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Cheating Chickadees Are Seduced by Smarts
The New York Times • • science
Key Points:
- A new study published in eLife reveals that female mountain chickadees are attracted to males with better cognitive abilities and may cheat on their mates to reproduce with smarter males.
- The research suggests that offspring sired by more intelligent males have higher survival rates, indicating an evolutionary advantage to this behavior.
- Mountain chickadees, traditionally considered monogamous, have been found to have nests with half-siblings, implying both sexes may engage in extra-pair mating.
- Females prefer males from high elevations, who demonstrate superior memory skills in locating food caches, a crucial ability for winter survival.
- This study challenges the long-held belief of strict monogamy in birds, highlighting the role of intelligence in mate selection.
