EEB386H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Lek Mating
14 Aug 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Lecture 8: courtship and mating systems. During courtship, one sex usually the male sends signals to the female to induce her to mate. Perhaps the most audacious plumage ornamentation and courtship is seen in male birds of paradise. Carola"s parotia (parotia carolae) also tends a courtship arena, but it performs an elaborate ballet- like dance routine to visiting females. Darwin was quite perplexed by the extreme sexual dimorphism in birds. Males invest much less energy and time in their sperm than females do in their eggs. Males may have to compete for access to the females, and females can be choosy. Bateman (1948) first demonstrated variation in male mating success and related it to sexual selection. In birds, territoriality is an example of intrasexual competition. Female choice: good genes model. Short- tail males get fewer matings. The long- tailed widowbird (euplectes progne) is an example of marked sexual dimorphism. Females choose the best and brightest often.
