Tuesday, August 2, 2011

The courtship of penguins

Penguins pair off and form monogamous bonds , although some quarrels might take place . This is due to the fact that there is an unequal ratio of males to females ,within some colonies, this could be as extreme as 39.5% male to 60.5% female, often resulting in intense competition for mates. The reproductive cycle involves monogamous pair bonds for each breeding season, usually with a new partner the subsequent year, although there is evidence supporting that 14.6% of pairs are able to recognize one another the following year and re-establish their bond. success off the offspring clearly depends on intensive care and fulfillment of duties from both parents. Different communication signals are important in the duration of the mating cycle. Audible mating songs seem to serve multiple purposes, including identification of gender and identification of the individual. Additionally, sexual behavior is triggered by copulatory poses. The courtship song and bowing behavior are a critical part of pair formation, as well as a parade mutuelle and chant when they mother transfers the egg to the father for. Males will use an ‘ecstatic’ display to attract females, characterized by body positioning and courtship calls. Females will also practice these courtship calls, and calls of both sexes are quite variable and important in partner recognition. These calls are critical for both mate to mate recognition as well as parent to offspring recognition. Calls are important in communicating with fellow group members during feeding and migration, and once the chicks are born, they will rely on these calls to communicate their hunger with their parents. Body positioning is also critical in the penguin community, and the members will often use an appeasement posture to avoid aggressive encounters.

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