Extreme polygyny among southern elephant seals on Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands
Extreme polygyny among southern elephant seals on Sea Lion Island, Falkland Islands
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DOI：
10.1093/beheco/arh112
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发表时间：
2004-11-01
影响因子：
2.4
通讯作者：
Hoelzel, AR
中科院分区：
文献类型：
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作者：
Fabiani, A;Galimberti, F;Hoelzel, AR
从长期的行为研究中得知，象海豹是高度一夫多妻制的，雄性之间的繁殖成功率差异很大。然而，遗传学研究已经确定，一夫多妻制的水平在密切相关的北方和南方象海豹之间存在差异。在本研究中，我们调查父系成功的海狮岛南部的象海豹殖民地在福克兰群岛的行为措施和遗传标记。我们发现，平均成功的后宫举行男性在海狮岛显着高于北方物种和附近的南部象海豹人口在蓬塔德尔加达。我们比较了遗传亲子关系与男性交配成功的各种行为指标，我们发现，行为措施提供了一个很好的估计方差男性生殖成功。只有28.2%的男性获得了父权，其中，后宫占有者占89.6%。我们讨论了我们的研究结果的背景下，人口和物理环境的影响。具体而言，一个相对较高的方差在男性之间的资源持有潜力，男性的社会行为的差异，和一个小的潮汐周期限制外围男性访问女性离开后宫在这个殖民地可能是重要的因素，导致相对较高的方差在海狮岛男性生殖成功。
Elephant seals are known from long-term behavioral studies to be highly polygynous and to show high variance in reproductive success among males. However, genetic studies have determined that the level of polygyny varies between the closely related northern and southern elephant seals. In the present study, we investigate paternal success at the Sea Lion Island southern elephant seal colony in the Falkland Islands by using both behavioral measures and genetic markers. We find that the average success of harem holding males at Sea Lion Island is significantly higher than both the northern species and the nearby southern elephant seal population at Punta Delgada. We compare genetic paternity with various behavioral indices of male mating success, and we find that the behavioral measures provide a good estimate of the variance in male reproductive success. Only 28.2% of males achieved paternities, and among these, harem holders accounted for 89.6%. We discuss the implications of our results in the context of the demographic and physical environment. Specifically, a comparatively high variance in resource holding potential among males, differences in male social behavior, and a small tidal cycle limiting peripheral male access during female departure from the harem at this colony may be important factors leading to the comparatively high variance in male reproductive success at Sea Lion Island.