Broods of young merlins were compared with the adults in attendance at their nest by DNA fingerprinting. No offspring were found that mismatched genetically suggesting that intraspecific brood parasitism and extrapair fertilization are very rare in this population. The results are discussed in the light of the Paternity Assurance Hypothesis.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Warkentin et al. (1994) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 5 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: