Compensatory strategy by female House Finches

Have you heard about the study that found that breeding HOFI females internally compensate for their less-vibrant mates' appearance?

Because chicks that are sired by ugly fathers are not fed as much, they could suffer from nutritional deficit. Therefore, female house finches deposit more antioxidants, including 2.5 times more vitamin E, into the yolks of the eggs sired by unattractive males. This protects the embryo during the developmental process.

The full text is available at Physiological and Biochemical Zoology to subscribers.

House Finch ("I don't need no steenkeng compensation") courtesy of U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.