Lek formation by female choice: a simulation study

We used computer simulation to study the formation of mating aggregations under the influence of female choice. Female movements were not constrained by home range size. Males formed clumped dispersions if females expressed strong preferences either for larger leks or for male quality. High travel costs for females visiting leks produced male dispersions that matched the initial distribution of females. High costs to females for waiting for matings produced evenly dispersed males. Depending on the relative weights of these factors, a continuous range of outcomes from a single lek per population to evenly dispersed males was produced. The results suggest that effects of female choice on lek evolution are more likely to be detected by studying the processes by which leks form than by characterizing the spatial distribution of displaying males. [Behav Ecol 1990:1:36-42]