Alternative Mating Tactics and Evolutionarily Stable Strategies

Difficulties with applying Evolutionarily. Stable Strategy (ESS) methodology and terminology to alternative mating behaviors (in which some males in local populations adopt strikingly different, often non-competitive, behavioral patterns) are reviewed. Definitions for “tactic” (behavioral phenotype) and “strategy” (evolved set of rules for expressing tactics) are given. Inconsistent and incorrect applications of “mixed,” “pure,” and...