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1.
Parental investment, potential reproductive rates, and mating system in the strawberry dart-poison frog, Dendrobates pumilio 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
We studied the effect of relative parental investment on potential reproductive rates (PRRs) to explain sex differences in
selectivity and competition in the dart-poison frog Dendrobates pumilio. We recorded the reproductive behavior of this species in a Costa Rican lowland rainforest for almost 6 months. Females spent
more time on parental care than males, and `time out' estimates suggest that PRRs of males are much higher than than those
of females, rendering females the limiting sex in the mating process. Males defended territories that provide suitable calling
sites, space for courtship and oviposition, and prevent interference by competitors. Male mating success was highly variable,
from 0 to 12 matings, and was significantly correlated with calling activity and average perch height, but was independent
of body size and weight. Estimates of opportunity for sexual selection and variation in male mating success are given. The
mating system is polygamous: males and females mated several times with different mates. Females were more selective than
males and may sample males between matings. The discrepancy in PRRs between the sexes due to differences in parental investment
and the prolonged breeding season is sufficient to explain the observed mating pattern i.e., selective females, high variance
in male mating success, and the considerable opportunity for sexual selection.
Received: 9 June 1998 / Received in revised form: 27 March 1999 / Accepted: 3 April 1999 相似文献
2.
Ben C. Sheldon Pete Davidson Gabriella Lindgren 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(3):141-148
There is increasing evidence that sexual selection may be intense even in socially monogamous birds, resulting from both
mate choice and sperm competition. We studied these two modes of sexual selection experimentally by removing paired male collared
flycatchers, Ficedula albicollis, from their mates for 2 days and investigating the factors that influenced the likelihood of a replacement male appearing
and how the removals influenced paternity. Replacement males (usually neighbouring males) appeared at 81% (n = 37) of nests where males were removed. The likelihood of this appearance was unaffected by the probable reproductive value
of the female's clutch to the replacing male. A replacement was, however, less likely when the original male had a large forehead
patch, a trait previously shown to be subject to sexual selection in this population. Experimental removal of males increased
the level of sperm competition: 74% of experimental broods were multiply sired, compared to 29% of unmanipulated broods in
a previous study. Only two factors predicted how paternity was shared between males: removed males fathered more young if
removed closer to laying, and if they had larger forehead patches. The former result is consistent with last-male sperm precedence
determining paternity, whereas the latter adds to other evidence that forehead patch size is the target of female preference
in this species. Our results suggest that females exert some control over male replacement, and also that they may influence
the fertilisation success of males by behavioural means.
Received: 15 July 1998 / Received in revised form: 16 March 1999 / Accepted: 28 March 1999 相似文献
3.
David J. Able 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(6):423-428
Darwin predicted that scramble competition for access to reproductive females would result in sexual dimorphism of locomotory
structures, but direct evidence for this is extremely rare. I examined the relationship between variation in tailfin size
and mating success in a field and laboratory study of red-spotted newts, Notophthalmus viridescens. Over three breeding seasons, male tailfin size was positively correlated with variation in male amplexus frequency, and
indirectly correlated with male insemination frequency. In a laboratory study, I confirmed that males' ability to capture
females is affected by variation in tailfin size. This is the first study to show that naturally occurring variation in male
locomotory structures affects male mating success. It corroborates the prediction that scramble competition leads to sexual
selection on locomotory structures and, potentially, to dimorphism in these structures.
Received: 16 April 1999 / Received in revised form: 16 May 1999 / Accepted: 12 June 1999 相似文献
4.
Parker's seminal work brought attention to the possibility of postmating sexual selection by non-random fertilization success.
Mechanisms for these processes are still only partly understood and there is clearly a need for more studies of intraspecific
variation in sperm precedence. Here, we report results from an experimental study of the variation in fertilization success
between males of the water strider Gerris lacustris. Genital morphology, male body size, and copulation duration were examined as possible correlates of paternity. The significance
of guarding duration was also analysed. Only male genital morphology was correlated to fertilization success. This is one
of the first studies showing a relationship between male genital traits and fertilization success, supporting the view that
sexual selection may be responsible for the rapid and divergent evolution of genital structures in animals with internal fertilization.
