L. Say et al., Influence of oestrus synchronization on male reproductive success in the domestic cat (Felis catus L.), P ROY SOC B, 268(1471), 2001, pp. 1049-1053
Citations number
32
Categorie Soggetti
Experimental Biology
Journal title
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF LONDON SERIES B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
Previous studies have predicted that the availability over time of females
in oestrus influences the variance of male reproductive success in a given
year. When females are spatially aggregated, they represent a potentially d
efendable resource for each male when oestrus is asynchronous, and the most
competitive males are expected to gain priority of access to receptive fem
ales. When females breed synchronously, a single male, even when highly com
petitive, is not able to prevent them from mating with other males. This hy
pothesis was tested in a large multimale-multifemale group of domestic cats
, Felis catus, which was monitored for three years. The results support the
prediction that the variance in male reproductive success was four times g
reater in years when females bred asynchronously, and dominant males sired
the highest proportion of offspring. We conclude that the temporal availabi
lity of mates plays a role in the adoption of reproductive tactics in the d
omestic cat.