New research is beginning to elucidate the importance of promiscuity among females. Previous research has shown than infanticide occurs more commonly among social animal groups that are dominated by a one or two males. An infamous example of this would be lions. Infanticide by males occur because the males want to ensure that the females rear for their offspring. In such cases some females beginning exhibiting paternity dilution were they mate with multiple partners. This prevents males from killing the offspring because they risk killing their own offspring. Researchers studying mouse lemurs found that the testes of males began to increase when females where more promiscuous. This because the males began producing more sperm so competition was occurring after copulation instead of before. Genetically females become more incline to exhibit paternal dilution and less inclined to mate with males that kill their offspring.
This seems like an arms races of the sexes because I know that after a male lion has defeated the leader of the pride the first thing he does is kill the young of the previous male. Maybe later on females might try to mate with the male before he kills any of spring. I seems that reproduction is love as well as war.
Main article: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2014/11/141113142002.htm
Related article: http://www.sciencemag.org/content/346/6211/841
No comments:
Post a Comment