Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals.
In several taxonomic groups, females mate with several males during a single reproductive cycle. Although there is evidence that polyandry provides some benefits to females, it often involves mortality costs. However, empirical evidences of mortality costs of polyandry have so far been reported only...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2013-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3688942?pdf=render |
| _version_ | 1818040484601266176 |
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| author | Jean-François Lemaître Jean-Michel Gaillard |
| author_facet | Jean-François Lemaître Jean-Michel Gaillard |
| author_sort | Jean-François Lemaître |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In several taxonomic groups, females mate with several males during a single reproductive cycle. Although there is evidence that polyandry provides some benefits to females, it often involves mortality costs. However, empirical evidences of mortality costs of polyandry have so far been reported only in invertebrates. Whether polyandry has mortality costs in vertebrates is currently unknown. In the present study, we aimed to fill the gap by investigating the relationships between the level of polyandry (measured either by male relative testes mass or the percentage of multiple paternities) and female patterns of mortality across mammals. While we found that the two metrics of female mortality co-varied with pace of life, we did not find any evidence that polyandry leads to either decreased median lifespan or increased aging rate in mammals. We discuss such an absence of detectable mortality costs of polyandry in female mammals in light of recent advances in the study of mammalian reproductive biology and life-history tactics. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:15:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d611b6874a5d481fa9445cc9e38bb468 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-10T08:15:16Z |
| publishDate | 2013-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-d611b6874a5d481fa9445cc9e38bb4682022-12-22T01:56:29ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032013-01-0186e6667010.1371/journal.pone.0066670Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals.Jean-François LemaîtreJean-Michel GaillardIn several taxonomic groups, females mate with several males during a single reproductive cycle. Although there is evidence that polyandry provides some benefits to females, it often involves mortality costs. However, empirical evidences of mortality costs of polyandry have so far been reported only in invertebrates. Whether polyandry has mortality costs in vertebrates is currently unknown. In the present study, we aimed to fill the gap by investigating the relationships between the level of polyandry (measured either by male relative testes mass or the percentage of multiple paternities) and female patterns of mortality across mammals. While we found that the two metrics of female mortality co-varied with pace of life, we did not find any evidence that polyandry leads to either decreased median lifespan or increased aging rate in mammals. We discuss such an absence of detectable mortality costs of polyandry in female mammals in light of recent advances in the study of mammalian reproductive biology and life-history tactics.http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3688942?pdf=render |
| spellingShingle | Jean-François Lemaître Jean-Michel Gaillard Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. PLoS ONE |
| title | Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. |
| title_full | Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. |
| title_fullStr | Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. |
| title_full_unstemmed | Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. |
| title_short | Polyandry Has No Detectable Mortality Cost in Female Mammals. |
| title_sort | polyandry has no detectable mortality cost in female mammals |
| url | http://europepmc.org/articles/PMC3688942?pdf=render |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT jeanfrancoislemaitre polyandryhasnodetectablemortalitycostinfemalemammals AT jeanmichelgaillard polyandryhasnodetectablemortalitycostinfemalemammals |