Same-sex pair-bonds are equivalent to male-female bonds in a life-long socially monogamous songbird
Same-sex pair-bonds are equivalent to male-female bonds in a life-long socially monogamous songbird
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DOI：
10.1007/s00265-011-1228-9
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发表时间：
2011-12-01
影响因子：
2.3
通讯作者：
Vignal, Clementine
中科院分区：
文献类型：
--
作者：
Elie, Julie E.;Mathevon, Nicolas;Vignal, Clementine
圈养动物和野生动物的同性性行为都有详细记录。在一夫一妻制的物种中，这些行为通常是排他性的，每个个体只有一个同性伴侣。性别比例偏差被认为是产生同性伴侣关系的社会背景，但这一假设很少得到检验。我们以终生配对的鸣禽斑胸草雀Taeniopygia guttata为对象，测试了同性配对是否是由于异性个体短缺造成的。通过实验将性别比例偏向某一性别的成员，我们观察到该性别的同性配对比例更高。此外，我们还评估了同性和男女之间的社交互动质量和稳定性是否相同。雄性-雄性和雌性-雌性的同性关系表现出与雌性关系相同的行为特征：它们是强烈的、高度选择性的和稳定的亲和关系，涉及与野生鸟类中已经描述过的相同的行为表现。此外，当个体有机会与女性繁殖时，同性男性的联系足够牢固，不会分裂。由于社会一夫一妻制物种中的配对关系代表着一种可能为生存带来优势的伙伴关系（例如，资源防御、对抗掠食者等），因此我们认为斑胸草雀的同性配对可能是由于寻找社会伙伴的压力造成的。
Same-sex sexual behaviors are well documented in both captive and wild animals. In monogamous species, these behaviors are often exclusive, each individual having only one same-sex partner. A bias in sex ratio has been proposed as a social context yielding same-sex pair-bonding, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested. Focusing on a life-long pair-bonding songbird, the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata, we tested whether same-sex pairing results from a shortage of individuals of the opposite sex. By experimentally skewing the sex ratio towards members of one sex, we observed a greater proportion of same-sex pair-bonds of that sex. Moreover, we assessed whether the quality and stability of social interactions were equivalent in same-sex and male-female pairs. Male-male and female-female same-sex bonds display the same behavioral characteristics as male-female ones: they are intense, highly selective, and stable affinitive relationships involving the same behavioral displays already described in wild birds. Moreover, same-sex male bonds were sufficiently strong not to split up when individuals were given the opportunity to reproduce with females. Because the pair-bond in socially monogamous species represents a partnership that may give advantages for survival (e.g., resources defense, fighting against predators, etc.), we propose that same-sex pairing in the zebra finch may result from the pressure to find a social partner.