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Understanding what processes shape the formation of species' geographic range limits is one central objective linking ecology and evolutionary biology. One potentially key process is sexual selection; yet, theory examining how sexual selection could shape eco-evolutionary dynamics in marginal populations is still lacking. In species with separate sexes, range limits could be shaped by limitations in encountering mates at low densities. Sexual selection could therefore modulate mate limitation and resulting extinction–colonization dynamics at range margins, through evolution of mate encounter ability and/or mate competition traits, and their demographic consequences. We use a spatially explicit eco-genetic model to reveal how different forms of sexual selection can variably affect emerging range limits. Larger ranges emerged when sexual selection acted exclusively on traits increasing mate encounter probability, thus reducing female's mate limitation toward the range margins. In contrast, sexual selection via mate competition narrowed range limits due to increased trait-dependent mortality in males and elevated mate limitation for females. When mate encounter coevolved with mate competition, their combined effects on range limits depended on the mating system (polygyny vs. monogamy). Our results demonstrate that evolution of species' ranges may be importantly shaped by feedbacks between sexual selection and spatial population demography and dynamics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT The Darwin–Bateman paradigm predicts that females enhance their fitness by being choosy and mating with high‐quality males, while males should compete to mate with as many females as possible. In many species, males enhance their fitness by defending females and/or resources used by females. That is, males directly defend access to mating opportunities. However, paternity analyses have repeatedly shown that females in most species mate polyandrously, which contradicts traditional expectations that male defensive behaviours lead to monandry. Here, in an extensive meta‐analysis, encompassing 109 species and 1026 effect sizes from across the animal kingdom, we tested if the occurrence of defensive behaviours modulates sexual selection on females and males. If so, we can illuminate the extent to which males really succeed in defending access to mating and fertilisation opportunities. We used four different indices of the opportunity for sexual selection that comprise pre‐mating and/or post‐mating episodes of selection. We found, for both sexes, that the occurrence of defensive behaviours does not modulate the potential strength of sexual selection. This implies that male defensive behaviours do not predict the true intensity of sexual selection. While the most extreme levels of sexual selection on males are in species with male defensive behaviours, which indicates that males do sometimes succeed in restricting females' re‐mating ability (e.g. elephant seals, Mirounga leonina), estimates of the opportunity for sexual selection vary greatly across species, regardless of whether or not defensive behaviours occur. Indeed, widespread polyandry shows that females are usually not restricted by male defensive behaviours. In addition, our results indicate that post‐mating episodes of selection, such as cryptic female choice and sperm competition, might be important factors modulating the opportunity for sexual selection. We discuss: (i) why male defensive behaviours fail to lower the opportunity for sexual selection among females or fail to elevate it for males; (ii) how post‐mating events might influence sexual selection; and (iii) the role of females as active participants in sexual selection. We also highlight that inadequate data reporting in the literature prevented us from extracting effect sizes from many studies that had presumably collected the relevant data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Female spiders and praying mantises are renowned for their cannibalism of male partners before, during, or after mating. While several hypotheses have been proposed to explain species-specific examples of sexual cannibalism, much variation remains unexplained, including why the timing of cannibalism varies across taxa. Here, I outline how sexually cannibalistic behavior could evolve via sexually antagonistic selection as a type of behavioral resistance to male-imposed mating costs, and how such a generalizable interpretation provides a framework for understanding the evolution of both sexual cannibalism in females and anti-cannibalistic traits in males. I discuss how differences between mating systems that physiologically constrain males to mate only once (monogyny) or twice (bigyny) and systems where the sexes can potentially mate multiply (polygyny and polyandry) are likely to influence how sexual conflict shapes cannibalistic behavior. I review key examples from the literature that suggest how sexually cannibalistic behavior might function as a female resistance trait and provide comprehensive predictions for testing this hypothesis empirically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background The highly eusocial stingless bees are crucial pollinators of native and agricultural ecosystems. Nevertheless, genomic studies within this bee tribe remain scarce. We present the genome assembly of the stingless bee Melipona bicolo r. This bee is a remarkable exception to the typical single-queen colony structure, since in this species, multiple queens may coexist and share reproductive duties, resulting in genetically diverse colonies with weak kinship connections. As the only known genuinely polygynous bee, M. bicolor’s genome provides a valuable resource for investigating sociality beyond kin selection. Results The genome was assembled employing a hybrid approach combining short and long reads, resulting in 241 contigs spanning 259 Mb (N50 of 6.2 Mb and 97.5% complete BUSCOs). Comparative analyses shed light on some evolutionary aspects of stingless bee genomics, including multiple chromosomal rearrangements in Melipona. Additionally, we explored the evolution of venom genes in M. bicolor and other stingless bees, revealing that, apart from two genes, the conserved repertoire of venom components remains under purifying selection in this clade. Conclusion This study advances our understanding of stingless bee genomics, contributing to the conservation efforts of these vital pollinators and offering insights into the evolutionary mechanisms driving their unique adaptations.

