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Increases in population density often are associated with a change in mating system structure in numerous taxa. Typically, male interactions are minimal in extremely low density populations. As density increases, males exhibit territoriality but if density becomes too high, the energetic cost of defending a territory will eventually outweigh the reproductive benefits associated with territoriality. Consequently, males in high density populations may abandon territoriality and adopt dominance polygyny, lekking behavior, or scramble competition. We investigated the relationship between population density and mating system structure in three populations of the chuckwalla, Sauromalus obesus (= ater), near Phoenix, Arizona....