EXPERIMENTAL TESTS OF COPYING AND MATE CHOICE IN FALLOW DEER (DAMA-DAMA)

In fallow deer (Dama dama), as well as in other lek-breeding ungulates, receptive females arriving at leks commonly join males that are defending large harems. This tendency enhances differences in harem size and mating success between males. It could occur because females independently move to the same males, because females are attracted to males with females, or because females are attracted to each other. Using controlled experiments with estrous female fallow deer, we show that, although females are more attracted to males with harems than to those without, they are as frequently attracted to groups of females without a male as to female groups with males. We conclude that female fallow deer joining leks are attracted to each other and copy each other's movements. As yet, there is no firm evidence in fallow deer or in other lek-breeding ungulates that females copy each other's choice of mating partners.