Background: The highly eusocial stingless bees are crucial pollinators of native and agricultural ecosystems. Nevertheless, genomic studies within this bee tribe remain scarce. We present the genome assembly of the stingless bee Melipona bicolor. This bee is a remarkable exception to the typical single-queen colony structure, since in this species, multiple queens may coexist and share reproductive duties, resulting in genetically diverse colonies with weak kinship connections. As the only known genuinely polygynous bee, M. bicolor's genome provides a valuable resource for investigating sociality beyond kin selection. Results: The genome was assembled employing a hybrid approach combining short and long reads, resulting in 241 contigs spanning 259 Mb (N50 of 6.2 Mb and 97.5% complete BUSCOs). Comparative analyses shed light on some evolutionary aspects of stingless bee genomics, including multiple chromosomal rearrangements in Melipona. Additionally, we explored the evolution of venom genes in M. bicolor and other stingless bees, revealing that, apart from two genes, the conserved repertoire of venom components remains under purifying selection in this clade. Conclusion: This study advances our understanding of stingless bee genomics, contributing to the conservation efforts of these vital pollinators and offering insights into the evolutionary mechanisms driving their unique adaptations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adaptive effects of inbreeding are understudied, but accumulating evidence suggests that it plays a major adaptive role in speciation, as populations with a history of inbreeding are more prone to it. Differences in inbreeding tolerance in two populations of Microtus hartingi voles were studied through a series of experiments on reproductive behaviour and partner choice. Modelling an artificial polygyny via the formation of trios composed of a brother, sister, and an unrelated female has shown an uneven attitude towards inbreeding, which was closely linked to the reproduction strategy: voles of the Rhodopean population (RP) would reproduce communally with only a moderate decrease in reproduction success, while in monogamous M. hartingi ankaraensis voles from Central Anatolia (CAP), the reproductive success dropped almost to zero due to severe social stress resulting in heavily antagonistic behaviour between females; aggression levels rose with maturation. Studies of reproduction in pairs of relatives revealed the absence of inbreeding avoidance in the polygynous population (RP) and a sharp decrease in reproduction probability in the monogamous subspecies (CAP). Olfactory three-choice behavioural tests have proven that voles do not choose the smell randomly, juveniles do not have partner preferences, and adults choose the unrelated individual's odour. RP voles prefer to mate with kin first, whereas CAP voles mate with non-kin first. The differences in reproductive strategy might have evolved due to habitat fragmentation and restriction of natal dispersal in the RP which has been isolated from the ancient Anatolian Microtus hartingi population since the Pleistocene. The adaptation to communal reproduction via kin selection resulted in increased inbreeding tolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social behaviour is thought to be a major component of survival, reproduction, and resilience of populations. Thus, it is a key component in management and conservation of wild populations. In polygynous breeding species, group size influences the reproductive success of males and females, and hence it is essential to understand the environmental and demographic factors that shape the phenology of group size within populations. Here, we investigate harem size and its determinants using a 15‐year dataset of annual harem size phenology‐based metrics from a reintroduced population of wild Przewalski horses in Hortobágy National Park, Hungary. From the initial reintroduction of 21 animals in 1997, the population grew to 174 animals in 2012. During that same period, the number of harems increased from three to 23. Despite the 8‐fold increase in population size, harem sizes remained stable, and variability among harems within years decreased. The annual phenological cycle of harem size was not consistent over the 15‐year period, and the associated annual phenology‐based metrics varied differently over the years. The best predictors of our phenology‐based harem size metrics were adult sex ratio, annual adult mortality and annual mean number of harems, with some evidence that mean age of harem stallions and drought severity were contributing factors. Our findings reveal that complex interactions between demography, climate, and harem size can emerge in social animals. Taken together, our results demonstrate that intrinsic population processes can regulate group size even in the presence of non‐stationary climatic conditions during periods of growth in human‐introduced, semi‐free ranging animal populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygamy is a form of "one-sided" consensually non-monogamous relationship where one person has multiple committed partners, each of whom is only involved with that one person. It was likely a reoccurring feature of ancestral mating that posed adaptive problems for our ancestors. Yet polygamy, and multi-partnering more generally, is understudied in Western cultures, raising questions about the existence of polygamous interest and whether this is calibrated adaptively to personal conditions. In two studies, we examined polygamous interest in two heterosexual online samples from the UK. In Study 1 (N = 393), modest interest was found for polygamous relationships overall. Men were six times more open to polygyny than women, but there was little sex difference in openness to polyandry. Further analysis revealed that all forms of multi-partnering were undesirable relative to singlehood and monogamy; however, consensual multi-partner relationships were less undesirable than non-consensual ones. Sex differences were largest for polygyny and arrangements where men had agreed access to a casual partner alongside a committed one, yet these were two of the most acceptable forms of multi-partnering when men and women's responses were combined. Sociosexuality positively predicted interest in most forms of multi-partnering. Study 2 (N = 735) focused on polygyny and added status-linked traits as predictors. The results of Study 1 were broadly replicated, though the status-linked traits did not predict polygynous interest specifically. Instead, sociosexuality and male intrasexual competitiveness uniquely predicted general interest in multi-partner relationships. Overall, interest in polygamy appears to emerge despite social discouragement and sex differences in interest track the relative costs and benefits associated with it. However, there is no strong evidence that polygamous interest is uniquely calibrated to personal conditions when compared to other forms of multi-partnering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fisher proposed that female preference for mates with extreme traits could evolve as an essentially arbitrary outcome of a self-reinforcing process. Although Fisher's runaway has been shown to be a theoretical possibility, it is not clear whether it occurs in real populations, in part because existing models express the necessary conditions in terms of parameters that would be nearly impossible to estimate in the wild. Here, I reformulate models of the runaway in terms of two estimable parameters, the heritability and phenotypic variance of realized mate choices. Higher values of both quantities make the runaway more likely. In the most realistic model considered, in which mate choices are based on a mixture of absolute and relative criteria, a runaway cannot occur unless mate choice increases the variance of the male trait, which seems incompatible with the strong directional mating preferences typically observed in polygynous species. Even in the most favourable case for the runaway, purely relative preference without direct selection on preference, a substantial heritability of realized mate choices would be required if there is moderately strong stabilizing selection on the male trait. These results cast some doubt on whether the runaway is a plausible outcome in natural populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although random meiosis should prevent the facultative adjustment of offspring sex ratio, theory predicts that females should produce more of the sex with the higher reproductive value. We reported a case of offspring sex ratio manipulation in grass wrens Cistothorus platensis. Males in better body condition would have higher reproductive value than females due to the potential for social polygyny and extra-pair fertilizations. On the other hand, local demography influences reproductive strategies in grass wrens as male abundance affects both social polygyny and extra-pair paternity frequencies. We evaluated whether females bias their brood sex ratio in response to adult sex ratio and nestling body condition (a proxy for female's prospects of producing high-quality males). Females raised more male offspring when males were less abundant in the population (female-biased adult sex ratio). However, we found no relationship between nestling body condition and brood sex ratio, suggesting that females did not bias the brood sex ratio towards males when able to raise nestlings in better body condition. Taken together, our results provide