Testing a key assumption in animal communication: between-individual variation in female visual systems alters perception of male signals.

ABSTRACT: Variation in male signal production has been extensively studied because of its relevance to animal communication and sexual selection. Although we now know much about the mechanisms that can lead to variation between males in the properties of their signals, there is still a general assumption that there is little variation in terms of how females process these male signals. Variation between females in signal processing may lead to variation between females in how they rank individual males, meaning that one single signal may not be universally attractive to all females. We tested this assumption in a group of female wild-caught brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater), a species that uses a male visual signal (e.g. a wingspread display) to make its mate-choice decisions. We found t

SUBMITTER: Ronald KL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5769651 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature