Bowdoin College

2 weeks ago | biorxiv.org | Liam Taylor |Richard Prum |Bowdoin College

AbstractAvian plumage maturation involves replacing feathers, via discrete molts, until reaching an iteratively-regenerated definitive plumage. This process usually takes about one year. In the Neotropical lekking manakins (Pipridae), males of most species exhibit delayed plumage maturation (DPM), passing through drab predefinitive plumages for two or three years before reaching a bright, sexually dimorphic, definitive plumage.

Feb 7, 2025 | biorxiv.org | Liam Taylor |Josef C. Uyeda |Richard Prum |Bowdoin College

AbstractOne puzzling feature of avian life histories is that individuals in many different lineages delay reproduction for several years after they finish growing. Intraspecific field studies suggest that various complex social contexts--such as cooperative breeding groups, nesting colonies, and display leks--result in delayed reproduction because they require forms of sociosexual development that extend beyond physical maturation.