Lekking in fallow deer

Although a relatively rare breeding system, lekking has been reported in a wide variety of taxa, including fireflies, butterflies, fish, frogs, manakins and grouse, the adaptive significance of lek-breeding is still poorly understood.

Abstract

Bradbury & Gibson (1983) define leks as ‘assemblies of adult males which females visit solely for the purpose of copulation’. Although a relatively rare breeding system, lekking has been reported in a wide variety of taxa, including fireflies, butterflies, fish, frogs, manakins and grouse (see Loiselle & Barlow, 1978; Wittenberger, 1978; Bradbury, 1981; Lederhouse, 1982; Oring, 1982). Lek‐breeding mammals include one bat (Bradbury, 1977), several antelope (see below) and possibly walrus (Fay, Ray & Kibal'chich, 1984). Nevertheless, the adaptive significance of lek‐breeding is still poorly understood (Bradbury & Gibson, 1983).