Concealed Ovulation - Reduced Infanticide Hypothesis

Reduced Infanticide Hypothesis

This hypothesis suggests the adaptive advantage for females who had hidden estrus would be a reduction in the possibility of infanticide by males, as they would be unable to selectively kill their rivals’ offspring. This hypothesis shows support in the recent studies on wild Hanuman langurs that display concealed ovulation and frequent matings with males outside their fertile ovulatory period. Heistermann et al. hypothesize that concealed ovulation is used by females to confuse paternity and thus reduce infanticide. He explains since males determine paternity and thus decide on whether to kill the female’s child based on his previous matings with that female, a female’s promiscuous matings in conjunction with concealed ovulation would lead a male to believe there is still a possibility for that child to be his own.