Mate choice copying and conspecific cueing in Japanese quail, Coturnix coturnix japonica

In four experiments, we examined the effects on the affiliative preferences of 'focal' female Japanese quail given the opportunity to watch a conspecific male interact with a 'model' female. Experiments were conducted in three, 10-min phases: (1) a pretest, during which a 'focal' female chose between two males; (2) an observation phase, when each focal female watched the male she had spent less time near during the pretest (her 'nonpreferred' male) interact with a 'model' quail; and (3) a post-test, during which each focal female again chose between her nonpreferred and preferred males. Focal females increased their preferences for nonpreferred males after seeing them together with a model female (but not a model male), even if the nonpreferred male and model female were separated by an opaque barrier that prevented them from interacting. A focal female's preference for the end of the enclosure containing her nonpreferred male was not increased when she either watched him court a concealed model female or watched a model female that was being courted by him. Taken together, the present results suggest that a simple tendency for females to approach areas where they have previously seen a male and female quail, in preference to locations where they have seen only a male quail, can explain some of the effect of watching a nonpreferred male mate on a female's tendency to affiliate with him. However, focal females also showed enhanced preferences for nonpreferred males they had seen mating after we both moved those males and controlled for effects of transposition. Thus, processes akin to both 'mate choice copying' and 'conspecific cueing' remain viable explanations for the increase in a focal female quail's tendency to affiliate with a male she watched mate with another female. Copyright 1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

Sex-Specific Audience Effect in the Context of Mate Choice in Zebra Finches

Animals observing conspecifics during mate choice can gain additional information about potential mates. However, the presence of an observer, if detected by the observed individuals, can influence the nature of the behavior of the observed individuals, called audience effect. In zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata castanotis), domesticated males show an audience effect during mate choice. However, whether male and female descendants of the wild form show an audience effect during mate choice is unknown. Therefore, we conducted an experiment where male and female focal birds could choose between two distinctive phenotypes of the opposite sex, an artificially adorned stimulus bird with a red feather on the forehead and an unadorned stimulus bird, two times consecutively, once without an audience and once with an audience bird (same sex as test bird). Males showed an audience effect when an audience male was present and spent more time with adorned and less time with unadorned females compared to when there was no audience present. The change in time spent with the respective stimulus females was positively correlated with the time that the audience male spent in front of its cage close to the focal male. Females showed no change in mate choice when an audience female was present, but their motivation to associate with both stimulus males decreased. In a control for mate-choice consistency there was no audience in either test. Here, both focal females and focal males chose consistently without a change in choosing motivation. Our results showed that there is an audience effect on mate choice in zebra finches and that the response to a same-sex audience was sex-specific.     

Mate Choice Copying in Female Humpback Limia (Limia nigrofasciata, Family Poeciliidae)

Mate choice copying is a mechanism of non‐independent mate choice that has important implications for models of evolution and sexual selection. In this study, we examined copying behavior in female humpback limia (Limia nigrofasciata). In three experiments, we allowed a focal female to choose between two males on opposite sides of an aquarium, then repeated the choice trial with the following modifications: (i) with no model female, (ii) with a model female added adjacent to the initially non‐preferred male, or (iii) with the model female adjacent to the initially preferred male. In the absence of other females, focal females displayed consistent mate preferences, measured as a significantly higher amount of time spent near the preferred male in both parts of the trial. When a model female was added adjacent to the initially non‐preferred male, focal females spent significantly more time near that male than they had in the first part of the trial, and significantly less time near the male they had initially preferred. When we placed the model female next to an initially preferred male as a control, the time spent by the focal female with the initially preferred or initially non‐preferred male did not change significantly. We conclude that female mate choice copying may be important in humpback limia, causing focal females to spend more time in preference zones of males they had not at first preferred.     

The role of model female quality in the mate choice copying behaviour of sailfin mollies

Female mate choice copying is a socially mediated mate choice behaviour, in which a male's attractiveness to females increases if he was previously chosen by another female as a mate. Although copying has been demonstrated in numerous species, little is known about the specific benefits it confers to copying females. Here we demonstrate that the mate choice behaviour of female sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) is influenced by the phenotypic quality of model females with whom males are observed consorting. Test females choosing between two males of similar body length were found to significantly increase time spent with previously non-preferred males after having observed them with a relatively high-quality female. Conversely, females were found to significantly decrease time spent with previously preferred males after having observed them with a relatively low-quality female. Female mate choice copying might be maintained by selection based on the heuristic value it provides females choosing between males whose quality differences are not easily distinguishable.     

