Testing hotspot models of lek evolution: data from three species of ungulates

Balmford, Andrew; Deutsch, James C.; Nefdt, Rory J. C.; Clutton‐Brock, Tim

doi:10.1007/bf00164347

Cited by 30 publications

(8 citation statements)

References 50 publications

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“…Together, these results do not support the prediction of the hotspot model [13], [23] that routes leading to the lek should be even shorter than usual daily routes. Leks seem to be more commonly overlapping with female hotspots in birds rather than in ungulates [1], [5], [12], [47], [48].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Female Preference and Predation Risk Models Can Explain the Maintenance of a Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Lek and Its ‘Handy’ Location

et al. 2014

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We tested the predictions of three models (female preference; hotspot; predator avoidance) on lek formation in the fallow deer population of San Rossore, Tuscany. We collected behavioural observations in two leks and radiotracking data on 67 deer over 7 years. Two deer sub-populations were present in the northern and southern sides of the area, respectively, the two sectors being delimited by a river and including one lek each. Predictions were tested for one lek (SG), located in the south-side where we set up our 7-year radiotracking program. Data from a second lek (FO, north-side) were used to test those predictions which imply the occurrence of multiple leks in the same population. We showed that the majority of females made one single visit to one lek, only during the rut. The lek was located outside areas of higher female traffic and home range overlap, and females increased home range sizes during the rut to reach it. Twilight routes of females never crossed the lek; instead, females walked atypical routes and at a faster pace to reach the lek and mate. The distance between the two leks was higher than the average diameter of female home ranges, and only one lek was present within female home ranges. Males reached the lek one month before the arrival of females, corroborating that lekking is a female-initiated process (females moving towards large clumped male aggregations) rather than a male-initiated process (males moving towards female hotspots). Our results supported the female preference model, and rejected the predictions of the hotspot model. Also, leks were located far from areas with higher predation risk, supporting the predator avoidance model. The position of lek SG resulted ‘handy’ at the sub-population level because of the optimal trade-off between travel costs for females to reach it and avoidance of human predators.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…A plethora of hypotheses have been proposed to explain why leks occur at traditional mating sites [1] , [5] , [12] – [16] . However, models that predict the formation of a lek without any specific reference to its spatial location cannot be easily tested if the lek already exists.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female Preference and Predation Risk Models Can Explain the Maintenance of a Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Lek and Its ‘Handy’ Location

et al. 2014

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“…We cannot exclude that younger females are more likely to be harassed by subadult males than adult does, but if this is true it would be the evidence that aggregation was not used as a tactic to avoid harassment. The fact that far and near females mate on average with bucks of same rank, suggests a mechanism for the origin of multiple arenas which are present in some populations 9,54 . Regarding the increased costs of a longer distance between the home range and the lek, these can be buffered by modifications in female behaviour.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Female mating tactics in lekking fallow deer (Dama dama): experience explains inter-individual variability more than costs

Imperio

Lombardi

Marinis

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

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Most studies on ungulate reproduction have focused on the covariates of male reproductive success, while there is much less information on female tactics of mate choice. The aim of this work is to fill this gap and to assess condition-dependent variations in female tactics in a lekking fallow deer (Dama dama) population. in particular, we investigated three indirect selection mechanisms: i) aggregation: when females join an already formed female group; ii) copying: when females copy the mate choice of other females and iii) territory choice: when females select a territory where many copulations had previously occurred. our results show that female fallow deer, which are less experienced (younger) and/or incur higher travel costs (home range far from the lek), adopt indirect forms of mate selection more often than older females or females residing near the lek, respectively. compared to adults, younger females remained longer in the lek (almost three times) and in male territories, returning to the lek after copulation. However, despite the time spent at the lek, younger females were not able to select the highest-rank males, and relied on territory choice more often than older females. farther does visited the lek less frequently (farthest females only once) and arrived on average 5 days later than closer females (which performed up to 7 visits), but they were seen more often within female groups (aggregation). We did not find a different amount of copying in younger or in farther females. our results contribute to advance our understanding of female behaviours in ungulate leks.

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“…For example, one population of lekking fallow deer had moderate population density, but locally high concentrations of females, because of a heterogeneous environment (Apollonio, 1989). Lekking also occurs in species in which females move unpredictably in large groups and have large home ranges (Balmford, Deutsch, Nefdt, & Clutton‐Brock, 1993; Bradbury et al, 1986; Clutton‐Brock, Deutsch, & Nefdt, 1993). If resource or female defensibility is not economical for males because females occur in large groups, at high local densities, or range within wide areas, then clustering of males into a lek is strongly favored (Clutton‐Brock et al, 1993; Gosling, 1991).…”

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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Testing hotspot models of lek evolution: data from three species of ungulates

Cited by 30 publications

References 50 publications

Female Preference and Predation Risk Models Can Explain the Maintenance of a Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Lek and Its ‘Handy’ Location

Female Preference and Predation Risk Models Can Explain the Maintenance of a Fallow Deer (Dama dama) Lek and Its ‘Handy’ Location

Female mating tactics in lekking fallow deer (Dama dama): experience explains inter-individual variability more than costs

Evolution of ungulate mating systems: Integrating social and environmental factors

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