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1.
Recent models of choosiness in mate choice have identified two particularly important factors: the potential reproductive
rate (PRR) of the choosing sex relative to that of the chosen sex, and the variation in quality of potential mates. This experimental
study tested how these factors affected choosiness in male and female sand gobies, Pomatoschistus minutus. We manipulated relative PRR by means of water temperature, and mate quality by means of body length. The choosing male or
female was offered a choice between two mates with either a small or a large difference in body length representing a small
or a large variation in mate quality. Choosiness was measured as (1) preference for the larger mate, and (2) as whether or
not spawning occurred with the smaller mate, while the larger mate was visible but screened off. We found that females preferred
large males, and that their level of choosiness was affected by variation in male quality, but not by their own relative PRR.
Males, on the other hand, seemed unselective in all treatments and were in general more likely than females to spawn with
their provided partner. This suggests that in the sand goby, variation in male mate quality has a greater influence than relative
PRR on facultative changes in female choosiness. However, a general difference in PRR between males and females may be one
important factor explaining the observed sex difference in choosiness.
Received: 17 April 2000 / Revised: 24 June 2000 / Accepted: 17 July 2000 相似文献
2.
Time constraints and multiple choice criteria in the sampling behaviour and mate choice of the fiddler crab,Uca annulipes 总被引:9,自引:0,他引:9
Active female sampling occurs in the fiddler crab Uca annulipes. Females sample the burrows of several males before remaining to mate in the burrow of the chosen partner. Females time larval
release to coincide with the following nocturnal spring tide and must therefore leave sufficient time for embryonic development
after mating. Here we show how this temporal constraint on search time affects female choosiness. We found that, at the start
of the sampling period (when time constraints are minimal), females selectively sample the larger males in the population.
Towards the end of the sampling period (when the temporal constraints increase the costs of sampling), females are less selective.
Furthermore, we suggest that the number of males sampled (and other indices of ‘‘sampling effort’’) may not be reliable indicators
of female choosiness and may not reflect the strength of female mating preferences under certain conditions. Burrow quality
also emerged as an important criterion in final mate choice. Burrow structure potentially influences reproductive success,
and mate acceptance based on burrow structure appears to involve a relatively invariant threshold criterion. Since there is
no relationship between male size and burrow quality, females are using at least two independent criteria when choosing potential
mates. We envisage mate choice as a two-stage process. First, females select which males to sample based on male size. They
then decide whether or not to mate with a male based on burrow features. This sampling process explains how two unrelated
variables can both predict male mating success.
Received: 23 March 1995/Accepted after revision: 14 January 1996 相似文献
3.
Male seahorses (genus Hippocampus) provide all post-fertilization parental care, yet despite high levels of paternal investment, these species have long been
thought to have conventional sex roles, with female mate choice and male–male competition. Recent studies of the pot-bellied
seahorse (Hippocampus abdominalis) have shown that sex-role reversal occurs in high-density female-biased populations, indicating that male mating preferences
may lead to sexual selection on females in this species. Egg size, egg number, and offspring size all correlate positively
with female body size in Hippocampus, and by choosing large mating partners, male seahorses may increase their reproductive success. While male brood size is
also positively correlated with body size, small H. abdominalis males can carry exceptionally large broods, suggesting that the fecundity benefits of female preference for large partners
may be limited. We investigated the importance of body size in reproductive decisions of H. abdominalis, presenting focal individuals of both sexes with potential mating partners of different sizes. Mating preferences were quantified
in terms of time spent courting each potential partner. Male seahorses were highly active throughout the mate-choice trials
and showed a clear behavioral preference for large partners, while females showed significantly lower levels of activity and
equivocal mating preferences. The strong male preferences for large females demonstrated here suggest that sexual selection
may act strongly on female body size in wild populations of H. abdominalis, consistent with predictions on the importance of female body size for reproductive output in this species.
An erratum to this article can be found at 相似文献
4.
