chose the red compartment under the three test settings (not different across conditions); and b) the absolute time they spent choosing under the three test settings (which was significantly different, as indicated by different letters).</p

Results of the odour preference tests of adult breeding males, at the experiments with nestling offspring in the nest, from both species the zebra finch and the Bengalese finch with nestlings in the nest.

<p>Results of the odour preference tests of adult breeding males, at the experiments with nestling offspring in the nest, from both species the zebra finch and the Bengalese finch with nestlings in the nest.</p

Female Bengalese finch preferences in three olfactory choice tests.

<p>Females were tested in the different test situations (a–c), with always having the choice between two different odours. The average (left side) and individual results as dots (right side) of the odour preference test for the adult breeding Bengalese finch females with 12 day old nestlings in the nest, when tested with a) own nest odour against control odour (Wilcoxon-test, N = 12, Z = −2.227; p = 0.026), b) foreign conspecific nest odour against control odour (Wilcoxon-test, N = 12, Z = −2.681, p = 0.007) and c) own nest odour against foreign conspecific nest odour (Wilcoxon-test, N = 12, Z = 1.481, p = 0.139).</p

Female zebra finch preferences in three olfactory choice tests.

<p>Females were tested in the different test situations (a–c), always having the choice between two different odours. The average (left side) and individual results as dots (right side) of the odour preference test for the adult breeding zebra finch females with 10 day old nestlings in the nest, when tested with a) own nest odour against control odour (Wilcoxon-test, N = 13, Z = −2.667, p = 0.008), b) foreign conspecific nest odour against control odour (Wilcoxon-test, N = 13, Z = −2.606, p = 0.009) and c) own nest odour against foreign conspecific nest odour (Wilcoxon-test, N = 13, Z = −0.866, p = 0.39).</p

Results of the odour preference tests of zebra finches and Bengalese finches parents after fledging of the offspring.

<p>Results of the odour preference tests of zebra finches and Bengalese finches parents after fledging of the offspring.</p

The influence of inherited plumage colour morph on morphometric traits and breeding investment in zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia guttata</i>)

<div><p>Melanin-based plumage polymorphism occurs in many wild bird populations and has been linked to fitness variation in several species. These fitness differences often arise as a consequence of variation in traits such as behaviour, immune responsiveness, body size and reproductive investment. However, few studies have controlled for genetic differences between colour morphs that could potentially generate artefactual associations between plumage colouration and trait variation. Here, we used zebra finches (<i>Taeniopygia guttata</i>) as a model system in order to evaluate whether life-history traits such as adult body condition and reproductive investment could be influenced by plumage morph. To maximise any potential differences, we selected wild-type and white plumage morphs, which differ maximally in their extent of melanisation, while using a controlled three-generation breeding design to homogenise the genetic background. We found that F₂ adults with white plumage colouration were on average lighter and had poorer body condition than wild-type F₂ birds. However, they appeared to compensate for this by reproducing earlier and producing heavier eggs relative to their own body mass. Our study thus reveals differences in morphological and life history traits that could be relevant to fitness variation, although further studies will be required to evaluate fitness effects under natural conditions as well as to characterise any potential fitness costs of compensatory strategies in white zebra finches.</p></div

Overview of the controlled breeding experiment.

<p>a) F₀ birds, b) F₁ birds were backcrossed with white birds, resulting in c) F₂ backcrossed birds, d) the F₂ birds were paired with a partner of the same plumage morph. Photos are taken from [<a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188582#pone.0188582.ref035" target="_blank">35</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0188582#pone.0188582.ref066" target="_blank">66</a>].</p

Reproductive parameters of the F₂ breeding pairs belonging to one of the three plumage morphs.

<p>Shown are means ± SE for a) latency until pairs laid the first egg (in days); and b) relative egg mass (calculated as mean egg mass / female body mass). Latency until pairs laid the first egg was significantly different between the three plumage morphs and the <i>post hoc</i> comparisons revealed that wild-type pairs had higher latencies than both white and intermediate birds (both p<0.024, as indicated by “*”). Whereas latencies of intermediate and white pairs did not differ (p = 0.71, indicated by “ns”). The relative egg mass also differed between the three morphs and the <i>post hoc</i> test indicated that white birds had a higher relative egg mass than intermediate (p = 0.03, indicated by “*”) and wild-type birds (p = 0.005, indicated by “**”). Intermediate and wild-type birds did not differ (p = 0.63, indicated by “ns”). See text for details.</p

Data Egg recognition

Raw data of the olfactory choice test.This file contains the time individuals spent in each preference zone, the ID of the test subjects, weight and origin of the used eggs

Effects of the nutritional treatments on resting metabolic rate.

<p>Mean (±SE) resting metabolic rate (RMR) for subjects from the different early nutritional treatments, LH, HL and HH. In the LH (low-high) treatment subjects fed on a low quality seed diet until day 17 (nestling period) followed by a protein enriched high quality diet up to day 35 (fledging period). Subjects in the HL (high-low) treatment experienced the nutritional diets vice versa. In the HH treatment (high-high) a high quality protein enriched diet was fed throughout the nestling and fledgling phase (see text for details).</p