Male mating success and female mate choice in the river sculpin,Cottus nozawae (Cottidae)

1993 ◽  
Vol 37 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-353 ◽  
Author(s):  
Akira Goto
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Mating Success ◽  
Female Mate

Male Courtship Displays, Ornaments and Female Mate Choice in Captive Red Jungle Fowl

Behaviour ◽  
1995 ◽  
Vol 132 (11-12) ◽  
pp. 821-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
Torgeir S. Johnsen ◽  
Stacey L. Popma ◽  
Marlene Zuk
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Courtship ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Red Jungle Fowl ◽  
Highly Correlated ◽  
Spur Length

AbstractWe studied the role of male courtship behaviour in female mate choice in red jungle fowl (Gallus gallus), the ancestor of domestic chickens. The traits most highly correlated with behavioural displays were those most relied upon by females in making mate choice decisions. These traits (comb length, comb colour, eye colour, and spur length) are highly condition-dependent in jungle fowl. Females chose males that displayed at a greater overall intensity in the period after the female was allowed to interact with the males (post-release), but were indifferent to displays during the period before the female could approach the roosters (pre-release). After accounting for the effect of morphology on mate choice, waltzes were the only display that explained a significant amount of variation in male mating success. Chosen and rejected males had different display rates even when the female was not present. Plasma testosterone level was correlated with pre-release behaviours, but not with post-release behaviours or mating success.

scholarly journals Male coercion and the costs of promiscuous mating for female chimpanzees

2007 ◽  
Vol 274 (1612) ◽  
pp. 1009-1014 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin N Muller ◽  
Sonya M Kahlenberg ◽  
Melissa Emery Thompson ◽  
Richard W Wrangham
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Pan Troglodytes ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Sexual Coercion ◽  
Mating Systems ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Pan Troglodytes Schweinfurthii ◽  
Male Mating Success ◽  
Male Aggression

For reasons that are not yet clear, male aggression against females occurs frequently among primates with promiscuous mating systems. Here, we test the sexual coercion hypothesis that male aggression functions to constrain female mate choice. We use 10 years of behavioural and endocrine data from a community of wild chimpanzees ( Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii ) to show that sexual coercion is the probable primary function of male aggression against females. Specifically, we show that male aggression is targeted towards the most fecund females, is associated with high male mating success and is costly for the victims. Such aggression can be viewed as a counter-strategy to female attempts at paternity confusion, and a cost of multi-male mating.

Influence of Male Competition and Female Mate Choice On Male Mating Success in Barbary Macaques (Macaca Sylvanus)

Behaviour ◽  
1992 ◽  
Vol 120 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 192-216 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jutta Kuester ◽  
Andreas Paul
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Significant Positive Correlation ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Male Competition ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Mating Success ◽  
Adult Males ◽  
Agonistic Interactions ◽  
Barbary Macaques

AbstractTo evaluate the importance of male competition and female mate choice for male mating success in Barbary macaques, focal female observations during the conceptional estrus were conducted in a large semifree-ranging group. Analysis of sexual behaviour included 121.7 h of observation of 19 focal females. In addition, ad libitum recorded male agonistic interactions, occurring in the vicinity of the focal females, were analyzed. Both sexes initiated sexual associations, and females were found almost always in contact (within 2 m) with a male. Most matings took place within 1 min after contact establishment, and the proportion of these quick matings was especially high for subadult males, which mainly "sneaked" copulations during moments of distraction of adult males. Mating contacts were longer than non-mating contacts, and varied in duration from a few seconds to more than 2 hours. Mating contacts with adult males did not differ in length with respect of the initiating sex. Females were considerably more active in terminating than initiating contacts. Females mated, on average, once every 30 min, and had 1-10 different partners (out of 37 sexually mature males) during a 4 h observation session. Females mated with 40-100% of their contact partners. An absence of mating with specific males was due to interference by other males, improper timing of contact, or (temporary) lack of attractivity of the female rather than related with a rejection of these males in almost all cases. Similarly, a highly significant positive correlation between mating frequency of a male and time spent in the vicinity of the focal females revealed that females did not discriminate among potential mates, and, hence, did not exercise mate choice. The majority of matings (71 %) were accumulated by 7 out of the 9 oldest males and additionally 2 young adults. One indicator for sexual competition among males was the peak of male injuries during the mating season. Aggressive interactions between adult and subadult males, indicating a clear-cut dominance of the adults, occurred frequently, while dyadic agonistic interactions between adult males were rare and inconsistent. The available data indicated age-inversed rank relations and were not predictive for mating success. A highly significant positive correlation was, however, found between male mating success and the participation as ally in polyadic agonistic interactions. The oldest males gave and received most support and were rarely victims of coalitions while the reverse was found for young adult males. All males followed an "age rule", after which the older of 2 males was supported during a conflict. Consequently, male power asymmetry in polyadic conflicts ran counter that in dyadic situations, and could change quickly depending on the presence of potential allies. Chances for dyadic solutions of conflicts were rare on the ground where most estrous females and the old males spent their time. Although females did not reject potential mates, they nevertheless influenced male mating success by inciting male competition. Females often tried to contact a new partner after a mating, thereby actively putting both males into conflict. The creation of such encounters was possible only between males with low power asymmetry, and only males which got successfully through these frequent female-initiated tests of their power had a high mating success. Incitation of male competition was discussed as a female mating tactic in species with a high sexual dimorphism. Compared with other macaques, the Barbary macaque belongs to such species.