Mark R. Forbes Dean G. McCurdy Keiko Lui Selma I. Mautner J. Sherman Boates 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2006,60(1):87-95
Potential rates of reproduction (PRR) differ between the sexes of many animal species. Adult sex ratios together with PRR
are expected to determine the operational sex ratio (OSR) defined as the ratio of fertilizable females to sexually active
males at any given time. OSR is expected to determine the degree to which one sex competes for another—the limiting sex. We
explored the potential for mate limitation in an intertidal amphipod, Corophium volutator (Pallas). Males have higher PRR than females, but males may be limiting because of extreme female-biased sex ratios observed
in this species. Consistent with this idea, late season females were less likely to be ovigerous and had smaller size-specific
clutches, both of which were associated with seasonal declines in availability of males of reproductive size. Seasonal changes
in ovigery could not be explained by seasonal changes across sites in other factors (e.g., female body size or phenology of
breeding). Smaller females were less likely to become ovigerous later in the season at three of four sites. Seasonal reductions
in clutch size also occurred among small females expected to be reproducing for their first time. In complimentary laboratory
experiments, reduced likelihood of ovigery and reduced fecundity occurred when the number of receptive females was increased
relative to availability of a reproductively active male. Our results suggest male mate limitation can occur seasonally in
this species and that male limitation is regionally widespread and may affect recruitment. 相似文献
5.
S. Balshine-Earn 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1996,39(2):107-116
Operational sex ratio (OSR) theory predicts that sexual differences in potential reproductive rates (PRRs) create biases
in the OSR and thus determine the relative strength of sexual selection (competition and choice) operating on each sex. Although
this theory is well accepted, empirical studies that quantify it are still lacking. This paper presents such a study. I measured
the natural OSR of Galilee St. Peter’s fish (Sarotherodon galilaeus) in the field (Lake Kinneret) and examined the direction of mate choice in the laboratory. The OSR in Lake Kinneret was male
biased. Both a male-biased sex ratio and higher male reproductive rates (twice as fast as females) contributed to the skew
in the OSR, but the sexual differences in PRR were shown to be the main factor causing variation in the OSR. Females, the
sex with the lower PRR, were more selective for mates. The faster male reproductive rate may explain why females are more
selective for mates despite varying less in quality.
Received: 29 May 1995/Accepted after revision: 13 April 1996 相似文献
6.
For intersexual selection to occur, it is necessary that females choose between males. It is now well appreciated that constraints
exist, which preclude females sampling all the available males in a population. These constraints are likely to have caused
the evolution of sampling rules (such as the “best-of-n” rule) by which females sample males. Here we investigate the impact of female subsampling of the male population, not on
the evolution of sampling behaviour, but on the population-level correlation between a male trait and currencies such as reproductive
success. This study is important as it illustrates when population-level correlations can be safely used to infer the presence
and strength of sexual selection in the field. We find that the correlation between a male trait and a mate choice variable
rises steeply as the number of males sampled by each female increases, flattening above seven to ten males sampled. This shape
is found to be remarkably robust, and little affected by, for example, the mate choice variable used, by noise in assessment,
by sampling behaviour depending on female quality, or by population size. The only variable found to have a large impact is
male clumping according to their “quality”. If females are sampling about four males, the maximum correlation that can be
found at the population level is in the range 0.4–0.6, perhaps as little as 0.1 if males are strongly clumped. A recent review
of the literature suggests that four is the average number of males that females sample. Thus, the absence of a strong correlation
cannot by itself be used to infer that sexual selection is weak, as it may be due to females sampling few males.
Received: 18 May 1998 / Accepted after revision: 18 July 1998 相似文献
7.
Male choice and competition in Tetraopes tetraophthalmus: effects of local sex ratio variation 总被引:4,自引:0,他引:4
W. S. Lawrence 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1986,18(4):289-296
Summary Male milkweed beetles (Tetraopes tetraophthalmus) are shown to exhibit choice between potential mates. Males, however, also exhibit direct competition for access to potential mates. These differences in male behavior are dependent on the local sex ratio, with males becoming increasingly choosy when the sex ratio is female-biased, and more competitive when the sex ratio is malebiased. Females show neither choice nor competition. In both the laboratory and in the field, body size is important in determining patterns of competition and choice. Larger males win most aggressive encounters, and males generally prefer large females as mates. The combination in a single sex, of competition for mates and mate choice is not predicted by classical sexual selection theory. Male choice and competition may have evolved in T. tetraophthalmus due to the combination of (1) the mating system (2) the pattern of variation in female fecundity, and (3) the spatially and temporally variable operational sex ratios. This explanation is not dependent on high heritability of body size. 相似文献
8.
