title: Sexual selection, natural selection and copulatory patterns in male primates.
abstract: Complex copulatory patterns, involving multiple brief intromissions or prolonged single intromissions (PI) occur most frequently among primate species in which females mate with a number of partners (multimale and dispersed mating systems). However, the PI pattern is also confined almost exclusively to arboreal primates - to either smaller-bodied, cryptic, nocturnal species or much larger diurnal forms. Predation pressures may have limited the evolution of the PI pattern, particularly where small-bodied diurnal primates or terrestrial forms are concerned. The available evidence indicates that both sexual selection and natural selection may have influenced the evolution of copulatory patterns.
authors.affiliation: Primate Centre, Centre Internationale de Recherches Médicales de Franceville, Gabon.
authors.forename: A F
authors.initials: AF
authors.lastname: Dixson
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003307:Copulation; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D011323:Primates / Q000523:psychology*; D012641:Selection, Genetic; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal