Data from: Correlated paternity measures mate monopolization and scales with the magnitude of sexual selection

Indirect measures of sexual selection have been criticized because they
can overestimate the magnitude of selection. In particular, they do not
account for the degree to which mating opportunities can be monopolized by
individuals of the sex that compete for mates. We introduce a measure of
mate monopolization (m) based on the magnitude of correlated paternity and
evaluate its ability to track changes in the magnitude of sexual
selection. Simulation models were used to compare how well m tracked
changes in the selection differential (s) for a trait regulating mating
success. We further evaluated the association between m and s using ten
replicate mating arrays of Sagittaria latifolia in which plants with
contrasting alleles at microsatellite loci competed for siring
opportunities. The computer models and mating arrays both demonstrated a
positive linear association between m and s, supporting the utility of m
as an index of sexual selection. Commonly used measures of sexual
selection are not easily applied to organisms, such as the flowering
plants, for which mating events are difficult to observe. The measure of
mate monopolization introduced here could prove to be a useful addition to
studies of sexual selection in these organisms.