Question

Bateman’s Principle is based on the concept of Anisogamy. Explain Bateman’s Principle and Anisogamy and explain how this relates to Sexual Selection. Does Bateman’s Principle predict that animals should exhibit a Polygamous Mating System? And, if so, why does Monogamy exist?

Answer 1

Ans:- In evolutionary biology Bateman's principle suggests that there is greater reproductive success in males as comapered to females i.e it suggests reproductive variance in most of the species. Angus John Bateman was an English geneticist who suggested that the males produce millions of male gametes/sperms with less effort while as females produce few female gametes/eggs with greater effort by utilising high level of energy. Thus females will play much important role in the production of offsprings.  

Bateman's principle explains sexual selection as females can select the males to whom they want to mate with. Thus according to Basteman's principle males compete with each other and female becomes choosy. Hence it foccuses about the phenomenon of anisogamy as females are fundamentally selective and males are unselective or indiscriminate.

Yes Bateman's principle suggests the Polygamous mating system as sperms are cheaper than eggs thus one male can have mating with many females so that to produce more number of offsprings. If a female will mate with only one male, she can produce less offsprings but a male has tendency to be father of many offsprings.

In polygamous population there is a high variance in reproductive success for males and female as the male/female ratio in polygamous is high than monogamous population. Monogamy is preffered in current scenario as polygammy can lead more violence and crimes like Rape, Kidnaps, murders or robbery as one male can not satisfy the needs of all females.