Female zebra finches prefer the songs of males who quickly solve a novel foraging task to the songs of males unable to solve the task.

ABSTRACT: Correlative evidence suggests that high problem-solving and foraging abilities in a mate are associated with direct fitness advantages, so it would benefit females to prefer problem-solving males. Recent work has also shown that females of several bird species who directly observe males prefer those that can solve a novel foraging task over those that cannot. In addition to or instead of direct observation of cognitive skills, many species utilize assessment signals when choosing a mate. Here, we test whether females can select a problem-solving male over a non-solving male when presented only with a signal known to be used in mate assessment: song. Using an operant conditioning assay, we compared female zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata) preference for the songs of males that could

SUBMITTER: Howell C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC7520207 | biostudies-literature | 2020 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature