High-ranking alleviates male local competition in lek mating systems.

ABSTRACT: Territoriality entails demanding social interactions with competing individuals, typically males. Variation in quality of males can be predicted to affect the spatial arrangement of territories. We present a model aimed at understanding the spatial properties of territories on leks, where the presence of a hierarchy in a population of males leads to the clustering of individuals around high-ranking 'hotshot' males. The hierarchy results in a decrease in the number of nearest neighbors interacting directly with high-ranking males, with potential socio-sexual benefits for such males.

SUBMITTER: Giavazzi F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6185937 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature