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Polygyny (/ p ə ˈ l ɪ dʒ ɪ n i /; from Neo-Greek πολυγυνία, from πολύ-(polú-) 'many' and γυνή (gunḗ) 'woman, wife') [1] is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a single male.
Polygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season. [1] In sexually reproducing diploid animals, different mating strategies are employed by males and females, because the cost of gamete production is lower for males than it is for females. [2]
Polygyny is where one male mates with several females in a breeding season (e.g., lions, deer, some primates, and many systems where there is an alpha male). [1] A common example of polyandrous mating can be found in the field cricket (Gryllus bimaculatus) of
Polygyny is associated with an increased sharing of subsistence provided by women. This is consistent with the theory that if women raise the children alone, men can concentrate on the mating effort. Polygyny is also associated with greater environmental variability in the form of variability of rainfall. This may increase the differences in ...
Female lemon sharks give birth to four to eighteen pups every two years. [20] This two-year reproductive cycle usually occurs in lemon sharks, sandbar sharks, and nurse sharks. [22] One hypothesis states that females can engage in polyandry to find genetically dissimilar and therefore compatible males to produce high quality offspring. [20]
In these cases, the male and female will be continuously assessing each other based on sexual characteristics. In the blue-footed booby , the females tend to choose males with brighter blue feet, because birds with brighter feet are younger, and thus have greater fertility and ability to provide paternal care. [ 3 ]
A study on the association of alpha males and females during the non-breeding season in wild Capuchin monkeys examined whether alpha males are the preferred mate for females and, secondly, whether female-alpha status and relationship to the alpha-male can be explained through the individual characteristics and or social network of the female. [4]
Polygyny has been widely practiced and celebrated in many cultures and it is the most common and accepted form of polygamy. The word polygyny is often used in reference to humans but it is observed in many animals such as Gorillas , Tigers , Lions , Elk , and Bison .