Matteo Pizzolon Maria B. Rasotto Carlotta Mazzoldi 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2008,62(4):521-528
Female ornamentation may be directly sexually selected, by male choice or female competition, or occurs as the result of a
genetic correlation, arising from sexual selection on males. However, increasing evidence supports the former hypothesis,
suggesting that males actively choose their partner preferring traits indicative of female quality. In the lagoon goby, Knipowitschia panizzae, a polygynous species whose males perform parental care to eggs, body length and the size of a sex-specific yellow patch
on the belly are known to be reliable indicators of female fecundity. In this paper, we tested, using dummies, the male’s
mating preferences for female body and yellow belly patch sizes. The two experimental trials in which a single female trait
was variable showed that males prefer a larger belly patch and a larger body size, indicating that both these characters are
selected by male mate choice. However, when faced with dummies exhibiting an inverse combination of body and belly patch sizes
(experiment 3), males significantly preferred the smaller ones with larger yellow belly patches. A calculation of dummy theoretical
fecundity reveals that in the first two experiments, males would have received an immediate benefit from their choice in terms
of egg number, whereas in the third one, males chose partners that would have provided them with fewer eggs. The male lagoon
goby preference for females with larger belly patches, regardless of their size, suggests that this trait, in addition to
indicating fecundity, conveys information about other aspects of female and/or egg quality. 相似文献
9.
Robert Brooks 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1996,39(5):323-329
Models of sexual selection by female choice require heritable variation in female mating preferences in order for sexual
selection to operate. However, recent theoretical work shows that female preferences which are transmitted non-genetically
can result in exaggeration of male ornamentation. Guppies exhibit both mate copying and considerable heritable variation in
female preferences. I studied the importance of these phenomena by measuring repeatability of female mate choice, which acts
as an estimate of the upper limit to which a feature may be heritable, and the incidence of mate choice reversal in paired-trial
binary mate choice experiments. Mate choice was significantly repeatable except in the treatment where females were given
the opportunity to copy a female that contradicted their original choice. Apart from this, I found no evidence that females
copy the mate choice of others. The differences between males in ornamentation had no effect on the consistency of female
mate choice or the probability that they would reverse their original choice decision (in both controls and the copying experiment).
The interval between choice trials did not influence repeatability significantly, indicating that the independence of choice
decisions is not related to the time interval between them.
Received: 9 February 1996/Accepted after revision: 6 July 1996 相似文献
10.
Bushcricket males of Poecilimon zimmeri transfer large and protein-rich spermatophores during mating, which females directly ingest. There is correlational evidence
that heavier males transfer larger nuptial gifts. In no-choice mating trials, females mated randomly with respect to male’s
body weight. In contrast, in two-choice mating trials, female bushcrickets exhibit clear choice for the heavier male. This
heavier male advantage was also found in pre-mating choice during phonotaxis. With manipulated mute males, females mated at
random with regard to body weight of the competitors. The number of physical encounters between a female and males was low
in all tests with a single male (no choice) and greater in choice-tests with two competing males. The latencies to mate also
differed significantly between treatments. The time mating pairs spent in precopula was short in experiments where the males
could hear rivals and significantly longer in all other tests using either a single male or mute males. Thus, acoustic signalling
in male bushcrickets seems to signal male body weight. A preference for heavier males may reflect a female’s preference for
a larger spermatophore and therefore a greater direct benefit. 相似文献
11.
