Socially transmitted mate preferences in a monogamous bird: a non-genetic mechanism of sexual selection

Abstract

There is increasing evidence that animals can acquire mate preferences through the use of public information, notably by observing (and copying) the mate preferences of others in the population. If females acquire preferences through social mechanisms, sexual selection could act very rapidly to spread the preference and drive elaboration of the preferred trait(s). Although there are reports of 'mate-choice copying' in polygynous species, there is no clear evidence for this process in monogamous species. Here, we investigated whether adult female zebra finches Taeniopygia guttata can socially acquire sexual preferences for individual males and, in a separate study, for a generalized trait (coloured leg bands) of males. In both studies, test females observed males in two simultaneous conditions: a ('chosen') mixed-sex situation in which a male was paired with a (model) female, and a ('unchosen') same-sex situation in which a male was paired with another male. In the first experiment, after two weeks of females observing males, test females significantly preferred individual males who had been paired with another female (i.e. chosen males). In the second experiment, test females significantly preferred novel males that were wearing the same leg band colour as the apparently chosen males. Our findings are consistent with the conclusion that female zebra finches' mate preferences are altered by public information. Our study implies that mate preferences can spread rapidly through populations by social mechanisms, affecting the strength of sexual selection in a monogamous species.

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

“…White and Galef (2000) show that, in Japanese quails, females that have previously observed a conspecific male mating, may successively show a preference not only for that specific male, but also for males that share his characteristics. Similar results have been observed in zebra finches (Swaddle et al, 2005) and guppies (Godin et al, 2005) and also in an invertebrate, Drosophila melanogaster (Mery et al, 2009). According to this hypothesis female matechoice copying is a form of cultural transmission (Kirkpatrick and Dugatkin, 1994), because mate preferences evolve through mechanisms of social learning.…”

Social learning and human mate preferences: a potential mechanism for generating and maintaining between-population diversity in attraction

“…[53,54]). Copying effects, however, can be more general, with females showing preferences for novel males that are physically similar to males observed with other females [9,12,13]. This generalization of preferences for certain traits, and not just preferences for specific individuals, is important as it allows social transmission to have more wide-reaching consequences on the evolution of certain anatomical traits and preferences [55].…”

“…(a) Mate-choice copying in non-human species: a brief review Mate-choice copying has been observed among females in a number of different non-human species [3][4][5][6], including fish [7][8][9][10] and bird species [11][12][13]. Such studies have generally shown that when females observe another female (the model) to be paired with one of two males (the targets), they are subsequently more likely to prefer the target male they had seen paired with the model over the male that was not paired with the model.…”

Social learning in birds and its role in shaping a foraging niche

“…In addition to sexual imprinting early in life, using parents as role models when choosing a mate, birds may use social information gained later in life such as 'public information' and eavesdropping by observing the mating choices of other individuals [31]. Costs and benefits may differ between the sexes, and so also their use of information [32], e.g.…”