Male chamois, Adamello Brenta Nature Park
Complex sex life of goats could have implications for wildlife management. A new study of the mating habits of mountain goats reveals the vastly different strategies of males in different populations. A Durham University-led research team has found that male chamois (a species of wild goat-antelope) adopt different strategies in different populations in order to succeed in the rut: some put a lot of energy in at a young age, while others wait until they are much older. Researchers looking at neighbouring populations of chamois in Northern Italy found that males in one population delay their reproductive efforts until an older age when their size and experience allow them to dominate in the rut. They then put increasing effort into breeding until they die. The study is the first to show clearly that this strategy of 'terminal investment', a pattern of higher reproductive effort in older age, is pursued by males in an animal population. The results, published in the journal PLoS One, show that reproductive strategies in animals are complex and can show surprising variation across neighbouring districts.
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