Intraseasonal temporal variation of reproductive effort for male grey seals

摘要: Reproductive skew in polygynous mating systems leads to variation strategies, or the tactics within adopted by individual males. For example, timing of reproductive effort might reflect trade-offs between maximizing access receptive females and minimizing interactions with competitors. capital breeding grey seals, Halichoerus grypus, male success has been positively linked total duration tenure, but without differentiation intraseasonal changes effort. The aims this study were identify tenured strategy based on social dominance as a metric effort, compare across identified tactics. Our results confirm that stay colony explained most success, effect strength was reduced for tenures longer than 10 days. Additionally, there evidence season also contributed observed success. Males maximized their score at after peak female attendance achieved greater relative those who dominant earlier season. timed still some it reduced. Individuals' flexible years, we found no support hypotheses before used smaller males, avoid conflict. These highlight understanding temporal scheduling season, availability resources, constraints fasting intermale competition, is key aspect consider when differentiating long-lived, breeders.