Mixed messages: wild female bonobos show high variability in the timing of ovulation in relation to sexual swelling patterns.

ABSTRACT:

Background

The evolution of primate sexual swellings and their influence on mating strategies have captivated the interest of biologists for over a century. Across the primate order, variability in the timing of ovulation with respect to females' sexual swelling patterns differs greatly. Since sexual swellings typically function as signals of female fecundity, the temporal relation between ovulation and sexual swellings can impact the ability of males to pinpoint ovulation and thereby affect male mating strategies. Here, we used endocrine parameters to detect ovulation and examined the temporal relation between the maximum swelling phase (MSP) and ovulation in wild female bonobos (Pan paniscus). Data were collected at the Luikotale field site, Democratic Republic of Congo, spanning

SUBMITTER: Douglas PH 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4928307 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature