Reproductive Strategies
Sexual selection: mate choice ? females do not mate with first male but choose their males; depending on parental investment
Direct benefits: female has direct benefit from choice of male
- parental investment high: choose good father, care-giver
- parental investment low: choose good provider, best territory holder (food supply, predator refuge), best defender
Indirect benefits: female has no direct benefits, but offspring has
- longest tail, brightest color, older age: may reflect best health status, long life, evading of predators, etc. ? female ensures that offspring gets “good genes” from dad
Intrasexual selection: not all males might mate, only those with good territories or with strength (sexual dimorphism: males need to be stronger and are often larger than females)
Alternative strategies: small males or without territory “sneak in”