the first suggestive evidence that female birds can manipulate their offspring sex ratio in response to the adult sex ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mismatches between current and potential species distributions are commonplace due to lags in the response of populations to changing environmental conditions. The prevailing mating system may contribute to such lags where it leads to mating failure at the range edge, but how active dispersers might mitigate these lags using social information to inform dispersal strategies warrants greater exploration. We used an individual-based model to explore how different mating systems for species that actively search for habitat can impose a filter on the ability to colonise empty, fragmented landscapes, and explored how using social information during dispersal can mitigate the lags caused by more constrained mating systems. The mate-finding requirements implemented in two-sex models consistently led to slower range expansion compared to those that were not mate limited (i.e., female only models), even when mating was polygynous. A mate-search settlement strategy reduced the proportion of unmated females at the range edge but had little impact on rate of spread. In contrast, a negative density-dependent settlement strategy resulted in much faster spread, which could be explained by a greater number of long-distance dispersal events. Our findings suggest that even low rates of mating failure at the range edge can lead to considerable lags in range expansion, though dispersal strategies that favour colonising more distant, sparsely occupied habitat patches may effectively mitigate these lags. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double brooding, the laying of a second clutch after successfully fledging young from a first nest in a season, is a common reproductive strategy among short-lived birds to increase annual breeding success. Nevertheless, there is widespread intra- and interspecific variation in the probability of producing a second clutch. Given that the frequency of double brooding could affect population growth rate, knowing what factors contribute to this phenomenon is also important in the conservation management of threatened facultative double-brooded species. Here, we examine the frequency of double brooding and the factors affecting the probability of this reproductive strategy in a population of the Great Reed Warbler, Acrocephalus arundinaceus, in south-western Slovakia. Results of a 15-year study (2008–2022) revealed low overall rate of double brooding in the Great Reed Warbler (5.6% per year, 0–15.4%). The length of breeding season, timing of the first clutch laying date and the size of the first broods were key factors influencing the female's decision to initiate a second clutch. On the other hand, successful brood parasitism did not affect second clutch initiation, which contrasts with our prediction. Given that only monogamous or primary females initiated a second clutch after successfully rearing a first one, we assume that producing two broods within the same season may be an alternative strategy for monogamous males to increase their annual reproductive output in this facultatively polygynous species. Therefore, due to relatively high rate of polygyny, we probably cannot expect higher rate of double broodings in the Great Reed Warbler in the future either. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coexistence of multiple reproductives in eusocial insects is widespread, yet the decisions leading to additional queen acceptance are not well understood. Unlike in vertebrates, acceptance decisions are likely controlled by the more numerous helper population rather than the parent reproductive. Yet there are likely to be queen-worker differences in acceptance criteria because workers and queens differ in their relatedness to a secondary queen. We develop a model that examines queen-worker conflict in two scenarios: accepting a queen's sister or daughter. We additionally ask how the mating frequency and split sex ratios affect the outcomes of these conflicts. Our results reveal that conflict over queen acceptance is highest in monandrous mating systems. We identify a "window of conflict" in which a queen is selected to accept her sister but her workers do not. Our result, that polyandry neutralizes conflict over acceptance thresholds, suggests that conflict suppression may be an additional contributor to the maintenance of polyandrous mating systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Successful reproduction of two subspecies of Harting's vole in monogamous pairs (monogamous groups, 35 pairs for each) was shown. The results obtained in modeling the experimental polygyny revealed a different attitude of females of the two subspecies to the formation of communal groups. In polygynous groups of M. h. lydius, regardless of the relationship of the females (35 groups consisting of sisters and 20 groups of unrelated females), the intensity of reproduction and the proportion of successfully reared pups decreased significantly compared to the monogamous groups. With high energy costs for reproduction, there were significantly fewer reared pups per mother giving birth than in the monogamous groups, thus suggesting the predominance of monogamy in this subspecies. On the contrary, related females of M. h. hartingi bred successfully in communal groups (35 groups of sisters), demonstrating a high tolerance, a tendency to co-rearing and feeding the pups, and low infant mortality. In polygynous groups consisting of unrelated females (20 groups), reproductive success decreased due to increased infant mortality. Possible benefits of communal reproduction in this subspecies are discussed, as well as the likely relationship with habitat fragmentation under such conditions and with a lack of vacancies for the dispersal of young animals, which may be an important adaptation for this subspecies of voles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bowfins, Amia, have been regarded as regarded as promiscuous or polygynous spawners, although this has not been directly observed. Species of Amia spawn largely at night in male-constructed and male-guarded nests, making it difficult to view spawning behavior. Furthermore, in many species, field observations of spawning behavior do not always match genetic observations. To investigate the mating system of Amia, we collected fin tissue from guarding males and a sample of associated eggs or fry from 15 broods to assess the number of parents involved in each brood. Using these tissues, we genotyped individuals at 11 microsatellite DNA loci. The genotype of the male was known; we inferred the genotype of the primary female by subtraction, using the most abundant fry genotypes and the known male genotype. We inferred polygamy (presence of multiple fathers or multiple mothers) in cases where there was more than a single fry at a single locus for which the genotype could not be explained by primary parental genotypes. Among sampled broods, seven contained offspring of a single male–female pair. Fry from eight broods show evidence of polygamy: in one brood, there was evidence of an extra-pair male; in five broods, there was evidence of at least one additional female, and in two of these five broods, there was also involvement by at least one additional male; in two broods, it could not be determined whether the additional parent was male or female. Thus, nearly half of our sampled broods were both behaviorally and genetically monogamous, while other broods were genetically polygamous. It has been suggested previously that female bowfin may spawn with more than one male, but there are no behavioral observations to support this claim and our genetic data cannot discern whether females are spawning in more than one nest. We conclude that Amia is behaviorally monogamous and weakly genetically polygynous. With respect to the evolution of mating systems of fishes, it is interesting that Amia, representing a member of the Holostei or the sister group to teleosts, is behaviorally monogamous, albeit with opportunistic participation in spawning by either extra males or extra females or both. A review of the literature on spawning behavior of non-teleostean ray-finned fishes suggests that additional behavioral and genetic studies of these fascinating taxa are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research on maternal filicide has noted a lack of resources and mental illness as important causal factors. Although most scholars accept that filicide should be understood in an appropriate cultural context, the processes by which macro-level structures such as culture and ideology are embodied in the situated behaviors of offenders and victims have been insufficiently explored. This paper explores maternal filicide in Korea from 1948 to 1962. It finds that cultural factors unique to mid-twentieth century Korea, such as polygyny and shame, influenced the characteristics of maternal filicide in ways that differentiate it from the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Female density and distribution are dependent on resource phenology and female availability strongly influences male mating behaviour and success. When a male adopts a 'resource defence' tactic, his reproductive success depends on the location and attractiveness of his territory. Environmental factors associated with territory quality are expected to influence mating success, for example, through territory features or male–male competition. In