Home
Resource
Female mate choice in the domesticated goat (capra hircus)
PDF
PDF format is widely accepted and good for printing.
Plug-in required
PDF-1(867.38 kb)
Citation & Export
View Usage Statistics
Staff View

Citation & Export
Hide

Simple citation

Longpre, Kristy M.. Female mate choice in the domesticated goat (capra hircus). Retrieved from https://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3BZ65P5

Export

Click here for information about Citation Management Tools at Rutgers.

Statistics
Hide

Description

TitleFemale mate choice in the domesticated goat (capra hircus)
NameLongpre, Kristy M. (author); Katz, Larry S (chair); Bagnell, Carol (internal member); Rhodes, Linda (internal member); Cushing, Bruce (outside member); Palombit, Ryne (outside member); Rutgers University; Graduate School - New Brunswick
Date Created2011
Other Date2011-01 (degree)
SubjectAnimal Sciences, Goats--Breeding, Courtship in animals, Goats--Behavior--Endocrine aspects, Goats--Behavior--Evolution, Testosterone
Extentxi, 154 p. : ill.
DescriptionFemale mate choice is the tendency for females to distinguish among and mate selectively with one specific phenotype. In promiscuous species in which males contribute genes only, females should mate with higher quality males. This propensity accounts for the display of dimorphic characteristics that cannot be explained through Darwin’s theory of natural selection. Female mate choice has not been studied in domesticated species like the goat, in part due to single-male breeding programs and the use of artificial insemination which inhibit the opportunity for mate choice. However, existence of mate choice in a domesticated species would suggest that the underlying mechanisms of mate choice are robust. Results from a series of experiments support the concept of mate choice in domestic animals. Female goats are able to distinguish among and show preference for males with higher testosterone (T) concentrations. Females may use a suite of T-dependent physiological and behavioral cues that increase in frequency and intensity during the breeding season to assess potential mates, specifically courtship and chemical cues. Behavior studies indicate that morphological cues are not used to distinguish among males. Instead, males that display intense chemical and/or courtship cues are preferred by estrous females. Analysis of T concentrations reveals that males with higher T concentrations have more intense chemical cues and higher courtship rates than those with lower T concentrations. High testosterone concentrations appear to impose high energetic costs as males with high T concentrations lose more body weight during breeding season, likely due to the increased frequency of T-dependent physiological and behavioral cues. Testosterone concentrations and resulting T-dependent behaviors may serve as an honest indicator of a male’s overall fitness.
NotePh.D.
NoteIncludes bibliographical references
NoteIncludes vita
Noteby Kristy M. Longpre
Genretheses, ETD doctoral
Persistent URLhttps://doi.org/doi:10.7282/T3BZ65P5
Languageeng
CollectionGraduate School - New Brunswick Electronic Theses and Dissertations
Organization NameRutgers, The State University of New Jersey
RightsThe author owns the copyright to this work.
Version 8.5.5
Rutgers University Libraries - Copyright ©2024