Genetic variation in the timing of reproduction in the Great Tit

Abstract

About 40% of the population variation in the initiation dates of first clutches within years is genetically determined. The onset of laying, which is determined by the female, is not detectably influenced by spatial heterogeneity of the study area. There is a variable selection favoring early, middle, or late laying in some years. Over the study period as a whole there is a slight net selection for laying relatively late. The implications for a potential rapid evolutionary change are discussed. The conclusion is reached that the population mean might change with rates of up to one week per five generations, which is approximately a decade.