Variation in male mate preference for female size in the swordtail Xiphophorus malinche

Behaviour ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 146 (6) ◽  
pp. 727-740 ◽  
Author(s):  
Scarlett Tudor ◽  
Molly Morris
Keyword(s):  
Preference Test ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Large Female ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
The Difference ◽  
Male Mate

AbstractMale and female mate preferences have the potential to influence one another, and such interactions could help explain variation in female mate preferences. In Xiphophorus malinche, larger females prefer asymmetrical males while smaller females prefer symmetrical males. We used a two-part preference test to determine if there were differences in mate preferences between symmetrical and asymmetrical males for female size that could influence female mate preference. We found no significant difference between symmetrical and asymmetrical male's preferences. A preference for large female size was detected during the time males directly interacted with females and in standard dichotomous choice tests that followed, as long as the males had been isolated less than 30 days. We did detect variation in male preference for female size depending on male size and the amount of time a male was isolated. These results suggest that variation in male mate preference is not likely to have produced the difference in female preference for symmetry between large and small females, but should be considered where females vary in their preference for male size. In addition, our results suggest that males may shift their preferences from large to small females depending on time since last mating opportunity.

scholarly journals Does meiotic drive alter male mate preference?

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sam Ronan Finnegan ◽  
Leslie Nitsche ◽  
Matteo Mondani ◽  
M Florencia Camus ◽  
Kevin Fowler ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Low Frequency ◽  
Meiotic Drive ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Male Mate ◽  
A Minor ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Organismal Fitness ◽  
Minor Extent

AbstractMale mate preferences have been demonstrated across a range of species, including the Malaysian stalk-eyed fly, Teleopsis dalmanni. This species is subject to sex-ratio (SR), an X-linked male meiotic driver, which causes the dysfunction of Y-sperm and the production of all-female broods. While there has been work considering female avoidance of meiotic drive males, the mating decisions of drive-bearing males have not been considered previously. Drive males may be less able to bear the cost of choice as SR is associated with a low-frequency inversion that causes reduced organismal fitness. Drive males may also experience weaker selection for preference maintenance if they are avoided by females. Using binary choice trials, across two experiments, we confirmed male preference for large (fecund) females but found no evidence that the strength of male preference differs between drive and standard males. We showed that large eyespan males displayed strong preference for large females, whereas small eyespan males showed no preference. Taken together, these results suggest that, even though meiotic drive is associated with lower genetic quality, it does not directly interfere with male mate preference among available females. However, as drive males tend to have smaller eyespan (albeit only ~5% on average), this will to a minor extent weaken their strength of preference.

scholarly journals Poeciliid male mate preference is influenced by female size but not by fecundity

PeerJ ◽  
2013 ◽  
Vol 1 ◽  
pp. e140 ◽  
Author(s):  
Luis R. Arriaga ◽  
Ingo Schlupp
Keyword(s):  
Mate Preference ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Mate

scholarly journals Female northern grass lizards judge mates by body shape to reinforce local adaptation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Guo ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Xiao-Fang Liang ◽  
Yan-Fu Qu ◽  
Xiang Ji
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Female Mate Preference ◽  
Local Adaptations ◽  
Female Mate

Abstract Background: Identifying the factors that contribute to divergence among populations in mate preferences is important for understanding of the manner in which premating reproductive isolation might arise and how this isolation may in turn contribute to the evolutionary process of population divergence. Here, we offered female northern grass lizards (Takydromus septentrionalis) a choice of males between their own population and another four populations to test whether the preferences that females display in the mating trials correlate with phenotypic adaptation to local environments, or to the neutral genetic distance measured by divergence of mitochondrial DNA sequence loci. Results: Females showed a strong preference for native over foreign males. Females that mated with native versus foreign males did not differ from each other in mating latency, or copulation duration. From results of the structural equation modelling we knew that: 1) geographical distance directly contributed to genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity; 2) genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity indirectly contributed to female mate preference, largely through their effects on morphological divergence; and 3) females judged mates by body shape (appearance) and discriminated more strongly against morphologically less familiar allopatric males.Conclusions: Local adaptation rather than neutral genetic distance influences female mate preference in T. septentrionalis. The tendency to avoid mating with foreign males may indicate that, in T. septentrionalis, local adaptations are more valuable than genetic novelties. Our results highlight the importance of comprehensive studies integrating ecological, molecular and behavioral approaches to understand population divergence in female mate preferences as the consequence of local adaptations.

