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Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), a group of passerine birds comprised of six closely related subspecies, are well known throughout their nearly worldwide distribution, in part because of their close association with human settlements. A tractable species for both individual-based and population-level studies, Barn Swallows are a prominent model system in evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral research. Here we review work on sexual selection and population divergence in this species complex, focusing on comparative studies among populations and subspecies. We summarize variation in the targets of mate choice and in the information conveyed by sexually selected traits, and conclude that the benefits advertised by different traits may vary geographically. Finally, we consider the role of sexual selection as a driver of population divergence in this widespread and phenotypically variable species complex.


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Geographic variation in sexual selection and implications for speciation in the Barn Swallow

Show Author's information Elizabeth SC Scordato( )Rebecca J Safran
Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, The University of Colorado, Boulder, CO 80309, USA

Abstract

Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), a group of passerine birds comprised of six closely related subspecies, are well known throughout their nearly worldwide distribution, in part because of their close association with human settlements. A tractable species for both individual-based and population-level studies, Barn Swallows are a prominent model system in evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral research. Here we review work on sexual selection and population divergence in this species complex, focusing on comparative studies among populations and subspecies. We summarize variation in the targets of mate choice and in the information conveyed by sexually selected traits, and conclude that the benefits advertised by different traits may vary geographically. Finally, we consider the role of sexual selection as a driver of population divergence in this widespread and phenotypically variable species complex.

Keywords: Speciation, Barn Swallow, Geographic variation, Natural selection, Sexual selection, Tail streamers, Ventral color

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Publication history

Received: 26 November 2014
Accepted: 27 November 2014
Published: 24 December 2014
Issue date: January 2014

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© 2014 Scordato and Safran; licensee BioMed Central.

Acknowledgements

We thank W. Liang for the invitation to write this review, and A. Hund and M. Wilkins for comments on the manuscript. Support was provided by the National Science Foundation (DEB-CAREER 1149942 to RJS).

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