Colour perception in three-spined sticklebacks: sexes are not so different after all |
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Authors: | Philip Boulcott Victoria A. Braithwaite |
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Affiliation: | (1) Institute for Evolutionary Biology, School of Biological Sciences, The University of Edinburgh, Kings Buildings, Edinburgh, EH9 3JT, UK |
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Abstract: | Sexual selection theory implies a tight coupling between the evolution of male sexual display and the sensory capabilities
of the female. In sexually dimorphic species it is proposed that this might lead to sex differences in a species’ perceptive
abilities. However, supporting evidence for this is rare, and to date there is only one example; three-spined sticklebacks,
Gasterosteus aculeatus. Here, the female’s visual system is reported to become more red-sensitive during the summer breeding season; a time when
sexually mature males display a red throat and belly to potential mates. In contrast, a shift in sensitivity is not apparent
in males. These results, although commonly quoted, are surprising because previous observations suggest that both sexes may
benefit from the detection of the male’s red colour patch; in females the intensity of red coloration can influence the choice
of mate, and in males the conspicuous red colouration can aid the detection of rival males. To investigate this paradox we
repeated the original optomotor experiment using a fully controlled design. In contrast to the earlier result, we found that
both males and females exhibit a shift in their sensitivity to red during the reproductive period. These new data therefore
do not support the hypothesis that sex differences in perceptual abilities occur in sexually dimorphic species. |
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Keywords: | Vision
Gasterosteus aculeatus
Stickleback Receiver bias Sensory drive |
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