a protected population of a mountain‐dwelling polygynous herbivore, the Alpine chamois Rupicapra r. rupicapra, we investigated the relationships among mating opportunities, some environmental variables (snow depth, topographic features and size of territories) and male intra‐sexual competition for mating. We recorded the mating behaviour and territory size of 15 GPS‐GSM radio‐tagged territorial males, during five rutting seasons (early November to early December: N = 8 individuals in 2011, N = 9 in 2012, N = 8 in 2015, N = 11 in 2016, N = 7 in 2017; 80% of them were observed for more than one mating season) and related them to snow depth and topography of territories. In ruts with deep snow cover, territorial males had smaller territories and higher number of mating opportunities than in ruts with lower snow cover. Smaller territories showed the highest values of terrain roughness, in turn with little or no snow cover in the mating season, and were visited by a greater number of females, than larger territories. Number of wins was positively influenced by snow depth and negatively related to the frequency of aggressions. The frequency of male–male aggressive interactions was greater during ruts with deep snow cover and for males with territories at higher elevations; additionally, it was negatively related to interactions won. Thus, snow depth, which influences resource distribution and female movements, is confirmed as a strong determinant of male mating opportunities and mating behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Secure land tenure is critical in enabling farmers to make productivity-enhancing investments. While substantial research exists on the relationship between property rights and investment, this relationship is complicated in the presence of polygyny and customary law. If households are acting according to theory, we would expect households to make investments in land held under more individualized and secure tenure (non-customary). We test if this pattern holds across household types, namely monogamous vs. polygynous households in Uganda. Using five waves of the Uganda Living Standards Measurement Study-Integrated Surveys on Agriculture (LSMS-ISA), we measure the effects of parcel tenure on both fertilizer and long-term agricultural investment across different marriage structures. Our results suggest that customary land tenure in monogamous households leads to a decrease in organic and inorganic fertilizer use, and a decrease in the likelihood of erosion prevention and planting perennial crops. Contrary to expectations, polygynous households invest more in fertilizer and fallowing on customary land. Our results suggest that land privatization, without concurrent attention to customary law and marriage structure, could have a deleterious effect on investment incentive mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive social insects rank among the most damaging of terrestrial species. They are responsible for extensive damage and severely threaten the biodiversity of environments where they are introduced. Variation in colony social form commonly occurs in introduced populations of yellowjacket wasps (genus Vespula). In particular, invasive colonies may contain multiple queens (i.e., polygyne) and persist several years, while in the native range, the colonies are usually annual and harbor a single queen (i.e., monogyne). In this study, we used genome-wide loci obtained by double digest restriction site-associated DNA sequencing (RADseq) to investigate the genetic structure and queen turnover in colonies of the western yellowjacket, Vespula pensylvanica, in their introduced range in Hawaii. Of the 27 colonies monitored over four months (October-January), 19 were polygyne and already contained multiple queens on the first day of sampling. Contrary to previous speculation, this finding suggests that polygyny often arises early in the annual colony cycle, before the production of new queens in the fall. Furthermore, polygyne colonies exhibited a prolonged average lifespan relative to those headed by a single queen. As a result, there is no clear window during which colony eradication efforts would be more effective than upon first discovery. The relatedness among nestmate queens was slightly above zero, indicating that these colonies are generally composed of nonrelatives. The queen turnover within each colony was low, and we detected some full-sibling workers sampled up to four months apart. Finally, we did not detect any population structure among colonies, suggesting that queens disperse up to several kilometers. Taken together, our results provide the first insights into the requeening dynamics in this invasive and incipiently polygyne population and illuminate the early establishment of multiple long-lasting queens in these damaging colonies.

In polygynous systems, such as that exhibited by reindeer Rangifer tarandus , mate choice can be difficult to disentangle from male intrasexual competition because male behavior may constrain female choice. Multiple mating may provide an avenue for female mate choice, though it is difficult to identify using behavioral estimators alone. Molecular techniques address this issue by affording ecologists an opportunity to reassess mating systems from a genetic perspective. We assessed the frequency and possible explanations for multiple mating in reindeer using a genetic approach to determine the success of observed copulations in a semi-domesticated herd in Kaamanen, Finland. Behavioral and genetic data were synthesized with population characteristics over a 7-year period to test the hypothesis that, if present, polyandry in reindeer is driven by sexual harassment from sub-dominant males. We observed multiple mating in 42% of females, with as many as 60% exhibiting multiple mating in certain years. We found no evidence that multiple mating resulted from sexual harassment by sub-dominant males, suggesting that it is likely a deliberate strategy among females. Conversion rate of copulations into paternities varied with male size, with smaller males more likely to experience mismatch than larger males. Female preference for larger males persisted despite the occurrence of multiple mating, possibly suggesting a mechanism for cryptic post-copulatory selection. We suggest further research to delineate the possible influence of cryptic post-copulatory selection and multiple mating to defend against infertility in exhausted males. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inbreeding is a clinically significant measure of a population dependent on human social structures including the population size or the cultural traits. Here, we propose an expanded and elaborate model to analyze the inbreeding within a population where explicit polygyny and inbreeding bounds are taken into account. Unlike the models presented so far, we implemented biologically realistic assumptions that there is the disproportionate probability of males to reproduce (polygyny) and female reproduction is bounded. Using the proposed model equations, we changed the parameters that represent the polygyny degree, the female reproductive bound correlated to the mutation rate, and the total population size. The disappearance of the polygyny that numerous human societies experienced results in the long-lasting effect of the decreasing inbreeding coefficient. Decreased female reproductive bound correlated with a higher mutation rate reveals similar results. After the effect of each factor is analyzed, we modeled the dynamics of the inbreeding coefficient throughout an imaginary human population where polygyny disappears and late marriage becomes prevalent. In this group, the population size gradually and exponentially increases reflecting the traits of prehistoric human society and rising agricultural productivity. To observe how late and less marriage, the feature of the modern developed society, affects the inbreeding dynamics, the female reproductive bound and the population size were assumed to decrease after the population upsurge. The model can explain the decreasing trend of the prehistoric inbreeding coefficient of the actual human population and predict how the trend will be shifted when traits of modern societies continue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The formation of expansive multi-nest and multi-queen supercolonies is perhaps the most important factor responsible for the ecological success of invasive ants. The odorous house ant, Tapinoma sessile, is a widespread ant native to North America. T. sessile is a challenging urban pest, but also serves as an interesting system to study ant social organization and invasion biology. This is due to its remarkable dichotomy in colony social and spatial structure between natural and urban environments. Natural colonies typically consist of a small number of workers, inhabit a single nest, and are monogyne whereas urban colonies show extreme polygyny and polydomy and form large supercolonies. The current study examined the extent to which T. sessile colonies from different habitats (natural vs. urban) and social structures (monogynous vs. polygynous) exhibit aggression toward alien conspecifics. Additionally, interactions between mutually aggressive colonies were examined in colony fusion experiments to assess the potential role of colony fusion as a mechanism leading to supercolony formation. Aggression assays demonstrated high levels of aggression in pairings involving workers from different urban colonies and workers from