Manakin bird thanks to you

Some males have to rely on the support of their peers when they want to score before their children. This case is similar to the two guys who approached an attractive girl in the bar in the hope that one of them will be lucky.

This behavior is not really the generosity of the guys, but the character who plays the supporting role will benefit later when helping his friend to flirt with her.

The helper of the spearhead manakin ( Chiroxiphia lanceolata ) will be more likely to play the lead role than the guys who don't play supporting roles, said researcher Emily DuVal at the University of California, USA.

The gentleness and vigor may not be required in the men's courtship, but both are obliged in the manakin bird's act. Male pairs of birds perform intricate dancing scenes that include acrobatics and dancing to seduce female birds. When the stage was lowered, only the main male had a chance to approach her, while the young bird came out.

To find out how this relationship benefits the sub-bird, DuVal has watched over 450 manakin birds on Isla de Boca in Panama. From 1999 to 2004, she monitored changes in the social status of birds and examined genes to determine their kinship relationships.

The results showed that the males did not have close kinship , except the idea that his brother's helpers handed down the family genome. Extra birds have rarely helped her give birth, so they have no reproductive benefits.

Instead, the sub-birds benefit later. About 15% of the sub-children become the main children in the next year, although not always in a territory.

One way to be the lead is to become an expert in flirting. Thus, the extra bird will learn sophisticated flirting skills from helping the main character. The role-playing birds are usually younger than the main role, which proves to be a way of apprentice birds.

"Our results show that they will benefit from supporting roles such as apprenticeship from him and finding ways to ally with other males to later play a supporting role for them," DuVal said.

MT