Can females gain extra paternal investment by mating with multiple males? A game theoretic approach

The American Naturalist
J Soltis, R McElreath

Abstract

Although females may require only one mating to become inseminated, many female animals engage in costly mating with multiple males. One potential benefit of polyandrous mating is gaining parental investment from multiple males. We developed two game theoretic models to explore this possibility. Our first model showed that male care of multiple females' offspring evolves when male help substantially increases offspring fitness, future mating opportunity is limited, and group size is small. In our second model, we assumed that males invest in the offspring of former mates and evaluated the fitness consequences of female monogamous and polyandrous mating strategies. Females benefit only from limited polyandry, that is, mating with several males. Polyandry is discouraged because females must share male investment with other polyandrous females, and paternal care is likely to experience diminishing returns. Females may enhance their access to male investment by competing with rival females and monopolizing investment, however. The results support the argument that females can gain paternal investment by mating with several males in small social groups (e.g., dunnocks Prunella modularis). The results do not support the argument that...Continue Reading

References

Jan 1, 1990·Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews·K Wallen
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Apr 17, 1999·American Journal of Primatology·J SoltisM Nozaki
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Citations

Jan 20, 2009·International Journal of Health Care Finance and Economics·Paolo Pertile
Sep 11, 2008·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Phillip G Byrne, J Scott Keogh
Jul 21, 2005·The American Naturalist·Joe Yuichiro Wakano, Yasuo Ihara
Jul 6, 2014·PloS One·Sigrunn Eliassen, Christian Jørgensen
Apr 6, 2019·American Journal of Physical Anthropology·Joyce A Parga, Shira C Nansen
Jul 21, 2020·Scientific Reports·Kelly Rooker, Sergey Gavrilets

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