different natural colonies, but low aggression in pairings involving queens from different urban colonies. Colony merging tests demonstrated that urban T. sessile colonies are highly aggressive to each other, but capable of fusing under laboratory conditions when competing for limited nesting and food resources. Despite highly aggressive interactions and relatively high worker and queen mortality, all colony pairs merged in 3–5 days. Fusion occurred after most workers died and the survivors merged. This result suggests that the success of T. sessile in urban areas may be driven, at least in part, by successful colony mergers of unrelated colonies which may be determined by ecological constraints such as seasonal shortages in nest and/or food availability. In summary, two independent factors including the growth of a single colony and/or the merger of multiple colonies may be responsible for the evolution of supercolonies in invasive ants. Both processes may be happening simultaneously and may act synergistically to produce supercolonies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In territorial species, individual recognition among neighbouring males is likely to reduce energy expenses and risk of injury associated with the costly period of maintaining territory during the breeding season. This study explored neighbour–stranger vocal recognition in male Cape fur seals, one of the most colonial and polygynous mammals. Playback experiments revealed that territorial males were able to recognise the calls of their neighbours, in combination with their relative spatial position to their own harem. No 'dear-enemy' nor 'nasty neighbour' effects were detected. However, the strongest responses observed were towards the calls of familiar neighbours played back from an incongruent location, simulating a situation in which a neighbour is outside its own territory. The colony structure and movements of the seals across the day could explain such results. This study has implications for understanding how vocal signals regulate interactions among males in polygynous mammals, particularly during the competitive mating period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Odalisques feature prominently in western paintings of the secluded harem especially at the height of such paintings' popularity in the colonial nineteenth and twentieth centuries (Lewis, 2004). When a painter draws an Oriental odalisque, he is sure to draw an artistically scopophilic object. While indulging himself in his sensual art, this same painter exercises his masculine power to exploit the body of the woman whom the odalisque now represents. Noticeably, the presence of a harem odalisque, be it a presence in writing or in visual art, recalls the seminal The Arabian Nights, the mecca of odalisques' lovers; and its enchanting harems and harem women, on top of them is the arch-odalisque Scheherazad. It is drawing on the heritage of The Arabian Nights and its plethora of Orientalist images that the Arab American poet Mohja Kahf (b. 1967) is inspired to entitle both her poetry collection E-mails from Scheherazad (2003) and the poem under scrutiny in this paper "Thawrah des Odalisques at the Matisse Retrospective" (Kahf, 2003, pp. 64–69). In drawing on that heritage, Kahf, a writer who belongs to a racial minority and is a feminist herself, uses the renowned odalisques painted by the French artist Henri Matisse (1869–1954) as a mouthpiece that exposes the enduring Orientalist stereotypes and counterattacks them. Through Matisse's odalisques, Kahf narrates a story of how a past replete with misconceptions about the Orient and Oriental women continues to feed mainstream Western thought sabotaging the image of Arabs and Arab Americans (and the women among them in particular). It is in the heart of New York, one of the world's most modern cities, that those women-slaves of art inaugurate their revolution against the enduring stereotypes and liberate themselves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coordination in timing of reproduction is driven by multiple ecological and sociobiological processes for a wide array of species. Eastern wild turkeys (Meleagris gallopavo silvestris) use a male dominance polygynous mating system, where males communicate with females via elaborate courtship displays and vocalizations at display sites. Most females prefer to mate with dominant males; therefore, asynchronous breeding and nesting may occur which can disproportionately influence individual fitness within breeding groups. For female wild turkeys, there are reproductive advantages associated with earlier nesting. As such, we evaluated reproductive asynchrony within and between groups of GPS‐tagged female eastern wild turkeys based on timing of nest initiation. We examined 30 social groups with an average of seven females per group (range 2–15) during 2014–2019 in west central Louisiana. We found that the estimated number of days between first nest initiation across females within groups varied between 3 and 7 days across years, although we expected 1–2 days to occur between successive nesting attempts of females within groups based on observations of captive wild turkeys in the extant literature. The number of days between successive nest attempts across females within groups was lower for successful than failed attempts, and nests with an average of 2.8 days between initiation of another nest were more likely to hatch. Our findings suggest that asynchronous reproduction may influence reproductive success in female wild turkeys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The various pairing systems for European Picidae are presented on the basis of the most exhaustive bibliographical review possible. Social monogamy appears to be the rule, largely due to the male investment in reproduction, which is equal to or even greater than that of the female in Woodpeckers. Other systems have also been observed on an often ad hoc basis: polyandry, polygyny, cooperative reproduction and egg-laying parasitism. We insist that ecological or other reasons will have led to these unusual modes. In the appendix, a list of non-European Picidae is presented with related bibliography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strumigenys is one of the largest genera of ants, and one of the few which has received relatively recent global taxonomic treatment at the species level. Despite this, many new species continue to be found in most biogeographic regions. Strumigenys flavianae sp. nov. is described based on material collected in Viçosa, in the state of Minas Gerais, among secondary growth remnants of the Brazilian Atlantic Forest. Three workers of this new taxon are known, and the lack of additional specimens in the main ant collections harboring Atlantic Forest ants indicates its rarity. Strumigenys flavianae can be differentiated from all Neotropical Strumigenys for its overall slenderness, flagellate and wire-like pilosity, extremely long head, large and medially notched subpetiolar spongiform tissue and a mostly reticulate pleura. The new species is distinct from all other species found in the Atlantic Forest. It has similarities to some Amazonian species in the hyphata-group (S. cincinnata and S. hyphata) and the probatrix-group (S. doryceps), while still having significant differences relative to both. Therefore, a new species group was created to account for the new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As small-bodied terrestrial organisms, insects face severe desiccation risks in arid environments, and these risks are increasing under climate change. Here, we investigate the physiological, chemical, and behavioral mechanisms by which harvester ants, one of the most abundant arid-adapted insect groups, cope with desiccating environmental conditions. We aimed to understand how body size, cuticular hydrocarbon profiles, and queen number impact worker desiccation resistance in the facultatively polygynous harvester ant, Pogonomyrmex californicus. We measured survival at 0% humidity of field-collected worker ants sourced from three closely situated populations within a semi-arid region of southern California. These populations vary in queen number, with one population dominated by multi-queen colonies (primary polygyny), one population dominated by single-queen colonies, and one containing an even mix of single- and multi-queen colonies. We found no effect of population on worker survival in desiccation assays, suggesting that queen number does not influence colony desiccation resistance. Across populations, however, body mass and cuticular hydrocarbon profiles significantly predicted desiccation resistance. Larger-bodied workers survived longer in desiccation assays, emphasizing the importance of reduced surface area-to-volume ratios in maintaining water balance. Additionally, we observed a positive relationship between desiccation resistance and the abundance of n-alkanes, supporting previous work that has linked these high-melting point compounds to improved body water conservation. Together, these results contribute to an emerging model explaining the physiological mechanisms of desiccation resistance in insects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Burrowing rodents display diverse patterns of social organization, ranging from solitary to group living. Differences in social organization are often inferred from patterns of space use, particularly differences in the degree to which individual home ranges overlap. Here, we characterize patterns of space