Ethology · 1989 · 19 citations · 8 references
Breeding BehaviorFertilityFitnessEducationUnstable Male HierarchySexual SelectionSuccessful MalesReproductive BiologyReproduction ResponseAbstract RemovalMating PsychologyPublic HealthFallow Deer LekReproductive SuccessBehavioral SciencesAnimal ManagementAnimal ScienceSocial BehaviorEvolutionary BiologyWildlife ManagementWildlife BiologyAnimal Behavior
Abstract Removal of 5 of the 8 most successful males in a fallow deer lek between breeding seasons led to an increase in fighting rate of males and a decrease in mating rate of both sexes. The increase in fighting was likely due to disruption of the social hierarchy. The lower mating rate of females was not due to disruption of copulations by territorial males, nor did it appear to result from disturbance from fights. We suggest that difficulties in mate choice related to an unstable male hierarchy resulted in females either increasing their length of stay in the lek, visiting the lek more than once before mating, or leaving the lek without mating.
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