An intimidating ornament in a female pipefish

A sexually selected signal may serve a dual function being bothattractive to mates and deterring rivals. Presently, there arefew unambiguous demonstrations of an ornament functioning inboth a mate choice and mate competition context and none regardingfemale ornaments. We have shown earlier that a temporary ornament,a striped pattern, in a sex-role reversed female pipefish, Syngnathustyphle, attracts males. Here we show that this ornament alsointimidates rival females: in one experiment a male could interactwith either 1 or 2 females. Latency until copulation was longerwhen 2, rather than 1, females were present. Moreover, when2 females were present, competition lasted longer and time untilmating took place increased when females displayed their ornamentsmore equally. In another experiment, a focal female could see1 stimulus female and 1 stimulus male, the latter 2 being unawareof each other. The ornament of the stimulus female was manipulated,either strengthened by being painted black or left unalteredby being sham-painted. As a result, focal females experiencingblack-painted stimulus females decreased courtship as well ascompetitive activities compared with focal females seeing sham-paintedfemales. Moreover, focal females seeing black-painted femalesdisplayed less of their own ornament compared with controls.This decrease was due to a decrease in display toward malesrather than to stimulus females. Thus, this female ornamentindeed has a dual function, attracting mates and deterring rivals.In addition, the social costs invoked by this intimidating effecton rivals may help to maintain signal honesty.     

Male fish deceive competitors about mating preferences

A fundamental question in animal communication is whether the information provided is honest or deceptive [1, 2]. This problem has received much attention, both in theoretical [1, 3] and experimental [4] work. Here we show that male Atlantic mollies (Poecilia mexicana), when observed during mate choice by another male, reduce their mating activity and no longer prefer mating with one of two females presented, which can be interpreted as an attempt to avoid unintended interception of information by the rival male. Most importantly, focal males directed their first sexual interaction (after they were presented with the rival male) toward the initially nonpreferred female, suggesting that males deceive other males about their mating preferences. Deception by the choosing male may be an adaptation to avoid sperm competition, because surrounding males may use public information and copy the focal male's mate choice.     

Female sailfin mollies, Poecilia latipinna, remember males and copy the choice of others after 1 day

Theoretical and experimental evidence indicates that females copy the mate choice of other females under certain conditions. In all mate choice copying experiments with fish to date, females were allowed to copy the choice of a model female immediately after the focal female had observed a model female interacting with a male. It is not known whether females continue to copy the choice of the model female after a longer interval. We investigated whether sailfin molly females also copy the choice of other females when they are prevented from copying immediately after observing a model female next to a previously nonpreferred male. We performed three copying experiments in which females could copy the choice of the model female immediately after, 1 h after or 1 day after observing the model female next to the previously nonpreferred male. In control experiments, we tested whether females chose consistently when they had no opportunity to copy, and whether females showed shoaling behaviour under these conditions. Females copied the choice of the model female immediately after, 1 h after and even 1 day after the observation of the model female interacting with the previously nonpreferred male. Females chose consistently between males when they had no opportunity to copy, and females did not shoal under these conditions. We conclude that females remember individual males with whom a model female had interacted, even after 1 day. Copyright 2003 Published by Elsevier Science Ltd on behalf of The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.      

The Disruption Hypothesis Does Not Explain Mate‐Choice Copying in the Guppy (Poecilia reticulata)

In some species, female mate choice is non‐independent as, under certain circumstances, females may copy the mate choice of other nearby females. One standard experimental protocol used to test for mate‐choice copying is the mate‐choice ‘reversal’ protocol. In this protocol, a focal female is allowed to choose between two males as potential mates and then is presented with an opportunity to see another female (i.e. the model female) choose the male that she did not initially choose. The focal is subsequently allowed to again choose between the same set of males. An observed reversal of her initial choice in this second preference test has been previously interpreted as evidence for mate‐choice copying. Alternatively, it has recently been proposed that environmental events, such as seeing the mate choice of nearby females that occur within the visual field of a female actively engaged in mate assessment, may ‘disrupt’ her decision‐making behavior and consequently alter the consistency of her mating preference, and may thus cause mate‐choice reversals. The disruption hypothesis predicts that if a model female is placed near the male that the focal female initially chose, the latter's mate preference would be disrupted and she would subsequently and consistently prefer the male that she initially rejected. Here we examined whether the disruption hypothesis explains mate‐choice copying in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Our results do not support this hypothesis, but rather provide further support for mate‐choice copying in the guppy.     

