Queuing in space and time reduces the lek paradox on an antelope lek

Bro‐Jørgensen, Jakob

doi:10.1007/s10682-011-9523-5

Cited by 8 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 48 publications

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“…Females usually visit the lek and leave it soon after mating, whereas males stay and continue courtship toward other females (Apollonio et al, 2014). The most dominant male usually, but not always, occupies the central territory on the lek (Bro‐Jørgensen, 2011b; Isvaran & Jhala, 2000).…”

Section: Mating Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of ungulate mating systems: Integrating social and environmental factors

Bowyer

McCullough

Rachlow

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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Ungulates exhibit diverse mating systems that range from monogamous pair territories to highly polygynous leks. We review mating systems and behaviors across ungulates and offer a new approach synthesizing how interacting factors may shape those mating systems. Variability exists in mating systems among and within species of ungulates and likely is affected by predation risk, availability of resources (food and mates), habitat structure, and sociality. Ungulate mating systems may be labile as a consequence of the varying strength of those interacting factors. In addition, degree of polygyny and sexual dimorphism in size are associated with the evolution of mating systems. Neither male–male combat nor paternal care, however, can completely explain differences in sexual size dimorphism for ungulates, a necessary component in understanding the development of some mating systems. Whatever the evolutionary pathway, sexual segregation limits paternal care allowing more intense male–male competition. Selection of habitat structure, because it modifies risk of predation, is a major determinant of sociality for ungulates. Likewise, ruggedness and steepness of terrain limit the types of mating systems that can occur because of limitations in group size and cohesiveness, as well as the ability of males to herd even small groups of females effectively. The quality and defensibility of resources affect mating systems, as does the defensibility of females. Population density of females also may be a critical determinant of the types of mating systems that develop. Size of groups likewise constrains the types of mating tactics that males can employ. Our aim was to use those relationships to create a broad conceptual model that predicts how various environmental and social factors interact to structure mating systems in ungulates. This model provides a useful framework for future tests of the roles of both ecological and social conditions in influencing the social systems of ungulates.

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Section: Mating Systemsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evolution of ungulate mating systems: Integrating social and environmental factors

Bowyer

McCullough

Rachlow

et al. 2020

Ecology and Evolution

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show abstract

“…Most papers have applied standard linear models (e.g., [ 12 , 29 , 30 ]), mixed models to account for repeated observations (e.g. [ 31 , 32 ]), or Generalized Linear Models to manage non-normal distributions. Finally, a few papers have used different approaches, such as logistic regression [ 33 ], path analysis [ 34 ], and partial correlations [ 35 ].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Generalized structural equations improve sexual-selection analyses

et al. 2017

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Sexual selection is an intense evolutionary force, which operates through competition for the access to breeding resources. There are many cases where male copulatory success is highly asymmetric, and few males are able to sire most females. Two main hypotheses were proposed to explain this asymmetry: “female choice” and “male dominance”. The literature reports contrasting results. This variability may reflect actual differences among studied populations, but it may also be generated by methodological differences and statistical shortcomings in data analysis. A review of the statistical methods used so far in lek studies, shows a prevalence of Linear Models (LM) and Generalized Linear Models (GLM) which may be affected by problems in inferring cause-effect relationships; multi-collinearity among explanatory variables and erroneous handling of non-normal and non-continuous distributions of the response variable. In lek breeding, selective pressure is maximal, because large numbers of males and females congregate in small arenas. We used a dataset on lekking fallow deer (Dama dama), to contrast the methods and procedures employed so far, and we propose a novel approach based on Generalized Structural Equations Models (GSEMs). GSEMs combine the power and flexibility of both SEM and GLM in a unified modeling framework. We showed that LMs fail to identify several important predictors of male copulatory success and yields very imprecise parameter estimates. Minor variations in data transformation yield wide changes in results and the method appears unreliable. GLMs improved the analysis, but GSEMs provided better results, because the use of latent variables decreases the impact of measurement errors. Using GSEMs, we were able to test contrasting hypotheses and calculate both direct and indirect effects, and we reached a high precision of the estimates, which implies a high predictive ability. In synthesis, we recommend the use of GSEMs in studies on lekking behaviour, and we provide guidelines to implement these models.

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Selection for male stamina can help explain costly displays with cost-minimizing female choice

Kovalov

Kokko

2022

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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In many species, male lifespan is shorter than that of females, often attributed to sexual selection favouring costly expression of traits preferred by females. Coevolutionary models of female preferences and male traits predict that males can be selected to have such life histories; however, this typically requires that females also pay some costs to express their preferences. Here we show that this problem diminishes when we link coevolutionary models of costly mate choice with the idea of stamina. In our model, the most successful males are those who can combine high attendance time on a lek — or, more generally, tenacious effort in their display time budgets — with high viability such that they are not too strongly compromised in terms of lifespan. We find that an opportunistic female strategy, that minimizes its costs by mating with highly visible (displaying) males, often beats other alternatives. It typically resists invasion attempts of genotypes that mate randomly in the population genetic sense, as well as invasion of stricter ways of being choosy (which are potentially costly if choice requires e.g. active rejection of all males who do not presently display, or risky travel to lekking sites). Our model can produce a wide range of male time budgets (display vs. self-maintenance). This includes cases of alternative mating tactics where males in good condition spend much time displaying, while those in poor condition never display yet, importantly, gain some mating success due to females not engaging in rejection behaviours should these be very costly to express. Significance statement In many species, males spend much time and energy on displaying to attract females, but it is not always clear what females gain from paying attention to male displays. The tradition in mathematical models attempting to understand the situation is to assume that random mating is the least costly option for females. However, random mating in the population genetic sense requires females to behave in a manner that equalizes mating success between displaying and non-displaying males, and here we point out that this is biologically unlikely. Opportunistically mating females can cause males to spend much of their time budgets displaying and will shorten male lifespans in a quality-dependent manner.

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Queuing in space and time reduces the lek paradox on an antelope lek

Cited by 8 publications

References 48 publications

Evolution of ungulate mating systems: Integrating social and environmental factors

Evolution of ungulate mating systems: Integrating social and environmental factors

Generalized structural equations improve sexual-selection analyses

Selection for male stamina can help explain costly displays with cost-minimizing female choice

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