Find research datasets worth reusing
Search datasets from major research repositories and use ShareScore to quickly assess how well each record supports discovery, access, and reuse.
67
datasets available to search
ShareScore release 0.9.0
Dataset results
67 results for “mating pairs”
Data for: Patterns of extra-territorial nestbox visits in a songbird suggest a role in extra-pair mating
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data for: Mobbing for matings: dynamics, plumage correlates, and fitness impacts of conspicuous group extra-pair behaviors in the lark bunting
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Extra-pair mating in a passerine bird with highly duplicated MHC class II: Preference for the golden mean
Genes of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) are essential in vertebrate adaptive immunity, and they are highly diverse and duplicated in many lineages. While it is widely established that pathogen-mediated selection maintains MHC diversity through balancing selection, the role of mate choice in shaping MHC diversity is debated. Here, we investigate female mating preferences for MHC class II (MHCII) in the bluethroat (<i></i>Luscinia svecica<i></i>), a passerine bird with high levels of extra-pair paternity and extremely duplicated MHCII. We genotyped family samples with mixed paternity and categorized their MHCII alleles according to their functional properties in peptide binding. Our results strongly indicate that females select extra-pair males in a non-random, self-matching manner that provides offspring with an allelic repertoire size closer to the population mean, as compared to offspring sired by the social male. This is consistent with a "compatible genes" model for extra-pair mate choice where the optimal allelic diversity is intermediate, not maximal. This "golden mean" presumably reflects a trade-off between maximizing pathogen recognition benefits and minimizing autoimmunity costs. Our study exemplifies how mate choice can reduce the population variance in individual MHC diversity and exert strong stabilizing selection on the trait. It also supports the hypothesis that extra-pair mating is adaptive through enhanced genetic quality of offspring.
Data from: High fidelity: extra-pair fertilisations in eight Charadrius plover species are not associated with parental relatedness or social mating system
Extra-pair paternity is a common reproductive strategy in many bird species. However, it remains unclear why extra-pair paternity occurs and why it varies among species and populations. Plovers (Charadrius spp.) exhibit considerable variation in reproductive behaviour and ecology, making them excellent models to investigate the evolution of social and genetic mating systems. We investigated inter- and intra-specific patterns of extra-pair parentage and evaluated three major hypotheses explaining extra-pair paternity using a comparative approach based on the microsatellite genotypes of 2,049 individuals from 510 plover families sampled from twelve populations that constituted eight species. Extra-pair paternity rates were very low (0 to 4.1% of chicks per population). No evidence was found in support of the sexual conflict or genetic compatibility hypotheses, and there was no seasonal pattern of extra-pair paternity (EPP). The low prevalence of EPP is consistent with a number of alternative hypotheses, including the parental investment hypothesis, which suggests that high contribution to care by males restricts female plovers from engaging in extra-pair copulations. Further studies are needed to critically test the importance of this hypothesis to plover mate choice.
Data from: Quantitative genetic analyses of male color pattern and female mate choice in a pair of cichlid fishes of Lake Malawi, East Africa
The traits involved in sexual selection, such as male secondary sexual characteristics and female mate choice, often co-evolve which can promote population differentiation. However, the genetic architecture of these phenotypes can influence their evolvability and thereby affect the divergence of species. The extraordinary diversity of East African cichlid fishes is often attributed to strong sexual selection and thus this system provides an excellent model to test predictions regarding the genetic architecture of sexually selected traits that contribute to reproductive isolation. In particular, theory predicts that rapid speciation is facilitated when male sexual traits and female mating preferences are controlled by a limited number of linked genes. However, few studies have examined the genetic basis of male secondary sexual traits and female mating preferences in cichlids and none have investigated the genetic architecture of both jointly. In this study, we artificially hybridized a pair of behaviorally isolated cichlid fishes from Lake Malawi and quantified both melanistic color pattern and female mate choice. We investigated the genetic architecture of both phenotypes using quantitative genetic analyses. Our results suggest that 1) many non-additively acting genetic factors influence melanistic color patterns, 2) female mate choice may be controlled by a minimum of 1–2 non-additive genetic factors, and 3) F2 female mate choice is not influenced by male courting effort. Furthermore, a joint analysis of color pattern and female mate choice indicates that the genes underlying these two traits are unlikely to be physically linked. These results suggest that reproductive isolation may evolve rapidly owing to the few genetic factors underlying female mate choice. Hence, female mate choice likely played an important role in the unparalleled speciation of East African cichlid fish.
