Are Female Mountain Goats Sexually Conflicted Over Size Of Mate?
November 17, 2009  Mountain goats are no exception to the
general rule among mammals that larger males sire more and
healthier offspring. But University of Alberta researcher David
Coltman has found a genetic quirk that might make female
mountain goats think twice about their romantic partners.  Big,
heavy males mountain goats shove lightweight Romeos aside taking
the eligible females for themselves. The larger males pass their
physical attributes and mating success to their male heirs. But
Coltman’s data shows the daughters of the big, bruisers are
routinely smaller and less fit than females produced by
physically more modest fathers. Nature can be cruel and life on
the side of a mountain favours bigger, healthier animals, both
male and female.  Coltman’s research shows that this anomaly
could have implications for female mate choice, since a female
that mates with a large, dominant male can expect to have larger
sons, but smaller and less fit