Wassup Baby Bird? The 'Casanova' Gene In Zebra Finches

Wednesday, June 15, 2011 - 12:40 in Biology & Nature

You may have heard that doves mate for life but they are a rarity in bird species.   In most, infidelity is a widespread phenomenon even though for females the costs are high because the cuckolded partners often reduce their parental care and extra lovers also may transmit diseases.Yet female birds are just as promiscuous as males and researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology in Seewiesen set out to investigate why.   In a genetic long-term study of zebra finches they found that females inherit the disposition for their infidelity from their fathers.So men get the blame even when females sleep around?read more

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