Female pied flycatchers trade between male quality and mating status in mate choice

According to mate choice theory, females should consider both male quality and mating status when choosing a mate. In birds, strong experimental evidence indicates that females prefer males with elaborate traits. No comparable evidence exists to determine whether females take male mating status into account or how they may trade between male quality and male mating status. We studied mate choice of female pied flycatchers (Ficedula hypoleuca) in outdoor aviaries where the effect of territory quality could be eliminated and where we could control which males were mated and which were unmated. We used male plumage colour as our measure of male quality. In the aviaries, focal females could easily compare males and assess their plumage colour and mating status, and resident females were prevented from attacking prospecting females because of separation in different compartments. The study provided evidence for a trade-off in mate choice. Females may compromise by choosing an already mated male if he is more brightly coloured and, presumably, of higher quality than available unmated males. The study did not support the idea that polygyny is based on male deception of females, but the results were consistent with the female aggression hypothesis.     

Effect of female brooding behaviour on male mate choice in Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica

Brooding behaviour is a likely cue to a female's reproductive status and therefore a potentially important factor in male mate assessment. We induced brooding behaviour in adult female Japanese quail by exposure to foster chicks for five 20-min trials over 3 days. In two experiments, we assessed the influence of this brooding behaviour on male mate choice in Japanese quail using an established mate choice paradigm. In each experiment we gave males a choice between two females presented simultaneously and measured preference by the time spent in proximity to each. In the first experiment, a male's preference for the initially preferred female significantly decreased after he had seen her brooding three chicks. In the control condition, male preference for an initially preferred female remained relatively consistent over consecutive trials if he did not see her brood chicks. These results suggest that females who are brooding chicks are less attractive to male Japanese quail. Further evidence from the second experiment substantiates this finding, and strongly suggests that males are averse to behavioural cues from maternal females, rather than the mere presence of chicks. Copyright 2003 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.      

Costs influence male mate choice in a freshwater fish

It is well known that female mate choice decisions depend on the direct costs of choosing (either because of search costs or male-imposed costs). Far less is known about how direct fitness costs affect male mate choice. We conducted an experiment to investigate male mate choice in a fish, the Pacific blue-eye (Pseudomugil signifer). Preferred females were larger, probably because larger females are also more fecund. Males, however, were consistent in their choice of female only when the costs of associating with prospective mates were equal. By contrast, males were far less consistent in their choice when made to swim against a current to remain with their initially preferred mate. Our results suggest that males may also respond adaptively to changes in the costs of choosing.     

Reversal of female mate choice by copying in the guppy (Poecilia reticulata).

Ever since Fisher (1958) formalized models of sexual selection, female mate choice has been assumed to be a genetically determined trait. Females, however, may also use social cues to select mates. One such cue might be the mate choice of conspecifics. Here we report the first direct evidence that a female's preference for a particular male can in fact be reversed by social cues. In our experiments using the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata), this reversal was mediated by mate-copying opportunities, such that a female (the 'focal' female) is given the opportunity to choose between two males, followed by a period in which she observes a second female (the 'model' female) displaying a preference for the male she herself did not prefer initially. When allowed to choose between the same males a second time, compared with control tests, a significant proportion of focal females reversed their mate choice and copied the preference of the model female. These results provide strong evidence for the role of non-genetic factors in sexual selection and underlie the need for new models of sexual selection that explicitly incorporate both genetic and cultural aspects of mate choice.     

Male and female mate choice affects offspring quality in a sex-role-reversed pipefish.

Where both sexes invest substantially in offspring, both females and males should discriminate between potential partners when choosing mates. The degree of choosiness should relate to the costs of choice and to the potential benefits to be gained. We measured offspring quality from experimentally staged matings with preferred and non-preferred partners in a sex-role-reversed pipefish, Syngnathus typhle L. Here, a substantial male investment in offspring results in a lower potential reproductive rate in males than in females, and access to males limits female reproductive success rather than vice versa. Thus, males are choosier than females and females compete more intensely over mates than do males. Broods from preferred matings were superior at escaping predation, when either males or females were allowed to choose a partner. However, only 'choosing' females benefited in terms of faster-growing offspring. Our results have important implications for mate-choice research: here we show that even the more competitive and less choosy sex may contribute significantly to sexual selection through mate choice.     

