Keenin R Coombs, Robert B Weladji, Øystein Holand, Knut H Røed
{"title":"Mismatch between calf paternity and observed copulations between male and female reindeer: Multiple mating in a polygynous ungulate?","authors":"Keenin R Coombs, Robert B Weladji, Øystein Holand, Knut H Røed","doi":"10.1093/cz/zoac054","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<p><p>In polygynous systems, such as that exhibited by reindeer <i>Rangifer tarandus</i>, mate choice can be difficult to disentangle from male intrasexual competition because male behavior may constrain female choice. Multiple mating may provide an avenue for female mate choice, though it is difficult to identify using behavioral estimators alone. Molecular techniques address this issue by affording ecologists an opportunity to reassess mating systems from a genetic perspective. We assessed the frequency and possible explanations for multiple mating in reindeer using a genetic approach to determine the success of observed copulations in a semi-domesticated herd in Kaamanen, Finland. Behavioral and genetic data were synthesized with population characteristics over a 7-year period to test the hypothesis that, if present, polyandry in reindeer is driven by sexual harassment from sub-dominant males. We observed multiple mating in 42% of females, with as many as 60% exhibiting multiple mating in certain years. We found no evidence that multiple mating resulted from sexual harassment by sub-dominant males, suggesting that it is likely a deliberate strategy among females. Conversion rate of copulations into paternities varied with male size, with smaller males more likely to experience mismatch than larger males. Female preference for larger males persisted despite the occurrence of multiple mating, possibly suggesting a mechanism for cryptic post-copulatory selection. We suggest further research to delineate the possible influence of cryptic post-copulatory selection and multiple mating to defend against infertility in exhausted males.</p>","PeriodicalId":50599,"journal":{"name":"Current Zoology","volume":"69 4","pages":"377-384"},"PeriodicalIF":1.6000,"publicationDate":"2023-08-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://ftp.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pub/pmc/oa_pdf/55/6c/zoac054.PMC10443607.pdf","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Current Zoology","FirstCategoryId":"99","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.1093/cz/zoac054","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"生物学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"ZOOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
In polygynous systems, such as that exhibited by reindeer Rangifer tarandus, mate choice can be difficult to disentangle from male intrasexual competition because male behavior may constrain female choice. Multiple mating may provide an avenue for female mate choice, though it is difficult to identify using behavioral estimators alone. Molecular techniques address this issue by affording ecologists an opportunity to reassess mating systems from a genetic perspective. We assessed the frequency and possible explanations for multiple mating in reindeer using a genetic approach to determine the success of observed copulations in a semi-domesticated herd in Kaamanen, Finland. Behavioral and genetic data were synthesized with population characteristics over a 7-year period to test the hypothesis that, if present, polyandry in reindeer is driven by sexual harassment from sub-dominant males. We observed multiple mating in 42% of females, with as many as 60% exhibiting multiple mating in certain years. We found no evidence that multiple mating resulted from sexual harassment by sub-dominant males, suggesting that it is likely a deliberate strategy among females. Conversion rate of copulations into paternities varied with male size, with smaller males more likely to experience mismatch than larger males. Female preference for larger males persisted despite the occurrence of multiple mating, possibly suggesting a mechanism for cryptic post-copulatory selection. We suggest further research to delineate the possible influence of cryptic post-copulatory selection and multiple mating to defend against infertility in exhausted males.
Current ZoologyAgricultural and Biological Sciences-Animal Science and Zoology
CiteScore
3.20
自引率
9.10%
发文量
111
审稿时长
6 weeks
期刊介绍:
About the Journal
Current Zoology (formerly Acta Zoologica Sinica, founded in 1935) is an open access, bimonthly, peer-reviewed international journal of zoology. It publishes review articles and research papers in the fields of ecology, evolution and behaviour.
Current Zoology is sponsored by Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, along with the China Zoological Society.