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Nest size and hatchling sex ratio in chinstrap penguins

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Abstract

Variation in the sex ratio at hatching in the chinstrap penguin Pygoscelis antarctica was investigated, using molecular sexing to test predictions of sex allocation theory. The sex ratio was slightly male-biased (0.54) but did not differ significantly from parity. The proportion of males increased with nest size, an estimator of parental quality in chinstrap penguins. High-quality parents were able to produce and rear a higher proportion of male offspring, the more costly sex in this slightly sexually dimorphic species. Our results may be in agreement with Trivers and Willard’s (1973) argument on biases in the offspring sex ratio being contingent on parental condition or quality.

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Acknowledgements

We thank J. Moreno for comments, and the military and scientific staff of the Antarctic Spanish Base “Gabriel de Castilla” for their invaluable support during our stay at Deception Island. Transport to and from the island by the ship of the Spanish Navy “Hespérides” is gratefully acknowledged. This is a contribution to project ANT98-1443-E CICYT. The Spanish Antarctic Research Program C.I.C.Y.T gave permission to work in the study area and for penguin manipulations.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), J. Gutiérrez Abascal 2, 28006, Madrid, Spain

    Juan A. Fargallo & Vicente Polo

  2. Instituto de Investigación en Recursos Cinegéticos (CSIC-UCLM), Ronda de Toledo s/n, 13005 , Ciudad Real, Spain

    José A. Dávila

  3. Departamento de Biología Aplicada, Estación Biológica de Doñana, Apartado 1056, 41080 , Sevilla, Spain

    Jaime Potti

  4. Ornithology Group, Institute of Biomedical and Life Sciences, Graham Kerr Building, University of Glasgow, Glasgow, G12 8QQ, UK

    Ana de León

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  1. Juan A. Fargallo
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  2. José A. Dávila
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  3. Jaime Potti
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  4. Ana de León
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  5. Vicente Polo
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Correspondence to Juan A. Fargallo.

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Fargallo, J.A., Dávila, J.A., Potti, J. et al. Nest size and hatchling sex ratio in chinstrap penguins. Polar Biol 27, 339–343 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0596-2

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-004-0596-2

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