Individuals of either sex may display alternative behaviors to obtain copulations, but few studies have examined the breeding patterns of females and males in populations where individuals of both sexes exhibit alternative reproductive tactics (ARTs). In prairie voles (Microtus ochrogaster), most adults are territorial, residing at a single nest site either as male–female pairs or as solitary individuals. However, some adults adopt nonterritorial, wandering tactics. During two field seasons monitoring prairie vole populations maintained in seminatural enclosures, we found evidence that females exhibiting different ARTs bred differentially with resident and wandering males. Females residing at a nest with a male bred significantly more often with a paired resident male, primarily their social partner, and significantly less often with male wanderers compared to single resident females or wandering females. These patterns were not due to chance, because paired resident females produced offspring with paired resident males significantly more than expected based on the relative abundance of these males in the population, whereas single resident females produced offspring with male wanderers significantly more than expected based on the proportion of male wanderers in the population. We did not find any evidence that multiple paternity was greater in the litters of single resident females and wanderer females even though these females lacked a male social partner to limit mating access by multiple males. This suggests that mate guarding by a female's male social partner was not the primary determinant of multiple paternity in the litters of females exhibiting different reproductive tactics. However, male ART did affect the likelihood of multiple paternity. Females that produced offspring with single resident or wanderer males had an increased likelihood of multiple paternity relative to females producing offspring with paired resident males. The results of this study show that female and male ARTs can affect breeding patterns.

中文翻译：

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显示替代繁殖策略的雌性草原田鼠（Microtus ochrogaster）的繁殖模式

任何一种性别的个体都可能表现出替代行为来获得交配，但很少有研究检查雌性和雄性在两性个体都表现出替代生殖策略 (ART) 的种群中的繁殖模式。在草原田鼠 (Microtus ochrogaster) 中，大多数成年田鼠是领地的，作为雄性-雌性成对或作为单独的个体居住在一个单一的巢穴中。然而，一些成年人采取非领土、流浪的策略。在监测维持在半自然围栏内的草原田鼠种群的两个田间季节期间，我们发现有证据表明表现出不同 ART 的雌性与常驻和流浪雄性的繁殖存在差异。与雄性一起居住在巢中的雌性与配对的常驻雄性（主要是它们的社会伙伴）交配的频率明显更高，与单身女性或流浪女性相比，男性流浪者的频率明显较低。这些模式不是偶然的，因为基于这些雄性在种群中的相对丰度，成对的常驻雌性与配对常驻雄性产生的后代显着超过预期，而基于这些雄性在种群中的相对丰度，单身常驻雌性产生的后代与雄性游荡者的后代显着多于预期。男性流浪者在人口中的比例。我们没有发现任何证据表明单居雌性和流浪雌性的窝中多父性更大，即使这些雌性缺乏男性社会伙伴来限制多个雄性的交配机会。这表明配偶由雌性守护” 在表现出不同生殖策略的雌性窝中，男性的社会伙伴并不是多重父系的主要决定因素。然而，男性 ART 确实会影响多父关系的可能性。与与常驻雄性成对生育后代的雌性相比，与单一常驻或流浪雄性产生后代的雌性多父系的可能性增加。这项研究的结果表明，雌性和雄性 ART 会影响繁殖模式。