Relationships between fluctuating asymmetry and sexual maturity, social aggressiveness and comb size in chickens
The purpose of the present study was to analyse the rela-tionship between fluctuating asymmetry of several traits (middle toe length, leg length, wing length, wattle length, and leg width), sexual maturity, social aggressiveness, and comb size in chickens (experiments 1, 2, and 3, respec-tively). In experiment 1, cockerels (n = 122; 20-week-old) from five Spanish breeds and a White Leghorn population, and pullets (n = 126; 20-wk-old) from three Spanish breeds and the ey tester line, which show early or late sexual maturity, were used. There was a significant differ-ence between mature and immature birds on the relative fluctuating asymmetry of wattle length and the combined relative fluctuating asymmetry of the five traits (P < 0.05), the relative fluctuating asymmetry of immature birds being larger. In experiment 2, we measured the fluctuating asymmetry and the relative social aggressiveness in 36-week-old cocks (n = 81) from eight Spanish breeds and the White Leghorn population. There was a signific nt negative correlation between cock relative social aggressiveness and relative fluctuating asymmetry of leg length and the combined relative fluctuating asymmetry of the five traits (P < 0.05). In experiment 3, cocks (n = 120; 36-week-old) from four Spanish breeds, the White Leghorn population and a synthetic breed, which showed large or small comb size, were used. There was a significant differ-ence between large and small comb size birds on therelative fluctuating asymmetry of leg width (P <0.05), the relative fluctuating asymmetry of large comb size birds being larger. In addition, relative fluctuating asymmetry of leg length was positively associated with comb size in two breeds (Black Castellana and Buff Prat) and negatively in one breed (Red-Barred Vasca). Results show that fluctuating asymmetry indicates male and female reproductive quality at the onset of sexual maturity, and that success in male to male competition appears to be associated with fluctuating asymmetry. On the contrary, fluctuating asymmetry does not indicate adult male reproductive quality. © Verlag Eugen Ulmer, Stuttgart.
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | journal article biblioteca |
| Language: | eng |
| Published: |
2009
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| Online Access: | http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12792/5670 |
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