Monogamy in a new species of wild guinea pigs (Galea sp.)

详细信息    查看全文

• 作者：Christa Hohoff ; Katrin Solmsdorff ; Petra L?ttker ; Kristina Kemme ; J?rg T. Epplen ; Trevor G. Cooper and Norbert Sachser
• 刊名：Naturwissenschaften
• 出版年：2002
• 出版时间：October 2002
• 年：2002
• 卷：89
• 期：10
• 页码：462-465
• 全文大小：182 KB
• 刊物类别：Biomedical and Life Sciences
• 刊物主题：Life Sciences
  Life Sciences
  Environment
  
• 出版者：Springer Berlin / Heidelberg
• ISSN：1432-1904

文摘

A new species of wild guinea pigs from Bolivia was recently discovered: Galea sp. So far no data are available concerning its social and mating systems. We therefore investigated behavioural compatibility, sexual dimorphism, paternity in a male-competing situation, testicular and epididymal size, and sperm morphology and motility. The results showed a complete intrasexual and moderate intersexual behavioural incompatibility between unfamiliar animals, a reversed sexual dimorphism with females larger than males, and litters always fathered by single males. Furthermore, both the reproductive organ weights and the percentage of motile sperm and sperm with intact acrosomes were significantly lower compared with the promiscuous congeneric Galea musteloides. In summary, these data strongly suggest a monogamous social and mating system for the recently discovered Galea sp.