The role of scent marking in mate selection by female pumas (Puma concolor)

Mate selection influences individual fitness, is often based on complex cues and behaviours, and can be difficult to study in solitary species including carnivores. We used motion-triggered cameras at 29 community scrapes (i.e. scent marking locations used by multiple individuals) and home range data from 39 GPS-collared pumas (Puma concolor) to assess the relevance of communication behaviours for mate selection by female pumas in California. Female pumas visited community scrapes irregularly and visitation bouts appeared to be correlated with oestrus. Female pumas on average selected from 1.7 collared males, and selection was based on multiple cues that varied among the different time periods measured (i.e. the female’s visitation bout and in 90 days previous to the consorting event). Female mate selection over the course of a visitation bout was based on frequency of the male visitation, mass, and age. In the 90 days previous to consorting, the number of scrapes a male created was the...配偶选择会影响个体适合度，其通常基于复杂的信号与行为，且在包括食肉动物在内的独居物种中难以开展研究。我们在29处群落刮痕（即多个个体共用的气味标记位点）部署了运动触发相机，并结合39只佩戴GPS项圈的美洲狮（美洲狮*Puma concolor*）的家域数据，旨在评估加州雌性美洲狮的配偶选择与通讯行为的相关性。雌性美洲狮对群落刮痕的造访并无规律，且造访时段似乎与发情期存在关联。雌性美洲狮平均会从1.7只佩戴项圈的雄性个体中进行选择，且其选择依据的多重信号会随测量时段的不同而变化——测量时段涵盖雌性的造访时段，以及配对事件发生前的90天。在造访时段内，雌性的配偶选择依据雄性的造访频率、体重与年龄。而在配对事件发生前的90天里，雄性所创建的刮痕数量是其