Sperm competition and effects of mating order on copulatory behavior in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus)

Abstract

The pattern of sperm competition and effects of mating order were examined in meadow voles (Microtus pennsylvanicus). When males were the second to mate with a given female during an estrus, they had shorter latencies to intromission, longer latencies to ejaculation, longer mount durations, longer intromission durations, and higher mount frequencies and intromission frequencies than when mating first. Although few litters were produced, there was no suggestion of an order effect on litter composition. © 1993, Psychonomic Society, Inc.. All rights reserved.