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No genetic evidence of sex‐biased dispersal in a lekking bird, the capercaillie ( Tetrao urogallus )
Author(s) -
MÄKIPETÄYS H.,
CORANDER J.,
AALTO J.,
LIUKKONEN T.,
HELLE P.,
ORELL M.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2007.01314.x
Subject(s) - biological dispersal , biology , lek mating , philopatry , gene flow , ecology , population , mating , zoology , mate choice , demography , genetic variation , genetics , sociology , gene
Abstract Sex‐biased dispersal is often connected to the mating behaviour of the species. Even if patterns of natal dispersal are reasonably well documented for monogamous birds, only a few data are available for polygynous and especially lekking species. We investigated the dispersal of the capercaillie ( Tetrao urogallus ) by examining sex‐specific gene flow among the leks. Genetic information was extracted using nuclear and mitochondrial molecular markers for sexed faecal samples and analysed by novel Bayesian statistical methods. Contrary to the traditional view that the males are highly philopatric and female is the dispersing sex, we found roughly equivalent gross and effective dispersal of the sexes. The level of polygamy has a strong influence on the effective population size and on the effective dispersal. The results do not support the theories that dispersal evolves solely as a result of resource competition or other advantages to males obtained through kin selection in lekking species.