EXTRAPAIR PATERNITY AND BREEDING SYNCHRONY IN GADWALLS (ANAS STREPERA) IN NORTH DAKOTA

• Published in: The Auk Vol. 120; no. 3; pp. 883 - 888
• Main Authors: Peters, Jeffrey L, Brewer, Gwenda L, Bowe, L. Michelle
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lawrence, KS The American Ornithologists' Union 01.07.2003; Ornithological Societies North America; American Ornithological Society
• Subjects: Animal and plant ecology; Animal behavior; Animal nesting; Animal, plant and microbial ecology; Animals; Autoecology; Aves; Biological and medical sciences; Breeding; Breeding of animals; Brood parasitism; Ducklings; Female animals; Fundamental and applied biological sciences. Psychology; Geese; Genotypes; Male animals; Mating behavior; Vertebrata; Vertebrates: general zoology, morphology, phylogeny, systematics, cytogenetics, geographical distribution; Waterfowl; Wildfowl; United States; North America; North Dakota; America; United States > US; Waterfowl; Intraspecific relation; Social parasitism; Genotype; Male; Extra pair copulation; Paternity; Anatidae; Reproduction; Vertebrata; Game; Social interaction; Microsatellite DNA; Egg laying; Female; Aves
• ISSN: 0004-8038; 1938-4254; 2732-4613
• DOI: 10.1642/0004-8038(2003)120[0883:EPABSI]2.0.CO;2

Extrapair paternity and its correlates with breeding synchrony were examined in Gadwall (Anas strepera) using microsatellite DNA fingerprinting. Eleven of 261 ducklings (4.2%) within 8 of 29 broods (27.6%) had genotypes consistent with extrapair fertilizations, a comparable frequency to other species of waterfowl for which extrapair paternity has been documented. We found no evidence of intraspecific brood parasitism. The frequency of extrapair paternity was not significantly correlated with breeding synchrony. We suggest that female absences during egg-laying may have provided males with opportunities to pursue extrapair copulation when breeding was synchronous.