Multivariate female preference tests reveal latent perceptual biases.

ABSTRACT: The question of why males of many species produce elaborate mating displays has now been largely resolved: females prefer to mate with males that produce such displays. However, the question of why females prefer such displays has been controversial, with an emerging consensus that such displays often provide information to females about the direct fitness benefits that males provide to females and/or the indirect fitness benefits provided to offspring. Alternative explanations, such as production of arbitrarily attractive sons or innate pre-existing female sensory or perceptual bias, have also received support in certain taxa. Here, we describe multivariate female preference functions for male acoustic traits in two chirping species of field crickets with slow pulse rates; our data reveal

SUBMITTER: Gray DA 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5124099 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature