Week 10 Post 1

Animal Behavior: Mate Choice

• Mate choice is very important
• Many species mate with one partner for life 
• Mates determine the success of the offspring
• Females are usually choosier in their mate
• Direct benefits:
• Increased survival of the female
• Male brings food
• Breeding location
• Greater number of offspring
• Indirect benefits:
• Better male genetics
• Better immune system
• Healthier offspring
• More compatible genes
• Sensory biases
• Prefers males based off of other cues not related to mating
• Males can cause costs of mating/ not mating
• Animals must balance direct benefits, indirect benefits, and potential costs when choosing mates