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Repeatability of sperm size and motility within and between seasons in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica)

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Abstract

Sperm morphometry and motility are important male traits affecting fertility and post-copulatory competitive ability. However, studies examining consistency in sperm traits over time for individual males are rather scarce, particularly in free-living animals. Here, we report our analysis of various measures of sperm morphometry and sperm motility in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica), both within and between breeding seasons. We found high within-season repeatabilities for all measures of sperm morphometry (all r > 0.70) and moderate repeatability of sperm motility (all r > 0.42). Between seasons, repeatabilities were somewhat lower, but total sperm length and flagellum length also showed very high repeatabilities between seasons (r > 0.85). Furthermore, sperm motility showed higher repeatabilities between seasons than within a season (all r > 0.63). Although measures of sperm motility are likely to be more plastic due to, for example, changes in body condition, they still showed moderate repeatabilities within and between seasons. Our study results also imply that a single ejaculate would be sufficient to obtain representative measures of an individual’s sperm quality traits within the same breeding season.

Zusammenfassung

Reproduzierbarkeit von Spermiengröße und -beweglichkeit bei der Rauchschwalbe ( Hirundo rustica ) innerhalb der Brutsaison und zwischen verschiedenen Brutjahren

Spermienmorphometrie und -beweglichkeit sind wichtige Merkmale, die bei Männchen die Fruchtbarkeit und die postkopulatorische Konkurrenzfähigkeit bestimmen. Allerdings sind Studien, welche die zeitliche Kontinuität der Spermieneigenschaften einzelner Männchen untersuchen, dünn gesät, besonders für wildlebende Tiere. Hier analysieren wir verschiedene Messgrößen der Spermienmorphometrie und -beweglichkeit bei Rauchschwalben (Hirundo rustica), sowohl innerhalb derselben Brutsaison als auch zwischen mehreren Brutjahren. Innerhalb einer Brutsaison ergab sich eine hohe Reproduzierbarkeit aller Messgrößen der Spermienmorphometrie (alle r > 0,70) und eine mäßige Reproduzierbarkeit hinsichtlich der Spermienbeweglichkeit (alle r > 0,42). Die Reproduzierbarkeit von einer Brutsaison zur anderen war etwas geringer, allerdings zeigten Spermien-Gesamtlänge sowie Geißellänge ebenfalls hohe Reproduzierbarkeit zwischen den Jahren (r > 0,85). Des Weiteren lag die Reproduzierbarkeit für die Spermienbeweglichkeit im Vergleich der Jahre über der innerhalb einer Brutsaison (alle r > 0,63). Die Werte für die Spermienbeweglichkeit sind wahrscheinlich plastischer, beispielsweise aufgrund von Änderungen in der Kondition, zeigten aber dennoch mäßige Reproduzierbarkeit innerhalb einer Brutsaison und zwischen den Jahren. Außerdem legt unsere Studie nahe, dass vermutlich bereits ein einziges Ejakulat genügt, um zu repräsentativen Messwerten für die Spermienqualität eines Individuums innerhalb einer Brutsaison zu gelangen.

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Acknowledgments

We thank Trond Øigarden for field assistance, Diana and Bob Trainor for kindly giving us access to their property, the Ontario Ministry of Transportation for allowing us to work in one of their sand sheds and the staff at Queen’s University Biological Station for logistic support during the field season. This work was funded by a research grant from the Research Council of Norway (to JTL) and a research grant from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (to RJR). The research conforms to the legal requirements of Canada and was approved by the Canadian Wildlife Service (permit no. CA 0121) and Queen’s University Animal Care Committee (protocol no. RobertsonRJ-2003-003-R3).

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Author notes

  1. Oddmund Kleven

    Present address: Norwegian Institute for Nature Research-NINA, Sluppen, P.O. Box 5685, 7485, Trondheim, Norway

  2. Frode Fossøy

    Present address: Department of Biology, Norwegian University of Science and Technology, 7491, Trondheim, Norway

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Natural History Museum, University of Oslo, P.O. Box 1172, Blindern, 0318, Oslo, Norway

    Terje Laskemoen, Oddmund Kleven, Lars Erik Johannessen, Frode Fossøy & Jan T. Lifjeld

  2. Department of Biology, Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, K7L 3N6, Canada

    Raleigh J. Robertson

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  1. Terje Laskemoen
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  2. Oddmund Kleven
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  3. Lars Erik Johannessen
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  4. Frode Fossøy
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  6. Jan T. Lifjeld
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Correspondence to Terje Laskemoen.

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Communicated by L. Fusani.

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Laskemoen, T., Kleven, O., Johannessen, L.E. et al. Repeatability of sperm size and motility within and between seasons in the Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica). J Ornithol 154, 955–963 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0961-4

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-013-0961-4

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