Extra-pair paternity, sexual selection and sex allocation in Savi’s Warblers
This project proposes the use genetic markers to determine extra-pair paternity and sexual allocation in a natural population of Savi’s Warblers (Locustella luscinioides). We intend to compare the characteristics of cuckolded males and extra-pair sires to study female sexual preferences, determine the genetic benefits of extra-pair paternity, and determine the factors that influence brood sex ratios in this species. Savi’s Warblers have been studied intensively since 2000 by the Principal Investigator, during which a considerable number of blood samples were collected. In addition, up to 17 polymorphic microsatellite loci are already available for the study species. The study of extra-pair paternity and sex allocation in this species is likely to yield very interesting results due to the particularities of its life history, and provide very valuable data for comparative and meta analysis, given that it belongs to a little-known genus.
Dennis Lennart Hasselquist