courtship + mating behaviour Flashcards
functions of courtships
- to establish each other as non-threats
- to determine physical condition
- to establish a pair bond
what type of behaviour is courtship behaviours
a fixed action pattern → triggered by the presence of a potential mate
male displays
- dominant males in some circles will mate with most, if not all females
- in other groups, males will display to females in their own territory, or in leks
what is a lek
a collection of males gathering to compete and display courtship rituals to impress females
on what do females base their choice of mate on?
- parental investment (in species which both parents are involved in rearing young)
- genetic quality (in species which males provide no parental care)
secondary sexual characteristics
attributes held by the male which display health, vigour, quality or dominance
mating systems
the way animal populations are structured in relation to reproductive / sexual behaviour
monogamy
male and female mating relationships; exclusive to one another, serially (every mating season) or for life
promiscuity
any male and female mating within a group / population without social bondings / relationships
polygamy
one or more males having a relationship with one or more females (within polygamy → polygyny, polyandry, polygynandry)
polygyny
one male having a relationship with two or more females
polyandry
one female having a relationship with two or more males
polygynandry
two or more males having a relationship with two or more females
parental behaviours
behaviour from parent to offspring that contributes to offspring survival
maternal
by mother
