Joyce H. Poole, Phyllis C. Lee, Norah Njiraini, and Cynthia J. Moss
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- February 2013
- ISBN:
- 9780226542232
- eISBN:
- 9780226542263
- Item type:
- chapter
- Publisher:
- University of Chicago Press
- DOI:
- 10.7208/chicago/9780226542263.003.0018
- Subject:
- Biology, Animal Behavior / Behavioral Ecology
Musth males tend to interact aggressively whenever they meet. Between musth males, dominance is also size related, and thus escalated contests occur between musth males who are closely matched in ...
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Musth males tend to interact aggressively whenever they meet. Between musth males, dominance is also size related, and thus escalated contests occur between musth males who are closely matched in both size and condition. Serious fights also take place when the normal rules that predict status are perturbed due to loss of condition. Since the musth periods of males are asynchronous, a large male in poor condition toward the end of his musth period may meet a smaller male in peak condition at the beginning of his period, and the smaller male may then challenge the larger male. The presence of an estrous female is not a prerequisite for a fight, nor are outcomes predictable. This chapter aims to relate individual patterns of musth to opportunities for mating and the factors that constrain those opportunities. Specifically, it intends to assess the effects of longevity on male reproductive potential, examine musth timing and how it relates to female availability and male age, and explore how competition with other males influences probabilities of access to estrous females for males at different ages.Less
Musth males tend to interact aggressively whenever they meet. Between musth males, dominance is also size related, and thus escalated contests occur between musth males who are closely matched in both size and condition. Serious fights also take place when the normal rules that predict status are perturbed due to loss of condition. Since the musth periods of males are asynchronous, a large male in poor condition toward the end of his musth period may meet a smaller male in peak condition at the beginning of his period, and the smaller male may then challenge the larger male. The presence of an estrous female is not a prerequisite for a fight, nor are outcomes predictable. This chapter aims to relate individual patterns of musth to opportunities for mating and the factors that constrain those opportunities. Specifically, it intends to assess the effects of longevity on male reproductive potential, examine musth timing and how it relates to female availability and male age, and explore how competition with other males influences probabilities of access to estrous females for males at different ages.
John Avise
- Published in print:
- 2011
- Published Online:
- November 2015
- ISBN:
- 9780231153867
- eISBN:
- 9780231527156
- Item type:
- book
- Publisher:
- Columbia University Press
- DOI:
- 10.7312/columbia/9780231153867.001.0001
- Subject:
- Biology, Evolutionary Biology / Genetics
While it is true that members of most sexually reproducing species can be defined as either male or female, those who belong to the rest of the biological world are not so simply understood. ...
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While it is true that members of most sexually reproducing species can be defined as either male or female, those who belong to the rest of the biological world are not so simply understood. Hermaphroditic creatures reproduce both as male and as female individuals, providing a fascinating glimpse into alternative sexual practices in nature and their ecological and evolutionary successes and failures. The book traces the phenomenon throughout Earth's myriad species, accounting for the adaptive significance of alternative sexual systems. Accessible and richly illustrated, the text maps the evolutionary origins of hermaphroditism, as well as its historical instances and fictional representations, underscoring the relevance of dual sexuality to our biological, intellectual, and cultural making. It describes the genetics, ecology, phylogeny, and natural history of hermaphroditic plants, fish, and invertebrate animals and details organisms that either reproduce simultaneously as male and female or switch routinely between one sex and the other. Filled with surprising creatures and compelling revelations, the book is a comprehensive treatment of hermaphroditism and its unique challenge to the supremacy of separate sexes.Less
While it is true that members of most sexually reproducing species can be defined as either male or female, those who belong to the rest of the biological world are not so simply understood. Hermaphroditic creatures reproduce both as male and as female individuals, providing a fascinating glimpse into alternative sexual practices in nature and their ecological and evolutionary successes and failures. The book traces the phenomenon throughout Earth's myriad species, accounting for the adaptive significance of alternative sexual systems. Accessible and richly illustrated, the text maps the evolutionary origins of hermaphroditism, as well as its historical instances and fictional representations, underscoring the relevance of dual sexuality to our biological, intellectual, and cultural making. It describes the genetics, ecology, phylogeny, and natural history of hermaphroditic plants, fish, and invertebrate animals and details organisms that either reproduce simultaneously as male and female or switch routinely between one sex and the other. Filled with surprising creatures and compelling revelations, the book is a comprehensive treatment of hermaphroditism and its unique challenge to the supremacy of separate sexes.
