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Offspring Quality and the Polygyny Threshold: "The Sexy Son Hypothesis"
Abstract
An expansion of the Orians-Verner model for the evolution of polygyny has been made to explain evidence contradictory to that model. By separating the individual quality of the male from the quality of his territory and assuming that male offspring will at least in part inherit the individual qualities of their father, it was postulated that females mating with "attractive" males and suffering reduced reproductive success could ultimately gain an advantage through the success of their "sexy sons."