Digital Commons Network^™

The Influence Of Sexual Selection On Behavioral And Physiological Mechanisms Underlying Reproductive Success In Male Cape Ground Squirrels (Xerus Inauris), Mary Beth Manjerovic

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Sexual selection is considered a powerful evolutionary force responsible for the enormous diversity found in reproductive morphology, physiology, and behavior. I addressed questions related to selection in the Cape ground squirrel (Xerus inauris), a species characterized as highly social and promiscuous. These attributes often are responsible for variance in male reproductive success and as such, sexual selection theory predicts increased opportunity for sexual selection. I confirm that the predominant mechanism underlying genital evolution and competition for paternity in X. inauris is sperm competition. I find evidence that investment in sperm competition is costly and may reflect immunocompetence. I quantify reproductive …