The fertilization success of last males varied considerably after double matings with a short mating interval (10 min). Last-male
priority ranged from 0 to 100% and usually one of the males involved fertilized almost all the eggs. After double matings
with a short mating interval, the proportion of eggs fertilized by the last male averaged 0.68 and was greater than 0.5. In
contrast, the average fertilization success was biased towards the first male when the matings were more spread out over time
(24 h). These results do not support earlier suggestions of a widespread last-male sperm priority in water striders.
Received: 28 July 1998 / Received in revised form: 15 March 1999 / Accepted: 28 March 1999 相似文献
5.
We studied sexual selection in the red bishop, Euplectes orix, a colonial, polygynous weaverbird widely distributed over sub-Saharan Africa. Male reproductive success measured in terms
of the number of nests accepted by females and the number of eggs and nestlings in all the nests on a male's territory varied
considerably. The standardized variance (variance/mean2) in male reproductive success ranged from 0.505 to 1.737 in different years, indicating a high potential for sexual selection
in this species. An analysis of genetic parentage for 432 nestlings by non-radioactive, multilocus DNA fingerprinting confirmed
that male reproductive success (number of young sired on the territory) in this species can be reliably estimated by the measures
introduced above. In all 4 study years there was a strong positive correlation between male mating success and the total number
of nests that males built in their territories. The number of nests built can be partitioned into the number of weeks a male
held a territory and his nest-building performance. Both factors exert a significant positive effect on male mating success
and in combination explained between 53.3 and 86.3% of the variation in male reproductive success. Male morphological characters
were found to be of no importance. Males that established a territory in the following season built more nests and held their
territories for longer than males that did not establish a territory in the following season, suggesting that these measures
might be indicators of male condition and quality. Male nest-building performance (number of nests built per week) seems to
be unrelated to male condition or quality.
Received: 8 January 1999 / Received in revised form: 7 June 1999 / Accepted: 13 June 1999 相似文献
6.
Sperm economy and limitation in spiny lobsters 总被引:5,自引:0,他引:5
Sperm limitation, when female fertilisation success is constrained by the supply of sperm, is generally perceived to be an
uncommon feature of reproduction in species which directly transfer gametes during copulation. Male size, previous copulations,
and the balance of expected reproductive return and future mating opportunity may, however, limit the amount of sperm males
transfer to females. We used laboratory experiments where mate size could be manipulated and its consequences on spermatophore
size and clutch size determined, to show that in two genera of spiny lobsters (Crustacea: Palinuridae) male reproductive output
limits the size of clutches brooded by females. In Panulirus argus from the Florida Keys, we show that while male size affects spermatophore area, males also vary the amount of ejaculate positively
with female size. Furthermore, the area of the spermatophore has a greater influence than female size on subsequent clutch
weight. In Jasus edwardsii from New Zealand, female size, male size and mate order all affect clutch weight. In both species, clutches fertilised by
small males in the laboratory are significantly smaller than clutches fertilised by large males. These results suggest that
to ensure they receive sufficient sperm, females should either mate several times prior to oviposition, mate as early as possible
in the reproductive season, or choose large, preferably unmated males as partners and thus compete with other females for
preferred males. Sperm-limited female fecundity has the potential to limit the egg production of fished populations where
large males are typically rare.
Received: 18 May 1998 / Received in revised form: 20 November 1998 / Accepted: 30 November 1998 相似文献
7.
Behavioral aspects of sperm competition in cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis (Sepioidea: Cephalopoda) 总被引:6,自引:0,他引:6
Sexual selection studies in cephalopods indicate that sperm competition is a central feature of their mating systems, yet
this has not been studied experimentally in any detail. In 1998 we staged 20 matings of the cuttlefish, Sepia officinalis L., in the laboratory. Males rapidly initiated mating in the “head-to-head” position, with no apparent courtship. Mating
lasted an average of 10 min (range 7 to 14 min). For the first 6 min (on average 63% of the mating duration), the male flushed
strong jets of water directly at the female's buccal membrane, which sometimes resulted in the expulsion of parts of spermatangia
placed there in recent matings. Then, in a single discrete movement that lasted an average of only 14 s, the male's modified
fourth left arm – the hectocotylus – wrapped around a single large bundle of spermatophores (ca. 150 to 300) and transferred
them to the female's buccal membrane. For the remainder of the mating (average 3 min, range 1.5 to 5.0 min), the hectocotylus
repeatedly broke the spermatophores open, and manipulated them, so that sperm were released and many spermatangia were attached
along the ventral buccal membrane, near the paired seminal receptacles. Approximately 140 spermatangia were attached in rows
3 to 5 deep around the ventral buccal membrane in a single mating; the rest were usually discarded during mating. Histology
revealed that each of the seminal receptacles consists of a series of sperm storage bulbs connected by a central duct, which
leads to a single pore at the surface of the buccal membrane. Baseline data on sperm motility were obtained, but the mechanism
by which sperm enter the seminal receptacle remains unknown. Females seemed to initiate termination of mating, then males
guarded their mates temporarily. These results, combined with other recent laboratory experiments, provide evidence that sperm
competition may be a major feature of the mating system of S. officinalis.
