Manakin (Aves: Pipridae) diversity in the Amazon: Sexual selection, ecology and evolution

Abstract

We present a review of recent studies about the evolutionary history of birds of the family Pipridae, commonly known as manakins. Birds of this family usually face strong sexual selection, due to their polygynic lekking breeding system. We focused on the effects of sexual selection on geographical distribution patterns, habitat utilization and reproductive behavior in populations and species, using the species Lepidothrix coronata as a case study. Whereas phylogeographical studies point to considerable genetic structure among populations within species in the family, intra-population studies reveal how the strength of sexual selection, by means of variation in male reproductive success, is affected by social and spatial organization at leks, and how elaborate courtship displays and plumage coloration may evolve. Sexual selection is herein suggested not only to have resulted in great morphological and behavioral complexity in the family, but also to have contributed to the differentiation of life histories among different evolutionary lineages. Further studies of the variations in morphological and behavioral traits in the family, as well as studies on the social and spatial structure within populations, will provide a better understanding of the demographic history of these species. Few studies have correlated the behavioral repertoire of males with reproductive success or have evaluated the relevance of habitat characteristics to female preference, which will provide valuable data on a local scale. On a regional scale, studies focusing on contact zones would offer ways to understand, for example, the effects of variation in female preferences and male-male interactions on patterns of introgression. Taken together, these approaches would reveal the importance of sexual selection for the evolution of independent evolutionary lineages and, as such, for taxonomic diversification in the family.