The evolution of leks--clusters of small territories where males
congregate and display in order to attract mates--is of central issue in
behavioral ecology, because of the insights it offers into female mate
choice, sexual selection, and the evolution of mating systems. In the
first book on the subject, Jacob Höglund and Rauno Alatalo draw together
existing knowledge on two main aspects of lekking. Why do leks evolve in
some species and not in others? Why do females of certain lekking
species select their mates even though such behavior reaps few or no
material benefits for them? In each case they emphasize the importance
of understanding the selective forces that act on individuals in natural
populations.
Höglund and Alatalo synthesize the available information on lekking in
all animal groups and suggest new areas of research.
Originally published in 1995.
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