Mate fidelity improves survival and breeding propensity of a long-lived bird

Alan G. Leach; Thomas V. Riecke; James S. Sedinger; David H. Ward; Sean Boyd

doi:10.1111/1365-2656.13286

Mate fidelity improves survival and breeding propensity of a long-lived bird

Alan G. Leach
, Thomas V. Riecke
, James S. Sedinger
, David H. Ward
, Sean Boyd

W. A. Franke College of Forestry and Conservation

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

25 Scopus citations

Abstract

Evolutionary and behavioural ecologists have long been interested in factors shaping the variation in mating behaviour observed in nature. Although much of the research on this topic has focused on the consequences of mate choice and mate change on annual reproductive success, studies of a potential positive link between mate fidelity and adult demographic rates have been comparatively rare. This is particularly true for long-lived birds with multi-year, socially monogamous pair bonds. We used a 26-year capture–mark–recapture dataset of 3,330 black brent Branta bernicla nigricans to test whether breeding with a familiar mate improved future breeding propensity and survival. We predicted that experienced breeders nesting with a new partner would have rates of survival similar to familiar pairs because long-lived species avoid jeopardizing survival since their lifetime fitness is sensitive to this vital rate. In contrast, we expected that any costs of breeding with a new partner would be paid through skipping the subsequent breeding attempt. We found that unfamiliar pairs had lower subsequent breeding propensity than faithful partners. However, contrary to our expectations, individuals breeding with a new mate also suffered reduced survival. These results add to a small number of studies indicating that a positive relationship between mate retention and adult demographic rates may exist in a diverse array of avian species. Given these results, researchers should consider costs of mate change that extend beyond within-season reproductive success to fully understand the potential adaptive basis for perennial social monogamy. We caution that if mate retention enhances survival prospects, improvements in annual reproductive success with pair-bond length could be a secondary factor favouring perennial social monogamy, particularly in species with slower life-history strategies. Furthermore, some cases where annual reproductive success does not improve with pair-bond duration, yet multi-year pair bonds are common, could be explained by benefits afforded by mate fidelity to adult vital rates.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	2290-2299
Number of pages	10
Journal	Journal of Animal Ecology
Volume	89
Issue number	10
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2656.13286
State	Published - Oct 1 2020

Funding

We thank all the technicians and graduate students who assisted with work at Tutakoke River and with resighting efforts during fall, winter and spring. We thank R. Swanston for collecting band resights for many years at Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Logistical support for the fall and winter resighting effort was provided by D. and R. Wheeler; La Compania de Exportadorade Sal S. A.; Kuyima; staff at the Humboldt Bay, Izembek Lagoon, and San Diego National Wildlife Refuges; the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Region 7. Logistical support for the work at Tutakoke River was provided by the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, M. Irinaga and L. Gullingsrud of CH2M Hill Polar Services, and the residents of Chevak, Alaska. Studies at Tutakoke River were funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Region 7; Ducks Unlimited; the Morro Bay Brant Group; Phil Jebbia (in memory of Marnie Shepherd); and the National Science Foundation (OPP 9214970, DEB 9815383, OPP 9985931, OPP 0196406, DEB 0743152, DEB 1252656). Ring resightings at Baja California were supported by Ducks Unlimited de Mexico; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Region 7; the Arctic Goose Joint Venture; and the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center. A.G.L. was awarded additional student support from the Dennis Raveling scholarship administered by the California Waterfowl Association; and a stipend award from the program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. We thank J. Black and one anonymous reviewer for constructive suggestions that improved this paper. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. We thank all the technicians and graduate students who assisted with work at Tutakoke River and with resighting efforts during fall, winter and spring. We thank R. Swanston for collecting band resights for many years at Boundary Bay, British Columbia. Logistical support for the fall and winter resighting effort was provided by D. and R. Wheeler; La Compania de Exportadorade Sal S. A.; Kuyima; staff at the Humboldt Bay, Izembek Lagoon, and San Diego National Wildlife Refuges; the Oregon and Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife; and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Region 7. Logistical support for the work at Tutakoke River was provided by the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, M. Irinaga and L. Gullingsrud of CH2M Hill Polar Services, and the residents of Chevak, Alaska. Studies at Tutakoke River were funded by the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Region 7; Ducks Unlimited; the Morro Bay Brant Group; Phil Jebbia (in memory of Marnie Shepherd); and the National Science Foundation (OPP 9214970, DEB 9815383, OPP 9985931, OPP 0196406, DEB 0743152, DEB 1252656). Ring resightings at Baja California were supported by Ducks Unlimited de Mexico; the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Migratory Bird Management Region 7; the Arctic Goose Joint Venture; and the U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Science Center. A.G.L. was awarded additional student support from the Dennis Raveling scholarship administered by the California Waterfowl Association; and a stipend award from the program in Ecology, Evolution, and Conservation Biology at the University of Nevada, Reno. We thank J. Black and one anonymous reviewer for constructive suggestions that improved this paper. Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.

