Mating preferences are common in natural populations of animals.Numerous studies have shown that male mate choice can occur in a wide range of taxa.However,male mating preferences are still poorly understood in anuran...Mating preferences are common in natural populations of animals.Numerous studies have shown that male mate choice can occur in a wide range of taxa.However,male mating preferences are still poorly understood in anurans.Sexual selection theory predicts that male mate choice is not expected to arise if 1) adult population exhibited a highly male-biased sex ratio which will diminish male mating success;2) males provide less parental care;3) mating success of males is associated with chorus tenure in which males would maximize their fitness by mating with multiple mates.We tested these predictions in the Asian common toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus from southeastern Tibet,China.Our field experimental results indicated that,the breeding population exhibited a highly male-biased sex ratio,called males did not defend sites which contain significant resources required by females and offspring,both sexes provided no parental care after egg-laying,and the toad species was characterized with prolonged breeding season chorus attendance.In male mate choice experiment,males did not show preferences for a larger gravid female over a smaller gravid female.We suggest that male mating success in the Asian common toad is likely determined by the number but not the quality of mates.Future research should focus on how sexual selection on male acoustic signaling and how female preference exert different types of selection pressure on male call traits in this Tibet toad.展开更多
The influence of female age on male mating preference and reproductive success has been studied using a promiscuous cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi Baly （Coleoptera： Chrysomelidae）. In a simultaneous choice te...The influence of female age on male mating preference and reproductive success has been studied using a promiscuous cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi Baly （Coleoptera： Chrysomelidae）. In a simultaneous choice test, middle-aged females had significantly greater mating success than young and old females. In single pair trials, when paired with middle-aged virgin males, middle-aged females mated faster, copulated longer, and had greater fecundity and fertility than young or old females, while the longevity of males was not significantly affected by female age. This study on C. bowringi suggests that middle-aged females are more receptive to mating, which can result in the highest male reproductive success.展开更多
Ultraviolet(UV)A signals(320-400 nm)are important in mate choice in numerous species.The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly,but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological cond...Ultraviolet(UV)A signals(320-400 nm)are important in mate choice in numerous species.The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly,but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological conditions.Generally,those signals are favored by selection that efficiently reach the receiver.A decisive factor for color signaling is the lighting environment,especially in aquatic habitats,as the visibility of signals,and thus costs and benefits,are instantaneously influenced by it.Although ecological aspects of color signal evolution are relatively well-studied,there is little data on specific effects of environmental UV-light conditions on signaling at these shorter wavelengths.We studied wild-caught gravid female 3-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus of 2 photic habitat types(tea-stained and clear-water lakes),possessing great variation in their UV transmission.In 2 treatments,tea-stained and clear-water,preferences for males viewed under UV-present(UV-1-)and UV-absent(UV-)conditions were tested.A preference for males under UV+conditions was found for females from both habitat types,thus stressing the significance of UV signals in stickleback's mate choice decisions.However,females from both habitat types showed the most pronounced preferences for males under UV-h conditions under clear-water test conditions.Moreover,reflectance measurements revealed that the carotenoid-based orange-red breeding coloration in wild-caught males of both habitat types differed significantly in color intensity(higher in clear-water males)and hue(more red shifted in clear-water males)while no significant differences in UV coloration were found.The differential reflection patterns in longer wavelengths suggest that sticklebacks of both habitat types have adapted to the respective water conditions.Adaptations of UV signals in a sexual context to ambient light conditions in both behavior and coloration seem less evident.展开更多
Different environmental conditions may lead to diverse morphological,behavioral,and physiological adaptations of different populations of the same species.Lighting conditions,for example,vary vastly especially between...Different environmental conditions may lead to diverse morphological,behavioral,and physiological adaptations of different populations of the same species.Lighting conditions,for example,vary vastly especially between aquatic habitats,and have been shown to elicit adaptations.The availability of short-wave ultraviolet(UV)light is especially fluctuating,as UV wavelengths are attenuated strongly depending on water properties.The island of North Uist,Scotland,comprises 2 differential habitat types,tea-stained and clear-water lakes,varying considerably in UV transmission.In previous studies,wild-caught 3-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus populations(3 populations of each habitat type)were tested with respect to their shoaling and mate preferences for fish viewed under UV-present and UV-absent conditions.The results