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Gavin, Thomas A

We studied patterns of paternity in 840 nestling bobolinks (Dolichonyx oryzivorus) from 191 pairbonded adults and the chicks they reared in west central New York, USA, during 19831986, using allozyme data (4 variable loci). Thirty-six (4.3%) nestlings exhibited genotypes that excluded a putative parent as a genetic parent. Using the method of Westneat et al. (1987) we estimated that 14.6% of the nestlings were sired by extrapair copulations and that 28% of the nests contained = 1 nestling resulting from extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs). Rates of EPFs did not appear to be related to population density among our bobolink populations. Younger males and older females were more likely to have young in their nests sired...
We collected blood for allozyme analysis from Northern Goshawks (Accipiter gentilis atricapillus) on the Kaibab Plateau in northern Arizona during 1991-1993 to quantify frequency of extra-pair fertilizations (EPFs). Northern Goshawks are socially monogamous, territorial, noncolonial, synchronous breeders, and their nests are relatively far apart, characteristics that suggest that EPFs should be low. We sampled 103 adults and 122 nestlings from 64 nests. Both putative parents were sampled at 39 nests, but we were able to capture and sample only one putative parent at 25 other nests (84%, female only: 16%, male only). Of the 39 complete families sampled, only 1 of 77 (1.3%) nestlings (or in 1 of 39 clutches, 2.6%)...
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