The consequences of polyandry for female fitness are controversial. Sexual conflict studies
and a meta‐analysis of mating rates in insects suggest that there is a longevity cost when …

For sexual selection to act on a given sex, there must exist variation in the reproductive
success of that sex as a result of differential access to mates or fertilisations. The …

▪ Abstract In contrast to Bateman's principle, there is now increasing evidence that female
fitness can depend on the number of mates obtained. A number of genetic benefits have …

Fitness results from an optimal balance between survival, mating success and fecundity. The
interactions between these three components of fitness vary depending on the selective …

When females receive no direct benefits from multiple matings, concurrent multiple paternity
is often explained by indirect genetic benefits to offspring. To examine such possibilities, we …

Female promiscuity is widespread among mammals, although its function is poorly
understood. Recently, much interest has been generated by the hypothesis that female …

Females of most animal taxa mate with several males during their lifespan. Yet our
understanding of the ultimate causes of polyandry is incomplete. For example, it is not clear …

Despite widespread evidence for the benefits of polyandry, there are costs associated with
each mating for females, and for many species, it is unknown whether the costs of extra …

Recently, doubt has been cast on studies supporting good genes sexual selection by the
suggestion that observed genetic benefits for offspring may be confounded by differential …

The outcome of post‐copulatory sexual selection is determined by a complex set of
interactions between the primary reproductive traits of two or more males and their …