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Fluctuating asymmetries and advertisement call variation in the cricket frog, Acris crepitans
Authors:Ryan, Michael J.   Warkentin, Karen M.   McClelland, Blinda E.   Wilczynski, Walter
Affiliation:aDepartment of Zoology, University of Texas Austin, TX 78712, USA bDepartment of Psychology, University of Texas Austin, TX 78712, USA
Abstract:We used an anuran acoustic communication system to test a predictionof the "fluctuating asymmetries/good genes" hypothesis thatfemales prefer more symmetric mates because symmetry indicatesgenetic quality. Mate preferences of female cricket frogs (Acriscrepitans) can be influenced by three call characters: dominantfrequency, numbers of pulses per call, and number of pulse groupsper call. We tested the hypothesis that these preferences resultin females preferring more symmetric males. We measured fluctuatingasymmetries of characters not involved with the communicationsystem (head and tibia), and those involved in signal production(laryngeal characters) and signal reception (aural characters).We determined whether the asymmetries in these characters wererelated to the three variables that enhance call attractiveness.Most of the multiple regression models showed no significantassociation between the fluctuating asymmetries of charactersand any of the calls. The regression of head and tibia fluctuatingasymmetry on pulse number was significant, but partial regressioncoefficients revealed that more pulses were associated witha more symmetric head length and a less symmetric tibia length.Our findings provide little or no support for the fluctuatingasymmetries/good genes hypothesis. We emphasize, however, thatthis hypothesis should not be abandoned based on negative resultsof a single study, but deserves further scrutiny.
Keywords:Acris crepitans, anurans, calls, communication, cricket frogs, fluctuating asymmetries, reproductive behavior, sexual selection. [Behav Ecol 6:124–  131 (1995)].
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