Data from: Extra-pair mating in a socially monogamous and paternal mouthbrooding cardinalfish
Many vertebrates form monogamous pairs to mate and care for their offspring. However, genetic tools have increasingly shown that many offspring arise from matings outside of the monogamous pair bond. Social monogamy is relatively common in coral reef fishes, but there have been relatively few studies that have confirmed monogamy or extra-pair reproduction, either for males or females. Here long-term observations and genetic tools were applied to examine the parentage of embryos in a paternally mouthbrooding cardinalfish, Sphaeramia nematoptera. Paternal care in fishes, such as mouth brooding, is thought to be associated with a high degree of confidence in paternity. Two-years of observations confirmed that S. nematoptera form long-term pair bonds within larger groups. However, genetic parentage revealed extra-pair mating by both sexes. Of 105 broods analysed from 64 males, 30.1% were mothered by a female that was not the partner and 11.5% of broods included eggs from two females. Despite the high paternal investment associated with mouthbrooding, 7.5% of broods were fertilised by two males. Extra-pair matings appeared to be opportunistic encounters with individuals from outside the immediate group. We argue that while pair formation contributes to group cohesion, both males and females can maximise lifetime reproductive success by taking advantage of extra-pair mating opportunities. The results contradict the theory that paternal care is associated with a high confidence in paternity.
Data from: Experimental manipulation suggests effect of polyandry but not mate familiarity on within-pair aggression in the social skink, Liopholis whitii
Long-term monogamy is a key characteristic of family living across animals. The evolutionary maintenance of long-term monogamy has been suggested to be facilitated by increased reproductive coordination as a result of mate familiarity, leading to increased reproductive success. However, such effects can be compromised if females mate outside the pair bond (e.g. female polyandry), introducing conflicts of interest between the male and female. Here, we experimentally test the effects of both mate familiarity and female polyandry on agonistic behaviour and reproduction in a family living lizard, Liopholis whitii. We found that mate familiarity did not decrease the level of aggression between pairs whereas reducing female polyandry did. However, we did not find an effect of either mate familiarity or female polyandry on female reproductive output. These results suggest that male behavioural responses to female polyandry may influence pair stability in Liopholis whitii, providing support for the growing appreciation of the multiple ways in which female polyandry can influence the stability of family living.
Data from: Extra-pair mating opportunities mediate parenting and mating effort trade-offs in a songbird
<p>In socially monogamous species with bi-parental care, males may face a trade-off between providing parental care and pursuing extra-pair matings. The "parenting-mating trade-off" hypothesis predicts that high-quality males – who have greater potential to gain extra-pair matings, e.g. larger males usually win the competition for extra-pair mating – should reduce parental care and spend more time looking for extra-pair matings. However, the trade-off between parenting and mating efforts may be complicated by variation in the availability of extra-pair mating opportunities. By using field data of hair-crested drongos (<i>Dicrurus hottentottus</i>), a species exhibiting bi-parental incubation behavior, collected in central China from 2010 to 2017, we tested whether the potential negative relationship between male quality and paternal care was dependent on the number of nearby fertile females. We found that male drongos mainly seek extra-pair matings during the incubation period and high-quality individuals (males with longer tarsi) are more likely to sire extra-pair offspring. In agreement with the "parenting-mating trade-off" hypothesis, high-quality males incubated less by recessing longer between incubation bouts. However, this was only the case when sufficient fertile females nearby for extra-pair mating opportunities. Females compensated for reduced male care, but this was independent of male quality. This suggests that the reduction in care by high-quality males might be a direct response to extra-pair mating opportunities rather than facilitated by differential allocation of females. Our results indicate that individual quality and available mating opportunities may shape the optimal trade-off between parental care and seeking additional matings for males.</p>
FIGURE 9. A mated pair showing the normal H in A review of the Caribbean hamlets (Serranidae, Hypoplectrus) with description of two new species
FIGURE 9. A mated pair showing the normal H. unicolor spot pattern on the caudal peduncle (lower right) and an individual with the double spot (upper). This was a mating pair, Discovery Bay, Jamaica.
