Musth and sexual selection in elephants: A review of signalling properties
and potential fitness consequencesChase A. LaDue, Bruce A. Schulte, Wendy
K. Kiso & Elizabeth W. FreemanBehaviourSeptember 17, 2021 Abstract
Sexual selection mediated by multimodal signals is common among polygynous
species, including seasonally breeding mammals. Indirect benefit models
provide plausible explanations for how and why mate selection can occur in
the absence of direct benefits. Musth — an asynchronous reproductive state
in male elephants — facilitates both inter- and intrasexual selection via
indirect benefits, and it is further communicated through a multimodal
signal. In this review, we synthesise existing evidence that supports the
hypothesis that musth is a multimodal signal subject to sexual selection
and that male elephants increase their direct fitness by propagating this
signal while females accrue indirect benefits. Musth is characterised by a
suite of physiological and behavioural changes, serving to facilitate
copulation between the sexes, and via multisensory modalities musth conveys
honest information about the condition of a male. Female elephants mate
preferentially with musth males, increasing their own fitness in the
absence of direct benefits. In addition, musth resolves dynamic dominance
hierarchies among male elephants and often eliminates the need for costly
physical combat. Future work in this field should investigate potential
postcopulatory selection mechanisms in elephants, including sperm
competition and cryptic female choice. These topics join other fundamental
questions related to sexual selection, signalling, and indirect benefits
that are still unanswered in elephants.
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