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2006 Fiscal Year Final Research Report Summary

Studies on the effect of immunity on mating success in birds

Research Project

Project/Area Number 16570024
Research Category

Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)

Allocation TypeSingle-year Grants
Section一般
Research Field Ecology/Environment
Research InstitutionNational Institute for Environmental Studies

Principal Investigator

NAGATA Hisashi  National Institute for Environmental Studies, Environmental Biology Division, Senior Researcher, 生物圏環境研究領域, 主任研究員 (00202226)

Project Period (FY) 2004 – 2006
KeywordsImmunity / prevalence / avian maralia / avian trypanosome / female choice / Great Reed Warbler / mating success / immunocompetence handicap
Research Abstract

Polygynous species are supposed to expose higher pressure of sexual selection than monogamous one. The immunocompetence handicap hypothesis suggests that the immune system competes for resources with sexually selected one. I tested whether Polygynous males have showed higher immunity as suggested by this hypothesis. Cell-mediated immune response (CMI), as measured by the phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) assay, was measured in relation to mating success and the prevalence of blood parasites in great reed warblers Acrocephalus arundinaceus at Lake Kasumigaura between 2004 and 2006. The prevalence of blood parasites was relatively high in the studied population. 26% of individuals were infected with avian maralia, and 10% of individuals were infected with avian trypanosome. The infections of blood parasites did not affect any female preferences though females infected with avian malaria tended to suffer from higher nest predation. PHA responses were unrelated to the prevalence of blood parasites. Polygynous males have higher PHA response than monogamous ones for after second year birds. Thus, CMI response might be closely correlated to male quality. Generalized linear mixed model showed that mating success of males was expalained by their age, the imminity, and a compounded effect between immunity and their age. As yearlings have higher PHA response than older birds, repeated measurements from the same individual across years are necessary to resolve it.

  • Research Products

    (5 results)

All 2007 2006 2005

All Journal Article (4 results) Book (1 results)

  • [Journal Article] Reevaluation of the prevalence of blood parasites in Japanese Passerines by using PCR based molecular diagnostics2006

    • Author(s)
      Nagata, H.
    • Journal Title

      Ornithological Science 5(1)

      Pages: 105-112

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Reevaluation of the prevalence of blood parasites in Japanese Passerines by using PCR based molecular diagnostics2006

    • Author(s)
      Nagata, H.
    • Journal Title

      Ornithological Science 5-1

      Pages: 105-112

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Blood parasite abundance in bird communities of several forested locations in Southeast Asia2005

    • Author(s)
      Paperna, I., et al.
    • Journal Title

      Ornithological Science 4(2)

      Pages: 129-138

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より
  • [Journal Article] Blood parasite abundance in bird communities of several forested locations in Southeast Asia2005

    • Author(s)
      Paperna, I., et al.
    • Journal Title

      Ornithological Science 4-2

      Pages: 129-138

    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(欧文)」より
  • [Book] 保全鳥類学 : 鳥類は環境変化の指標になるか?(山岸哲監修)2007

    • Author(s)
      永田尚志(分担執筆)
    • Total Pages
      211-232
    • Publisher
      京都大学学術出版会
    • Description
      「研究成果報告書概要(和文)」より

URL: 

Published: 2008-05-27  

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