use in a poorly studied species of burrow-dwelling echimyid rodent, the Broad-headed Spiny Rat (Clyomys laticeps). Specifically, we use radiotelemetry studies of a free-living population in Parque Estadual da Serra de Caldas Novas (Goiás, Brazil) to evaluate previous, apparently contradictory reports suggesting that this species is both solitary and social. A total of 20 adult (12 females, 8 males) C. laticeps were monitored via telemetry during two consecutive cycles of annual wet and dry seasons. The resulting data indicate that although overlap of individual home ranges was common, co-occurrence of adults in time and space was rare and was limited to male–female pairs, a pattern that is most consistent with a solitary lifestyle in which individuals occupy distinct burrow systems. Neither sex nor season affected spatial overlap; this outcome is consistent with evidence suggesting that reproduction in this species occurs throughout the year. Although home ranges for males were larger than those for females, areas occupied by both males and females overlapped with multiple opposite-sex individuals, making it difficult to determine from spatial data whether the study population was polygynous or polygynandrous. While genetic data are needed to characterize fully the mating system of these animals, our analyses provide the first detailed information regarding spatial relationships in C. laticeps , thereby allowing more accurate placement of this species within a larger, comparative behavioral framework and facilitating efforts to identify factors contributing to social diversity among burrow-dwelling rodents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygynous males allocate substantial resources to sexual traits and behaviours to improve their chances of winning competitions for mates often at the cost of body maintenance. However, the degree to which males experience these trade-offs can be influenced by external conditions. Studies are needed that assess whether polygynous male resource allocation decisions about life history traits are density dependent. We tested for an influence of density on age-specific life history traits in male southern elephant seals, Mirounga leonina , using a 34-year data set collected at Marion Island. Specifically, we determine whether life history varied with density-related factors for survival, improved breeding success (measured as social status) and recruitment age. This was done by selecting linear models that tested biological hypotheses about density-dependent covariates related to competition intensity during breeding and natal conditions, while accounting for known intrinsic effects such as age and social status. Baseline mortalities were higher for males that had accumulated above average reproductive costs for their age than males with below average costs. This reproductive cost was determined by the number of females per harem relative to the population average. Thus, males likely allocated more resources to reproduction and less to body maintenance at all ages when defending and servicing relatively large harems, and this cost was compounding for males that dominated large harems at a young age. Males born in years with few pups were more likely to be dominant breeders and recruit at an earlier age than males born in years with many pups. Thus, breeding success and recruitment age likely depended on the population density experienced during early life, suggesting lasting effects of natal conditions in a long-lived animal. We show how density-dependent factors interact with intrinsic determinants of resource allocation to determine variation in polygynous male life history with long-term consequences. • Density at birth and breeding explains variation in polygynous male vital rates. • Males dominating large female harems experience greater cumulative survival costs. • Males of small natal cohorts recruit earlier and are more likely to be dominant. • Density-related resource allocation decisions have long-lasting consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vocalizations differ substantially between the sexes in many primates, and low-frequency male vocalizations may be favored by sexual selection because they intimidate rivals and/or attract mates. Sexual dimorphism in fundamental frequency may be more pronounced in species with more intense male mating competition and in those with large group size, where social knowledge is limited and efficient judgment of potential mates and competitors is crucial. These non-mutually exclusive explanations have not been tested simultaneously across primate species. In a sample of vocalizations (n = 1914 recordings) across 37 anthropoid species, we investigated whether fundamental frequency dimorphism evolved in association with increased intensity of mating competition (H1), large group size (H2), multilevel social organization (H3), a trade-off against the intensity of sperm competition (H4), and/or poor acoustic habitats (H5), controlling for phylogeny and body size dimorphism. We show that fundamental frequency dimorphism increased in evolutionary transitions towards larger group size and polygyny. Findings suggest that low-frequency male vocalizations in primates may have been driven by selection to win mating opportunities by avoiding costly fights and may be more important in larger groups, where limited social knowledge affords advantages to rapid assessment of status and threat potential via conspicuous secondary sexual characteristics. Sexual dimorphism in the fundamental frequency of primate vocalizations is variable. Here, the authors examine 1914 vocalizations from 37 anthropoid species to find that fundamental frequency dimorphism increased with larger group size and polygyny, due to sexual selection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Group genetic diversity is usually associated with a reduced risk of disease outbreak and a slower rate of pathogen transmission. In social insects, multiple mating by queens (polyandry) evolved several times albeit reducing worker's inclusive fitness. One major hypothesis suggests that polyandry has been selected for to mitigate the risk of outbreak thanks to increased genetic diversity within colonies. We investigated this hypothesis in the ant Cataglyphis mauritanica, in which nestmate workers are produced by several clonal, single-mated queens. Using natural colonies, we correlated genetic diversity with worker survival to a fungal entomopathogen. We further tested whether workers from different paternal lineages (but a common maternal genome) show differential resistance in experimentally single- or multiple-patriline groups, and whether an increased number of patrilines in a group improved disease resistance. We show that workers from distinct patrilines vary in their resistance to a pathogen in single-patriline colonies, but the difference among patrilines disappears when they are mixed in multiple-patriline colonies. Furthermore, pathogen resistance was affected by the number of patrilines in a group, with two- and three-patriline groups being more resistant than single-patriline groups. However, resistance did not differ between groups made of two and three patrilines; similarly, it was not associated with genetic diversity in natural colonies. Overall, our results suggest that collective disease defenses might homogenize workers' resistance from different patrilines and, thereby, stabilize colony resistance. Significance Statement: The occurrence of multiple breeders in insect societies has been hypothesized to be selected for because increased within-colony genetic diversity reduces the risk of severe outbreaks. We show that nestmate workers from distinct paternal lineages vary in their resistance to pathogens when reared in single-patriline groups. However, this difference disappears when workers are mixed in multiple-patriline groups. These results suggest that multiple mating by queens dilutes the deleterious consequences of a single patriline producing only susceptible offspring, rather than directly enhancing pathogen resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cooperation between kin and cooperation between non-kin often appear functionally similar, but the evolutionary mechanisms that drive the emergence of these two forms of cooperation can be dramatically different. The mechanisms responsible for non-kin cooperation, in particular, are not well established in an empirical context. To truly understand the emergence of non-kin cooperation, the fitness outcomes of cooperation should be compared with the alternate strategy of solitary living in the same environment. Ant populations that contain a mix of queens who found nests alone (monogyny), and cooperative unrelated ant queens who found nests together and remain together through colony development (primary polygyny), provide a useful natural context to make such a comparison. To estimate the reproductive costs for primary polygyny relative to solitary nest founding, we measured alate (reproductive) production for colonies in a mixed population of polygynous and monogynous California harvester ant colonies over a 2-year period. Colony-level reproductive output was not substantially higher in polygynous colonies compared to those with single queens, and consequent per-queen reproductive gain was significantly lower. Given that polygynous queens in this population are unrelated, nest sharing thus generates a significant annual and potentially lifetime cost for cooperative queens. Comparative measures of