Which of the following is a mating system associated with infanticide?

Question

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Question restatement: Which of the following is a mating system associated with infanticide?

Option 1: Promiscuous. In promiscuous systems, both males and females mate with multiple partners, and there is no persistent pair bond. While infanticide can occur in some contexts, promiscuity is not typically singled out as the mating system most closely linked to infanticide, since infanticide is more directly tied to how paternity certainty and parental investment are structured, which varies by system.

Option 2: Polygyny. Polygyny refers to a mating system where a single male mates with multiple females. This arrangement can create intense male competition and contexts in which infanticide may evolve as a strategy to bring females back into estrus after the loss of offspring, thereby increasing the infanticidal-linked selective pressures in species where a dominant male controls access to several females. This association is well-documented in numerous taxa and is commonly discussed in behavioral and evolutionary literature as a mating system linked to infanticide dynamics.

Option 3: Polygamy. Polygamy is a broad umbrella term that includes both polygyny and polyandry. Since the term is generic, it does not specify the exact social structure that would most directly relate to infanticide. While infanticide may occur in some polygamous species, the question typically points to the more specific form (polygyny) that is most consistently connected to infanticide via male takeover or competition among males.

Option 4: Social monogamy. Social monogamy involves a long-term pair bond between one male and one female. Infanticide is not a defining feature of social monogamy; in fact, parental care is often more cooperative and offspring survival is enhanced by pair bonding, making infanticide less characteristic of this system.

Overall assessment: Among the options, polygyny is the mating system most commonly described as being associated with infanticide, due to male dominance, multiple mating partners, and the selective pressures that can lead to infanticidal behavior in certain species. The other options describe mating arrangements that do not align as closely with the infanticide-associated dynamics, either due to lack of persistent male control (promiscuity), overly broad labeling (polygamy), or strengthened parental cooperation (social monogamy).

ANT 301 Unit Exam 3 - Primate Ecology and Behavior

Which of the following is a mating system associated with infanticide?

View Explanation

Log in for full answers

Similar Questions

Question at position 24 Lark buntings are polygynous. This means thatone male mates with one female.one female mates with many males.any number of males mates with any number of females.one male mates with many females.Clear my selection

Question at position 13 In many species of tortoises, females will produce clutches of eggs that demonstrate multiple paternity. This reflects what type of mating system? MonogamyPromiscuityPolyandryPolygynyClear my selection

Does the following trait(s) best characterize: humans, chimpanzees, or both (humans and chimpanzees)? Greater female promiscuity

What type of mating structure do gorillas typically have? E2.2124

I am an adult female primate. I live in a territory with two adult males and our offspring. What type of social organization do I participate in?

In a some species of birds, males have only one female mate, while females defend their territories that include multiple male mates. The females' biology is an example of ____.

Why did outcrossing rates initially rise and then fall in the evolution (static parasite) treatment?

Based on the evidence provided, what is the most likely mating system of this salamander species?

More Practical Tools for Students Powered by AI Study Helper

Homework AI Solver

Stylized AI Paper Writer

Plagiarism Checker Assistant

Citation AI Academic Writing Tool

In-Class Translation Assistant

AI Note Generator

AI Quiz Answers

Past Exam Questions from University Test Bank

Smart Practice Assistant

Adaptive Practice

Making Your Study Simpler