Abstract
Sexual Conflict![Figure][1] PHOTO: © [GEORGESANKER.COM][2]/ALAMY One of the most unpleasant aspects of social life in some animal species is killing of the young by adult males. Lukas and Huchard looked at mammalian groups with a variety of social systems—from mice to mongoose and from bats to bears. Infanticidal behavior in males appeared to be a result of sexual conflict in social species with nonseasonal breeding. Killing of a female's young by a new male will speed her return to a reproductive state and allow him to raise his own young. Evolutionarily, the only successful defense in females appears to be polyandry: Females that mate with multiple males make it hard for any one male to know that he is, or is not, the father of her offspring. Science , this issue p. [841][3] [1]: pending:yes [2]: http://GEORGESANKER.COM [3]: /lookup/doi/10.1126/science.1257226
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