scholarly journals Evolved human male preferences for female body shape

2021 ◽  
Vol 4 (1) ◽  
pp. 1
Author(s):  
Rebecca Chastain ◽  
Daniel Taub
Keyword(s):  
Resource Availability ◽  
Female Body ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Research Literature ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Human Male ◽  
Male Mate ◽  
Insight Into ◽  
Apparent Influence

Female body shape has an apparent influence on mate value as perceived by males. Some researchers have suggested that human male mate preference has evolved to universally favor a specific body shape which can be quantified with a particular value for Waist-Hip Ratio and/or Body Mass Index. Other research has presented evidence that populations of males exhibit differentiated preferences for female body shape. The research literature largely supports the hypothesis that male mate preference for female body shape is variable and dependent upon local resource availability. These conclusions provide insight into the evolutionary processes that have acted to produce adaptive flexibility in human male mate preferences in accordance with the environment.

Female mate preference varies with age and environmental conditions

Behaviour ◽  
2014 ◽  
Vol 151 (14) ◽  
pp. 2059-2081 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kurtis R. Munro ◽  
Nancy J. Flood ◽  
Ann E. McKellar ◽  
Matthew W. Reudink
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Sex Ratio ◽  
Physical Attractiveness ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Resource Holding Potential ◽  
Female Mate Preference ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Emotional Appeal ◽  
Written Descriptions

Sexual selection and mate choice are dynamic processes that can be influenced by a variety of environmental and social factors, which have been well studied in a range of taxa. However, in humans, the environmental factors that influence regional variation in preference for mate attributes remain poorly understood. In addition, underlying variation based on individual age may strongly influence mate preferences. In this study, we examined written descriptions of preferred mates from the online dating profiles of 1111 women from 26 cities across Canada. We grouped the words describing preferred mates into four categories: resource holding potential, physical attractiveness, activities and interests, and emotional appeal. We then asked whether variation in environmental (sex ratio, population size and population density), economic (population income) and individual factors (age) predicted variation in the relative importance of these four categories of female mate preference. Sex ratio was the best predictor of preference for the physical attractiveness and the activities and interests of potential mates, with women in male-biased cities placing more emphasis on physical attractiveness and less emphasis on activities and interests. Age was the best predictor of preference for resource holding potential, with younger individuals placing more emphasis on this trait. No factors were strong predictors of variation in preference for emotional appeal, perhaps because this trait was highly valued in all populations. This work supports a growing body of literature demonstrating that mate choice and mate preferences are often dynamic and can be influenced by individual and environmental variation.

scholarly journals Female northern grass lizards judge mates by body shape to reinforce local adaptation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Guo ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Xiao-Fang Liang ◽  
Yan-Fu Qu ◽  
Xiang Ji
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Female Mate Preference ◽  
Local Adaptations ◽  
Female Mate

