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In polyandrous mating it has been suggested that male cooperation may outweigh the costs of sharing paternity in situations of scarcity, of foods and of high competition levels for land or females. Female size and a large breeding territory defended by more males may force male cooperation.
In many polyandrous systems, the males and the female stay together to rear the young. In polygynous systems where the number of females paired with each male is low and the male will often stay with one female to help rear the young, while the other females rear their young on their own.
The cooperatively breeding cichlids tend to exhibit a size order of the alpha male being the largest, followed by the female, and the beta males being the smallest of the group. [13] However, in some cases, females can be the largest, followed by the alpha male, and then beta males. [13]
Greater sage-grouse at a lek, with multiple males displaying for the less conspicuous females. A lek is an aggregation of male animals gathered to engage in competitive displays and courtship rituals, known as lekking, to entice visiting females which are surveying prospective partners with which to mate. [1]
The female-biased sexual size dimorphism observed in many taxa evolved despite intense male-male competition for mates. [28] In Osmia rufa , for example, the female is larger/broader than males, with males being 8–10 mm in size and females being 10–12 mm in size. [ 29 ]
Large male northern fur seal and harem of smaller females. A harem is an animal group consisting of one or two males, a number of females, and their offspring. The dominant male drives off other males and maintains the unity of the group. If present, the second male is subservient to the dominant male.
Polyandry (/ ˈ p ɒ l i ˌ æ n d r i, ˌ p ɒ l i ˈ æ n-/; from Ancient Greek πολύ (polú) 'many' and ἀνήρ (anḗr) 'man') is a form of polygamy in which a woman takes two or more husbands at the same time.
Normally, female pale chanting goshawks mate with a single male , but in "broken veld" vegetation (a prey-rich habitat in the Little Karoo), a female and two males may form a polyandrous trio. [26] In these cases an alpha male and female will be assisted in raising the young by a beta male.