QEIB: A Comprehensive Theory of Mating Systems

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A general theory of reproductive behavior is imperative both to our basic understanding of evolutionary processes as well as our ability to manage threatened species. Although recent developments have greatly increased our understanding of mating systems, it has left us without a comprehensive theory for predicting and explaining general patterns of reproduction. A variety of important biological factors have been treated in isolation from one another, although we know that each one is critical to our understanding of evolution. A more comprehensive approach is necessary if we wish to explain such varied observations as females mating with multiple males in the absence of sperm limitation and a skewed mating distribution where no known male or territory trait explains success. Interactions within and between the sexes, spatial and temporal dynamics of reproduction, environmental variation are all be essential components of a comprehensive theory of mating systems. Although each of these elements has been addressed to some degree in isolation, we have not examined the connections between each of these factors to the evolution of specific mating behaviors. For example, resource dispersion and variability in social conditions will affect interactions between individuals. Concurrently stochasticity in critical resources will influence both the interactions between individuals as well as their spatial dispersion. Furthermore, although we are interested in population-level consequences, interactions only occur between individuals that encounter one another in space and time. To create a general theory, we need a framework which allows us to examine multiple interactions within and between the sexes as well as consider the importance of environmental conditions and spatial dynamics. The complexity of these interactions demand mathematical modeling. Dynamic programming games make it possible to consider the effect of an individual's social and ecological environment on reproductive behavior. I propose a new approach which makes it possible to simultaneously study a variety of phenomena that interact to create mating systems and determine reproductive strategies. This method will be used to study general models examining the interactions between stochasticity, space, and conflict on specific mating behaviors. Yet, theory is not better simply because it is more complex. Instead, the approach I am advocating will also be verified by its ability to increase our understanding of observed variation. Their ability to explain observed behavior will not only increase our understanding of a single species but also have general implications for our understanding of mating systems.