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Title:: The Effect of Attendance Patterns on the Lek Mating System in the Omei Treefrog (Rhacophorus omeimontis)

Author(s):: Yue GUO^#; Wenxia WANG^#; Wei ZANG; Hui WANG; Chenliang LI; Mian ZHAO^* and Hua WU^*; Institute of Evolution and Ecology, School of Life Sciences, Central China Normal University, Wuhan 430079, Hubei, China

Keywords:: attendance; genetic quality; lek mating; random mating; Rhacophorus omeimontis

PACS:: -

DOI:: 10.16373/j.cnki.ahr.200042

Abstract:: Attendance patterns are a key factor affecting sexual selection and mating systems in lek-breeding species. However, there are few systematic studies on attendance patterns in lek-breeding anurans. In this study, we monitored a population of Omei treefrogs (Rhacophorus omeimontis) for four consecutive years to reveal in detail the effects of attendance patterns on mating systems. We found that (1) female nightly attendance was affected by male nightly attendance, and operational sex ratios (determined by male and female nightly attendance) ultimately determined the extent of female polyandry; (2) males surviving more than one breeding season maintained high chorus attendance and mating success, suggesting that male chorus attendance is a good predictor of male genetic quality; (3) the distributions of male mating success were not significantly different from a Poisson distribution, indicating a random mating pattern; and male mating success was not related to body size (size-assortative mating was not evident) but was significantly correlated with chorus attendance. Since the chorus attendance is a predictor of male genetic quality, females performing random mating were more likely to mate with more frequently present males and could therefore gain indirect benefits from mating with higher-than-average quality males, thereby producing good offspring without incurring the significant costs involved in prolonged searching for, and assessing males. Our systematic survey on the relationship between attendance patterns and the lek mating system in R. omeimontis could help us better understand in-depth anuran lek mating systems.

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Asian Herpetological Research[ISSN:2095-0357/CN:51-1735/Q]

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