Received: 4 January 1999 / Accepted: 18 May 1999 相似文献
8.
Peculiar fertilization dynamics, with males releasing sperm in mucous trails lasting several hours, characterize some demersal
spawning fish. The mating system was investigated in a natural population of one of these species: the grass goby Zosterisessor ophiocephalus (Pallas, 1814), a large coastal goby inhabiting seagrass meadows in shallow brackish water. Adult males ranged in size from
7.4 to 23 cm total length, but only larger ones were observed to dig and defend a burrow, where they performed parental care
on eggs laid by one to several females. Field observations together with analyses of age, sperm production, trail sperm content
and sperm competition tests indicated the occurrence of alternative male mating tactics, likely the expression of an ontogenetic
gradient. Larger males are older than smaller ones, and while the former are territorial, the latter “sneak” territorial male
spawns. The ejaculate characteristics indicate that grass goby males have functionally polymorphic spawns: in fact sperm trails
of larger males last longer and release fewer sperm than those of smaller males. Sperm production over several days is more
constant in larger than in smaller males, but the total number of sperm released is higher in the latter. The influence of
seminal fluid in the functional intraspecific variability in sperm release in this species is discussed.
Received: 30 December 1999 / Accepted: 31 July 2000 相似文献
9.
Kevin R. Foster Perttu Seppä Francis L. W. Ratnieks Peter A. Thorén 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(4):252-257
Queen mating frequency was studied in the European hornet, Vespa crabro, by analyzing four DNA microsatellite loci in 20 workers from each of 14 nests. Queens were found to be predominantly singly
mated (9/14), although double (4/14) and triple mating (1/14) also occurred. For most multiply mated queens, paternity was
significantly biased with the majority male fathering on average 80% of the female offspring. The population-wide effective
mating frequency was therefore low (1.11), and sister-sister relatedness high (0.701 ± 0.023 SE). Low effective mating frequency
in Vespa, in combination with data from other vespines, suggests that high paternity frequency is derived in the group. Some problems
with the non-detection of fathers, where the queen was not sampled or shared alleles with males, are analyzed.
Received: 16 November 1998 / Received in revised form: 29 March 1999 / Accepted: 12 April 1999 相似文献
10.
Polyandry and enhanced reproductive success in the harlequin-beetle-riding pseudoscorpion 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
J. A. Zeh 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,40(2):111-118
The growing molecular evidence that females of many species mate with several males calls for a critical reassessment of
the selective forces which act to shape female mating tactics. In natural populations of the harlequin-beetle-riding pseudoscorpion,
Cordylochernes scorpioides, females are polyandrous and typically produce mixed-paternity broods. Laboratory behavioral analyses and breeding experiments
indicate that polyandry in this pseudoscorpion is an active strategy which increases female reproductive success. Females
restricted to mating with a single male experienced a higher rate of embryo failure and produced significantly fewer offspring
than either females mated to more than one male in the laboratory or females naturally inseminated in the field. Forced copulation,
insufficient sperm from a single mating, male nutrient donations and variation in inherent male genetic quality cannot explain
the greater number of nymphs hatched by polyandrous females in this study. Evidence suggests that, by mating with several
males, C. scorpioides females may exploit postcopulatory mechanisms for reducing the risk and/or cost of embryo failure resulting from fertilization
by genetically incompatible sperm.
Received: 5 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 16 October 1996 相似文献
11.