revealed a habitat-dependent preference of UV cues during shoal choice(tea-stained populations:preference for UV-absent condition in tea-stained water;clear-water populations:no preference in clear-water)but an overall preference for UV-present conditions during mate choice.To assess genetic influences on these behavioral patterns,similar experiments were conducted with lab-bred F1-gen-erations of the same stickleback populations that were raised in a common environment(i.e.standardized clear-water conditions).Offspring of sticklebacks from tea-stained lakes tended to prefer shoals viewed under UV-absent conditions(only in tea-stained water),while sticklebacks from clear-water lakes showed a significant preference for the shoal viewed under UV-present conditions in clear-water but not in tea-stained water.Mate-preference experiments demonstrated that females from the tea-stained lakes significantly preferred and females from the clear-water lakes preferred by trend the male viewed under UV-present conditions in the clear-water treatment.The results for both shoaling-and mate-preference tests were largely similar for wild-caught and lab-bred sticklebacks,thus hinting at a genetic basis for the preference patterns.展开更多
Speciation can proceed rapidly when natural and sexual selection act in concert. For example speciation can be ac- celerated when traits that confer a selective advantage in a particular habitat also influence mate pr...Speciation can proceed rapidly when natural and sexual selection act in concert. For example speciation can be ac- celerated when traits that confer a selective advantage in a particular habitat also influence mate preference. Studying parallel but evolutionarily independent instances of ecological divergence can illuminate the interaction between natural and sexual selection during speciation. Locally adapted populations of the eastern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus have recently evolved in three different habitats in the Chihuahuan desert： blanched color morphs occur on the gypsum dunes of White Sands, melanic color morphs occur on the Carrizozo lava flow, and brown color morphs occur in the surrounding desert scrubland. In addition to dif- ferences in cryptic dorsal coloration, populations also differ in the size and color of ventral patches used for social signaling. This system therefore provides an opportunity to investigate the interplay of natural and sexual selection during rapid ecological speci- ation. We used mate preference experiments to determine whether locally adapted populations may exhibit the early stages of be- havioral reproductive isolation. We observed an asymmetrical mate preference in this system; White Sands males preferentially courted local females, while males from dark soils and black lava populations did not exhibit a preference for local mates. We also found that female behavior and ventral patch phenotype were associated with male courtship. Our results suggest that the observed preference for local mates evolved at White Sands, and we discuss the possible link between local adaptation and traits involved in mate preference in this system [Current Zoology 59 （1）： 20-30, 2013].展开更多
基金supported by the Joint Funds for Fostering Talents of NSFC and the People's Government of Henan Province(No.U1304309)National Sciences Foundation of China(No.31501870, No.31670392 and No.31872216)+2 种基金Natural Sciences Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholar of Sichuan (No.2016JQ0038)Key Foundation of Sichuan Provincial Department of Education (No.18ZA0255)Technology Foundation for Selected Overseas Chinese Scholar (No.HGQD02)。
文摘Mating preferences are common in natural populations of animals.Numerous studies have shown that male mate choice can occur in a wide range of taxa.However,male mating preferences are still poorly understood in anurans.Sexual selection theory predicts that male mate choice is not expected to arise if 1) adult population exhibited a highly male-biased sex ratio which will diminish male mating success;2) males provide less parental care;3) mating success of males is associated with chorus tenure in which males would maximize their fitness by mating with multiple mates.We tested these predictions in the Asian common toad Duttaphrynus melanostictus from southeastern Tibet,China.Our field experimental results indicated that,the breeding population exhibited a highly male-biased sex ratio,called males did not defend sites which contain significant resources required by females and offspring,both sexes provided no parental care after egg-laying,and the toad species was characterized with prolonged breeding season chorus attendance.In male mate choice experiment,males did not show preferences for a larger gravid female over a smaller gravid female.We suggest that male mating success in the Asian common toad is likely determined by the number but not the quality of mates.Future research should focus on how sexual selection on male acoustic signaling and how female preference exert different types of selection pressure on male call traits in this Tibet toad.
文摘The influence of female age on male mating preference and reproductive success has been studied using a promiscuous cabbage beetle, Colaphellus bowringi Baly （Coleoptera： Chrysomelidae）. In a simultaneous choice test, middle-aged females had significantly greater mating success than young and old females. In single pair trials, when paired with middle-aged virgin males, middle-aged females mated faster, copulated longer, and had greater fecundity and fertility than young or old females, while the longevity of males was not significantly affected by female age. This study on C. bowringi suggests that middle-aged females are more receptive to mating, which can result in the highest male reproductive success.
基金This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(BA 2885/1-5).
