This book reviews the relationship of mating systems with other aspects of vertebrate biology. It presents many stimulating new perspectives and ideas on mating systems studies. While many of the authors present some of their own research, in all cases they underline the general relevance of their work and speculate on future directions of scientific inquiry.

Sexual selection and mate choice - trade-offs for males and females, R.H. Wiley; ornaments and good genes - progress in research through paradoxes and paradigms, R.V. Alatalo; mating systems and morphology - what can phylogenies tell us about the evolution of sexual dimorphism in lekking birds? J. Hoglund; demographic analyses of mating systems, D.B. McDonald; environmental effects on the evolution of mating systems in endotherms, J. Carranza; environmental variation - the effects on vertebrate mating systems with special integrative approach, T. Szekely et al; vertebrate mating systems, Allee effects and conservation, P.A. Stephens and W.J. Sutherland; mating systems and conservation at large spatial scales, J.T. Hogg; a retrospective and prospective look at the role of genetics in mating systems - toward a balanced view of the sexes, D.F. Westneat; genetics of avian mating systems, P.T. Boag and L.M. Ratcliffe.