Variable mode of estrus affects female decision for multiple mating

Ines Klemme, Saana Kataja-aho, Jana A. Eccard and Hannu Ylönen

Behavioral Ecology, 2012, vol. 23, issue 2, 361-367

Abstract: Investigating patterns of variation in mating strategies may shed light on their evolutionary importance as well as their impact on the strength and shape of sexual selection. Multimale mating (polyandry) and mate choice are intensely studied subjects in the area of sexual selection, but little is known about intraspecific patterns of variation that may respond to dynamic cost-benefit balances. In a laboratory study, we investigated the mating behavior of female bank voles (Myodes glareolus) with distinctly different time and energy budgets: They were either in cycling estrus (CE) or postpartum estrus (PPE) shortly after delivery. Postpartum mating is highly constrained by time and energy due to maternal commitments to the newborn litter. All females had a free and simultaneous choice among 4 males that differed in scent-marking frequency (indicator of dominance) and body mass. We show that females in CE engaged significantly more often in multimale mating than females in PPE. Additionally, PPE females mated with males that scent marked more, whereas CE females seemingly mated indiscriminately. We discuss our findings in light of time and energy budgets of females and also consider alternative explanations such as pup protection against infanticidal males or physiological constraints to estrus modes.

Date: 2012
References: View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations:

Downloads: (external link)
http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/arr193 (application/pdf)
Access to full text is restricted to subscribers.

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:oup:beheco:v:23:y:2012:i:2:p:361-367.

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://academic.oup.com/journals

Access Statistics for this article

Behavioral Ecology is currently edited by Louise Barrett

More articles in Behavioral Ecology from International Society for Behavioral Ecology Oxford University Press, Great Clarendon Street, Oxford OX2 6DP, UK.
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Oxford University Press ().