“Discuss the Factors That Influence When and Where an Animal Mates and How It Selects a Sexual Partner”
Animal Behaviour
“Discuss the factors that influence when and where an animal mates and how it selects a sexual partner”
Contents * Introduction Page 3 * The Timing of Reproduction Page 4 * Migration Page 7 * Navigation Page 8 * The Diversity of Animal Migration Page 10 * The Migratory Journeys of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles Page 12 * Types of Reproduction Page 14 * Mate Choice Page 16 * Sexual Selection Page 17 * Reference List Page 19
Introduction
Animals pick mates that can provide better genetic material in order to produce offspring that are fit and are more likely to survive and have offspring of their own.
Only organisms that are well adapted to survive in the environment that they live in will survive long enough to mate and produce their own offspring. Some animals will migrate across huge distances to ensure they mate in an environment fit for their young to survive.
Due to this, there are many factors that influence when and where and animal mates and how it selects a sexual partner.
In this report I will discuss these factors in detail to demonstrate why animals behave in the way they do when the time comes for it to mate.
The Timing of Reproduction
Animals must be able and prepared to breed at certain times to ensure that their offspring will enter an environment that offers the best chance of survival. Therefore, reproduction in many species depends on seasonal timing.
In order for animals to know when it is time for them to breed, they rely on complicated rhythms and changes within their bodies, which are triggered by the environment.
There are four categories of breeders that I will discuss and these are Opportunist Breeders, Long and Short Day Breeders and Continuous Breeders.
Opportunist breeders live in habitats that only have certain ‘windows of opportunity’ for breeding. They tend to live in areas where there
“Discuss the factors that influence when and where an animal mates and how it selects a sexual partner”
Contents * Introduction Page 3 * The Timing of Reproduction Page 4 * Migration Page 7 * Navigation Page 8 * The Diversity of Animal Migration Page 10 * The Migratory Journeys of Fish, Amphibians and Reptiles Page 12 * Types of Reproduction Page 14 * Mate Choice Page 16 * Sexual Selection Page 17 * Reference List Page 19
Introduction
Animals pick mates that can provide better genetic material in order to produce offspring that are fit and are more likely to survive and have offspring of their own.
Only organisms that are well adapted to survive in the environment that they live in will survive long enough to mate and produce their own offspring. Some animals will migrate across huge distances to ensure they mate in an environment fit for their young to survive.
Due to this, there are many factors that influence when and where and animal mates and how it selects a sexual partner.
In this report I will discuss these factors in detail to demonstrate why animals behave in the way they do when the time comes for it to mate.
The Timing of Reproduction
Animals must be able and prepared to breed at certain times to ensure that their offspring will enter an environment that offers the best chance of survival. Therefore, reproduction in many species depends on seasonal timing.
In order for animals to know when it is time for them to breed, they rely on complicated rhythms and changes within their bodies, which are triggered by the environment.
There are four categories of breeders that I will discuss and these are Opportunist Breeders, Long and Short Day Breeders and Continuous Breeders.
Opportunist breeders live in habitats that only have certain ‘windows of opportunity’ for breeding. They tend to live in areas where there