文摘Ultraviolet(UV)A signals(320-400 nm)are important in mate choice in numerous species.The sensitivity for UV signals is not only assumed to be costly,but also expected to be a function of the prevailing ecological conditions.Generally,those signals are favored by selection that efficiently reach the receiver.A decisive factor for color signaling is the lighting environment,especially in aquatic habitats,as the visibility of signals,and thus costs and benefits,are instantaneously influenced by it.Although ecological aspects of color signal evolution are relatively well-studied,there is little data on specific effects of environmental UV-light conditions on signaling at these shorter wavelengths.We studied wild-caught gravid female 3-spined sticklebacks Gasterosteus aculeatus of 2 photic habitat types(tea-stained and clear-water lakes),possessing great variation in their UV transmission.In 2 treatments,tea-stained and clear-water,preferences for males viewed under UV-present(UV-1-)and UV-absent(UV-)conditions were tested.A preference for males under UV+conditions was found for females from both habitat types,thus stressing the significance of UV signals in stickleback's mate choice decisions.However,females from both habitat types showed the most pronounced preferences for males under UV-h conditions under clear-water test conditions.Moreover,reflectance measurements revealed that the carotenoid-based orange-red breeding coloration in wild-caught males of both habitat types differed significantly in color intensity(higher in clear-water males)and hue(more red shifted in clear-water males)while no significant differences in UV coloration were found.The differential reflection patterns in longer wavelengths suggest that sticklebacks of both habitat types have adapted to the respective water conditions.Adaptations of UV signals in a sexual context to ambient light conditions in both behavior and coloration seem less evident.
基金This research was funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft(DFG)(BA 2885/1-5).
文摘Different environmental conditions may lead to diverse morphological,behavioral,and physiological adaptations of different populations of the same species.Lighting conditions,for example,vary vastly especially between aquatic habitats,and have been shown to elicit adaptations.The availability of short-wave ultraviolet(UV)light is especially fluctuating,as UV wavelengths are attenuated strongly depending on water properties.The island of North Uist,Scotland,comprises 2 differential habitat types,tea-stained and clear-water lakes,varying considerably in UV transmission.In previous studies,wild-caught 3-spined stickleback Gasterosteus aculeatus populations(3 populations of each habitat type)were tested with respect to their shoaling and mate preferences for fish viewed under UV-present and UV-absent conditions.The results revealed a habitat-dependent preference of UV cues during shoal choice(tea-stained populations:preference for UV-absent condition in tea-stained water;clear-water populations:no preference in clear-water)but an overall preference for UV-present conditions during mate choice.To assess genetic influences on these behavioral patterns,similar experiments were conducted with lab-bred F1-gen-erations of the same stickleback populations that were raised in a common environment(i.e.standardized clear-water conditions).Offspring of sticklebacks from tea-stained lakes tended to prefer shoals viewed under UV-absent conditions(only in tea-stained water),while sticklebacks from clear-water lakes showed a significant preference for the shoal viewed under UV-present conditions in clear-water but not in tea-stained water.Mate-preference experiments demonstrated that females from the tea-stained lakes significantly preferred and females from the clear-water lakes preferred by trend the male viewed under UV-present conditions in the clear-water treatment.The results for both shoaling-and mate-preference tests were largely similar for wild-caught and lab-bred sticklebacks,thus hinting at a genetic basis for the preference patterns.
文摘Speciation can proceed rapidly when natural and sexual selection act in concert. For example speciation can be ac- celerated when traits that confer a selective advantage in a particular habitat also influence mate preference. Studying parallel but evolutionarily independent instances of ecological divergence can illuminate the interaction between natural and sexual selection during speciation. Locally adapted populations of the eastern fence lizard Sceloporus undulatus have recently evolved in three different habitats in the Chihuahuan desert： blanched color morphs occur on the gypsum dunes of White Sands, melanic color morphs occur on the Carrizozo lava flow, and brown color morphs occur in the surrounding desert scrubland. In addition to dif- ferences in cryptic dorsal coloration, populations also differ in the size and color of ventral patches used for social signaling. This system therefore provides an opportunity to investigate the interplay of natural and sexual selection during rapid ecological speci- ation. We used mate preference experiments to determine whether locally adapted populations may exhibit the early stages of be- havioral reproductive isolation. We observed an asymmetrical mate preference in this system; White Sands males preferentially courted local females, while males from dark soils and black lava populations did not exhibit a preference for local mates. We also found that female behavior and ventral patch phenotype were associated with male courtship. Our results suggest that the observed preference for local mates evolved at White Sands, and we discuss the possible link between local adaptation and traits involved in mate preference in this system [Current Zoology 59 （1）： 20-30, 2013].