Amanda Vincent Ingrid Ahnesjö Anders Berglund 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1994,34(6):435-442
In the pipefish Syngnathus typhle, only males brood embryos in specially developed brood pouches, supplying oxygen and nutrients. Laboratory studies have shown that this elaborate paternal care has led to sex-role reversal in this species: males limit female reproductive rate, females are the primary competitors for mates and males exercise greater selectivity in accepting mates. In the first field study of this pipefish, we describe mating behaviour in the wild and test the hypothesis that temporal variations in the operational sex ratio (OSR) determine sex differences in mating behaviour. Our study comprised two reproductive seasons of two sequential mating periods each, the latter separated by a lengthy interval of male brooding. During mating periods, females displayed to all males without wandering and males moved about searching for females, without reacting to all females. The OSR was least female-biased (or even male-biased) at the onset of the breeding season, when most pipefish were simultaneously available to mate, but became strikingly female-biased as males' pouches were filled. The OSR remained substantially female-biased during the second mating period, because few males became available to remate at any one time. As hypothesised, female-biased OSRs resulted in more female-female meetings. As well, females were above the eelgrass more often than brooding males, thus exposing themselves to conspecifics and/ or predators. In the second year, males arrived earlier than females on the breeding site and male pregnancies were shorter, because of higher water temperatures, so rematings occurred earlier. Males met more often during that year than the previous one, but male competitive interactions were still not observed. The field results support laboratory studies and demonstrate that behaviours associated with female-female competition are more prominent when the OSR is more female-biased.
Correspondence to: A. Vincent 相似文献
12.
S. D. Goldsworthy D. J. Boness R. C. Fleischer 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1999,45(3-4):253-267
When closely related species breed in sympatry, and where hybrids have lower fitness, reinforcement theory predicts that
selection should favour mechanisms that reduce the probability of interspecific matings. If this situation arises among species
that exhibit resource defence polygyny where males and females of different species reside in the same territories, there
may be some conflict between mate choice based on territory-holding ability (sexual selection) and mate choice for correct
species. We investigated this in a population of fur seals where three species are sympatric and where some females breed
in the territories of heterospecific males, and where interspecific matings and hybrid pups are observed. The territorial
status of males and the birthing sites of females were determined during daily observations, as were the movements of males
and females, the location of matings and mating partners. DNA extracted from skin samples was used to determine paternities
using DNA fingerprinting and the mtDNA genotype of individuals. Individuals were also classed on the basis of species-typical
phenotype. We found that extra-territory inseminations (ETIs) were significantly more prevalent (67%) when territorial males
and resident females were of different phenotype than when of similar phenotype (27%), but mtDNA genotype had no effect on
the rate of ETIs. ETIs were probably by males with the same phenotype, as pups born to these females in the following season
had the same phenotype as their mothers, suggesting they were not hybrids. These results suggest that within the resource
defence polygynous mating system of these sympatric fur seals, female mate choice is more influenced by male phenotype than
genotype. Contrary to our predictions, our study indicates that potential conflict between mate choice based on sexual selection
and species recognition is unlikely, because females have some capacity to discriminate between males both within and between
species on phenotypic traits additional to those under sexual selection. Although at least 25% of the pups born in this study
were hybrid, this study can only support reinforcement theory if hybrids have reduced fitness. The fitness of hybrids among
the species studied is currently unknown.
Received: 19 January 1998 / Accepted after revision: 12 September 1998 相似文献
13.
The operational sex ratio (OSR) may influence the intensity of competition for mates and mate choice and is therefore thought
to be a major factor predicting the intensity and direction of sexual selection. We studied the opportunity for sexual selection,
i.e., the variance in male reproductive success and the direction and intensity of sexual selection on male body mass in bank
vole (Clethrionomys glareolus) enclosure populations with experimentally manipulated sex ratios. The opportunity for sexual selection was high among male-biased
OSRs and decreased towards female-biased OSRs. Paradoxically, selection for large male body mass was strongest in female-biased
OSRs and also considerable at intermediate OSRs, whereas at male-biased OSRs, only a weak relationship between male size and
reproductive success was found. Litters in male-biased OSRs were more likely to be sired by multiple males than litters in
female-biased OSRs. Our results suggest that the intensity and direction of sexual selection in males differs among different
OSRs. Although the direction of sexual selection on male body mass was opposite than predicted, large body mass can be favored
by sexual selection. Naturally varying OSRs may therefore contribute to maintain variation in male sexually selected traits. 相似文献
14.
