ValerieMadsen
Muscovy Mating (Sexual Reproduction)
Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) are neotropical birds not native to North America but populations have been well established in Utah for several decades. In this video a male Muscovy duck approaches a female and mates with her.
Muscovy females reach sexual maturity at 28 weeks and males at 29 weeks. Their mating season is from August-May. Courtship is brief or nonexistent and males are polygamous though sometimes they display social monogamy and help to guard nests and ducklings.
By reproducing sexually, Muscovy ducks, as well as most* other birds, increase genetic variation in their offspring. Sexual reproduction increases genetic diversity because the sperm and egg provided by the parents each offer a different set of genes.
*some exceptions include turkeys who can sometimes reproduce asexually
There are several benefits to increased levels of diversity. On the level of the individual organism, one important benefit is that they are less likely to be affected by deleterious alleles. In avian species this is especially true for males. In birds, females are sex-determining. Males have 2 Z chromosomes whereas females have 1 Z and 1 X chromosome. Therefore, males are less likely to have sex-linked disorders because if they were to inherit a mutated chromosome the second, healthy Z chromosome, would be able to mask the effect of the mutation. If birds were asexual reproducers then both sexes would have a more equal likelihood to inherit sex-linked disorders and the overall percentage for both sexes would be greater due to the absence of the benefit of recombination that sexual reproduction provides.
Increased genetic diversity is also important on a population level. The more variation there is, the more likely it is that some individuals will have variations of alleles that make them suited to survive certain circumstances. Therefore, when conditions are unfavorable for some genotypes, those who are different will not die off with those who are not well suited to their environment. Therefore increasing the overall survival of the population.
This photo was taken on March 17, 2020 at Beus Pond in Ogden, UT.
Muscovy Mating (Sexual Reproduction)
Muscovy ducks (Cairina moschata) are neotropical birds not native to North America but populations have been well established in Utah for several decades. In this video a male Muscovy duck approaches a female and mates with her.
Muscovy females reach sexual maturity at 28 weeks and males at 29 weeks. Their mating season is from August-May. Courtship is brief or nonexistent and males are polygamous though sometimes they display social monogamy and help to guard nests and ducklings.
By reproducing sexually, Muscovy ducks, as well as most* other birds, increase genetic variation in their offspring. Sexual reproduction increases genetic diversity because the sperm and egg provided by the parents each offer a different set of genes.
*some exceptions include turkeys who can sometimes reproduce asexually
There are several benefits to increased levels of diversity. On the level of the individual organism, one important benefit is that they are less likely to be affected by deleterious alleles. In avian species this is especially true for males. In birds, females are sex-determining. Males have 2 Z chromosomes whereas females have 1 Z and 1 X chromosome. Therefore, males are less likely to have sex-linked disorders because if they were to inherit a mutated chromosome the second, healthy Z chromosome, would be able to mask the effect of the mutation. If birds were asexual reproducers then both sexes would have a more equal likelihood to inherit sex-linked disorders and the overall percentage for both sexes would be greater due to the absence of the benefit of recombination that sexual reproduction provides.
Increased genetic diversity is also important on a population level. The more variation there is, the more likely it is that some individuals will have variations of alleles that make them suited to survive certain circumstances. Therefore, when conditions are unfavorable for some genotypes, those who are different will not die off with those who are not well suited to their environment. Therefore increasing the overall survival of the population.
This photo was taken on March 17, 2020 at Beus Pond in Ogden, UT.