The single male, called the dominant male, may be accompanied by another young male, called a "follower" male. The term harem is used in zoology to distinguish social organization consisting of a group of females, their offspring, and one to two males. The females are disadvantaged if their offspring are killed during dominance battles or by incoming males. The disadvantages for the male are the energetic costs of gaining or defending a harem which may leave him with reduced reproductive success. The females benefit from being in a stable social group and the associated benefits of grooming, predator avoidance and cooperative defense of territory. In some species, incoming males that achieve dominant status may commit infanticide.įor the male, the primary benefit of the harem system is obtaining exclusive access to a group of mature females. The dominant male mates with the females as they become sexually active and drives off competitors, until he is displaced by another male. Females in the group may be inter-related. As juvenile males grow, they leave the group and roam as solitary individuals or join bachelor herds. If present, the second male is subservient to the dominant male. ![]() The dominant male drives off other males and maintains the unity of the group. Large male northern fur seal and harem of smaller femalesĪ harem is an animal group consisting of one or two males, a number of females, and their offspring. For other uses, see Harem (disambiguation).
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