Female-Female Competition and Male Mate Choice in Barbary Macaques (Macaca Sylvanus)

AbstractDue to a strong breeding synchronization, the Barbary macaque is a likely candidate for female competition for access to mates, female reproductive suppression, and male mate choice. The present study evaluated the significance of these factors for the mating system of this species. Female competition was analysed from focal observations of 19 out of 59 potentially reproductive females in their conception period. Ad libitum recorded sexual interactions of all animals were used for an analysis of male mate choice. The focal females were aggressive towards females once per 6.1 h and received aggression from females once per 3.8 h. However, they were three times more frequently the target of male aggression (once per 1.2 h), whereby the aggressor was often the momentary sexual partner. Rate of aggression received from males and females was not related with female rank. Females of all cycle stages disturbed sexual contacts, whereby the intruder was dominant to the target in most episodes (86 out of 100). Intruders more attractive than their targets were most successful in terminating the sexual association of their target, but success of intrusions was low and not related with female rank. The intruder copulated with the former partner of her target in only 5 intrusion episodes. Rate and date of conception and infant survival was not related with female rank, indicating that aggression against females during the conception period and intrusions into sexual contacts did not impair reproduction. Therefore, female

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Male Choice, Female Competition, and Female Ornaments in Sexual Selection

10.1093/oso/9780198818946.001.0001 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Ingo Schlupp

Keyword(s):

Sexual Selection ◽

Mate Choice ◽

Sex Ratio ◽

Female Competition ◽

Male Mate Choice ◽

Male Choice ◽

Female Quality ◽

Female Ornaments ◽

Sexual Selection Theory ◽

Male Mate

When Darwin first proposed sexual selection theory he suggested two mechanisms: competition among males and choice by females. There is no doubt that these mechanisms are immensely important, but their mirror images have been largely underappreciated so far. In fact, males choose as well and females compete. Males choose based on female quality, often selecting mating partners that are more fecund. But male choice is also associated with changes in the sex ratio of a population and males can be choosy when they are rare. Furthermore, males sometimes invest heavily into reproduction and that too can be associated with male choice. That females compete with another, although less often with open aggression, is another understudied phenomenon. Finally, we now know that females are often ornamented, but are these ornaments under sexual selection by males? This book tries to review what we know and point to what we don’t know while pointing out the connections between male mate choice and female competition for a more complete view of sexual selection.

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