Kai Lindström Colette M. St. Mary Christophe Pampoulie 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2006,60(1):46-51
Male parental care is typically thought to come at a cost to mate attraction and future mating success. However, it has also
been hypothesized that paternal care may be under sexual, as well as natural, selection, such that good fathers actually attract
more mates. Here we show experimentally that in the sand goby, Pomatoschistus minutus, females prefer to mate with males that provide higher levels of parental care. We manipulated male behavior using (1) different
nest sizes and (2) an application of low-O2 water in the nests, and found that females consistently preferred males with elevated levels of care in dichotomous mate
choice tests. This complements our earlier study in which we showed that males increase the amount and quality of care they
provide in the presence of females. Our results demonstrate that male care may have evolved as a result of sexual selection
rather than natural selection alone, and furthermore, that male care may not necessarily be in conflict with mate attraction. 相似文献
15.
We investigated male mate preferences in relation to the perceived risk of sperm competition in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata), a freshwater fish with a promiscuous mating system. Our laboratory experiments revealed that male mate choice behaviour is not influenced by the presence of rival males that are merely in close proximity to a potential mate, as there was no significant difference in the amount of time that males spent with females that were recently either alone or in close proximity to four rival males. Male mate choice behaviour was, however, strongly influenced by the presence of rival males in a second experiment, where those rivals were permitted to copulate with one of the females. In that situation, males spent significantly more time with, and directed significantly more sigmoid courtship displays toward, females that they had recently seen alone compared to females they had seen receiving forced copulations from up to four rival males. Our results therefore indicate that male guppies are sensitive to the risk of sperm competition and alter their mate choice behaviour in an adaptive fashion.Communicated by K. Lindström 相似文献
16.
The effect of male coloration on female mate choice in closely related Lake Victoria cichlids (Haplochromis nyererei complex) 总被引:12,自引:3,他引:9
We studied the effect of male coloration on interspecific female mate choice in two closely related species of haplochromine
cichlids from Lake Victoria. The species differ primarily in male coloration. Males of one species are red, those of the other
are blue. We recorded the behavioral responses of females to males of both species in paired male trials under white light
and under monochromatic light, under which the interspecific differences in coloration were masked. Females of both species
exhibited species-assortative mate choice when colour differences were visible, but chose non-assortatively when colour differences
were masked by light conditions. Neither male behaviour nor overall female response frequencies differed between light treatments.
That female preferences could be altered by manipulating the perceived colour pattern implies that the colour itself is used
in interspecific mate choice, rather than other characters. Hence, male coloration in haplochromine cichlids does underlie
sexual selection by direct mate choice, involving the capacity for individual assessment of potential mates by the female.
Females of both species responded more frequently to blue males under monochromatic light. Blue males were larger and displayed
more than red males. This implies a hierarchy of choice criteria. Females may use male display rates, size, or both when colour
is unavailable. Where available, colour has gained dominance over other criteria. This may explain rapid speciation by sexual
selection on male coloration, as proposed in a recent mathematical model.
Received: 11 April 1997 / Accepted after revision: 27 July 1997 相似文献
17.
Individuals of species that change sex from male to female may gain a “size advantage” from that sex change; that is, as males
become larger, they become female, thus increasing their fecundity with their size. However, males could also gain an early
and different reproductive size advantage by choosing large females as mates. While male preference for large females has
been observed in many dioecious species, we know little about male size preference in sex-changing species. In choice experiments,
we examined whether males of two congeneric species of marine sex-changing snails, Crepidula fornicata and C. convexa, chose large females over small ones as partners. We also used choice tests to see whether males of C. fornicata, a species whose members form long-term, multi-animal stacks, would choose two females in a stack over a single female. Surprisingly,
males of neither species showed a preference for large females, in spite of the documented fecundity advantage associated
with large female-size. Males of C. fornicata chose slightly, but not significantly, more single females than stacks, suggesting that neither number nor size drives mate
choice in these animals. Key factors that may influence this lack of size preference include long association time, the likelihood
of sperm competition, and the cost of extended mate search; it may also be that sex-change itself, the very factor that creates
female-biased sexual size dimorphism in these species, prevents size preference, as males may gain sufficient reproductive
advantage from eventually becoming large females themselves to offset any benefit of choosing large females. 相似文献
18.
