Female spotted sandpipers aggressively court males and, after mating and egg laying, leave the clutch of young for the male to incubate. This sequence may be repeated several times with different males until no available males remain, forcing the female to incubate her last clutch. Which of the following terms best describes this behavior?

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Polyandry is the practice of a female mating with multiple males and leaving them to incubate and care for the offspring. This behavior is seen in female spotted sandpipers, who mate with multiple males and leave them to incubate the eggs while they search for other mates.

Female Spotted Sandpipers Aggressively Court Males And, After Mating and Egg