Testing the mediating role of social interactions on the relationship between age and plumage traits on reproductive success.
Zachary M. Laubach, Kayleigh P. Keller, Rebecca J. Safran, Toshi Tsunekage, Iris I. Levin
The paper tests if social interactions mediate age-related differences in plumage traits and reproductive success in barn swallows, finding no evidence of mediation but associations between age, plumage, and reproductive success.
bioRxiv · Mar 6, 2025 · PreprintAnimal Behavior & Cognition