colony dynamics, however, suggest that polygynous colonies have a larger or more active workforce than monogynous colonies. Additionally, polygynous colonies may be more conservative than monogynous colonies in resource allocation towards reproduction. These results collectively suggest that primary polygyny generates annual reproductive fitness costs. However, polygynous colonies likely also shift life history strategies in ways that emphasize long-term survival and colony growth over immediate reproduction. Over time, this shift may mitigate the annual fitness costs of cooperation. Significance statement: When things get difficult, it pays to work together. In some ant species, unrelated queens form long-term cooperative associations that share resources and a workforce within a single nest. The fitness consequences and evolutionary drivers of non-kin cooperation in this and other systems are unclear. We compared the reproductive investment and colony dynamics of single-queen and multi-queen California harvester ant colonies in a shared environment to directly compare the fitness of cooperative and non-cooperative queens. Our data suggest that cooperation not only lowers annual per-queen reproduction, but also produces a more robust colony that may recoup annual fitness losses by extending colony longevity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation in mating systems and in individuals' copulation patterns can have important consequences for the genetic structure of a population and ultimately its evolution. Whilst most gorilla sub-species form single-male, polygynous reproductive groups, mountain gorillas have both single-male and multimale reproductive groups. Considerable research has investigated the mating patterns of males in these multimale groups, but comparatively little is known about females. We investigated the copulation patterns of 71 female mountain gorillas over 13 years. We found that most sexually active, fecundable females in multimale groups had multiple mating partners. Females' copulation patterns varied based on their reproductive stage, mating most often and with the greatest number of partners when they were pregnant, and least often when they had young dependent offspring. Females copulated throughout pregnancy, with pregnant females copulating more frequently in single-male groups than in multimale groups. Mating also varied with age, with older females mating less often and with fewer partners. Our findings confirm that when females transfer between single-male and multimale groups, they predominantly switch from copulating with one male to copulating with multiple males, and that females are also flexibly adjusting their copulation patterns across their lifetimes. This highlights the considerable variability of the mountain gorillas mating system, particularly from the female perspective, and the importance of accounting for within-species variation in copulation patterns. Significance statement: Patterns of mating can vary both between individuals of the same species and within individuals across their lives. These patterns influence the genetic structure of a population. By examining copulation patterns in female mountain gorillas, we demonstrate that whilst females in single-male groups have only one mating partner, females in multi-male groups predominantly have multiple partners across a year. They also alter their copulation patterns across their lifetimes, copulating less often and with fewer partners as they age, and copulating most when pregnant. Our results highlight the flexibility with which female mountain gorillas can adjust their copulation patterns across their lifetimes, as the costs and benefits of copulation shift. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In most ant species, workers have retained functional ovaries, allowing them to potentially lay viable unfertilized eggs that develop into males. Mechanisms (ex.: queen and/or worker policing) have nevertheless evolved to control worker reproduction when the queen is present. In many species with a high degree of polygyny, especially in tramp species, complete sterility of workers has evolved, presumably to “trap” them within their “worker phenotype”. Our study showed for the first time that in the highly polygynous and polydomous ant Crematogaster pygmaea, workers retained the full capacity to produce reproductive eggs in queenless colonies, with at least some of them developing in adult males. We provide evidence that worker-produced males are reproductively functional. Although most queenless colonies produced eggs, few larvae developed into pupae and adult males. We conclude that workers strongly police the worker-produced offspring, even in the queen's absence. Probable high relatedness between queens of C. pygmaea colonies and strong genetic proximity between brood and workers could force the workers in their helper, non-reproductive function even if they keep the ability to reproduce. Our observations indicate that the production of adult males and gynes in C. pygmaea is controlled by seasonal factors related to the rainy season.

The book "Woman between Two Kingdoms: Dara Rasami and the Making of Modern Thailand" by Leslie Castro-Woodhouse explores the formation of modern Thailand through the lens of Dara Rasami, a consort to King Chulalongkorn and daughter of the king of Chiang Mai. The author highlights the often overlooked role of women and those on the peripheries of the nation-state in Thai history. The book delves into Dara's political influence, her role as a hostage and diplomat, and her promotion of "northern" culture. It also examines the legacy of Dara in Chiang Mai and the political implications of her actions. The conclusion reflects on the demise of polygyny and the continued importance of women in embodying identity in post-1932 Siam. Overall, the book provides a nuanced understanding of modernity, nation, and identity in Thailand and Southeast Asia. [Extracted from the article]

To address claims of human exceptionalism, we determine where humans fit within the greater mammalian distribution of reproductive inequality. We show that humans exhibit lower reproductive skew (i.e., inequality in the number of surviving offspring) among males and smaller sex differences in reproductive skew than most other mammals, while nevertheless falling within the mammalian range. Additionally, female reproductive skew is higher in polygynous human populations than in polygynous nonhumans mammals on average. This patterning of skew can be attributed in part to the prevalence of monogamy in humans compared to the predominance of polygyny in nonhuman mammals, to the limited degree of polygyny in the human societies that practice it, and to the importance of unequally held rival resources to women's fitness. The muted reproductive inequality observed in humans appears to be linked to several unusual characteristics of our species--including high levels of cooperation among males, high dependence on unequally held rival resources, complementarities between maternal and paternal investment, as well as social and legal institutions that enforce monogamous norms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article revisits the issue of polygyny in Islam and the conditions men must meet before considered acceptable. Justified by the third verse of Sūrat al-Nisāʾ, participating in up to four contemporaneous marriages was traditionally allowed for any man with two conditions: physically capable of doing so, and that he treats his wives justly. This study suggests that there is a third condition: the presence of a strong legal reason for entering an additional marriage. Moreover, this article determined that the polygyny was allowed to treat a societal ill 'the injustice towards the orphans', thus the context must be applicable in any similar cases. The Qurʾān strongly warns against harming orphans in any way. Therefore, men of that time found themselves trapped between two prohibitions: not fulfiling the rights of the orphans- to avoid the consequences of injustice even by mistake-, and falling into temptation due to their unused assets or their beauty -if the orphan was woman-. The verse of polygamy, therefore, provided the solution: allowing men to marry from women orphans, if this legal reason (fear of mistreating orphans) is in place. