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Sex on the rocks: reproductive tactics and breeding success of South American fur seal males

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  • Valentina Franco-Trecu
  • Paula Costa
  • Yolanda Schramm
  • Bettina Tassino
  • Pablo Inchausti

Abstract

Males of polygynous mammalian species may adopt different reproductive tactics to accomplish female fertilization, with dominant males often attaining a higher reproductive success than those adopting alternative breeding tactics. We worked on the largest breeding colony of the South American fur seal to determine its mating system and quantify the breeding success of male reproductive tactics using behavioral data and paternity assignment. We sampled ~50% of reproductive males during the 2010 breeding season and 85% of pups born during the following breeding season. Paternity analyses were made with 10 microsatellite markers, and 80% (n = 36) of the candidate fathers had at least 1 offspring (mean = 2.9, range = 0–13). Paternity was determined for 47% (n = 220) of pups at 80% and 95% confidence levels. We assessed the importance of different behavioral variables (tenure, copulation, and agonistic interactions) and reproductive tactics (territorial/satellite) in South American fur seal male breeding success using generalized linear models. We used regression trees to assess the homogeneity of breeding success within each reproductive tactic. The relatively high variance in South American fur seal male breeding success and the relatively high reproductive synchrony of breeding females and their distinctive pattern of space suggest that the mating system is consistent with a lek. We found that the territorial reproductive tactic was actually composed of 3 distinct categories and that a surprisingly high proportion of territorial males had a lower breeding success than the alternative satellite male reproductive tactics. This is the first study in otariids that has assessed the breeding success of male alternative reproductive tactics.

Suggested Citation

  • Valentina Franco-Trecu & Paula Costa & Yolanda Schramm & Bettina Tassino & Pablo Inchausti, 2014. "Sex on the rocks: reproductive tactics and breeding success of South American fur seal males," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 25(6), pages 1513-1523.
  • Handle: RePEc:oup:beheco:v:25:y:2014:i:6:p:1513-1523.
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    File URL: http://hdl.handle.net/10.1093/beheco/aru145
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. Jakob Bro-Jørgensen, 2003. "No peace for estrous topi cows on leks," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 14(4), pages 521-525, July.
    2. Gerald Heckel & Otto von Helversen, 2002. "Male tactics and reproductive success in the harem polygynous bat Saccopteryx bilineata," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 13(6), pages 750-756, November.
    3. Anna Fabiani & Filippo Galimberti & Simona Sanvito & A. Rus Hoelzel, 2004. "Extreme polygyny among southern elephant seals on Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 15(6), pages 961-969, November.
    4. Ian M. Hamilton & Marcel P. Haesler & Michael Taborsky, 2006. "Predators, reproductive parasites, and the persistence of poor males on leks," Behavioral Ecology, International Society for Behavioral Ecology, vol. 17(1), pages 97-107, January.
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