Post-mating sexual selection increases lifetime fitness of polyandrous females in the wild

Diana O. Fisher (), Michael C. Double, Simon P. Blomberg, Michael D. Jennions and Andrew Cockburn
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Diana O. Fisher: School of Botany and Zoology
Michael C. Double: School of Botany and Zoology
Simon P. Blomberg: Centre for Resource and Environmental Studies, Australian National University
Michael D. Jennions: School of Botany and Zoology
Andrew Cockburn: School of Botany and Zoology

Nature, 2006, vol. 444, issue 7115, 89-92

Abstract: The more the merrier There is a growing consensus is that polyandry (mating with multiple males) is beneficial despite potential costs like disease or injury, because post-mating mechanisms bias paternity towards these males. Surprisingly, there is no unequivocal evidence for this because of the difficulties of experimental design. Enter the brown antechinus, Antechinus stuartii. The unusual life history of this rat-sized marsupial, centred on a mating season of a fortnight, makes it possible to design experiments to resolve the problems. The results show conclusively that polyandry can increase net offspring fitness in the wild.

Date: 2006
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DOI: 10.1038/nature05206

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