Studies of female mate choice commonly use virgin females as test subjects, either to control
for the effects of mating or because virgin females are presumed to be more responsive to …

Inbreeding depression, the reduced fitness of the offspring of related individuals, can affect
males and females differently. Although a comprehensive theoretical framework describing …

Mating with close kin can have considerable negative fitness consequences, which are
expected to result in selective pressure for inbreeding avoidance mechanisms, such as …

Individuals are expected to avoid mating with relatives as inbreeding can reduce offspring
fitness, a phenomenon known as inbreeding depression. This has led to the widespread …

Inbreeding results from matings between relatives and often leads to a reduction in the
fitness of inbred offspring, known as inbreeding depression. There is substantial variation in …

Males often strategically adjust the number of available sperm based on the social context
(ie sperm priming response), but it remains unclear how environmental and genetic factors …

Inbreeding often imposes net fitness costs, 1–5 leading to the expectation that animals will
engage in inbreeding avoidance when the costs of doing so are not prohibitive. 4–9 …

Social life and lifelong partner commitments are expected to favor thorough partner choice,
as an ill-suited partnership may have long-term consequences, adversely affecting the …

The negative consequences of inbreeding have led animal biologists to assume that mate
choice is generally biased against relatives. However, inbreeding avoidance is highly …

Preen oil, the secretion of the uropygial gland, may be an important source of body odour in
birds. By characterizing the chemical composition of preen oil, we can describe the olfactory …