Parasites as mediators of heterozygosity–fitness correlations in the Great Tit (Parus major)

Positive correlations between heterozygosity and fitness traits are frequently observed, and it has been hypothesized, but rarely tested experimentally, that parasites play a key role in mediating the heterozygosity–fitness association. We evaluated this hypothesis in a wild great tit (Parus major)...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of evolutionary biology 2012-03, Vol.25 (3), p.584-590
Main Authors: VOEGELI, B., SALADIN, V., WEGMANN, M., RICHNER, H.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal reproduction
Animals
Birds
Body mass
Body Size - physiology
condition dependence
ectoparasites
Evolutionary biology
Female
Fitness
genetic diversity
Genetic Fitness - genetics
Genetic Variation
Genotype
Heterozygosity
Heterozygote
Likelihood Functions
Linear Models
Male
Microsatellite Repeats - genetics
Nests
Parasite Load
Parasites
parent–offspring heterozygosity
Parus major
Passeriformes - genetics
Passeriformes - growth & development
Passeriformes - parasitology
Polymerase Chain Reaction
Progeny
Siphonaptera - physiology
Survival
Switzerland
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Summary:Positive correlations between heterozygosity and fitness traits are frequently observed, and it has been hypothesized, but rarely tested experimentally, that parasites play a key role in mediating the heterozygosity–fitness association. We evaluated this hypothesis in a wild great tit (Parus major) population by testing the prediction that the heterozygosity–fitness association would appear in broods experimentally infested with a common ectoparasite, but not in parasite‐free broods. We simultaneously assessed the effects of parental and offspring heterozygosity on nestling growth and found that body mass of nestlings close to independence, which is a strong predictor of post‐fledging survival, increased significantly with nestling levels of heterozygosity in experimentally infested nests, but not in parasite‐free nests. Heterozygosity level of the fathers also showed a significant positive correlation with offspring body mass under an experimental parasite load, whereas there was no correlation with the mothers’ level of heterozygosity. Thus, our results indicate a key role for parasites as mediators of the heterozygosity–fitness correlations.
ISSN:1010-061X
1420-9101
DOI:10.1111/j.1420-9101.2011.02445.x