Female Antarctic Seals Choose Males to Maintain Genetic Diversity
09.02.2007 - Other
Scientists from the University of Cambridge and the British Antarctic Survey (BAS) studied a colony of Antarctic fur seals (Arctocephalus gazella) on the subantarctic island of South Georgia and discovered that females choose males to maintain genetic diversity.
It had long been assumed that the females were passive, simply mating with their nearest male. However, using paternity tests, the scientists demonstrated that only a quarter of the females conceived to their nearest male.
Female Antarctic fur seals will travel across their whole colony to actively seek males which are genetically diverse and unrelated, rather than mate with local dominant males.
Scientists believe that female fur seals may be able to assess male genetic traits visually by examining body size and condition, dominant behaviours, or territory quality. Another possibility is that females can use smell to determine whether they are related to the male.
