This dissertation enhancement award under the Americas Program will support the field research of Ms. Tori Wendy, University of Missouri-Saint Louis, under the supervision of Dr. Bette A. Loiselle. Her collaborator in Ecuador will be Dr. Kelly Swing at Universidad San Francisco de Quito. The project will address the question of what makes certain males so attractive to females and productively successful. The model system to be used will be the white-crowned manakin (Pipra pipra), of the lekking species. Reproductive success will be measured indirectly using behavioral observations at leks as well as directly using microsatellite paternity analysis. The influence of ecological, behavioral and genetic factors on the outcome of male reproductive success will be analyzed in light of possible tradeoffs or interaction among variables.
Understanding what determines female mate choice and male reproductive success is central to sexual selection theory. Mate choice is a complex issue as it is often the result of interplay of direct (e.g. paternal care, territory quality) and indirect benefits (e.g. good genes) to females. Lek-mating systems provide a unique opportunity to study these processes. In addition, this project will strengthen the collaborative relationship between the U.S. institution and the host institution.
