polyandry
Quick Summary
Polyandry is a marriage system where one woman is married to two or more men simultaneously. This practice is rare, though it has been documented in various societies globally, particularly in regions like the Tibetan Plateau and the Marquesas Islands. It can be a response to specific local conditions such as sex ratios, male mortality, or economic structures.1
In animal behavior, polyandry refers to a mating system where females mate with multiple males. This is less common than polygyny, where males mate with multiple females. The prevalence of polygyny is often attributed to the greater investment females make in producing large eggs compared to males' smaller, more mobile sperm.23
Ask Britannica AI about this topic
Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.
animal social behaviorSocial interactions involving sex…a phenomenon referred to as polyandry, examples of which include spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularia), phalaropes (Phalaropus), jacanas (tropical species in the family Jacanidae), and a few human societies such as those once found in the Ladakh region of the Tibetan plateau. Monogamy, where a single male and female form a…
Read More…a phenomenon referred to as polyandry, examples of which include spotted sandpipers (Actitis macularia), phalaropes (Phalaropus), jacanas (tropical species in the family Jacanidae), and a few human societies such as those once found in the Ladakh region of the Tibetan plateau. Monogamy, where a single male and female form a…
Read More
animal social behaviorSocial interactions involving sex…to as serial polyandry, sequential polyandry, or serial monogamy, depending on whether the focus is on mate-switching behavior or the number of mates at a given time. Serial monogamy can be used to describe species such as the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis), in which males and females remain together…
Read More…to as serial polyandry, sequential polyandry, or serial monogamy, depending on whether the focus is on mate-switching behavior or the number of mates at a given time. Serial monogamy can be used to describe species such as the milkweed leaf beetle (Labidomera clivicollis), in which males and females remain together…
Read More
animal social behaviorSocial interactions involving sex…polygyny is relatively common and polyandry rare. This prevalence of polygyny is thought to result from the greater resource investment females have in their large, immobile eggs compared with males’ investment in small, motile sperm.
Read More…polygyny is relatively common and polyandry rare. This prevalence of polygyny is thought to result from the greater resource investment females have in their large, immobile eggs compared with males’ investment in small, motile sperm.
Read More
honeybeePolyandry…a mating behavior known as polyandry. Polyandry increases genetic diversity within a colony and thereby improves colony fitness and survival. Genetically diverse colonies have characteristics—such as increased population size, foraging activity, and food supplies—that favor the production of new queens and the formation of new colonies.
Read More…a mating behavior known as polyandry. Polyandry increases genetic diversity within a colony and thereby improves colony fitness and survival. Genetically diverse colonies have characteristics—such as increased population size, foraging activity, and food supplies—that favor the production of new queens and the formation of new colonies.
Read More
HymenopteraSocial forms…many males (a practice called polyandry) to promote genetic diversity within the colony. After their nuptial flight young queens return to the home nest. If, during the spring, many offspring develop, the colony population greatly increases, and the number of cells in the comb for developing young is no longer…
Read More…many males (a practice called polyandry) to promote genetic diversity within the colony. After their nuptial flight young queens return to the home nest. If, during the spring, many offspring develop, the colony population greatly increases, and the number of cells in the comb for developing young is no longer…
Read More
beekeepingQueen bee…more than one drone (called polyandry) while in the air. She may repeat the mating flights for two or three successive days, after which she begins egg laying. She rarely ever leaves the hive again except with a swarm. Normally, sufficient sperm are stored in her sperm pouch, or spermatheca,…
Read More…more than one drone (called polyandry) while in the air. She may repeat the mating flights for two or three successive days, after which she begins egg laying. She rarely ever leaves the hive again except with a swarm. Normally, sufficient sperm are stored in her sperm pouch, or spermatheca,…
Read More