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An adult male mate-guarding a fertile female (note the sexual swelling) during a sexual consortship.
An adult male mate-guarding a fertile female (note the sexual swelling) during a sexual consortship. Successful mate guarding allows the male to maintain exclusive access and to obtain any fertilizations. This involves the male following the female closely, being vigilant and fighting off any males that might disrupt the consortship.
Credit: Jeanne Altmann, Ecology and Evolutionary Biology Dept., Princeton University
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