Parental Investment and Mating Systems in Mammals

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Abstract
Data on litter size, neonate weight, body weight, gestation period, neonatal status and mating system for 556 spp. of placental mammals were used to assess the relationships between mating systems and the degree of maternal investment in the neonate. Three measures of relative maternal investment at birth consistently indicate that when maternal investment is high, polygynous systems prevail, but species with low investment in the young at birth may be monogamous. When female mammals bear precocial young the opportunities are low for male investment in the offspring; sexual selection results in polygynous mating systems.