MALE-MALE COMPETITION AND INTERSEXUAL INTERACTIONS IN UNDERGROUND MATING OF THE FIDDLER CRAB UCA PARADUSSUMIERI

Behaviour ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 136 (5) ◽  
pp. 651-667 ◽  
Author(s):  
Tsunenori Koga ◽  
Hoi-Sen Yong ◽  
Minoru Murai
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Ovigerous Female ◽  
Fiddler Crab ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Male Competition ◽  
Feeding Time ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Mating Success ◽  
Do So

AbstractWe investigated inter-male competition for female mates and intersexual interactions in underground mating (UM) of the fiddler crab Uca paradussumieri . Males search for and then enter the burrows of females that are ready to ovulate ('pre-ovigerous'). In order to ensure their paternity, these males guard the female until she ovulates the following day. Thereafter the male leaves. Intruding male conspecifics attempt to reach the female. Guarding males either fight with them (N = 27), or use the flat-claw defence (N = 96) in which the male stands in the burrow shaft and blocks the entrance with his enlarged claw. The flat-claw was a very successful defence tactic (93% success), even when the intruder was larger than the guarding male. Pre-ovigerous females accepted the first male to enter her burrow, suggesting that female mate choice does not occur. Though males that succeeded to enter the burrow of pre-ovigerous female were larger than males that failed to do so, males that succeeded UM were not larger than males that failed UM. Males that succeeded UM by a take-over were not larger than either the males that were defeated or the males that succeeded in UM after their first entering. Early localization of pre-ovigerous females was important in male mating success, as was a male's ability to defend the female before she ovulated. However, some females that were not pre-ovigerous were guarded forcibly for 2 days by males that had failed to pair with a pre-ovigerous female that day. Prolonged guarding was less successful for males than guarding for one day, probably because the males had to fight with more intruders. In addition, prolonged guarding may not be adaptive for females because they lose feeding time and mate with males that lack competitive abilities.

Levels of Female Choice in the White-Tailed Skimmer Plathemis Lydia (Odonata: Libellulidae)

Behaviour ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 119 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 193-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter D. Koenig
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Male Mating Success ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Female Mate

AbstractMale Plathemis lydia defend mating territories along the perimeter of ponds. Females come to ponds for brief periods of time every few days to oviposit. During these visits, females actively discriminate among males, rejecting up to 48.9 % of mating attempts. Males varied significantly in the proportion of attempts successfully leading to copulation. However, males that obtained more matings also experienced more rejections. Extensive analyses based on absolute male size, relative male size, and male size relative to female size yielded only marginally significant evidence of female mate preference based on body mass, wing length, wing loading index, or age; to the extent that any of these characters appeared to influence mating success, they similarly influenced refusal rates. The overall weakness of female mate choice is further suggested by the frequency of females ovipositing without prior matings and by the low frequency with which females remate with the same males. On a population basis, females strongly prefer to oviposit in the middle of the day and at particular parts of the study pond. Thus, females exhibit strong choice at several levels. However, despite the high incidence of active female rejection and high variance in male mating success, mate choice is apparently of minor importance in this population. Female discrimination of males, combined with variance in male mating success, are necessary but not sufficient for the action of sexual selection via mate choice. These findings support the prediction that male-male competition is of primary importance in resource control mating systems in which males are able to control female access to most or all favored oviposition sites. However, it is not clear why females generally fail to discriminate among males, given that they have the opportunity to do so. In general, females appear to have low motivation to mate with males, presumably because multiple mating does not significantly increase their fertility or fecundity. Selection for rapid mating may be significant, both because of predation on females during mating and oviposition and because of the risks for males of losing their territories during mating bouts. This time constraint may be the most important factor limiting female discrimination among males on the basis of consistent characteristics.

Interplay of male traits, male mating strategies and female mate choice in the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1113-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karpagam Chelliah ◽  
Raman Sukumar
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Asian Elephant ◽  
Dominant Male ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Elaborate male traits with no apparent adaptive value may have evolved through female mate discrimination. Tusks are an elaborate male-only trait in the Asian elephant that could potentially influence female mate choice. We examined the effect of male body size, tusk possession and musth status on female mate choice in an Asian elephant population. Large/musth males received positive responses from oestrous females towards courtship significantly more often than did small/non-musth males. Young, tusked non-musth males attempted courtship significantly more often than their tuskless peers, and received more positive responses (though statistically insignificant) than did tuskless males. A positive response did not necessarily translate into mating because of mate-guarding by a dominant male. Female elephants appear to choose mates based primarily on traits such as musth that signal direct fertility benefits through increased sperm received than for traits such as tusks that may signal only indirect fitness benefits.

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