Female preference for male phenotypic traits in a fiddler crab: do females use absolute or comparative evaluation?

Reaney, Leeann T.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2008.09.019

Cited by 81 publications

(73 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Kirkpatrick et al (2006) rejected the hypothesis that female Túngara frogs used strict mating preferences, but found no evidence for intransitive mate choice. Reaney (2009) found no clear evidence for an attraction effect in female fiddler crabs, Uca mjobergi. But suppose we found that females sometime chose irrationally, what would be the implications of this finding on mating decision models?…”

Section: Comparative Mate Choice and Rationality In Decision Makingmentioning

confidence: 74%

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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Section: Comparative Mate Choice and Rationality In Decision Makingmentioning

confidence: 74%

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

Castellano

Cadeddu

Cermelli

2012

Behavioural Processes

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“…The regeneration of unreliable major claws in the fiddler crab is widespread, and given the importance of claw displays during signalling, and of underlying strength for combat success, it is important to understand how and why these unreliable signals develop. Claw size plays a large role in determining the success or failure of both mating and combat displays in many fiddler crab species, with larger-clawed individuals prevailing more often than not (Callander et al, 2013;Reaney, 2009;Reaney et al, 2008). It is thus unsurprising that an individual regenerating a claw would devote resources into developing a large claw quickly, whilst not investing in the metabolically costly muscle within.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Building a dishonest signal: the functional basis of unreliable signals of strength in males of the two-toned fiddler crab,Uca vomeris

Bywater

Seebacher

Wilson

2015

Journal of Experimental Biology

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Males of many species use signals during aggressive contests to communicate their fighting capacity. These signals are usually reliable indicators of an individual's underlying quality; however, in several crustacean species, displays of weapons do not always accurately reflect the attribute being advertised. Male fiddler crabs possess one enlarged claw that is used to attract females and to intimidate opponents during territorial contests. After the loss of their major claw, males can regenerate a replacement claw that is similar in size but considerably weaker. As this inferior weapon can still be used to successfully intimidate rivals, it represents one of the clearest cases of unreliable signalling of strength during territorial contests. We investigated the functional mechanisms that govern signal reliability in the two-toned fiddler crab, Uca vomeris. Male U. vomeris exhibit both reliable and unreliable signals of strength via the expression of original and regenerated claw morphs. We examined the morphological, biomechanical and biochemical characteristics of original and regenerated claws to establish the best predictors of variation in claw strength. For a given claw size, regenerated claws have less muscle mass than original claws, and for a given muscle mass, regenerated claws were significantly weaker than original claws. The mechanical advantage was also lower in regenerated claws compared with original claws. However, the activity of three catabolic enzymes did not differ between claw types. We conclude that the structural and physiological predictors of force production influence the frequencies of reliable and unreliable signals of strength in U. vomeris. This study furthers our understanding of the proliferation of unreliable signals in natural populations.

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“…Female U. annulipes preferentially approach males with faster wave rates, greater wave leadership (slightly earlier waves during a synchronous bout) and larger claws [16,17,23]. In combination with studies on the closely related U. mjoebergi [18], we assume here that females show a direct preference for higher wave rates. Final mate choice is based on burrow quality (mating and incubation occurs within the male's burrow).…”

Section: Methodsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Opportunities to attract a female are therefore infrequent. Second, wave rate is believed to be an indicator of male quality, and females appear to have a preference for wave rates that exceed a minimum threshold [18,19]. Third, in fiddler crabs, mate choice is often based on the sequential assessment of male traits.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In Uca annulipes, females preferentially visit males that wave at a faster rate (waves per min) and produce more leading waves [16,17] implying that wave rate and wave leadership are targets of female choice. In the related species, U. mjoebergi, experiments show that leadership and wave rate are direct targets of female choice [18]. Waving is, however, extremely costly, in terms of energy, time and increased conspicuousness to predators.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Keeping up appearances: male fiddler crabs wave faster in a crowd

2011

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Courtship displays are often energetically and temporally costly as well as highly conspicuous to predators. Selection should therefore favour signalling tactics that minimize courtship costs while maintaining or increasing signal attractiveness. In fiddler crabs, males court females by waving their one greatly enlarged claw in a highly conspicuous and costly display. Here, we investigate whether courting males adjust their wave rate, and therefore the cost of courtship, to the current level of competition. We show that display rate increases as competition increases and that when competition is removed, males reduce their display rate by 30 per cent. These results suggest that male fiddler crabs actively reduce the cost of courtship by adjusting their wave rate in response to the immediate level of competition.

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Female preference for male phenotypic traits in a fiddler crab: do females use absolute or comparative evaluation?

Cited by 81 publications

References 32 publications

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

Building a dishonest signal: the functional basis of unreliable signals of strength in males of the two-toned fiddler crab,Uca vomeris

Keeping up appearances: male fiddler crabs wave faster in a crowd

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