Parallels between sexual strategies and other allocation strategies

Summary Allocation strategies in which a limited resource is apportioned among alternative activities are applicable to diverse structural, genetical and behavioral topics, including male versus female investments. In a model of sex allocation strategies, the absolute fitnesses of individuals are calculated by summing the production of male and female gametes or offspring, each weighted by its reproductive value. The ESS is obtained by examining the fitness advantage of one phenotype over another. An analogous method is used to obtain a general model of allocation strategies that incorporates some widespread features. Allocation strategies are affected by the sizes and shapes of the reward curves, stochastic factors, and constraints on the allocations permitted. A number of parallels among diverse types of allocation strategies, including the occurrence of fixed, conditional and mixed strategies, and matching rules, are discussed.