Mats Olsson 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》1993,32(5):337-341
Summary Male sand lizards (Lacerta agilis) are polygynous and guard individual females for several hours to days after copulation. Even though the copulation itself only lasts 2–4 min, the total time that a male invests per female is considerably more and may constitute a substantial investment during a mating season. In such situations, when male copulation frequency is constrained, or when variation in female fecundity is high, mate choice by males may be adaptive. Large body size in female sand lizards is correlated with higher fecundity. In choice experiments performed in the laboratory, male sand lizards preferred to court large females rather than small females. In addition, when there was little difference in size between the females in the experiment, the males visited the two females more often before they started to court the preferred female. The results from a field study during 1984 and 1987–1990 showed that females are non-aggressive, have small neighboring home ranges (c. 100 m2) and may share burrows and sites for thermoregulation. This means that females can be found close together and thus gives males the opportunity to choose a mate. Assortative mating with respect to size was observed in a natural population, as well as a limited number of direct choices of females by males. These results support the results of the choice experiment. 相似文献
19.
Female association preferences based on olfactory cues in the guppy,<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Poecilia reticulata</Emphasis> 总被引:1,自引:0,他引:1
Guppies are highly sexually dimorphic. Females have been shown to mate preferentially with males with various visible traits and previous studies investigating mate choice have focussed on these visual cues. However, guppies have been shown to respond behaviourally to odour cues from conspecifics as well as from predators. Therefore, sexual selection in guppies may act on multiple sensory modalities, but so far only visual cues have been investigated. Here, we used a specially designed olfactory choice tank to determine whether females could detect other guppies on the basis of their olfactory cues only, and to determine whether females preferred to associate with males or females and whether they could distinguish between different males. We show that female guppies associated preferentially with other females when given a choice between water containing the odour cues from another fish and water containing no odour cues. When females were presented with olfactory cues from a male and a female, they investigated the female initially, but then most reversed their decision and swam to the male. Furthermore, we demonstrate that females associated preferentially with certain males based upon olfactory cues alone, but that this choice was in direct opposition to that made when the females received only visual cues from the same males.Communicated by: M. Abrahams 相似文献
20.
Martin Plath Katja Kromuszczynski Ralph Tiedemann 《Behavioral ecology and sociobiology》2009,63(3):381-390
Males often face strong mating competition by neighboring males in their social environment. A recent study by Plath et al.
(Anim Behav 75:21–29, 2008a) has demonstrated that the visual presence of a male competitor (i.e., an audience male) affects
the expression of male mating preferences in a poeciliid fish (Poecilia mexicana) with a weaker expression of mating preferences when an audience male observed the focal male. This may be a tactic to reduce
sperm competition, since surrounding males likely share intrinsic preferences for female traits or copy mate choice decisions.
Here, we examined the hypothesis that a same-sex audience would affect female mate preferences less than male mating preferences. Our hypothesis was based on the assumptions that (1) competition for
mates in a fashion that would be comparable in strength to sperm competition or overt male–male aggression is absent among
Poecilia females, and (2) P. mexicana females typically form female-biased shoals, such that almost any female mate choice in nature occurs in front of a female
audience. Poecilia females (P. mexicana, surface and cave form, and the closely related gynogenetic Poecilia formosa) were given a choice between a large and a small male, and the tests were repeated while a conspecific, a heterospecific,
or no audience female (control) was presented. Females spent more time in the neutral zone and, thus, less time near the males
during the second part of a trial when an audience was presented, but—consistent with predictions—females showed only slightly
weaker expression of mate preferences during the second part of the tests. This decline was not specific to the treatment
involving an audience and was significantly weaker than the effect seen in the male sex. 相似文献