M Sc Dissertation(WII)

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    Female mate sampling in a Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) Lek in Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India
    (Wildlife Institute of India, Dehradun, 2026) Akshay, A.J.; Habib, Bilal; Rathore, Akanksha
    Mate choice is a fundamental component of sexual selection, and the behavioural mechanisms through which female sample males have been the focus of extensive theoretical research. Numerous mate sampling models have been proposed, including random mating, fixed-threshold, best-of-n, and Bayesian comparative tactics. However, the empirical evaluation of these frameworks remains limited in mammalian systems. Lekking species provide a unique opportunity to study female mate sampling behaviour because males aggregate spatially while females retain the freedom to sample and choose among multiple potential males. The blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), one of the few mammals exhibiting a lek mating system, offers an ideal model for examining these processes. This study was conducted at Tal Chhapar Wildlife Sanctuary, Rajasthan, India, between February 2026 and April 2026, during one of the peak mating seasons reported in India. Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) were used to track focal female movement and interactions within a mapped lek during a mate sampling bout. Female mate sampling bouts were defined as the period between a female’s entry into and exit from the lek. Individual sampling trajectories on the lek were reconstructed to evaluate movement predictions under the theoretical mate sampling models and patterns of lek use. Number female blackbucks on leks showed a seasonal increase, with peak activity occurring during late March and early April, tracking the patterns observed in number of males on lek. Both sexes exhibited significantly lower attendance during midday sessions compared to the morning and the evening sessions. Spatial analysis revealed that the centre of the lek received disproportionately higher female visits, and greater occurrence of mountings than the peripheral territories. Most female mate sampling bouts involved visits to fewer than six territories despite substantially large number of available males, suggesting that females only sample a subset of potential males. The distribution of sampling strategies classified on the basis of movement patterns, did not differ significantly from a uniform distribution, indicating co-existence of multiple strategies within a population, such as whether to visit single or multiple males, or whether to revisit a previously sampled male within a sampling bout, etc. Patterns consistent with first encounter, sequential, and best-of-n mate sampling were observed. Overall, this study provides one of the first detailed empirical examinations of mate sampling behaviour in a mammalian lekking species. By combining fine-scale movement observations of female blackbucks on leks with predictions of theoretical models, it offers an opportunity to evaluate how females sample mates under natural conditions. Specifically, the study quantified the movement parameters of female mate sampling behaviour, including the number of territories visited, the sequence and order of visits, time spent within territories and across the lek, and the occurrence of mounting attempts with a new methodological novelty. In doing so, it contributes to bridging the gap between theoretical models of mate choice and empirical evidence from free-ranging populations.