A1 Refereed original research article in a scientific journal
Precopulatory mate guarding in crustaceans: Male competitive strategy and intersexual conflict
Authors: Jormalainen V
Publisher: UNIV CHICAGO PRESS
Publication year: 1998
Journal: Quarterly Review of Biology
Journal name in source: QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY
Journal acronym: Q REV BIOL
Volume: 73
Issue: 3
First page : 275
Last page: 304
Number of pages: 30
ISSN: 0033-5770
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1086/420306
Abstract
Precopulatory mate guarding in crustaceans is a common male mating strategy when female receptivity for copulation is short. The decision to start guarding is not made by only males, however; it is commonly found that females resist the guarding attempts of males. Furthermore, experimental data show that males aim for longer guarding durations than females allow. Shorter guarding durations may be favored by females because of a number of potential costs of guarding. Precopulatory guarding therefore presents a model case of intersexual conflict where the fitness maximizing strategies of males and females differ. When the interests of the sexes are in conflict, the actual guarding duration may be a compromise between mat and female optima, resulting from the adjustment of contest behavior to the fitness gains of winning and to the fighting abilities of the parties. Intersexual conflicts are also likely to generate sexual selection on male and female traits related to the outcome of the contests.
Precopulatory mate guarding in crustaceans is a common male mating strategy when female receptivity for copulation is short. The decision to start guarding is not made by only males, however; it is commonly found that females resist the guarding attempts of males. Furthermore, experimental data show that males aim for longer guarding durations than females allow. Shorter guarding durations may be favored by females because of a number of potential costs of guarding. Precopulatory guarding therefore presents a model case of intersexual conflict where the fitness maximizing strategies of males and females differ. When the interests of the sexes are in conflict, the actual guarding duration may be a compromise between mat and female optima, resulting from the adjustment of contest behavior to the fitness gains of winning and to the fighting abilities of the parties. Intersexual conflicts are also likely to generate sexual selection on male and female traits related to the outcome of the contests.
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