Factors Influencing the Diversification of Mating Behavior of Animals

“Mating system” of a population refers to the general behavioral strategy employed in obtaining mates. In most of them one sex is more philopatric than the other. Reproductive enhancement through increased access to mates or resources and the avoidance of inbreeding are important in promoting sex differences in dispersal. In birds it is usually females which disperse more than males; in mammals it is usually males which disperse more than females. It is argued that the direction of the sex bias is a consequence of the type of mating system. Philopatry will favor the evolution of cooperative traits between members of the sedentary sex. It includes monogamy, Polygyny, polyandry and promiscuity. As an evolutionary strategy, mating systems have some “flexibility”. The existence of extra-pair copulation shows that mating systems identified on the basis of behavioral observations may not accord with actual breeding systems as determined by genetic analysis. Mating systems influence the effectiveness of the contraceptive control of pest animals. This method of control is most effective in monogamous and polygamous species. Factors effecting mating system include parental care, territory, spatial distribution of mate, sexual selection, sex difference in life history and temporal variability in sexual receptivity etc. Environmental factors also influence mating system such as temperature.