Integrative Studies of Sexual Selection in Manakins, a Clade of Charismatic Tropical Birds

Abstract

Abstract The neotropical manakins (family Pipridae) provide a great opportunity for integrative studies of sexual selection as nearly all of the 51 species are lek-breeding, an extreme form of polygyny, and highly sexually dimorphic both in appearance and behavior. Male courtship displays are often elaborate and include auditory cues, both vocal and mechanical, as well as visual elements. In addition, the displays are often extremely rapid, highly acrobatic, and, in some species, multiple males perform coordinated displays that form the basis of long-term coalitions. Male manakins also exhibit unique neuroendocrine, physiological, and anatomical adaptations to support the performance of these complex displays and the maintenance of their intricate social systems. The Manakin Genomics Research Coordination Network (Manakin RCN, https://www.manakinsrcn.org) has brought together researchers (many in this symposium and this issue) from across disciplines to address the implications of sexual selection on evolution, ecology, behavior, and physiology in manakins. The objective of this paper is to present some of the most pertinent and integrative manakin research as well as introducing the papers presented in this issue. The results discussed at the manakin symposium, part of the 2021 Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference, highlight the remarkable genomic, behavioral, and physiological adaptations as well as the evolutionary causes and consequences of strong sexual selection pressures that are evident in manakins.