Conflict over multiple-partner mating between males and females of the polygynandrous common lizards.
Details
State: Public
Version: Final published version
Serval ID
serval:BIB_299325FE7A95
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
Conflict over multiple-partner mating between males and females of the polygynandrous common lizards.
Journal
Evolution
ISSN
0014-3820 (Print)
ISSN-L
0014-3820
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2005
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
59
Number
11
Pages
2451-2459
Language
english
Abstract
The optimal number of mate partners for females rarely coincides with that for males, leading to a potential sexual conflict over multiple-partner mating. This suggests that the population sex ratio may affect multiple-partner mating and thus multiple paternity. We investigate the relationship between multiple paternity and the population sex ratio in the polygynandrous common lizard (Lacerta vivipara). In six populations the adult sex ratio was biased toward males, and in another six populations the adult sex ratio was biased toward females, the latter corresponding to the average adult sex ratio encountered in natural populations. In males the frequency and the degree of polygyny were lower in male-biased populations, as expected if competition among males determines polygyny. In females the frequency of polyandry was not different between treatments, and polyandrous females produced larger clutches, suggesting that polyandry might be adaptive. However, in male-biased populations females suffered from reduced reproductive success compared to female-biased populations, and the number of mate partners increased with female body size in polyandrous females. Polyandrous females of male-biased populations showed disproportionately more mating scars, indicating that polyandrous females of male-biased populations had more interactions with males and suggesting that the degree of multiple paternity is controlled by male sexual harassment. Our results thus imply that polyandry may be hierarchically controlled, with females controlling when to mate with multiple partners and male sexual harassment being a proximate determinant of the degree of multiple paternity. The results are also consistent with a sexual conflict in which male behaviors are harmful to females.
Keywords
Aggression, Animals, Clutch Size, Female, Lizards/physiology, Male, Reproduction/physiology, Sex Ratio, Sexual Behavior, Animal/physiology
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
24/11/2010 16:23
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:09