Meeting Abstract

P1.114  Jan. 4  Microsatellite Evidence that Territorial Males Acquire Higher Reproductive Success Than Nonterritorial Males in Crotaphytus collaris GYIMESI, J.*; WARTKO, D.; HRANITZ, J.M.; BAIRD, T.A.; Bloomsburg University of PA; Bloomsburg University of PA; Bloomsburg University of PA; University of Central Oklahoma, Edmond jtgyimes@bloomu.edu

Parentage analyses of natural populations often show that genetic mating systems differ substantially from observed mating systems. In our population of collared lizards, most adult males defend territories overlapping female home ranges, whereas reproductively mature yearling males use subordinate, non-territorial tactics. Males also become sexually mature at a critical size threshold as yearlings but, this is often after adult males establish territories. Because adult males control territories containing multiple females and female home ranges overlap with multiple adult and yearling males, the polygamous mating system of the collared lizard potentially allows for monopolization of females by territorial males and multiple paternity of clutches, with an intuitively lower opportunity for sexually mature yearlings to inseminate females. We hypothesized that territorial males should sire more hatchlings than non-territorial yearlings. To test this hypothesis, we used genotypes of 11 microsatellite and two mitochondrial loci to assign the paternity in a central Oklahoma population of lizards. Parentage analysis assigned 92% and 8% of hatchlings to territorial and nonterritorial males respectively; with territorial males obtaining higher reproductive success than nonterritorial males. Multiple paternity was frequent at 91% percent of the females. No clutches were sired solely by yearling males. Using genetic markers to assign paternity, our results agree with earlier results using estimates of mating success based on the relative frequency of courtship by territorial and non-territorial males.