Impact of infection on mate choice

Beltran‐Bech, Sophie; Richard, Freddie-Jeanne

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.026

Cited by 92 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 78 publications

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“…Females also discriminate against urinary odours from males subclinically infected with parasites or viruses, in many cases showing active avoidance of odours from infected males (reviewed by Beltran-Bech & Richard, 2014;Choleris, Clipperton-Allen, Phan, Valsecchi, & Kavaliers, 2012;Kavaliers, Choleris, & Pfaff, 2005). As yet, the urinary components used to identify infection are unknown; it is unclear whether infection results in reduced expression of male sexual signals, detection of cues from the parasite itself, detection of cues that reflect activation of the host immune system or a combination of these.…”

Section: Male Investment and Female Choosinessmentioning

confidence: 97%

Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model

et al. 2014

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Section: Male Investment and Female Choosinessmentioning

confidence: 97%

Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model

et al. 2014

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“…There is a conflict of interest for both hosts and parasites in regards to reproduction; the evolutionary strategies of the hosts consist of avoiding or slowing down the transmission of parasites, while the symbionts need to increase their own transmission (Combes, 2001). Infection can have negative impacts on the host phenotype, including ornamentation, coloration, calling, odors, and behavior (Beltran and Richard, 2014). Changes in the sexual trait phenotype due to parasites or endosymbiotic bacteria may then provide cues that indicate individual condition (Vergara et al, 2012) and could be considered as an honest signal of mate quality.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Symbiotic Bacteria Influence the Odor and Mating Preference of Their Hosts

Richard

2017

Front. Ecol. Evol.

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In many species, chemical communication is a determining factor in mate choice. Some species use the composition of cuticular compounds to discriminate between potential mates. Moreover, the presence of parasites can also influence mate choice and alter the odor of an individual. In the current study, we tested the effect of the endosymbiont Wolbachia, which is naturally present in the terrestrial isopod Armadillidium vulgare and can induce male feminization in the species. We compared male attraction to different types of females (Wolbachia-free, females naturally infected by Wolbachia, Wolbachia-injected females, and females injected with a bacteria-free suspension). Our behavioral assays revealed that males consistently preferred Wolbachia-free females and that this preference correlates to changes in cuticular compounds. Males also preferred naturally infected females over Wolbachia-injected females. The ability of males to discriminate between females could result in Wolbachia impacting its host phenotype, thus affecting the odor of the host. Female odor is the result of an honest signal that makes it possible for males to discriminate between Wolbachia-infected and non-infected females. The male preference for Wolbachia-free females is adaptive, and long-term studies have demonstrated that such choices confer improved fitness. LAY SUMMARYA key aspect of sexual selection is the competition for mates. Individuals use specific traits to recognize and choose their partners. In gregarious species, individuals are in groups, which makes it easier to find a mate. We showed that males feminized into functional females due to infection by Wolbachia bacteria (i.e., male genotype and female phenotype) have a specific odor and are less attractive to males compared to females not infected with the bacteria.

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“…In addition to warning of the presence of dangerous microbes on substrates, microbial products can provide information about the infection status of conspecifics, including potential mates, in a wide diversity of organisms [16][17][18]. Mice avoid conspecifics that are ill [19], and recent evidence suggests that mice use receptors that normally function as part of the innate immune system to smell compounds characteristic of bacterial infection in conspecifics.…”

Section: Chemosensory Detection Of Microbial Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Animal–microbe interactions and the evolution of nervous systems

Eisthen

Theis

2016

Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B

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One contribution of 16 to a discussion meeting issue 'Homology and convergence in nervous system evolution'. Animals ubiquitously interact with environmental and symbiotic microbes, and the effects of these interactions on animal physiology are currently the subject of intense interest. Nevertheless, the influence of microbes on nervous system evolution has been largely ignored. We illustrate here how taking microbes into account might enrich our ideas about the evolution of nervous systems. For example, microbes are involved in animals' communicative, defensive, predatory and dispersal behaviours, and have likely influenced the evolution of chemoand photosensory systems. In addition, we speculate that the need to regulate interactions with microbes at the epithelial surface may have contributed to the evolutionary internalization of the nervous system.

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Impact of infection on mate choice

Cited by 92 publications

References 78 publications

Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model

Female attraction to male scent and associative learning: the house mouse as a mammalian model

Symbiotic Bacteria Influence the Odor and Mating Preference of Their Hosts

Animal–microbe interactions and the evolution of nervous systems

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