Abstract Background: Identifying the factors that contribute to divergence among populations in mate preferences is important for understanding of the manner in which premating reproductive isolation might arise and how this isolation may in turn contribute to the evolutionary process of population divergence. Here, we offered female northern grass lizards (Takydromus septentrionalis) a choice of males between their own population and another four populations to test whether the preferences that females display in the mating trials correlate with phenotypic adaptation to local environments, or to the neutral genetic distance measured by divergence of mitochondrial DNA sequence loci. Results: Females showed a strong preference for native over foreign males. Females that mated with native versus foreign males did not differ from each other in mating latency, or copulation duration. From results of the structural equation modelling we knew that: 1) geographical distance directly contributed to genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity; 2) genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity indirectly contributed to female mate preference, largely through their effects on morphological divergence; and 3) females judged mates by body shape (appearance) and discriminated more strongly against morphologically less familiar allopatric males.Conclusions: Local adaptation rather than neutral genetic distance influences female mate preference in T. septentrionalis. The tendency to avoid mating with foreign males may indicate that, in T. septentrionalis, local adaptations are more valuable than genetic novelties. Our results highlight the importance of comprehensive studies integrating ecological, molecular and behavioral approaches to understand population divergence in female mate preferences as the consequence of local adaptations.

scholarly journals Female northern grass lizards judge mates by body shape to reinforce local adaptation

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kun Guo ◽  
Chen Chen ◽  
Xiao-Fang Liang ◽  
Yan-Fu Qu ◽  
Xiang Ji
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Differentiation ◽  
Genetic Distance ◽  
Local Adaptation ◽  
Body Shape ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Mate Preference ◽  
Population Divergence ◽  
Female Mate Preference ◽  
Local Adaptations ◽  
Female Mate

Abstract Background: Identifying the factors that contribute to divergence among populations in mate preferences is important for understanding of the manner in which premating reproductive isolation might arise and how this isolation may in turn contribute to the evolutionary process of population divergence. Here, we offered female northern grass lizards (Takydromus septentrionalis) a choice of males between their own population and another four populations to test whether the preferences that females display in the mating trials correlate with phenotypic adaptation to local environments, or to the neutral genetic distance measured by divergence of mitochondrial DNA sequence loci. Results: Females showed a strong preference for native over foreign males. Females that mated with native versus foreign males did not differ from each other in mating latency, or copulation duration. From results of the structural equation modelling we knew that: 1) geographical distance directly contributed to genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity; 2) genetic differentiation and environmental dissimilarity indirectly contributed to female mate preference, largely through their effects on morphological divergence; and 3) females judged mates by body shape (appearance) and discriminated more strongly against morphologically less familiar allopatric males.Conclusions: Local adaptation rather than neutral genetic distance influences female mate preference in T. septentrionalis. The tendency to avoid mating with foreign males may indicate that, in T. septentrionalis, local adaptations are more valuable than genetic novelties. Our results highlight the importance of comprehensive studies integrating ecological, molecular and behavioral approaches to understand population divergence in female mate preferences as the consequence of local adaptations.

scholarly journals Divergent male and female mate preferences do not explain incipient speciation between lizard lineages

2020 ◽  
Vol 66 (5) ◽  
pp. 485-492 ◽  
Author(s):  
Claire A McLean ◽  
Richard A Bartle ◽  
Caroline M Dong ◽  
Katrina J Rankin ◽  
Devi Stuart-Fox
Keyword(s):  
Sexual Selection ◽  
Competitive Ability ◽  
Mate Preferences ◽  
Secondary Contact ◽  
Sexual Signals ◽  
Male And Female ◽  
Female Mate ◽  
Male Mate ◽  
Behavioral Mechanisms ◽  
Behavioral Barriers

Abstract Diversification in sexual signals is often taken as evidence for the importance of sexual selection in speciation. However, in order for sexual selection to generate reproductive isolation between populations, both signals and mate preferences must diverge together. Furthermore, assortative mating may result from multiple behavioral mechanisms, including female mate preferences, male mate preferences, and male–male competition; yet their relative contributions are rarely evaluated. Here, we explored the role of mate preferences and male competitive ability as potential barriers to gene flow between 2 divergent lineages of the tawny dragon lizard, Ctenophorus decresii, which differ in male throat coloration. We found stronger behavioral barriers to pairings between southern lineage males and northern lineage females than between northern males and southern females, indicating incomplete and asymmetric behavioral isolating barriers. These results were driven by both male and female mate preferences rather than lineage differences in male competitive ability. Intrasexual selection is therefore unlikely to drive the outcome of secondary contact in C. decresii, despite its widely acknowledged importance in lizards. Our results are consistent with the emerging view that although both male and female mate preferences can diverge alongside sexual signals, speciation is rarely driven by divergent sexual selection alone.

