Animal sexual behaviourSexual behavior of non-human animalsBonobos mating in a zooStags fighting while competing for females—a common sexual behaviorAnatomical structures on the head and throat of a domestic turkey. 1. Caruncles 2. Snood 3. Wattle (dewlap) 4. Major caruncle 5. Beard. During sexual behavior, these structures enlarge or become brightly colored.Animal sexual behaviour takes many different forms, including within the same species.
Monogamy in animalsSome animal species have a monogamous mating system, in which pairs bond to raise offspring. This is associated, usually implicitly, with sexual monogamy.
Polyandry in animalsIn behavioral ecology, polyandry is a class of mating system where one female mates with several males in a breeding season. Polyandry is often compared to the polygyny system based on the cost and benefits incurred by members of each sex. 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).
PolygynandryPolygynandry is a mating system in which both males and females have multiple mating partners during a breeding season. 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. The different mating tactics employed by males and females are thought to be the outcome of stochasticreproductive conflicts both ecologically and socially.
PromiscuitySexual behavior Promiscuity is the practice of engaging in sexual activity frequently with different partners or being indiscriminate in the choice of sexual partners. The term can carry a moral judgment. A common example of behavior viewed as promiscuous by many cultures is the one-night stand, and its frequency is used by researchers as a marker for promiscuity. What sexual behavior is considered promiscuous varies between cultures, as does the prevalence of promiscuity.
SociobiologySociobiology is a field of biology that aims to explain social behavior in terms of evolution. It draws from disciplines including ethology and evolutionary biology. Within the study of human societies, sociobiology is closely related to evolutionary anthropology and human behavioral ecology. Sociobiology investigates social behaviors such as the hive society of social insects.
Sexual selectionMode of natural selection involving the choosing of and competition for matesSexual selection creates colourful differences between sexes in Goldie's bird-of-paradise. Male above; female below. Painting by John Gerrard Keulemans.Sexual selection is a mechanism of evolution in which members of one sexchoose mates of the other sex (intersexual selection) to mate with, and compete with members of the same sex for access to members of the opposite sex (intrasexual selection).
Polygyny in animalsPolygyny (; from Neo-Greek, from (polú-)'many' and (gunḗ)'woman, wife') is a mating system in which one male lives and mates with multiple females but each female only mates with a few males. Systems where several females mate with several males are defined either as promiscuity or polygynandry.
MatingIn biology, mating refers to the pairing of either opposite-sex or hermaphroditic organisms for the purpose of sexual reproduction. For most species, mating is between two individuals of opposite sexes; however, for hermaphroditic species, copulation is not required because the parent organism is capable of self-fertilization (autogamy). The basis of this is a process called fertilization, which is the fusion of two gametes.OutcrossingOut-crossing or out-breeding is the technique of crossing between different breeds. This is the practice of introducing distantly related genetic material into a breeding line, thereby increasing genetic diversity. Outcrossing in animalsOutcrossing can be a useful technique in animal breeding. The outcrossing breeder intends to remove the traits by using "new blood."
Mate choiceMechanism for evolutionMate choice is highly visible in lek mating. Here, black grouse males gather in a quagmire and the females then arrive and observe the male before choosing one.Mate choice is one of the primary mechanisms under which evolution can occur. It is characterized by a "selective response by animals to particular stimuli" which can be observed as behavior.
AnimalBiological kingdomAnimals are multicellular, eukaryoticorganisms belonging to the biologicalkingdomAnimalia (). Animals consume organic material, breathe oxygen, have muscle cells, can reproduce sexually, and grow from a hollow sphere of cells, the blastula, during embryonic development. With few exceptions, animals are able to move. Animals form a clade, meaning that they arose from a single common ancestor.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.