Data from: Pre- and postcopulatory sexual selection favor aggressive, young males in polyandrous groups of red junglefowl

A challenge in evolutionary biology is to understand the operation of
sexual selection on males in polyandrous groups, where sexual selection
occurs before and after mating. Here, we combine fine-grained behavioural
information (>41,000 interactions) with molecular parentage data to
study sexual selection in replicated, age-structured groups of polyandrous
red junglefowl, Gallus gallus. Male reproductive success was determined by
the number of females mated (precopulatory sexual selection) and his
paternity share, which was driven by the polyandry of his female partners
(postcopulatory sexual selection). Pre- and postcopulatory components of
male reproductive success covaried positively; males with high mating
success also had high paternity share. Two male phenotypes affected male
pre- and postcopulatory performance: average aggressiveness towards rival
males and age. Aggressive males mated with more females and more often
with individual females, resulting in higher sexual exclusivity. Younger
males mated with more females and more often with individual females,
suffering less intense sperm competition than older males. Older males had
a lower paternity share even allowing for their limited sexual
exclusivity, indicating they may produce less competitive ejaculates.
These results indicate that - in these populations - postcopulatory sexual
selection reinforces precopulatory sexual selection, consistently
promoting younger and more aggressive males.