Social monogamy and extra-pair fertilization in an Australian lizard, Tiliqua rugosa |
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Authors: | C Michael Bull Steven J B Cooper Ben C Baghurst |
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Institution: | (1) School of Biological Sciences, Flinders University of South Australia, GPO Box 2100, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia e-mail: michael.bull@cc.flinders.edu.au, Tel.: +61-8-82012263, Fax: +61-8-82013015, AU;(2) Evolutionary Biology Unit, South Australian Museum, North Terrace, Adelaide, SA 5001, Australia, AU |
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Abstract: | This study investigates social monogamy in the Australian sleepy lizard, Tiliqua rugosa. At a 70-ha site near Mount Mary, South Australia, we radio tracked 55 adult female and 39 adult male lizards during their
spring activity periods. Each lizard was observed in 1–5 years. Females were observed with a single male partner on an average
of 10.8 days per year, although in 17.3% of cases, females were observed on 2 or fewer days with a male. The most intense
pairing period each year was 15 September–15 November when females were with male partners on an average of 36% of observation
days. Partnerships lasted an average of 43.3 days each year. After mating in early November, the pairs separated. Observations
of females pairing with other males were rare. Most males (82%) were also consistently monogamous, although 7 were observed
pairing with 2 females within one season. To investigate paternity, we allowed 21 gravid females to give birth to 42 offspring
in the laboratory. We determined genotypes at five polymorphic microsatellite DNA loci for the females, their male partners
and their offspring. Four litters (19%) and 6 of the offspring from those litters (14.3%) showed evidence of extra-pair fertilization
(EPF). Although the sample sizes are small, females of polygynous males were more likely to experience EPF.
Received: 22 February 1998 / Accepted after revision: 23 May 1998 |
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Keywords: | Lizards Monogamy Extra-pair fertilization Microsatellite DNA |
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