Estimation of assortative mating preferences in the Arctic Skua

Abstract

Methods are described for the maximum likelihood estimation of mating preferences in models of assortative mating for monogamous and polygamous organisms. These methods are applied to data of matings of the three phenotypes, pale, intermediate and dark of the Arctic Skua. The data were obtained by exhaustive surveys of the Arctic Skua populations on the islands of Fair Isle and Foula. The data give evidence of significant assortative mating of pale birds on Foula and intermediate birds on Fair Isle. The combined data show that there is very highly significant assortative mating, but only of intermediates. In previous surveys, data, in which intermediates and darks were not distinguished, were obtained from a number of islands in the Shetlands. These data, combined with the present data, show that the overall assortative mating of pale is very highly significant with no evidence of heterogeneity. The assortative mating of intermediate birds on Fair Isle agrees with other evidence showing that intermediate males have an advantage as a result of sexual selection.