Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator
Abstract We present the current available knowledge about sexual behavior and mating systems in the killer whale, Orcinus orca , focusing primarily on the most well-studied ecotype, the Residents of the eastern North Pacific. Resident killer whales display lifetime natal philopatry of both sexes and...
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Springer International Publishing
2023
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Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 |
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crspringernat:10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 2024-03-10T08:35:42+00:00 Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator Wright, Brianna M. Stredulinsky, Eva H. Ford, John K. B. 2023 http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 unknown Springer International Publishing https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 Sex in Cetaceans page 353-383 ISBN 9783031356506 9783031356513 book-chapter 2023 crspringernat https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 2024-02-13T18:43:06Z Abstract We present the current available knowledge about sexual behavior and mating systems in the killer whale, Orcinus orca , focusing primarily on the most well-studied ecotype, the Residents of the eastern North Pacific. Resident killer whales display lifetime natal philopatry of both sexes and thus form stable social groupings organized along maternal lines. Inbreeding is minimized via exogamous mating during multigroup aggregations that are diffusely seasonal. Male reproductive success in Residents is highly skewed, likely as a result of female mate choice or possibly intrasexual contest competition (or both), with only the largest and oldest males siring offspring. Female choice for males with large body and appendage sizes likely explains why killer whales as a species have evolved a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Scarring patterns and dorsal fin injuries indicate that breeding-aged males may occasionally engage in aggressive intrasexual competition to secure mates. Young male Residents appear to practice courtship behaviors by engaging in sociosexual play with other males. Coercive mating or mate-guarding in this species has not been observed and appears to be unlikely. Relative testes size, penis length, and penis tip morphology indicate that some sperm competition presumably exists in killer whales and likely co-evolved with female polyandry. Thus, both pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection may occur simultaneously in killer whales, and this species probably has a polygynandrous mating system in which both males and females can breed with multiple partners. Genetic pedigree studies of killer whale ecotypes besides Residents are needed to provide currently lacking but valuable information about mating patterns in other populations. Book Part Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale Springer Nature Pacific 353 383 Cham |
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Springer Nature |
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description |
Abstract We present the current available knowledge about sexual behavior and mating systems in the killer whale, Orcinus orca , focusing primarily on the most well-studied ecotype, the Residents of the eastern North Pacific. Resident killer whales display lifetime natal philopatry of both sexes and thus form stable social groupings organized along maternal lines. Inbreeding is minimized via exogamous mating during multigroup aggregations that are diffusely seasonal. Male reproductive success in Residents is highly skewed, likely as a result of female mate choice or possibly intrasexual contest competition (or both), with only the largest and oldest males siring offspring. Female choice for males with large body and appendage sizes likely explains why killer whales as a species have evolved a high degree of sexual dimorphism. Scarring patterns and dorsal fin injuries indicate that breeding-aged males may occasionally engage in aggressive intrasexual competition to secure mates. Young male Residents appear to practice courtship behaviors by engaging in sociosexual play with other males. Coercive mating or mate-guarding in this species has not been observed and appears to be unlikely. Relative testes size, penis length, and penis tip morphology indicate that some sperm competition presumably exists in killer whales and likely co-evolved with female polyandry. Thus, both pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection may occur simultaneously in killer whales, and this species probably has a polygynandrous mating system in which both males and females can breed with multiple partners. Genetic pedigree studies of killer whale ecotypes besides Residents are needed to provide currently lacking but valuable information about mating patterns in other populations. |
format |
Book Part |
author |
Wright, Brianna M. Stredulinsky, Eva H. Ford, John K. B. |
spellingShingle |
Wright, Brianna M. Stredulinsky, Eva H. Ford, John K. B. Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator |
author_facet |
Wright, Brianna M. Stredulinsky, Eva H. Ford, John K. B. |
author_sort |
Wright, Brianna M. |
title |
Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator |
title_short |
Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator |
title_full |
Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator |
title_fullStr |
Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator |
title_full_unstemmed |
Sex in Killer Whales: Behavior, Exogamy, and the Evolution of Sexual Strategies in the Ocean’s Apex Predator |
title_sort |
sex in killer whales: behavior, exogamy, and the evolution of sexual strategies in the ocean’s apex predator |
publisher |
Springer International Publishing |
publishDate |
2023 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 |
geographic |
Pacific |
geographic_facet |
Pacific |
genre |
Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale |
genre_facet |
Killer Whale Orca Orcinus orca Killer whale |
op_source |
Sex in Cetaceans page 353-383 ISBN 9783031356506 9783031356513 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-35651-3_16 |
container_start_page |
353 |
op_container_end_page |
383 |
op_publisher_place |
Cham |
_version_ |
1793132143156658176 |