The genetic mating system of a sex-role-reversed pipefish (Syngnathus typhle): a molecular inquiry 总被引:4,自引:0,他引:4
Adam G. Jones Gunilla Rosenqvist Anders Berglund John C. Avise 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(5):357-365
In the pipefish Syngnathus typhle as in other species of Syngnathidae, developing embryos are reared on the male's ventral surface. Although much laboratory
research has been directed toward understanding sexual selection in this sex-role-reversed species, few studies have addressed
the mating behavior of S. typhle in the wild, and none has capitalized upon the power of molecular genetic assays. Here we present the first direct assessment
of the genetic mating system of S. typhle in nature. Novel microsatellite loci were cloned and characterized from this species, and employed to assay entire broods
from 30 pregnant, field-captured males. Genetic analysis of 1340 embryos revealed that 1–6 females (mean = 3.1) contributed
to each brooded clutch, the highest rate of multiple maternity yet documented in any pipefish. Evidence of multiple mating
by females was also detected. Thus, this population of S. typhle displays a polygynandrous mating system, a finding consistent with previous field and laboratory observations. Our results,
considered together with similar studies of other syngnathid species, provide preliminary support for the hypothesis that
the genetic mating system is related to the evolution of sexual dimorphism in the fish family Syngnathidae.
Received: 19 January 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 April 1999 / Accepted: 9 May 1999 相似文献
12.
In populations of various ant species, many queens reproduce in the same nest (polygyny), and colony boundaries appear to
be absent with individuals able to move freely between nests (unicoloniality). Such societies depart strongly from a simple
family structure and pose a potential challenge to kin selection theory, because high queen number coupled with unrestricted
gene flow among nests should result in levels of relatedness among nestmates close to zero. This study investigated the breeding
system and genetic structure of a highly polygynous and largely unicolonial population of the wood ant Formica paralugubris. A microsatellite analysis revealed that nestmate workers, reproductive queens and reproductive males (the queens' mates)
are all equally related to each other, with relatedness estimates centring around 0.14. This suggests that most of the queens
and males reproducing in the study population had mated within or close to their natal nest, and that the queens did not disperse
far after mating. We developed a theoretical model to investigate how the breeding system affects the relatedness structure
of polygynous colonies. By combining the model and our empirical data, it was estimated that about 99.8% of the reproducing
queens and males originated from within the nest, or from a nearby nest. This high rate of local mating and the rarity of
long-distance dispersal maintain significant relatedness among nestmates, and contrast with the common view that unicoloniality
is coupled with unrestricted gene flow among nests.
Received: 8 February 1999 / Received in revised form: 15 June 1999 / Accepted: 19 June 1999 相似文献
13.
Past reproductive success affects future habitat selection 总被引:4,自引:0,他引:4
Paul V. Switzer 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,40(5):307-312
Correlational studies have shown that an individual's past reproductive success often increases its breeding site fidelity
(i.e., the tendency to return to a previously occupied location), suggesting that individuals use their reproductive experience
to assess habitat quality. However, the causality of the relationship between reproductive success and site fidelity is still
uncertain. In a field experiment, the effect of mating success on site fidelity was isolated from potential confounding variables
in a territorial dragonfly, the eastern amberwing (Perithemis tenera). The experiment controlled for site quality, intrinsic characteristics of males, previous territorial experience at the
site, arrival order, and territorial evictions. Males that were prevented from mating were much more likely to change sites
the following day than control males that were allowed to mate. This result was not affected by age, the amount of time a
male spent on the site, or mortality. These results imply that individuals use their own reproductive success to assess the
quality of the habitat. The benefit to an individual of using its reproductive success to determine habitat quality is discussed
relative to other sources of information.
Received: 31 May 1996 / Accepted: 31 January 1997 相似文献
14.
Relatedness, polyandry and extra-group paternity in the cooperatively-breeding white-browed scrubwren (Sericornis frontalis ) 总被引:3,自引:0,他引:3
Linda A. Whittingham Peter O. Dunn Robert D. Magrath 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,40(4):261-270
We used DNA fingerprinting to examine the genetic parentage and mating system of the cooperatively breeding white-browed
scrubwren, Sericornis frontalis, in Canberra, Australia. Our analyses revealed a remarkable variety of mating tactics and social organization. Scrubwrens
bred in pairs or multi-male groups that consisted of a female and two or more males. Females were always unrelated to the
pair male or alpha (dominant) male. Among multi-male groups we found three different mating tactics. Firstly, when alpha and
beta (subordinate) males were unrelated, they usually shared paternity in the brood. This resulted in both males gaining reproductive
benefits directly. Secondly, when beta males were not related to the female but were related to the alpha males, beta males
sired offspring in some broods. In this situation, beta males gained reproductive benefits both directly and potentially indirectly
(through the related alpha male). Thirdly, when beta males were related to the female or both the female and alpha male, they
remained on their natal territory and did not sire any offspring. Thus beta males gained only indirect reproductive benefits.
