Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies
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. Th...
Published in: | Molecular Ecology |
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Format: | Article in Journal/Newspaper |
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Blackwell
2001
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Online Access: | http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/18603/ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x/abstract |
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ftnerc:oai:nora.nerc.ac.uk:18603 2023-05-15T13:45:12+02:00 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://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/18603/ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x/abstract unknown Blackwell Gemmell, Neil J.; Burg, Theresa M.; Boyd, Ian L.; Amos, William. 2001 Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies. Molecular Ecology, 10 (2). 451-460. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x <https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x> Publication - Article PeerReviewed 2001 ftnerc https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x 2023-02-04T19:31:51Z 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 Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive Antarctic The Antarctic Bird Island ENVELOPE(-38.060,-38.060,-54.004,-54.004) Molecular Ecology 10 2 451 460 |
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Open Polar |
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Natural Environment Research Council: NERC Open Research Archive |
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ftnerc |
language |
unknown |
description |
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 |
Blackwell |
publishDate |
2001 |
url |
http://nora.nerc.ac.uk/id/eprint/18603/ http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x/abstract |
long_lat |
ENVELOPE(-38.060,-38.060,-54.004,-54.004) |
geographic |
Antarctic The Antarctic Bird Island |
geographic_facet |
Antarctic The Antarctic Bird Island |
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_relation |
Gemmell, Neil J.; Burg, Theresa M.; Boyd, Ian L.; Amos, William. 2001 Low reproductive success in territorial male Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) suggests the existence of alternative mating strategies. Molecular Ecology, 10 (2). 451-460. https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x <https://doi.org/10.1046/j.1365-294X.2001.01186.x> |
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_ |
1766216737442758656 |