scholarly journals From resource to female defence: the impact of roosting ecology on a bat's mating strategy

2016 ◽  
Vol 3 (11) ◽  
pp. 160503 ◽  
Author(s):  
Linus Günther ◽  
Marlena D. Lopez ◽  
Mirjam Knörnschild ◽  
Kyle Reid ◽  
Martina Nagy ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Social Systems ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Evolutionary Trajectory ◽  
Resource Defence ◽  
Roosting Ecology ◽  
Male Territoriality ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
The Impact

With their extraordinary species richness and diversity in ecological traits and social systems, bats are a promising taxon for testing socio-ecological hypotheses in order to get new insights into the evolution of animal social systems. Regarding its roosting habits, proboscis bats form an extreme by occupying sites which are usually completely exposed to daylight (e.g. tree trunks, vines or rocks). This is accompanied by morphological and behavioural adaptations to remain cryptic in exposed day roosts. With long-term behavioural observations and genetic parentage analyses of individually marked proboscis bats, we assessed its social dispersion and male mating strategy during day and night. Our results reveal nocturnal male territoriality—a strategy which most closely resembles a resource-defence polygyny that is frequent also in other tropical bats. Its contrasting clumped social dispersion during the day is likely to be the result of strong selection for crypsis in exposed roosts and is accompanied by direct female defence in addition to male territoriality. To the best of our knowledge, such contrasting male mating strategies within a single day–night cycle have not been described in a vertebrate species so far and illustrate a possible evolutionary trajectory from resource-defence to female-defence strategy by small ecologically driven evolutionary steps.

scholarly journals Modest Exercise-Induced Increases in Testosterone Concentration Are Not Associated with Mating Strategy Change in Healthy Young Men

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Andrew G. Thomas ◽  
Marta Kowal ◽  
Piotr Sorokowski ◽  
Agnieszka Żelaźniewicz ◽  
Judyta Nowak ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Young Men ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Group Level ◽  
Significant Group ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Strategy Change ◽  
Exercise Induced

AbstractResearch has demonstrated that increases in testosterone (T) concentration can affect the expression of behaviours and preferences that are typical of high mating effort. However, little research has considered whether such T increases affect mating strategy more generally and whether this is achievable using a physical intervention. In this pilot study, we examined whether exercise-induced changes in T covary with, or predict, changes in male mating strategy. Healthy young men (N = 94) completed a measure of short- and long-term relationship preference, before and after a series of short cycling sprints. Salivary T was measured pre- and post-exercise, along with salivary cortisol (C), which is known to moderate some behavioural effects of T. A significant group-level increase in T was observed, though this was smaller than anticipated (~ 10%, d = 0.27) with substantial intragroup variation. No group-level change in C or mating preferences emerged. Testosterone change did not significantly predict a change in short- or long-term mating preference from baseline, even with inclusion of C change as a moderator. The current findings suggest that modest exercise-induced increases in T concentration have little impact on male mating strategies. Pharmaceutical interventions, which produce larger and more consistent T increases, may be required to observe mating strategy change.

scholarly journals Paternity in wild ring‐tailed lemurs ( Lemur catta ): Implications for male mating strategies

2016 ◽  
Vol 78 (12) ◽  
pp. 1316-1325 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joyce A. Parga ◽  
Michelle L. Sauther ◽  
Frank P. Cuozzo ◽  
Ibrahim Antho Youssouf Jacky ◽  
Richard R. Lawler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Lemur Catta ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Variation in optimal human mating strategies: Effects of individual differences in competence and self-regulatory mechanisms

2000 ◽  
Vol 23 (4) ◽  
pp. 587-588 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thomas R. Alley
Keyword(s):  
Individual Differences ◽  
Mating Strategy ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Regulatory Mechanisms ◽  
Behavioral Competence ◽  
Regulatory Processes ◽  
Strategic Pluralism ◽  
Human Mating ◽  
The Impact

Several suggestions are made for revision of Strategic Pluralism Theory (SPT). One revision requires recognition of the impact of individual differences in cognitive and behavioral competence on optimal mating strategy. In addition, SPT may need to incorporate certain self-regulatory processes such as the impact of widespread valuation of mates with one trait on their availability.

Interplay of male traits, male mating strategies and female mate choice in the Asian elephant, Elephas maximus

Behaviour ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 152 (7-8) ◽  
pp. 1113-1144 ◽  
Author(s):  
Karpagam Chelliah ◽  
Raman Sukumar
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mate Guarding ◽  
Female Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Asian Elephant ◽  
Dominant Male ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Male Body ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Elaborate male traits with no apparent adaptive value may have evolved through female mate discrimination. Tusks are an elaborate male-only trait in the Asian elephant that could potentially influence female mate choice. We examined the effect of male body size, tusk possession and musth status on female mate choice in an Asian elephant population. Large/musth males received positive responses from oestrous females towards courtship significantly more often than did small/non-musth males. Young, tusked non-musth males attempted courtship significantly more often than their tuskless peers, and received more positive responses (though statistically insignificant) than did tuskless males. A positive response did not necessarily translate into mating because of mate-guarding by a dominant male. Female elephants appear to choose mates based primarily on traits such as musth that signal direct fertility benefits through increased sperm received than for traits such as tusks that may signal only indirect fitness benefits.

scholarly journals Correlates of Male Mating Strategies in White Rhinos (Ceratotherium simum)

1998 ◽  
Vol 79 (4) ◽  
pp. 1317-1324 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. L. Rachlow ◽  
E. V. Berkeley ◽  
J. Berger
Keyword(s):  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Ceratotherium Simum ◽  
Male Mating Strategies

Resources, not male mating strategies, are a determinant of social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs (Cynomys gunnisoni)

Behaviour ◽  
2007 ◽  
Vol 144 (11) ◽  
pp. 1361-1382 ◽  
Author(s):  
Keyword(s):  
Home Range ◽  
Social Structure ◽  
Home Range Size ◽  
Mating Strategies ◽  
Prairie Dogs ◽  
Territory Size ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Cynomys Gunnisoni ◽  
Male Mating Strategies ◽  
Gunnison's Prairie Dogs

AbstractPrevious studies of Gunnison's prairie dogs, Cynomys gunnisoni, have reached different conclusions about the factors influencing sociality in this species. In this study I tested whether Gunnison's prairie dog social structure was resource-based or whether male mating strategies drive the organizational patterns observed. Group size, where the term group refers to individuals occupying the same territory, was predicted by territory size and density of food available. The spatial overlap of adults within territories was positively correlated with spatial patchiness of food resources. All group members participated in territory defense, although adult males engaged in significantly more intergroup aggressive interactions. There was no significant difference in adult male and female home range size. The number of female home ranges that any given male home range overlapped was not correlated with male body mass, male home range size, or territory size. Contrary to predictions of typical mammalian male mating strategies, adult females ranged significantly further than males during the mating period. Body mass of males and nonreproductive females was similar, whereas that of reproductive females was smaller. In addition, males and females did not differ in size, based on skull length and skull width. Results from this study strongly suggest that patterns of space use and social structure in Gunnison's prairie dogs are the result of individual responses to resource abundance and distribution and are not due to male mating strategies, such as resource defense or female defense polygyny.

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