Funders	Funder number
DEB 1252656, DEB 0743152, OPP 0196406, OPP 9214970, OPP 9985931, DEB 9815383
University of Nevada, Reno

Keywords

capture–mark–recapture
divorce
lifetime fitness
mate change
mate fidelity
mating systems
perennial social monogamy
robust design

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10.1111/1365-2656.13286

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@article{672999c342114fe3829fddaed166f581,

title = "Mate fidelity improves survival and breeding propensity of a long-lived bird",

abstract = "Evolutionary and behavioural ecologists have long been interested in factors shaping the variation in mating behaviour observed in nature. Although much of the research on this topic has focused on the consequences of mate choice and mate change on annual reproductive success, studies of a potential positive link between mate fidelity and adult demographic rates have been comparatively rare. This is particularly true for long-lived birds with multi-year, socially monogamous pair bonds. We used a 26-year capture–mark–recapture dataset of 3,330 black brent Branta bernicla nigricans to test whether breeding with a familiar mate improved future breeding propensity and survival. We predicted that experienced breeders nesting with a new partner would have rates of survival similar to familiar pairs because long-lived species avoid jeopardizing survival since their lifetime fitness is sensitive to this vital rate. In contrast, we expected that any costs of breeding with a new partner would be paid through skipping the subsequent breeding attempt. We found that unfamiliar pairs had lower subsequent breeding propensity than faithful partners. However, contrary to our expectations, individuals breeding with a new mate also suffered reduced survival. These results add to a small number of studies indicating that a positive relationship between mate retention and adult demographic rates may exist in a diverse array of avian species. Given these results, researchers should consider costs of mate change that extend beyond within-season reproductive success to fully understand the potential adaptive basis for perennial social monogamy. We caution that if mate retention enhances survival prospects, improvements in annual reproductive success with pair-bond length could be a secondary factor favouring perennial social monogamy, particularly in species with slower life-history strategies. Furthermore, some cases where annual reproductive success does not improve with pair-bond duration, yet multi-year pair bonds are common, could be explained by benefits afforded by mate fidelity to adult vital rates.",

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author = "Leach, \{Alan G.\} and Riecke, \{Thomas V.\} and Sedinger, \{James S.\} and Ward, \{David H.\} and Sean Boyd",

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doi = "10.1111/1365-2656.13286",

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T1 - Mate fidelity improves survival and breeding propensity of a long-lived bird

AU - Leach, Alan G.

AU - Riecke, Thomas V.

AU - Sedinger, James S.

AU - Ward, David H.

AU - Boyd, Sean

PY - 2020/10/1

Y1 - 2020/10/1

N2 - Evolutionary and behavioural ecologists have long been interested in factors shaping the variation in mating behaviour observed in nature. Although much of the research on this topic has focused on the consequences of mate choice and mate change on annual reproductive success, studies of a potential positive link between mate fidelity and adult demographic rates have been comparatively rare. This is particularly true for long-lived birds with multi-year, socially monogamous pair bonds. We used a 26-year capture–mark–recapture dataset of 3,330 black brent Branta bernicla nigricans to test whether breeding with a familiar mate improved future breeding propensity and survival. We predicted that experienced breeders nesting with a new partner would have rates of survival similar to familiar pairs because long-lived species avoid jeopardizing survival since their lifetime fitness is sensitive to this vital rate. In contrast, we expected that any costs of breeding with a new partner would be paid through skipping the subsequent breeding attempt. We found that unfamiliar pairs had lower subsequent breeding propensity than faithful partners. However, contrary to our expectations, individuals breeding with a new mate also suffered reduced survival. These results add to a small number of studies indicating that a positive relationship between mate retention and adult demographic rates may exist in a diverse array of avian species. Given these results, researchers should consider costs of mate change that extend beyond within-season reproductive success to fully understand the potential adaptive basis for perennial social monogamy. We caution that if mate retention enhances survival prospects, improvements in annual reproductive success with pair-bond length could be a secondary factor favouring perennial social monogamy, particularly in species with slower life-history strategies. Furthermore, some cases where annual reproductive success does not improve with pair-bond duration, yet multi-year pair bonds are common, could be explained by benefits afforded by mate fidelity to adult vital rates.

AB - Evolutionary and behavioural ecologists have long been interested in factors shaping the variation in mating behaviour observed in nature. Although much of the research on this topic has focused on the consequences of mate choice and mate change on annual reproductive success, studies of a potential positive link between mate fidelity and adult demographic rates have been comparatively rare. This is particularly true for long-lived birds with multi-year, socially monogamous pair bonds. We used a 26-year capture–mark–recapture dataset of 3,330 black brent Branta bernicla nigricans to test whether breeding with a familiar mate improved future breeding propensity and survival. We predicted that experienced breeders nesting with a new partner would have rates of survival similar to familiar pairs because long-lived species avoid jeopardizing survival since their lifetime fitness is sensitive to this vital rate. In contrast, we expected that any costs of breeding with a new partner would be paid through skipping the subsequent breeding attempt. We found that unfamiliar pairs had lower subsequent breeding propensity than faithful partners. However, contrary to our expectations, individuals breeding with a new mate also suffered reduced survival. These results add to a small number of studies indicating that a positive relationship between mate retention and adult demographic rates may exist in a diverse array of avian species. Given these results, researchers should consider costs of mate change that extend beyond within-season reproductive success to fully understand the potential adaptive basis for perennial social monogamy. We caution that if mate retention enhances survival prospects, improvements in annual reproductive success with pair-bond length could be a secondary factor favouring perennial social monogamy, particularly in species with slower life-history strategies. Furthermore, some cases where annual reproductive success does not improve with pair-bond duration, yet multi-year pair bonds are common, could be explained by benefits afforded by mate fidelity to adult vital rates.

KW - capture–mark–recapture

KW - divorce

KW - lifetime fitness

KW - mate change

KW - mate fidelity

KW - mating systems

KW - perennial social monogamy

KW - robust design

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C2 - 32596854

AN - SCOPUS:85088146156

SN - 0021-8790

VL - 89

SP - 2290

EP - 2299

JO - Journal of Animal Ecology

JF - Journal of Animal Ecology

IS - 10

ER -

Mate fidelity improves survival and breeding propensity of a long-lived bird

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