Abstract
Evolutionary theory predicts that in sexual organisms the average parents should invest equally in their male and female progeny1 except where related males compete with each other to mate, when selection may favour parents that produce a female-biased sex ratio2–4. It has recently been suggested that in species where daughters adopt home ranges overlapping those of their mothers while sons disperse, competition for resources between female siblings may select for mothers who produce male-biased sex ratios5. We show here that in a mammal living in matrilocal, non-territorial groups—the red deer (Cervus elaphus)—the presence of resident female relatives depresses the reproductive success of adult females, providing a possible explanation of the apparent bias in parental investment towards male offspring in this species6.
This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution
Access options
Subscribe to this journal
Receive 51 print issues and online access
$199.00 per year
only $3.90 per issue
Buy this article
- Purchase on Springer Link
- Instant access to full article PDF
Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Fisher, R. A. The Genetical Theory of Natural Selection (Clarendon, Oxford, 1930).
Hamilton, W. D. Science 156, 477–488 (1967).
Charnov, E. L., Hartogh, R. L. L., Jones, W. T. & van den Assem, J. Nature 289, 27–33 (1981).
Taylor, P. D. Nature 291, 64–66 (1981).
Clark, A. B. Science 201, 163–165 (1978).
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Albon, S. D. & Guinness, F. E. Nature 289, 487–489 (1981).
Clutton-Brock, T. H., Guinness, F. E. & Albon, S. D. Red Deer: The Behavior and Ecology of Two Sexes (Chicago University Press, 1982).
Glucksman, A. Biol. Rev. 49, 423 (1974).
McClure, P. A. Science 211, 1058–1060 (1980).
Robinette, W. L., Gashwiler, J. S., Low, J. B. & Jones, D. A. J. Wildl. Mgmt 21, 1–16 (1957).
Widdowson, E. M. Proc. Nutr. Soc. 35, 175–176 (1976).
Ralls, K., Brownell, R. C. & Ballou, J. Rep. int. Whaling Commn 2, 233–243 (1980).
Grubb, P. in Island Survivors: The Ecology of the Soay Sheep of St Kilda (eds Jewell, P. A., Milner, C. & Boyd, J. M.) 242–272 (Athlone, London, 1974).
Trivers, R. L. in Sexual Selection and the Descent of Man 1871–1971 (ed. Campbell, B.) 136–179 (Aldine-Atherton, Chicago, 1972).
Guinness, F. E., Hall, M. J. & Cockerill, R. A. Anim. Behav. 27, 536–544 (1978).
Greenwood, P. J. Anim. Behav. 28, 1140–1162 (1980).
Clutton-Brock, T. H. & Albon, S. D. in Current Problems in Sociobiology (ed. King's College Sociobiology Group) 223–247 (Cambridge University Press, 1982).
Pianka, E. R. Evolutionary Ecology (Harper & Row, New York, 1973).
Mitchell, B., Staines, B. W. & Welch, D. Ecology of Red Deer: A Research Review Relevant to their Management in Scotland (Institute of Terrestrial Ecology, Cambridge, 1977).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Clutton-Brock, T., Albon, S. & Guinness, F. Competition between female relatives in a matrilocal mammal. Nature 300, 178–180 (1982). https://doi.org/10.1038/300178a0
Received:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/300178a0
This article is cited by
-
Richardson’s ground squirrel litter size–sex ratio trade-off reveals conditional adaptive sex allocation
Oecologia (2021)
-
Love getaway: dispersal pattern and distance of the crested porcupine
Mammal Research (2019)
-
Comparing red deer (Cervus elaphus L.) and wild boar (Sus scrofa L.) dispersal patterns in southern Belgium
European Journal of Wildlife Research (2013)
-
The “Sex Role” Concept: An Overview and Evaluation
Evolutionary Biology (2013)
-
Female-biased sex allocation of offspring by an Apodemus mouse in an unstable environment
Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology (2009)
Comments
By submitting a comment you agree to abide by our Terms and Community Guidelines. If you find something abusive or that does not comply with our terms or guidelines please flag it as inappropriate.
