Abstract: Lek is the aggregated male display that females attend primarily for the purpose of copulation. A group of males aggregate at a traditional mating site , where they perform intricate vocal, visual or chemical displays to attract receptive females. Since 1995, leks and lekking have attracted the attention of many researchers, but there is no report on lek research in China yet. Lekking has been found in a large number of taxa, such as insects, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and ungulates. During the two decades since 1995, there has been about 10 hypotheses or models proposed to answer why lek exists in some species and what cause its evolution. We introduced the categories and the characteristics of lekking, aiming to benefit the animal behavior research in China. We also proposed some suggestion on the relationship between lekking and conservation.

Key words: Lek, Mating system, Behavior, Breeding

摘要： 求偶场是动物在繁殖期的集群求偶交配的场所, 是动物求偶与繁殖行为的表达空间。为探索求偶场的发生及其进化机制, 研究者们在短短20 年中提出了近10 种关于求偶场发生与进化机制的假说与模型。在鸟类、哺乳类、两栖爬行类和鱼类中已广泛地展开有关求偶场的研究, 但目前国内却还鲜见相关研究报道。本文介绍了求偶场的特征、类型及其进化假说与模型。结合保护生物学理论, 简单阐述了求偶场研究的保护生物学及行为生态学意义。

关键词: 求偶场, 交配制度, 行为, 繁殖