Experimental evidence for a seasonal shift in the strength of a female mating preference

Milner, Richard N. C.; Detto, Tanya; Jennions, Michael D.; Backwell, Patricia R. Y.

doi:10.1093/beheco/arp196

Cited by 60 publications

(36 citation statements)

References 30 publications

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“…If Reaney and Backwell (2007), Milner et al (2010) and Kahn et al (2013) are correct and females (at high elevation) change their preferences from large to small males in order to control the temperature at which their embryos develop and hence the time at which the larvae are ready for release, then it is possible that females living lower in the inter-tidal do not need to make this adjustment. The high tide covers the lower part of the population on more nights of the semi-lunar tidal cycle, giving females a wider window of opportunity for larval release.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Temporal and spatial variation in female mating preferences in a fiddler crab

Clark

Backwell

2015

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Female mating preferences can vary temporally, with females choosing different males at different times; and spatially, with females in different populations preferring different males. This level of complexity is now well established, but we know of no evidence for a mosaic of female preferences within a single population. Here we show that, in the banana fiddler crab, Uca mjoebergi, female preferences vary both temporally and spatially. Females living in the high intertidal zone changed their mating preference for male size over the duration of the 9-day mating period every semi-lunar cycle: early mating females selected larger males with cooler burrows, slowing embryonic development; those mating later, selected smaller males with warmer burrows, accelerating development. Females living lower in the inter-tidal zone, however, did not show this temporal variation: they select the same sized males throughout the mating period. It is only in the high inter-tidal zone, at the start of the fortnightly mating period, that large size confers a mating advantage to males.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Here, we examine a species that has been shown to have temporally varying female mating preferences (Reaney and Backwell 2007;Milner et al 2010;Kahn et al 2013), and we show that it has, in addition, spatially varying selection within a single population.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Temporal and spatial variation in female mating preferences in a fiddler crab

Clark

Backwell

2015

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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“…Average timing of larval release (angle) per tidal amplitude cycle relative to the maximum-amplitude nocturnal tide (MANT, 0°) in relation to (a) change in temperature between the current and preceding tidal cycle and (b) temperature for the cycle during which larvae were released. Amplitude decreases with increasing angle changed their preferences in a manner that may allow them to maintain release during LANTs (Milner et al 2010). In California, USA, fe male U. crenulata also chose mates based on burrow characteristics, and these choices affected their ability to release larvae on time (deRivera 2005).…”

Section: Uca Terpsichoresmentioning

confidence: 99%

Reducing error in reproductive timing caused by temperature variation: interspecific differences in behavioural adjustment by fiddler crabs

Kerr¹,

Christy²,

Collin³

et al. 2012

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

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“…These results suggest that hormones affect the intercept, but probably not the slope of the UF. Plasticity in mating decisions has been found to be related not only to female reproductive stage, but also to female condition (Burley and Foster, 2006;Eraly et al, 2009;Fisher and Rosenthal, 2006;Fawcett and Johnstone, 2003a;Moskalik and Uetz, 2011;Poulin, 1994;Slagsvold et al, 1988), to age (Bateman et al, 2001;Kodric-Brown and Nicoletto, 2001;Moore and Moore, 2001), and to ecological (Booksmythe et al, 2008;Chaine and Lyon, 2008;Forsgren, 1992;Godin and Briggs, 1996;Gong and Gibson, 1996;Milner et al, 2010) and social conditions (Bailey andZuk, 2008, 2009;Collins, 1995;Hebets, 2003;Izzo and Gray, 2011;Lehmann, 2007;Rebar et al, 2011;Wagner et al, 2001). In particular, strong evidence for an effect of social experience on mating preferences has been provided by studies on the cricket Teleogryllus oceanicus.…”

Section: The Perceived Utility Of Prospective Mates: U = P(a|h)/p(a|hmentioning

confidence: 99%

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

Castellano

Cadeddu

Cermelli

2012

Behavioural Processes

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a b s t r a c tThe present review is based on the thesis that mate choice results from information-processing mechanisms governed by computational rules and that, to understand how females choose their mates, we should identify which are the sources of information and how they are used to make decisions. We describe mate choice as a three-step computational process and for each step we present theories and review empirical evidence. The first step is a perceptual process. It describes the acquisition of evidence, that is, how females use multiple cues and signals to assign an attractiveness value to prospective mates (the preference function hypothesis). The second step is a decisional process. It describes the construction of the decision variable (DV), which integrates evidence (private information by direct assessment), priors (public information), and value (perceived utility) of prospective mates into a quantity that is used by a decision rule (DR) to produce a choice. We make the assumption that females are optimal Bayesian decision makers and we derive a formal model of DV that can explain the effects of preference functions, mate copying, social context, and females' state and condition on the patterns of mate choice. The third step of mating decision is a deliberative process that depends on the DRs. We identify two main categories of DRs (absolute and comparative rules), and review the normative models of mate sampling tactics associated to them. We highlight the limits of the normative approach and present a class of computational models (sequential-sampling models) that are based on the assumption that DVs accumulate noisy evidence over time until a decision threshold is reached. These models force us to rethink the dichotomy between comparative and absolute decision rules, between discrimination and recognition, and even between rational and irrational choice. Since they have a robust biological basis, we think they may represent a useful theoretical tool for behavioural ecologist interested in integrating proximate and ultimate causes of mate choice.

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Experimental evidence for a seasonal shift in the strength of a female mating preference

Cited by 60 publications

References 30 publications

Temporal and spatial variation in female mating preferences in a fiddler crab

Temporal and spatial variation in female mating preferences in a fiddler crab

Reducing error in reproductive timing caused by temperature variation: interspecific differences in behavioural adjustment by fiddler crabs

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

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