The goal for the proposed research is to determine whether energy supply limits reproductive activity in male mammals and to analyze the mechanisms by which this might occur. The following questions will be explored: 1) What components of behavior affect male mating success? 2) What is the source of energy that fuels mating activity? 3) Is mating success limited by energy supply in one form or another? These questions will be addressed in a field study which (1) simultaneously measures male reproductive behavior, energy expenditure and changes in body composition during the breeding period (2) manipulates fat stores to directly assess the extent to which this limits male reproductive behavior.
This research probes a fundamental paradigm in ecology and behavior: that energy is limiting reproductive success and that variation in energy availability and energy allocation leads to variation in reproductive success. This idea has been little studied beyond the obvious extreme: poor condition leads to little or no reproduction and survival may be affected in periods of stress. How energy limitation affects male mating success is particularly interesting due to the emphasis that body condition has in interpretations of mate choice and intrasexual competition. This study should provide novel insights into the role of energy limitation in animal behavior and ecology.
