DELAYED BREEDING AND THE EVOLUTION OF MATE COPYING IN LEKKING SPECIES

Recent experimental evidence indicates that females may copy the mate choice of others. Here, we present a model for the evolution of mate copying Strategies in lekking species. In the model, all females (copiers and non-copiers) assess male quality, but a copier's assessment of a male's quality increases after males have mated with other females. The model demonstrates that mate copying is favored when breeding late in the season has a relatively high cost. We hope that our results will spur empirical work quantifying the time constraints associated with breeding, thus allowing more direct tests of the model's predictions.