Overall, when group members were related closely, the dominant male monopolized reproductive success, whereas when the members
were not related closely the two males shared paternity equally. This positive association between monopolization of reproduction
and relatedness is predicted by models of reproductive skew, but has not been reported previously within a single population
of birds. Other cooperatively breeding birds with both closely related and unrelated helpers may show a similar variety of
mating tactics. Finally, we found that extra-group paternity was more common in pairs (24% of young) than in multi-male groups
(6%), and we discuss three possible reasons for this difference.
Received: 21 May 1996 / Accepted after revision: 14 December 1996 相似文献
15.
Reproduction by subordinates in cooperatively breeding Arabian babblers is uncommon but predictable 总被引:4,自引:0,他引:4
In a genetic analysis of the mating system of cooperatively breeding Arabian babblers (Timalidae: Turdoides squamiceps), we identified which individuals in the population are breeding, and how reproductive success was distributed among group
members with respect to their dominance rank, for both males and females. The population was characterized by an asymmetrical
distribution of reproductive success; behaviorally dominant males produced 176 of 186 (95%) of the offspring in 44 social
groups analyzed, and alpha females produced 185 of 186 (99.5%). We evaluated models of reproductive skew by examining genetic
and demographic correlates of reproduction by␣subordinates. Subordinate (beta) males that sired young were more likely to
be recent dispersers from their natal groups or members of newly formed groups than betas that did not reproduce. Breeding
beta males had spent smaller proportions of their lives with the current alpha male and female as alphas than had beta males
that did not sire young. One consequence of the linkage of dispersal with breeding in newly formed, nonnatal groups is that
beta males that sired young had significantly lower genetic similarity to the alpha males in their groups (based on band-sharing
coefficients using multilocus minisatellite DNA fingerprinting) than those that did not sire young. This pattern may occur
generally in species in which group membership accrues both through nondispersal of young (forming groups of relatives) as
well as through dispersal involving coalitions that sometimes include nonrelatives.
Received: 22 July 1997 / Accepted after revision: 5 February 1998 相似文献
16.
Mating patterns and reproductive success in the bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea), as revealed by DNA fingerprinting 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
The mating patterns and reproductive success of the bushy-tailed woodrat (Neotoma cinerea) were investigated over a 3-year period (1992–1994) using DNA fingerprinting. Paternity was determined by genetic analysis
of 58 juveniles of known maternity from 35 litters. Analysis of DNA fingerprints revealed that all offspring within a litter
were fathered by a single male; the statistical probability of detecting multiple males mating with a female was high, indicating
that multiple paternity would have been detected had it occurred. However, individual males did not father more than one litter
from a given female either within or between years. At least 75% of females and 57% of males successfully produced offspring
each year. The finding that all littermates are first-order relatives may contribute to the high level of female cooperation
in this species.
Received: 28 May 1997 / Accepted after revision: 22 March 1998 相似文献
17.
Akiko Matsumoto-Oda 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(4):258-266
For female chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes schweinfurthii) in the Mahale Mountains National Park, Tanzania, the most common mating pattern is opportunistic. In such opportunistic
matings, females copulated promiscuously but not randomly. This study describes female mate choice during 1-year observation
of six females who exhibited regular genital-swelling cycles. During the study period, 169 opportunistic matings and four
restrictive matings were recorded over the course of 51 days. As female estrus progressed, mating frequency and the number
of adult male mating partners increased, although the number of potential mating partners did not change. Criteria of female
choice examined were the direction and consent/rejection of courtship, proximity maintenance, and female grooming. Adult-male
courtships were successful more often than those of adolescent males. During the earlier phase of estrus, females copulated
rather promiscuously with many males. But during the later phase of estrus when the likelihood of conception is expected to
be highest, they copulated repeatedly with high-ranking adult males. There was a positive correlation between female grooming
frequency and mating frequency when the likelihood of conception was greatest. Female chimpanzees are thought to choose high-ranking
males as fathers of their offspring. Moreover, female chimpanzees may adopt one or both of two mating strategies, i.e., a
many-male strategy and a best-male strategy.
Received: 23 November 1998 / Received in revised form: 12 April 1999 / Accepted: 26 April 1999 相似文献
18.
