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Science 11 November 1994:
Vol. 266. no. 5187, pp. 1030 - 1032
DOI: 10.1126/science.7973654
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Articles

Science, Vol 266, Issue 5187, 1030-1032
Copyright © 1994 by American Association for the Advancement of Science

articles

Cooperative display and relatedness among males in a lek-mating bird

DB McDonald and WK Potts

Archbold Biological Station, Lake Placid, FL 33852-2057.

Long-tailed manakins mate in leks and cooperate in multiyear male-male partnerships. An alpha male is responsible for virtually all mating, whereas a beta male assists in the courtship displays. Such altruism by the beta male poses a problem for evolutionary theory because most theoretical treatments and empirical examples of cooperative behavior involve kin selection or reciprocity. Here it is shown that alpha and beta partners are not relatives and that reciprocity is not involved. Instead, direct, though long-delayed benefits to beta males are demonstrated, which include rare copulations, ascension to alpha status, and female lek fidelity. These benefits maintain this unusual form of male-male cooperation.


THIS ARTICLE HAS BEEN CITED BY OTHER ARTICLES:
It takes two to tango: reproductive skew and social correlates of male mating success in a lek-breeding bird.
T. B. Ryder, P. G. Parker, J. G. Blake, and B. A. Loiselle (2009)
Proc R Soc B 276, 2377-2384
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Lekking satin bowerbird males aggregate with relatives to mitigate aggression.
S. M. Reynolds, M. C. Christman, J. A. C. Uy, G. L. Patricelli, M. J. Braun, and G. Borgia (2009)
Behav. Ecol. 20, 410-415
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Social networks in the lek-mating wire-tailed manakin (Pipra filicauda).
T. B Ryder, D. B McDonald, J. G Blake, P. G Parker, and B. A Loiselle (2008)
Proc R Soc B 275, 1367-1374
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Intersexual spatial relationships in a lekking species: blue-crowned manakins and female hot spots.
R. Duraes, B. A. Loiselle, and J. G. Blake (2007)
Behav. Ecol. 18, 1029-1039
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Predicting fate from early connectivity in a social network.
D. B. McDonald (2007)
PNAS 104, 10910-10914
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Kin selection does not explain male aggregation at leks of 4 manakin species.
B. A. Loiselle, T. B. Ryder, R. Duraes, W. Tori, J. G. Blake, and P. G. Parker (2007)
Behav. Ecol. 18, 287-291
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Effects of extra-pair and within-pair reproductive success on the opportunity for selection in birds.
L. A. Whittingham and P. O. Dunn (2005)
Behav. Ecol. 16, 138-144
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
Male bimaturism and reproductive success in Sumatran orang-utans.
S. S. Utami, B. Goossens, M. W. Bruford, J. R. de Ruiter, and J. A.R.A.M. van Hooff (2002)
Behav. Ecol. 13, 643-652
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
High frequency of polyandry in a lek mating system.
D. B. Lank, C. M. Smith, O. Hanotte, A. Ohtonen, S. Bailey, and T. Burke (2002)
Behav. Ecol. 13, 209-215
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »
The development of coordinated singing in cooperatively displaying long-tailed manakins.
J. M. Trainer, D. B. McDonald, and W. A. Learn (2002)
Behav. Ecol. 13, 65-69
   Abstract »    Full Text »    PDF »


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