C 1993 Matt Ridley's book "The Red Queen" is published by HarperCollins
page 223-224
"What's in it for the birds? ... Adulterers father more young. But it is not at all clear why the female is so often unfaithful... A female swallow needs a husband who will help her look after her young, but by the time she arrives at the breeding site, she might find all the best husbands taken. Her best tactic is therefore to mate with a mediocre husband or a husband with a good territory and have an affair with a genetically superior neighbor. This theory is supported by the facts: Females always choose more dominant, older, or more "attractive" (that is ornamented) lovers than their husbands; they do not have affairs with bachelors (presumably rejects) but with other females husbands; and they sometimes incite competition between potential lovers and choose the winners. Male swallows with artificially lengthened tails acquired a mate ten days sooner, were eight times as likely to have a second brood, and had twice as high a chance of seducing a neighbor's wife as ordinary swallows..."
page 223-224
"What's in it for the birds? ... Adulterers father more young. But it is not at all clear why the female is so often unfaithful... A female swallow needs a husband who will help her look after her young, but by the time she arrives at the breeding site, she might find all the best husbands taken. Her best tactic is therefore to mate with a mediocre husband or a husband with a good territory and have an affair with a genetically superior neighbor. This theory is supported by the facts: Females always choose more dominant, older, or more "attractive" (that is ornamented) lovers than their husbands; they do not have affairs with bachelors (presumably rejects) but with other females husbands; and they sometimes incite competition between potential lovers and choose the winners. Male swallows with artificially lengthened tails acquired a mate ten days sooner, were eight times as likely to have a second brood, and had twice as high a chance of seducing a neighbor's wife as ordinary swallows..."
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