FIGURE 4 in Palaeoparasycorax globosus Stebner et al., 2015 from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar: Description of a mating pair
FIGURE 4. Palaeoparasycorax globosus Stebner et al., 2015, specimen number NIGP203548. A, Line drawing of female terminalia. B, Line drawing of male terminalia. C, Line drawing of male and female terminalia in copulation. Abbreviations: ae = aedeagus; ce = cercus; ep lb = epandrial lobe; goncx = gonocoxite; gonst = gonostylus; pm = paramere; 8th st = 8th sternite. Scale bars = 0.1 mm.
FIGURE 1 in Palaeoparasycorax globosus Stebner et al., 2015 from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar: Description of a mating pair
FIGURE 1. Palaeoparasycorax globosus Stebner et al., 2015, specimen number NIGP203548. A, B, Habitus of mating pair. C, Head of male. D, Antenna of male. Scales bars = 0.5 mm in A, B, 0.1 mm in C, D.
FIGURE 2 in Palaeoparasycorax globosus Stebner et al., 2015 from the mid-Cretaceous amber of Myanmar: Description of a mating pair
FIGURE 2. Palaeoparasycorax globosus Stebner et al., 2015, specimen number NIGP203548, wing of male. A, Microphotograph with compound microscope. B, Microphotograph with fluorescent compound microscope. C, Line drawing. Scale bars = 0.3 mm.
The evolutionary genetics of paternal care: how good genes and extra-pair copulation affect the trade-off between paternal care and mating success
<p>We investigate the evolution of a gene for paternal care, with pleiotropic effects on male mating fitness and offspring viability, with and without extra pair copulations (EPCs). We develop a population genetic model to examine how pleiotropic effects of a male mating advantage and paternal care are affected by 'good genes' and EPCs. Using this approach, we show that the relative effects of each on fitness do not always predict the evolutionary change. We then find the line of combinations of mating success and paternal care that bisects the plane of possible values into regions of positive or negative gene frequency change. This line shifts when either good genes or EPCs are introduced, thereby expanding or contracting the region of positive gene frequency change and significantly affecting the evolution of paternal care. Predictably, a direct viability effect of 'good genes' that enhances offspring viability constrains or expands the parameter space over which paternal care can evolve, depending on whether the viability effect is associated with the paternal care allele or not. In either case, the effect of a 'good gene' that enhances offspring viability is substantial; when strong enough, it can even facilitate the evolution of <i>poor</i>paternal care, where males harm their young. When non-random mating is followed by random EPCs, the genetic regression between sire and offspring is reduced and, consequently, the relative strengths of selection are skewed away from paternal care and toward the male mating advantage. However, when random mating is followed by non-random EPCs, a situation called "trading up" by females, we show that selection is skewed in the opposite direction, away from male mating advantage and toward paternal care across the natural range of EPC frequencies.</p>
Female differential allocation in response to extra-pair offspring and social mate attractiveness
<p>Renewed debate over what benefits females might gain from producing extra-pair offspring emphasizes the possibility that apparent differences in quality between within-pair and extra-pair offspring are confounded by greater maternal investment in extra-pair offspring. Moreover, the attractiveness of a female's social mate can also influence contributions of both partners to a reproductive attempt. Here we explore the complexities involved in parental investment decisions in response to extra-pair offspring and mate attractiveness with a focus on the female point of view. Adult zebra finches paired and reproduced in a colony setting. A male's early-life diet quality and his extra-pair reproductive success were used as metrics of his mating attractiveness. Females paired with males that achieved extra-pair success laid heavier eggs than other females and spent less time attending their nests than their mates or other females. Extra-pair nestlings were fed more protein-rich hen's egg than within-pair nestlings. Females producing extra-pair offspring had more surviving sons than females producing only within-pair offspring. Collectively, results show that females differentially allocate resources in response to offspring extra-pair status and their social mate's attractiveness. Females may also obtain fitness benefits through the production of extra-pair offspring.</p>
FIGURES 41–44. Mating pairs. 41–42 in Descriptions, redescription, notes, and new ranks in American Cerambycidae (Coleoptera)
FIGURES 41–44. Mating pairs. 41–42, Ornithia mexicana from Calakmul, Campeche, Mexico. 43–44, Ornithia zapotensis from San Blas, Nayarit, Mexico.
