Mar 25, 2022 06:26 PM
https://www.studyfinds.org/popular-male-...mate-more/
EXCERPTS: . . . Simply put, the results show that the popular males have all the luck with the ladies. Well-integrated (or popular) males with strong social bonds to several members of the alliance produced more offspring than their dolphin peers. Both partner stability within the smaller groups of two or three dolphins and the age of the mammals did not play a role in mating success.
[...] For dolphins looking to mate, a new study finds it helps to be “the cool kid.” Researchers from the University of Zurich say male dolphins who are more “popular” in their social groups produce my offspring than their peers.
Unlike other species where age or strength may be the determining factor in which males father children, the team found that dolphin social bonds are more important. Researchers examining male dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia say these marine mammals live in very complex social groups with other males.
More specifically, the males live in large, stable “alliances” where they form long-lasting bonds and cooperate with each other. However, inside these alliances, the males also form smaller and less stable groups of two or three dolphins which look to mate with females. These small packs also look to steal female dolphins from other alliances and help each other defend against similar attacks.
“This kind of male cooperation for the purpose of reproduction is highly unusual in the animal kingdom. It’s only been observed in a much less complex form in some other primates,” says Livia Gerber, a former PhD student in Zurich’s Department of Anthropology in a university release.
To find out whether popularity is a bigger factor in reproductive success than other traits of dominance, the team analyzed 30 years of data on the behavior of 85 male dolphins. They also examined genetic data to conduct paternity tests on more than 400 of their offspring... (MORE - missing details)
https://youtu.be/WQvY4HrH_18
https://www.youtube-nocookie.com/embed/WQvY4HrH_18
EXCERPTS: . . . Simply put, the results show that the popular males have all the luck with the ladies. Well-integrated (or popular) males with strong social bonds to several members of the alliance produced more offspring than their dolphin peers. Both partner stability within the smaller groups of two or three dolphins and the age of the mammals did not play a role in mating success.
[...] For dolphins looking to mate, a new study finds it helps to be “the cool kid.” Researchers from the University of Zurich say male dolphins who are more “popular” in their social groups produce my offspring than their peers.
Unlike other species where age or strength may be the determining factor in which males father children, the team found that dolphin social bonds are more important. Researchers examining male dolphins in Shark Bay, Western Australia say these marine mammals live in very complex social groups with other males.
More specifically, the males live in large, stable “alliances” where they form long-lasting bonds and cooperate with each other. However, inside these alliances, the males also form smaller and less stable groups of two or three dolphins which look to mate with females. These small packs also look to steal female dolphins from other alliances and help each other defend against similar attacks.
“This kind of male cooperation for the purpose of reproduction is highly unusual in the animal kingdom. It’s only been observed in a much less complex form in some other primates,” says Livia Gerber, a former PhD student in Zurich’s Department of Anthropology in a university release.
To find out whether popularity is a bigger factor in reproductive success than other traits of dominance, the team analyzed 30 years of data on the behavior of 85 male dolphins. They also examined genetic data to conduct paternity tests on more than 400 of their offspring... (MORE - missing details)
https://youtu.be/WQvY4HrH_18