The role of the model in mate‐choice copying in female zebra finches

Previous studies have shown that zebra finch females copy the mate choice of other females by choosing a mate of the same phenotype as the one chosen by another female (model). Little is known about the influence of the model female on the mate choice of the observing female. Therefore, we investigated the role of the model female in mate‐choice copying by manipulating her phenotype. Test females could choose between an unadorned male and an artificially adorned male, that is, wearing a red feather on the forehead. During a 2h observation period, test females could observe a single male in one cage and a male–female pair in another cage. In treatment one, the single male was unadorned and both the male and the female of the pair (model female) were adorned. In treatment two, the single male was adorned, the male of the pair unadorned and the model female adorned. Afterwards, test females could again choose between two new males, one adorned and one unadorned. In treatment one, test females first showed no preference for one of the two males, but avoided adorned males after the observation period. In treatment two, test females lost an initial preference for unadorned males after the observation period. In both treatments, test females did not copy the mate choice of the adorned model female. Adorned model females seemed to have a negative influence on the attractiveness of their mates' phenotype. Test females might have recognised model females as females of a different phenotype within their species which are adapted to different environmental conditions, or even have recognised model females as a female of another species. Our study demonstrates the important role of the model female in the complex public information network in zebra finches.     

Differences between the sexes in direction and duration of response to seeing a potential sex partner mate with another

We have shown previously that: (1) female Japanese quail, Coturnix japonica, increase and male Japanese quail decrease their tendencies to affiliate with potential sex partners after seeing them mate, and (2) in both sexes of quail, affiliative preferences and choice of a sex partner are highly correlated. Here we predict that because effects of a prior male's sperm on a second male's probability of fertilizing a female are relatively brief, a male's avoidance of whichever member of a pair of females he has seen mating should be transitory. Conversely, because female quail seek high-quality males as mates and quality is a relatively permanent characteristic, females' preferences between males should remain constant over time. We found, as predicted, that the durations of effects on affiliation of seeing a potential sex partner mate differed in male and female quail. Forty-eight hours after male quail saw a female mate, they no longer avoided her, whereas 48 h after female quail saw a male mate, his attractiveness remained enhanced. We conclude by suggesting that both the direction and the duration of responses of male and female Japanese quail to seeing a member of the other sex mating enhance the fitness of members of each sex. Copyright 2000 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.     

MALE MATE CHOICE AND THE EVOLUTION OF FEMALE PLUMAGE COLORATION IN THE HOUSE FINCH

The house finch (Carpodacus mexicanus) is a sexually dichromatic passerine in which males display colorful plumage and females are generally drab brown. Some females, however, have a subdued version of the same pattern of ornamental coloration seen in males. In previous research, I found that female house finches use male coloration as an important criterion when choosing mates and that the plumage brightness of males is a reliable indicator of male nest attentiveness. Male house finches invest substantially in the care of young and, like females, stand to gain by choosing high-quality mates. I therefore hypothesized that a female's plumage brightness might be correlated with her quality and be the basis for male mate choice. In laboratory mate choice experiments, male house finches showed a significant preference for the most brightly plumaged females presented. Observations of a wild population of house finches, however, suggest that female age is the primary criterion in male choice and that female plumage coloration is a secondary criterion. In addition, yearling females tended to have more brightly colored plumage than older females, and there was no relationship between female plumage coloration and overwinter survival, reproductive success, or condition. These observations fail to support the idea that female plumage coloration is an indicator of individual quality. Male mate choice for brightly plumaged females may have evolved as a correlated response to selection on females to choose brightly colored males.     

The Role of Ultraviolet-A Reflectance and Ultraviolet-A-Induced Fluorescence in Budgerigar Mate Choice

Many parrots have plumage that either reflects strongly in the ultraviolet‐A (UVA) waveband, between 315–400 nm, or exhibits UVA‐induced fluorescence. Previous experimental work on budgerigars (Melopsittacus undulatus) suggests that UVA reflectance plays a role in mate choice, as in other diurnal birds, but evidence for fluorescent cues playing a role is unconvincing. Here we report two experiments on budgerigars, designed to determine whether fluorescent cues play a role in signalling when UVA reflectances are absent, an approach which separates removal of UVA reflectance from removal of fluorescence. First, we determined whether the choices of different females are correlated under these treatment conditions. Secondly, we investigated female preferences for fluorescing and non‐fluorescing males when UVA reflections are absent, to determine whether the yellow emissions of fluorescence are playing a role in mate choice. Results from experiment 1 do not suggest that females agree on which males are attractive when UVA reflectances are absent, with only half of the subjects choosing the same male. Neither did different females make the same choices in experiment 2. This lack of agreement provides further evidence that UVA reflectances from males play an important role in female choice in this species. Experiment 2 provides no evidence to suggest that UVA‐induced fluorescence plays a role in mate choice. Overall, our study supports previous findings showing that UVA reflectance plays a role in sexual signalling in this species, but provides no evidence to suggest the same for fluorescence when UVA reflectances are absent.     