Coordination of movement via complementary interactions of leaders and followers in termite mating pairs.
<p><span><span>Leadership of animal group movements depends on social feedback, hence leader's signals and follower's responses should be attuned to each other. However, leader and follower roles are difficult to disentangle in species with high levels of coordination. To overcome this challenge, we investigated a simple case of movement coordination: termite pairs in which a female leads a male as they search for a nest site. To tease apart leader and follower roles, we created conspecific and heterospecific pairs of <i>Coptotermes gestroi</i> and <i>C. formosanus</i>, which share a pairing pheromone so that males follow females of either species. Conspecific pairs were stable for both species, even though <i>C. gestroi</i> females produce less pheromone than <i>C. formosanus</i>. Heterospecific pairs with <i>C. gestroi</i> males were also stable, but not those with <i>C. formosanus</i> males. We attributed this difference to the <i>C. gestroi</i> male's unique capacity to follow females that release small amounts of pheromone; <i>C. formosanus</i> males cannot follow or reject <i>C. gestroi</i> females as unsuitable. This conclusion was supported by an information-theoretic analysis that detected information flow from female to male in only stable tandems. Despite their following ability, <i>C. gestroi</i> males lost to <i>C. formosanus </i>males in competitions to follow <i>C. formosanus</i> females. Thus, partner selection has shaped the species-specific association of mating pairs. Our results demonstrate that a similar level of coordination can emerge from distinct sets of complementary sender-receiver interactions.</span></span></p>
Data from: Social and extra-pair mating in relation to MHC variation in common yellowthroats
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Size matters: male and female mate choice leads to size-assortative pairing in a coral reef cardinalfish
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Extra-pair mating in a socially monogamous and paternal mouthbrooding cardinalfish
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
Data from: Extra-pair mating in a passerine bird with highly duplicated MHC class II: Preference for the golden mean
Open the record for dataset details and reuse information.
ScienceDex guides
Understand access before you commit
These curated guides explain access requirements, typical timelines, costs, and reuse considerations for widely used research datasets.
Allen Brain Atlas
Allen Brain Atlas is an Allen Institute collection of brain map atlases, datasets, APIs, and analysis tools covering mouse, human, and non-human primate brain resources.
Annotated Behaviour and Observability Dataset (ABODe)
ABODe is a University of Edinburgh DataShare dataset for behavior classification in group-housed mice using home-cage video, identities, bounding boxes, ground-plate positions, and annotator labels.
DANDI Archive for NWB datasets
DANDI is a BRAIN Initiative archive for publishing and sharing neurophysiology data, including electrophysiology, optophysiology, and behavioral data packaged as NWB and related standards.
International Brain Laboratory public data
The International Brain Laboratory public data releases expose standardized mouse decision-making experiments, including Neuropixels recordings, widefield calcium imaging, behavior, and session metadata accessed through the ONE API.
OpenNeuro
OpenNeuro is a free, open platform for sharing neuroimaging datasets, with public search, dataset pages, and download paths for web, S3, DataLad, and the OpenNeuro CLI.