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Choice and autonomy are at the heart of classic feminist debates about structure and agency. This article revisits those debates with two contemporary cases of polygyny and polyamory. While scholars of non-monogamies often portray polyamory as potentially liberating, an alternative to the dominant patriarchal model of dyadic marriage, polygyny is generally considered oppressive to women due to its communal and heteropatriarchal structures. Based on in-depth interviews, this article complicates such binary understandings of progressive/oppressive non-monogamies by bringing them into dialogue with one another. Focusing on two narrated experiences of polyamory and polygyny in the Netherlands, I trace and investigate relational capacities and subjective transformations. This relational approach serves a political feminist project that seeks to safeguard both scepticism towards patriarchal systems and to remain sympathetic to everyday life's messiness, moving beyond both cultural essentialism and cultural relativism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polygyny and early marriage — both prevalent in Mali — are risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV). Relying on data from the 2018 Malian Demographic and Health Surveys, the study examines the effects of polygyny and age at marriage, while controlling for known risk factors of IPV, on the likelihood of experiencing IPV. Findings reveal that polygyny is associated with IPV. However, polygyny has a moderating influence on the association between age at marriage and the experience of physical abuse and controlling behavior. The complex nature of women's experiences and the need for culturally specific programming are reviewed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyandry can profoundly affect the strength of pre-copulatory sexual selection acting on males because each additional mate acquired by a female means that, all else being equal, a male's paternity share declines. However, accruing additional mates could benefit male fitness if males with greater mating success also tend to have less promiscuous females as partners. If this is indeed the case, then males should experience strong sexual selection to acquire more mates. We tested these predictions by collecting detailed mating data on male and female Cook Strait giant weta (Deinacrida rugosa) in the wild via daily radio tracking. Our sexual network-based approach indeed revealed that the most polygynous male D. rugosa mated the least polyandrous females. This finding therefore suggests that the most successful males likely face lower intensities of sperm competition and so should be selected to accrue more mates. Further, our selection analysis revealed significant pre-copulatory sexual selection on males with those having relatively smaller body size, lighter body mass, and longer legs accruing more mates than otherwise. Thus, it appears that both pre- and post-copulatory episodes of sexual selection reinforce the same male phenotype. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The structure of Ghanaian families has significantly changed over the years. Even so, some features of the traditional Ghanaian family have remained. For instance, polygynous families continue to be common. This study examined relationships between family structure and intimate partner violence among women in Ghana. Specifically, we investigated differences in the IPV experiences of women in polygynous families compared to those in monogamous families, and we explored the mechanisms linking polygyny with IPV. We used data on 2,289 ever-married Ghanaian women aged 18 years and above and applied random-effects logit models to determine differences in the IPV risks for women in the two family structures. A higher proportion of women in polygynous families were unemployed than their comparators in monogamous families, and they had lower levels of education. They had limited autonomy and strong patriarchal values and were significantly more likely to experience physical, sexual, and emotional/psychological violence. Their IPV risk was exacerbated by their lack of socio-economic empowerment, limited autonomy, and strong belief in patriarchal norms. Net of these factors, polygynous women were still disadvantaged, pointing to existing unobserved differences between the two family structures or differences in family dynamics, with implications for IPV. We propose that policy makers provide educational and employment opportunities for women in general, while targeting polygynous women with specific interventions to improve their self-efficacy and autonomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In mammals, the dominant theory proposes that sexual size dimorphism evolved by sexual selection in a polygynous reproductive scenario. Natural selection is an alternative hypothesis where dimorphism represents an adaptation to ecological pressures. I tested evolutionary models based on sexual and natural selection processes using phylogenetic confirmatory path analyses. I employed data for 225 primate species in terms of their diel activity, body mass, sexual size dimorphism, level of sociality, and level of polygyny. The model that received the most support from path analyses was a mixed model in which dimorphism evolved after an increase in body size that resulted from a response to an ecological pressure, i.e., a change from nocturnal to diurnal habits, with a lesser role of polygyny. Phylogenetic path analysis suggests that natural selection has played an important role in the evolution of sexual size dimorphism in primates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Polygamy has declined in the last decade, but it is still prevalent in West African nations including Ghana even with the arrival of Christianity and colonists, which came to be recognized as a form of slavery that needed to be abolished. Aim: To analyze the determinants of polygyny among married Christian women in Ghana. Methods: Ghana Maternal Health Survey data was used for this study to do an analytic cross-section study. Data analysis was done using SPSS version 20. The association between dependent and independent variables was explored using chi-square and logistic regression. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: The prevalence of Ghanaian Christian women's involvement in polygyny marriage union was 12.2%, the prevalence was higher (15.0%) among women of Anglican denomination, catholic denomination (13.9%), and the lowest (8.4%) prevalence recorded among those of Methodist denominations. The predictor factors identified include the age of the woman, history of education, type of place of residence, region, ethnicity, early sex initiation, and history of multiple unions. Conclusion: The prevalence of polygyny in this present study is high given the strict position the Christian religion has against polygyny. This study recommends that the pros and cons of polygyny are objectively looked at from a scientific point rather than a religious point of view. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An understanding of the drivers of individual fitness is a fundamental component of evolutionary ecology and life‐history theory. Reproductive senescence, mate and mating tactic choice and latent heterogeneity in individual quality interact to affect individual fitness.We sought to disentangle the effects of these fitness drivers, where longitudinal data are required to understand their respective impacts.We used reproductive allocation and success data from a long‐term (1989–2018) study of white‐throated dippers Cinclus cinclus in Switzerland to simultaneously examine the effects of female and male age, mating tactic, nest initiation date and individual heterogeneity on reproductive performance.We modelled quadratic and categorical effects of age on reproductive parameters. The probability of polygyny increased with age in both sexes before declining in older age classes. Similarly, hatching probability in monogamous pairs and the number of nestlings hatched in both monogamous and polygynous pairs increased with female age before declining later in life. As predicted, offspring survival in monogamous pairs increased with male age before declining in older age classes, but male age had no effect on offspring survival in polygynous nesting attempts.Our results demonstrate that parental age, mating tactic and individual heterogeneity all affect reproductive success, and that the impacts of senescent decline are expressed across different demographic components as a function of sex‐specific senescent decline and mating tactic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of bark beetle Craniodicticus cinnamomi Lin & Beaver (tribe Carphodicticini Wood, 1971) from Taiwan is described. The species is phloeophagous and harem polygynous, breeding in Cinnamomum insulari-montanum (Lauraceae). A key to the species of Craniodicticus is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A widely held principle in behavioral ecological research is that polygynous social systems evolve either by direct male defense of females or male defense of resources, although which of these mechanisms applies in particular species is rarely examined experimentally. We tested the relative importance of female versus resource defense in polygynous territorial male collared lizards (Crotaphytus collaris). Using a novel experimental design, we temporarily removed some of the resident females from male territories to create a female-free removal zone, whereas resident females were left intact within a non-removal zone. We then compared activity of males within each zone during three experimental phases; before we removed females, for two days when females were absent, and the day after return of females. If males defend females directly, we expected them to adjust the location of their patrol and display within removal and non-removal zones depending on the presence/absence of females, whereas we expected no such change if males defend resources. Male activity in the removal zone generally decreased when females were removed but then increased when females were replaced, whereas we observed the opposite pattern in the non-removal zone. The observed shifts in the location of patrol and display in response to the presence/absence of females, while resources remained constant, indicate that polygynous male collared lizards defend females directly. Our results suggest that male collared lizards take advantage of strong female philopatry to relatively small areas by focusing their patrol and display activities where potential mates reside. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]