PSYCH 2TT3 Lecture Notes - Mate Choice, Lek Mating, Endangered Species
Document Summary
Large in females, small in males. Females are choosy, males are more promiscuous. Smell = body- odour composition: compatibility & quality. To attract females & for territorial defense in male- male interactions. Investment/gamete: b/c of sexual selection, natural selection: differential survival or reproduction of individuals differing in one or more heritable traits. Sexual selection: differential reproduction owing to heritable variation in the ability to obtain mates. Females reject males that don"t offer them prey (dead insects) Females prefer males that offer large prey. Females prefer males w/ longer tails b/c males w/ longer tails have fewer parasites. Experiment comparing male behaviour & reproductive success b/w nests in which the parasites were either removed or added. In many animals, the males contribute only sperm (=genes) to the family . That is, the males provide neither food nor help raise offspring. So direct benefit is less likely. Sage grouse is an endangered species.