根田鼠的熟悉性及其自然动情下的配偶选择

报道了在室内雌鼠自然动情条件下根田鼠两性个体配偶选择的3种熟悉性效应的5组实验结果,包括雌性对熟悉和陌生雄鼠、配偶和陌生雄鼠、配偶和熟悉雄鼠的择偶行为实验 , 雄性对熟悉和陌生雌鼠、配偶和陌生雌鼠的择偶行为实验。在实验前, 将1对性成熟的雌雄鼠 (非亲缘关系) 每天关养8 h 共8 d 建立熟悉性; 配对雌雄鼠至少生育1胎则为配偶关系。在 Y 形迷宫内的30 min 实验中, 两个被选择鼠分别以项链拴在横跨选择箱顶端中央的一根铁丝上, 限制它们在各自箱内活动; 而允许异性选择鼠从中立箱自由进入两个选择箱。记录选择鼠对异性被选择鼠的访问、社会探究、攻击、交配和友好行为的频次和时间。经Wilcoxon 关联样本 T 检验发现, 除交配行为不显著外, 雌性根田鼠均选择熟悉性较高的雄鼠; 而雄鼠不具这种选择性。该结果提示雌雄根田鼠的不同择偶行为也许就是反映该种婚配制度特征的直接行为过程。因此, 在择偶行为中, 雌性根田鼠表现的单配性倾向和雄鼠的多配性倾向, 只能以其婚配制度为一雄多雌制的假设来解释。我们的实验还说明在多配制田鼠中, 一雄多雌制与混交制在雌鼠择偶行为上是不同的, 而与单配制的相似或相近, 故简单地比较多配制与单配制则不能反映田鼠亚科动物婚配制度的多样性。     

Seismic Signaling is Crucial for Female Mate Choice in a Multimodal Signaling Wolf Spider

Complex courtship signals can be dissected into distinct components that can either function independently or via interactions with one another. Male Rabidosa rabida wolf spiders use courtship displays that couple a seismic signal with the waving of an ornamented foreleg. While previous studies suggest that female R. rabida exhibit mate choice and that both the seismic and visual modalities are important in mating interactions, it remains unclear how variation in each component influences female mating decisions. To investigate this, we ran two separate experiments in which we manipulated (1) male diets, to induce variation in the seismic courtship signal, and (2) male foreleg color, to artificially induce variation in visual foreleg ornamentation. To determine the influence of variation in each component independently, females were paired with males in environments that allowed the detection of only the manipulated signal component (e.g. seismic signal only and visual signal only). Variability in the seismic signal alone influenced female mate choice, but variability in visual ornamentation alone did not. In a third experiment, we manipulated foreleg color and allowed it to interact with the seismic signal to determine whether inter‐signal interactions influence female mating decisions. When females were able to detect both signal components, variation in visual ornamentation did influence mate choice – females preferred ornamented males. Together, these results suggest that the seismic signal of male R. rabida is integral for female mate choice and that the components of the courtship display interact to influence female mating decisions.     

Do female fruit flies (Drosophila serrata) copy the mate choice of others?

Female mate-choice copying is a social learning phenomenon whereby a female's observation of a successful sexual interaction between a male and another female increases her likelihood of subsequently preferring that male. Although mate-choice copying has been documented in several vertebrate species, to our knowledge it has not yet been investigated in insects. Here, we investigated whether female mate-choice copying occurs in the fruit fly Drosophila serrata, a model system for the study of mate preferences and the sexual selection they generate. We used two complementary experiments in which focal females were given a choice between two males that differed in either their apparent (as determined visually by the focal female) or actual recent mating success. Mate-choice copying was evaluated by testing whether focal females mated more frequently with the ‘preferred’ male as opposed to the other male. In both experiments, however, we found no evidence for mate-choice copying. We discuss possible reasons for the apparent absence of mate-choice copying in this species.