Mismatch between calf paternity and observed copulations between male and female reindeer: Multiple mating in a polygynous ungulate?

ABSTRACT: Abstract In polygynous systems, such as that exhibited by reindeer Rangifer tarandus, mate choice can be difficult to disentangle from male intrasexual competition because male behavior may constrain female choice. Multiple mating may provide an avenue for female mate choice, though it is difficult to identify using behavioral estimators alone. Molecular techniques address this issue by affording ecologists an opportunity to reassess mating systems from a genetic perspective. We assessed the frequency and possible explanations for multiple mating in reindeer using a genetic approach to determine the success of observed copulations in a semi-domesticated herd in Kaamanen, Finland. Behavioral and genetic data were synthesized with population characteristics over a 7-year period to test the h

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PROVIDER: S-EPMC10443607 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jul

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature