Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
Mating system
Who mates with whom?
Table 9.1
A classification of
mating systems
Monogamy
One male restricts his matings to one female, and she to him, either
for one breeding season or longer. Both partners may forgo other
mating opportunities by choice, or one partner may enforce
monogamy by keeping other potential mates at bay. Often both
parents care for the eggs and young.
Polygyny
One male mates with several females in a breeding season by
defending them directly (a harem or female-defense polygyny);
or by defending resources that the females require (resource-defence
polygyny); or by attracting females to a display site, sometimes
where many males aggregate together (leks); or by the male
roaming in search of widely dispersed females (scramble
competition polygyny). Often the female provides most or all
of the parental care.
Polyandry
One female mates with several males in a breeding season by
defending them simultaneously or in succession. Often the male
provides most or all of the parental care.
Promiscuity
Both male and female have multiple partners during a breeding
season.
Polygamy
A general term for when an individual of either sex has more than
one mate.
Resource
dispersion
B
A
Predation
Female dispersion
Male dispersion
Benefits and
costs of social
living
Fig. 9.1
The two-step process influencing mating systems in cases where males do not
provide parental care. Because female reproductive success tends to be limited by
resources, whereas male reproductive success tends to be limited by access to females,
female dispersion is expected to depend primarily on resource dispersion (modified by
predation and benefits and costs of social living), while male dispersion is expected to
depend primarily on female dispersion. Males may compete for females directly (A) or
indirectly (B), by anticipating how resources influence female dispersion and competing
for resource-rich sites.
