Summary
Two models of conditions for the evolution of polygyny are treated axiomatically. Both models assume a social system based on female mate choice in situations in which a female is better off if she mates polygynously with an already mated male on a superior territory than if she selects a bachelor on an inferior territory. One model, the competitive female choice model, assumes that the females of a harem compete for the limited resources of the harem and thus that their fitness decreases as co-wives are added. The cooperative female choice model assumes that, within limits, a female's fitness is improved by the addition of co-wives to her mate's harem, as a result of cooperative interactions within the group. For each model, a sufficient set of independent assumptions is provided. Implications of the models are indicated and methods for testing them are discussed.
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Altmann, S.A., Wagner, S.S. & Lenington, S. Two models for the evolution of polygyny. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2, 397–410 (1977). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299508
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00299508