Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies
Abstract Microsatellites were used to conduct an analysis of paternity of Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella ) from Bird Island, South Georgia. At most, only 28% of pups at our study site could be assigned a father, even though the majority (~90%) of candidate males within this colony were...
Published in: | Molecular Ecology |
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crwiley:10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01186.x 2024-09-15T17:48:40+00:00 Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies Gemmell, Neil J. Burg, Theresa M. Boyd, Ian L. Amos, William 2001 http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01186.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1046%2Fj.1365-294X.2001.01186.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Molecular Ecology volume 10, issue 2, page 451-460 ISSN 0962-1083 1365-294X journal-article 2001 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01186.x 2024-08-13T04:13:43Z Abstract Microsatellites were used to conduct an analysis of paternity of Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella ) from Bird Island, South Georgia. At most, only 28% of pups at our study site could be assigned a father, even though the majority (~90%) of candidate males within this colony were sampled. The behavioural and genetic evidence from this study suggests that a number of alternative mating strategies may exist within this fur seal population. Holding a land‐based territory conferred an advantage to male reproductive success. However, this advantage was much smaller than expected from behavioural observations. At least 70% of fur seal pups born at our study site in a given year are not fathered by males who held a territory or were observed copulating with females in the previous year, implying that there exists a pool of males that seldom venture ashore at this site. To explain this discrepancy we suggest that female choice is an integral component of the Antarctic fur seal mating system and that aquatic mating may play a much larger role in the Antarctic fur seal than previously thought. Article in Journal/Newspaper Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bird Island Wiley Online Library Molecular Ecology 10 2 451 460 |
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Wiley Online Library |
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crwiley |
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English |
description |
Abstract Microsatellites were used to conduct an analysis of paternity of Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella ) from Bird Island, South Georgia. At most, only 28% of pups at our study site could be assigned a father, even though the majority (~90%) of candidate males within this colony were sampled. The behavioural and genetic evidence from this study suggests that a number of alternative mating strategies may exist within this fur seal population. Holding a land‐based territory conferred an advantage to male reproductive success. However, this advantage was much smaller than expected from behavioural observations. At least 70% of fur seal pups born at our study site in a given year are not fathered by males who held a territory or were observed copulating with females in the previous year, implying that there exists a pool of males that seldom venture ashore at this site. To explain this discrepancy we suggest that female choice is an integral component of the Antarctic fur seal mating system and that aquatic mating may play a much larger role in the Antarctic fur seal than previously thought. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Gemmell, Neil J. Burg, Theresa M. Boyd, Ian L. Amos, William |
spellingShingle |
Gemmell, Neil J. Burg, Theresa M. Boyd, Ian L. Amos, William Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
author_facet |
Gemmell, Neil J. Burg, Theresa M. Boyd, Ian L. Amos, William |
author_sort |
Gemmell, Neil J. |
title |
Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
title_short |
Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
title_full |
Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
title_fullStr |
Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
title_full_unstemmed |
Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals ( Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
title_sort |
low reproductive success in territorial male antarctic fur seals ( arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies |
publisher |
Wiley |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01186.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1046%2Fj.1365-294X.2001.01186.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x |
genre |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bird Island |
genre_facet |
Antarc* Antarctic Antarctic Fur Seal Antarctic Fur Seals Arctocephalus gazella Bird Island |
op_source |
Molecular Ecology volume 10, issue 2, page 451-460 ISSN 0962-1083 1365-294X |
op_rights |
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294x.2001.01186.x |
container_title |
Molecular Ecology |
container_volume |
10 |
container_issue |
2 |
container_start_page |
451 |
op_container_end_page |
460 |
_version_ |
1810290165970632704 |