Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds
Assortative pairing, and its relation to mate choice, has rarely been documented in mammals. Using data collected from 1998-2007, we investigated size-assortative pairing as it relates to discrimination amongst potential mates in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) dyads in the Hawaiian breeding...
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ftnapieruniv:oai:repository@napier.ac.uk:1007853 2023-05-15T16:36:08+02:00 Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds Pack, Adam A. Herman, Louis M. Spitz, Scott S. Craig, Alison S. Hakala, Siri Deakos, Mark H. Herman, Elia Y.K. Milette, Aliza J. Carroll, Elizabeth Levitt, Sonia Lowe, Carley 2012-08-23 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1007853 unknown Elsevier http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1007853 doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 0003-3472 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 assortative pairingbody sizehumpback whalemate discriminationmating tacticMegaptera novaeangliae 593 Marine & seashore invertebrates QH301 Biology Biodiversity and conservation Marine and Freshwater Biology Animal Behaviour Animal and Plant Science Research Group Culture and Communities Journal Article 2012 ftnapieruniv https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 2022-10-13T22:42:09Z Assortative pairing, and its relation to mate choice, has rarely been documented in mammals. Using data collected from 1998-2007, we investigated size-assortative pairing as it relates to discrimination amongst potential mates in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) dyads in the Hawaiian breeding grounds. Across 67 male-female dyads in which both individuals were measured using underwater videogrammetry, male length was positively correlated with female length. Detailed analyses on the assessment of maturity by comparisons with whaling data revealed that mature-sized females associated almost exclusively with mature-sized males, and had a significant preference for large mature-sized males. In contrast, mature-sized males were less discriminating in their associations with females and showed no significant preference for mature-sized females. However, mature-sized males that associated with immature-sized females were significantly smaller than males that associated with mature-sized females. Finally, immature-sized males tended to associate with immature-sized females. The sex differences in size preference by mature whales probably reflect the relatively high costs of mature females mating with small or immature males compared to the lower costs of mature males mating with small or immature females. Body size appears to influence the adoption of alternative mating tactics by males such that smaller mature males avoid the costs of competing for the highest quality females and instead focus their attentions on smaller females that may or may not be mature. Overall, our results provide the first quantitative evidence of size-assortative pairing and female discrimination amongst potential mates in humpback whales and indeed in any cetacean species. Article in Journal/Newspaper Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae Edinburgh Napier Repository (Napier University Edinburgh) Animal Behaviour 84 4 983 993 |
institution |
Open Polar |
collection |
Edinburgh Napier Repository (Napier University Edinburgh) |
op_collection_id |
ftnapieruniv |
language |
unknown |
topic |
assortative pairingbody sizehumpback whalemate discriminationmating tacticMegaptera novaeangliae 593 Marine & seashore invertebrates QH301 Biology Biodiversity and conservation Marine and Freshwater Biology Animal Behaviour Animal and Plant Science Research Group Culture and Communities |
spellingShingle |
assortative pairingbody sizehumpback whalemate discriminationmating tacticMegaptera novaeangliae 593 Marine & seashore invertebrates QH301 Biology Biodiversity and conservation Marine and Freshwater Biology Animal Behaviour Animal and Plant Science Research Group Culture and Communities Pack, Adam A. Herman, Louis M. Spitz, Scott S. Craig, Alison S. Hakala, Siri Deakos, Mark H. Herman, Elia Y.K. Milette, Aliza J. Carroll, Elizabeth Levitt, Sonia Lowe, Carley Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds |
topic_facet |
assortative pairingbody sizehumpback whalemate discriminationmating tacticMegaptera novaeangliae 593 Marine & seashore invertebrates QH301 Biology Biodiversity and conservation Marine and Freshwater Biology Animal Behaviour Animal and Plant Science Research Group Culture and Communities |
description |
Assortative pairing, and its relation to mate choice, has rarely been documented in mammals. Using data collected from 1998-2007, we investigated size-assortative pairing as it relates to discrimination amongst potential mates in humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) dyads in the Hawaiian breeding grounds. Across 67 male-female dyads in which both individuals were measured using underwater videogrammetry, male length was positively correlated with female length. Detailed analyses on the assessment of maturity by comparisons with whaling data revealed that mature-sized females associated almost exclusively with mature-sized males, and had a significant preference for large mature-sized males. In contrast, mature-sized males were less discriminating in their associations with females and showed no significant preference for mature-sized females. However, mature-sized males that associated with immature-sized females were significantly smaller than males that associated with mature-sized females. Finally, immature-sized males tended to associate with immature-sized females. The sex differences in size preference by mature whales probably reflect the relatively high costs of mature females mating with small or immature males compared to the lower costs of mature males mating with small or immature females. Body size appears to influence the adoption of alternative mating tactics by males such that smaller mature males avoid the costs of competing for the highest quality females and instead focus their attentions on smaller females that may or may not be mature. Overall, our results provide the first quantitative evidence of size-assortative pairing and female discrimination amongst potential mates in humpback whales and indeed in any cetacean species. |
format |
Article in Journal/Newspaper |
author |
Pack, Adam A. Herman, Louis M. Spitz, Scott S. Craig, Alison S. Hakala, Siri Deakos, Mark H. Herman, Elia Y.K. Milette, Aliza J. Carroll, Elizabeth Levitt, Sonia Lowe, Carley |
author_facet |
Pack, Adam A. Herman, Louis M. Spitz, Scott S. Craig, Alison S. Hakala, Siri Deakos, Mark H. Herman, Elia Y.K. Milette, Aliza J. Carroll, Elizabeth Levitt, Sonia Lowe, Carley |
author_sort |
Pack, Adam A. |
title |
Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds |
title_short |
Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds |
title_full |
Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds |
title_fullStr |
Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds |
title_full_unstemmed |
Size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the Hawaiian breeding grounds |
title_sort |
size-assortative pairing and discrimination of potential mates by humpback whales in the hawaiian breeding grounds |
publisher |
Elsevier |
publishDate |
2012 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1007853 |
genre |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
genre_facet |
Humpback Whale Megaptera novaeangliae |
op_relation |
http://researchrepository.napier.ac.uk/Output/1007853 doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 0003-3472 10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.07.024 |
container_title |
Animal Behaviour |
container_volume |
84 |
container_issue |
4 |
container_start_page |
983 |
op_container_end_page |
993 |
_version_ |
1766026448273932288 |