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Animal Behavior; Mating Systems
Mating systems; Alcock; Chapter 11; BIOL-231
15
Biology
Undergraduate 3
03/24/2010

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Cards

Term
Types of mating systems
Definition

Monogamy (1 male, 1 female)

Polygamy:

Polygyny(1 male, >1 female or >1 male, >>1 female)

Polyandry: (no need to discriminate b/t on exam, just know that unlike in book, we define in terms of number of males contributing to parental care; polygyny far more common than polyandry)

 

Term
Factors affecting the type of mating system
Definition

 

  • Need for male parental care** (albatross, other birds)
  • Spatial and temporal distribution of females both influenced by:
    • Distribution of resources
    • Predation Pressure (dik-dik)
  • Female-female competition (tigers/leopards)

 

Term
Why would monogamy occur in species where males do not provide parental care?
Definition
Monogamy may be imposed where male gaining access to female on home range where she fends other females away or where home ranges are spread out. "dik-dik" antelopes spread out to avoid predation, but as a result, males are thrust into monogamy. Female tigers/leopards very hostile to other females so monogamy forced on male if can't balance 2 female ranges.
Term
Types of polygyny
Definition

  • Resource defense polygyny
  • Leks
  • Female defense polygyny

Term
Resource defense polygyny
Definition

  • Male(s) defends an area to which females are attracted
  • Males and females in many of these species maintain long-term social bonds. 
  • Some are comprised of multi-male groups in which males are genetically related and cooperate at high rates
  • Ex. Male black-winged damselfies wait for females to come to them, defending territories that contain the kind of aquatic vegetation in which females prefer to lay their eggs
  • Where females eave natal herd, often thought to be resource defense polygyny

Term
Leks
Definition

  • Loose aggregations of males to which females are attracted
  • Males provide nothing but genetic material, only occur in species where males contribute NO direct parental care
  • Attracted to beautiful bowry or feathers, mate, and may never see them again
  • Wildebeast may be leks, or may be resource defense polygyny; he stands and waits
  • Most species of frogs-->males croak together a night to attract females
  • Why do males aggregate and attract predators and risk rejection/no mating?
  • Sometimes leks comprised of males who are close reatives

 

Term
Female defense polygyny
Definition

  • Male(s) defends a group of females that are already social for other ecological reasons
  • Female 'puts up' with another female because of male's resources
  • Females form the stable core of the group, independent of any attributes the group's males might have.
  • Males migrate, females remain in the groups in which they were born.

ex. Bighorn rams go where potential mates are and then fight with other males to monopolize females there

Term
Polygyny threshold model
Definition

[image]

  • Redwing blackbird
  • w/o fitness cost, no dilemma about territory
  • this model doesn't build in male parental care
  • female comes along and likes territory Y but there is fitness cost
  • Female fitness varies as a function of territory quality
  • Female Y2 says, "I could be first female on x or second female on y," so she essentially allows polygyny if fitness will be greater as second female on territory y than as first female on territory x

 

Term
Resource-defense polygyny
Definition
Term
Selective Factors favoring female sociality
Definition

Cooperative defense against predatoin

Cooperative defense of resources against other groups of females

Term
Consequences of female sociality
Definition

Close bonds among female kin

Strong between-group competition

(Often) within-group competition resulting in female dominance hierarchy 

 

Term
Female defense Polygyny examples
Definition

 

  • Lion, Hyena, Elephants; Vervet monkeys, baboons, many other monkey species
  • Hyena females are dominant and are larger than males
    • Form dominance hierarchy
    • High rates of cooperation (hunting)
    • Androgenation (becomes more male-like)
  • Vervet monkeys-->female bonds, defense against predation

 

Term
Why are groups multi-male?
Definition

  • Female group size or range may be too big for a male to defend alone
  • Males may benefit by cooperating (e.g. chimps, lions)
  • Multi-male groups can arise through either resource-defense or female-defense polygyny

Term
Evolutionary paths to polyandry
Definition

 

Female lays a clutch, male incubates; female lays another clutch, she incubates.

Female may not be ‘faithful’ to first male


 Monogamous pair accepts a ‘helper’; sometimes unrelated male helps rear offspring

‘Cooperative’ polyandrous breeding


 Cooperative groups with reproductive suppression of

       subordinates 

       Only the dominant female in the group breeds;

       occasionally >1 male breeds

Occasional polyandrous breeding


Polyandry is inherently unstable. It often reverts back to monogamy, cooperative breeding with only 2 breeding adults


 

Term
Polyandry examples
Definition

Some birds that have precocial young (can move around immediately after birth)

Some mammalian species that take on adult helpers: e.g. tamarins, wild dogs, meerkats

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