title: Immune-mediated change in the expression of a sexual trait predicts offspring survival in the wild.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The "good genes" theory of sexual selection postulates that females choose mates that will improve their offspring's fitness through the inheritance of paternal genes. In spite of the attention that this hypothesis has given rise to, the empirical evidence remains sparse, mostly because of the difficulties of controlling for the many environmental factors that may covary with both the paternal phenotype and offspring fitness. Here, we tested the hypothesis that offspring sired by males of a preferred phenotype should have better survival in an endangered bird, the houbara bustard (Chlamydotis undulata undulata).
  
  
  RESULTS
  We tested if natural and experimentally-induced variation in courtship display (following an inflammatory challenge) predicts the survival of offspring. Chicks were produced by artificial insemination of females, ensuring that any effect on survival could only arise from the transfer of paternal genes. One hundred and twenty offspring were equipped with radio transmitters, and their survival monitored in the wild for a year. This allowed assessment of the potential benefits of paternal genes in a natural setting, where birds experience the whole range of environmental hazards. Although natural variation in sire courtship display did not predict offspring survival, sires that withstood the inflammatory insult and maintained their courtship activity sired offspring with the best survival upon release.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This finding is relevant both to enlighten the debate on "good genes" sexual selection and the management of supportive breeding programs.
authors: Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle, Conservation des Espèces, Restauration et Suivi des Populations, Paris, France.
authors: Rémi
authors: R
authors: Chargé
authors: Gabriele
authors: G
authors: Sorci
authors: Yves
authors: Y
authors: Hingrat
authors: Frédéric
authors: F
authors: Lacroix
authors: Michel
authors: M
authors: Saint Jalme
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D001717:Birds / Q000276:immunology* / Q000502:physiology*; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D007267:Injections; D016014:Linear Models; D008070:Lipopolysaccharides / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D008297:Male; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D019655:Quantitative Trait, Heritable; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal / Q000187:drug effects / Q000502:physiology*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D008070:Lipopolysaccharides