Trade-offs between reproductive effort and subsequent growth in males are not well explored, despite their relevance in questions of individual energy allocation. Regarding the growth of sexual secondary characters in polygynous breeding male mammals, indeed, no conclusive studies exist. We investigated in male Alpine ibex (Capra ibex) the relationship between their behavioral reproductive effort, current horn size, and subsequent horn growth. While controlling for age, no evidence was found for male behavioral reproductive effort during the rut being affected by their horn size. On the other hand, reproductive effort significantly decreased age-specific horn growth during the following summer. Our study provides evidence that growth of secondary sexual characters is traded against behavioral investments in reproduction in a male mammal. It bears important implications for the understanding of energy allocation between various life-history components and the evolutionary ecology of secondary sexual characters.

尽管它们与个体能量分配问题相关，但尚未很好地探索生殖努力与男性随后的生长之间的权衡。关于一夫多妻的雄性哺乳动物的第二性征的生长，确实没有结论性的研究存在。我们调查了雄性高山山羊 ( Capra ibex)）他们的行为繁殖努力、当前的角大小和随后的角生长之间的关系。在控制年龄的同时，没有发现男性在发情期间的行为生殖努力受其角大小影响的证据。另一方面，在接下来的夏天，繁殖努力显着降低了特定年龄的角生长。我们的研究提供的证据表明，在雄性哺乳动物中，第二性征的增长与繁殖行为的投资是相互交换的。它对理解各种生活史成分之间的能量分配和第二性征的进化生态学具有重要意义。