Ecological basis of mating system diversity

Abstract

Abstract Adaptive explanations of avian mating systems are dominated by six themes, all of which were first identified in the late 1960s and 1970s. Most bird species are socially monogamous because, unlike male mammals, male birds can make a worthwhile contribution to parental care (Lack 1968). Hence, selection favours males that provide paternal care because such males produce more surviving offspring than males that desert their offspring to seek additional mating opportunities. In birds, desertion of offspring and social mate only occurs when biparental care no longer provides a net benefit.