Nature 2 November 1995

2 November 1995 Summaries of some of this week's stories
Ruff mating strategies The ruff, Philomachus pugnax, is a sandpiper whose males congregate in communal display grounds or leks. Each male in the lek defends a mating court and competes for the attention of females. Some males, however, are exceptions to this rule, moving among and sharing the courts of other males. By rearing ruffs in captivity, Lank et al . ask whether these alternative mating strategies are the result of a simple genetic polymorphism, or subject to quantitative inheritance or environmental control. To view a sample pedigree, click here D B Lank, C M Smith, O Hanotte, T Burke & F Cooke Genetic polymorphism for alternative mating behaviour in lekking male ruff Philomachus pugnax Nature 378, 59-62 (1995)

2 November 1995
Summaries of some of this week's stories

Ruff mating strategies
The ruff, Philomachus pugnax, is a sandpiper whose males congregate in communal display grounds or leks. Each male in the lek defends a mating court and competes for the attention of females. Some males, however, are exceptions to this rule, moving among and sharing the courts of other males. By rearing ruffs in captivity, Lank et al . ask whether these alternative mating strategies are the result of a simple genetic polymorphism, or subject to quantitative inheritance or environmental control.

To view a sample pedigree, click here

D B Lank, C M Smith, O Hanotte, T Burke & F Cooke
Genetic polymorphism for alternative mating behaviour in lekking male ruff Philomachus pugnax
Nature 378, 59-62 (1995)

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