multiple mating

in animal behavior, a strategy used by females to prevent certainty of paternity in males and as a mate-selection mechanism. A female mammal might mate with most males in her group, thus giving each male a stake in helping to protect the female and her young. Multiple mating is a form of cryptic female choice if the female can control which male mates with her at the time when conception is most likely.

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Psychology term of the day

February 1st 2025

harmine

n. a naturally occurring hallucinogen derived from the plants Peganum harmala, native to the Middle East, and Banisteriopsis caapi, native to the South American tropics. Harmine is a potent monoamine oxidase inhibitor and is a principal ingredient in ayahuasca, a psychoactive beverage.