scholarly journals Be prudent if it fits you well: male mate choice depends on male size in a golden orb-weaver spider

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pietro Pollo ◽  
Danilo Germano Muniz ◽  
Eduardo S. A. Santos
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Field Experiments ◽  
Reproductive Potential ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Male Mate Choice ◽  
Male Size ◽  
High Quality ◽  
Male Preference ◽  
Female Quality ◽  
Male Mate

Male preference for high-quality females is expected to evolve when male reproductive potential is restricted. However, when there is competition among males, some models predict the evolution of assortative male mate choice, in which good competitors choose high quality females while poor competitors choose lower quality females to avoid competition. In Trichonephila clavipes spiders, males have limited sperm supply and fight for access to females. We tested whether female quality and male size (a proxy of fighting ability) influence male decisions in T. clavipes. We used field experiments in which males could choose among two available females in a scenario free of competition. We found that males choose their mates based on both female size and female recent pairing status (whether the female was accompanied by a male before the experiment). Importantly, male mate choice exhibited plasticity, and varied with male size, as large males preferred larger females that were recently unpaired, medium-sized males showed no preference, and small males preferred smaller, recently paired females. Because all females appear to attract males, we predict that variation on male mate choice attenuates sexual selection on females. Our findings confirm the prediction of variable male mate choice when there is male-male competition and male reproductive potential is restricted, a pattern that may be common, but hard to detect.

Levels of Female Choice in the White-Tailed Skimmer Plathemis Lydia (Odonata: Libellulidae)

Behaviour ◽  
1991 ◽  
Vol 119 (3-4) ◽  
pp. 193-224 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter D. Koenig
Keyword(s):  
Mate Choice ◽  
Mating Success ◽  
Low Frequency ◽  
Male Mating ◽  
Female Size ◽  
Minor Importance ◽  
Male Mating Success ◽  
Male Size ◽  
Control Female ◽  
Female Mate

AbstractMale Plathemis lydia defend mating territories along the perimeter of ponds. Females come to ponds for brief periods of time every few days to oviposit. During these visits, females actively discriminate among males, rejecting up to 48.9 % of mating attempts. Males varied significantly in the proportion of attempts successfully leading to copulation. However, males that obtained more matings also experienced more rejections. Extensive analyses based on absolute male size, relative male size, and male size relative to female size yielded only marginally significant evidence of female mate preference based on body mass, wing length, wing loading index, or age; to the extent that any of these characters appeared to influence mating success, they similarly influenced refusal rates. The overall weakness of female mate choice is further suggested by the frequency of females ovipositing without prior matings and by the low frequency with which females remate with the same males. On a population basis, females strongly prefer to oviposit in the middle of the day and at particular parts of the study pond. Thus, females exhibit strong choice at several levels. However, despite the high incidence of active female rejection and high variance in male mating success, mate choice is apparently of minor importance in this population. Female discrimination of males, combined with variance in male mating success, are necessary but not sufficient for the action of sexual selection via mate choice. These findings support the prediction that male-male competition is of primary importance in resource control mating systems in which males are able to control female access to most or all favored oviposition sites. However, it is not clear why females generally fail to discriminate among males, given that they have the opportunity to do so. In general, females appear to have low motivation to mate with males, presumably because multiple mating does not significantly increase their fertility or fecundity. Selection for rapid mating may be significant, both because of predation on females during mating and oviposition and because of the risks for males of losing their territories during mating bouts. This time constraint may be the most important factor limiting female discrimination among males on the basis of consistent characteristics.

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