TY - JOUR
T1 - Heritable true fitness and bright birds
T2 - A role for parasites?
AU - Hamilton, William D.
AU - Zuk, Malene
PY - 1982
Y1 - 1982
N2 - Combination of seven surveys of blood parasites in North American passerines reveals weak, highly significant association over species between incidence of chronic blood infections (five genera of protozoa and one nematode) and striking display (three characters: male "brightness," female "brightness," and male song). This result conforms to a model of sexual selection in which (i) coadaptational cycles of host and parasites generate consistently positive offspring-on-parent regression of fitness, and (ii) animals choose mates for genetic disease resistance by scrutiny of characters whose full expression is dependent on health and vigor.
AB - Combination of seven surveys of blood parasites in North American passerines reveals weak, highly significant association over species between incidence of chronic blood infections (five genera of protozoa and one nematode) and striking display (three characters: male "brightness," female "brightness," and male song). This result conforms to a model of sexual selection in which (i) coadaptational cycles of host and parasites generate consistently positive offspring-on-parent regression of fitness, and (ii) animals choose mates for genetic disease resistance by scrutiny of characters whose full expression is dependent on health and vigor.
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U2 - 10.1126/science.7123238
DO - 10.1126/science.7123238
M3 - Article
C2 - 7123238
AN - SCOPUS:0020336255
SN - 0036-8075
VL - 218
SP - 384
EP - 387
JO - Science
JF - Science
IS - 4570
ER -