PSYC 3100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 18: Sperm Competition, Enclosed Religious Orders, Abusive Power And Control

• School: University of Guelph
• Department: Psychology
• Course: PSYC 3100
• Professor: Pat Barclay

Document Summary

Note: this lecture will be disturbing to some, as it deals with conflict (and abuse) within relationships: sperm competition. Responses to cues of sperm competition: prevention, more sperm, reduced parenting. Sexual selection and competition for mates does not always end at mating. If multiple males mate with a female, only one sperm will fertilize each egg. Sperm competition: increasing the likelihood that one"s sperm will fertilize the eggs. Number of ways to do this: put out more sperm, invest more in sperm production. Across species: rates of polyandry (risk of sperm competition) correlate with testes size (relative to body size) Orangutangs, gorillas: keep females to themselves (alpha), small testes. Chimps: females mate with many guys, testes are huge compared. Males: less polyandry than chimps, but more than gorillas. Sperm competition tactics: mate more often, release more sperm per mating ( overwhelming ), remove competitors" sperm. The more time male spends with female partner, the less sperm he ejaculates.