The aim of this study was to investigate reproductive strategies and their consequences in gray mouse lemurs (Microcebus murinus), small solitary nocturnal primates endemic to Madagascar. Previous reports of sexual dimorphism in favor of males and females,
respectively, a high potential for sperm competition and pheromonal suppression of mating activity among captive males, led
us to investigate mechanisms of intrasexual competition in a wild population. Based on 3 years of mark-recapture data, we
demonstrate that sexual dimorphism in this species fluctuated annually as a result of independent changes in male and female
body mass. Male body mass increased significantly prior to the short annual mating season. Because their testes increased
by 100% in the same period and because their canines are not larger than those of females, we suggest that large male size
may be advantageous in searching for estrous females and in enabling them to sustain periods of short-term torpor. In contrast
to reports from captive colonies, we found no evidence for two morphologically distinct classes of males. Finally, we also
show that most adult males are active throughout the cool dry season that precedes the mating season, whereas most adult females
hibernate for several months. This is in contrast to other solitary hibernating mammals, where males typically emerge 1–2
weeks before females. Thus, this first extended field study of M.␣murinus clarified previous conflicting reports on sexual dimorphism and male reproductive strategies in this primitive primate by
showing that their apparent deviation from predictions of sexual selection theory is brought about by specific environmental
conditions which result in sex-specific life history tactics not previously described for mammals. A general conclusion is
that sexual selection can operate more strongly on males without resulting in sexual dimorphism because of independent selection
on the same traits in females.
Received: 6 July 1997 / Accepted after revision: 28 March 1998 相似文献
19.
Thomas Artiss Wesley M. Hochachka Kathy Martin 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,46(6):429-434
For several species of birds, high rates of male vigilance are correlated with high rates of female foraging. This relationship
is thought to ultimately result in higher reproductive success for females paired with highly vigilant males. However, previous
research has not examined the behavioural mechanism that produces the correlation between male vigilance and rates of female
foraging. Foraging females may take advantage of vigilance that males are using for other purposes. Alternatively, the purpose
of male vigilance may be to increase females' ability to forage. We examined these alternatives by testing whether vigilance
preceded or followed bouts of female foraging more often than would occur by chance alone, using simultaneous behaviour observations
of pre-incubation pairs of white-tailed ptarmigan (Lagopus leucurus). Our results indicate that each member of a pair may influence the behaviour of the other. Females were more likely to initiate
foraging bouts after males became vigilant than if their mate remained non-vigilant. Moreover, non-vigilant males were more
likely to become vigilant if their mate was foraging than if she was engaged in some other activity. Despite the possibility
that a sexual conflict exists as each member of a pair attempts to maximize its fitness, both sexes behave as though a major
role of male vigilance is to enhance female foraging opportunities.
Received: 3 May 1999 / Received in revised form: 14 June 1999 / Accepted: 16 June 1999 相似文献
20.
Carola Borries 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1997,41(3):139-150
In the seasonally breeding langur (Presbytis entellus) population of Ramnagar, South Nepal, where multimale groups prevail, 25 attacks on 11 infants (including one actual killing)
by seven adult males were witnessed in five groups by six observers between 1990 and 1996. Circumstantial evidence also indicates
three additional attempts at infanticide and in seven additional cases infanticide was presumed or likely. Infanticide presumably
accounted for 30.8–62.5% of infant mortality in the first 2 years of life. Most attackers (91.4%) were residents of the infants'
group and had immigrated after the infants had been born (75.0%) or conceived (25.0%). Thus, they were not related to the
victims. The interbirth interval was shortened if an infant died either prior to September of its 1st year of life (mean = 1.2
years), or its 2nd year (mean = 2.0) and even its 3rd year (mean = 2.4). All attackers remained in the group at least until
the next mating season; high-ranking males maintained their dominance rank and lower-ranking males rose in rank. Since rank
and mating success were correlated and rank and reproductive success might be correlated, all attackers had a good chance
of siring the next infant of the victims' mothers and could thus have benefited by their action. Infanticide seems to be a
male reproductive strategy at Ramnagar. Infanticide has never before been reported among seasonally breeding langurs living
at such low densities. This is also the first detailed report of infanticide as a male reproductive strategy in a seasonally
breeding primate population.
Received: 19 December 1996 / Accepted after revision: 7 June 1997 相似文献