Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Michael J. Ryan
Summary: Darwin's theory of sexual selection, proposed one hundred fifty years ago, focuses on female preferences for elaborately ornamented males due to their taste for beauty. Research has since explored fitness advantages, sensory ecology, signal design, neural circuits, and neurochemistry, providing insight into the mechanisms behind mate choice. Recent studies inspired by human research in psychophysics, behavioral economics, and neuroaesthetics have further advanced our understanding of mate choices.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Ryan Calsbeek, Francisco Javier Zamora-Camacho, Laurel B. Symes
Summary: A novel application of acoustic camera technology was used to investigate the influence of individual wood frogs' calls on chorus properties and mating opportunities. The results showed that males and females preferred choruses with low variance in dominant frequency, and females preferred choruses with low mean peak frequency. Field studies revealed that more egg masses were laid in ponds where male frogs chorused with low variance in dominant frequency.
Article
Ecology
Rodet Rodriguez-Silva, Montrai Spikes, Manuel Iturriaga Monsisbay, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: In this study, two different approaches were used to investigate the presence of color polymorphism in the Cuban Limia fish. It was found that the frequency of black-spotted morphs was higher in brackish and saltwater environments, possibly due to higher predation pressure. The results suggest that habitat variation, particularly salinity levels, plays a key role in maintaining color polymorphism in this species.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Jonathan M. Henshaw, Lutz Fromhage, Adam G. Jones
Summary: The aesthetic preferences of potential mates play a significant role in the evolution of elaborate ornaments. Females tend to prefer ornaments that signal a male's quality and have preexisting perceptual biases. The costs of preference expression and the potential genetic benefits associated with offspring attractiveness are important factors in shaping female preferences.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2022)
Article
Ecology
E. Tuschhoff, John J. J. Wiens
Summary: Sexual selection plays a crucial role in driving phenotypic diversity and diversification in animals. Female mate choice is the most common mechanism of sexual selection, but male-male competition and male mate choice also exist. Tactile traits are more widespread, while auditory traits are less common. These different types of sexual selection traits are mainly confined to arthropods and chordates, where accelerated rates of evolution are observed. Additionally, these traits are strongly correlated with each other in their evolution across animals. However, there is limited evidence supporting the idea that sexual selection traits drive large-scale patterns of diversification and species richness across all animals.
FRONTIERS IN ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Julie C. Driebe, Morgan J. Sidari, Michael Dufner, Juliane M. Von der Heiden, Paul C. Buerkner, Lars Penke, Brendan P. Zietsch, Ruben C. Arslan
Summary: The study found that intelligence is not important for initial attraction, casting doubt on the sexual selection theory of intelligence.
EVOLUTION AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR
(2021)
Article
Biology
Gerlinde Hobel, Rafael L. Rodriguez
Summary: Sexual competition depends on the ability to impress, drive away, or attract conspecifics. The selective environment, which consists of evaluations made by individuals, can be hedonic or affective. The range of evaluations can be from positive to negative, rather than just positive to neutral. This suggests that mate choice selection may be stronger than previously thought.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2022)
Article
Biology
Paulo B. Chaves, Karen B. Strier, Anthony Di Fiore
Summary: Evidence suggests that females, both human and nonhuman primates, avoid breeding with close kin and may choose mates based on MHC diversity. In egalitarian societies like the northern muriquis, female mate choice is less constrained and sires with higher MHC diversity are preferred. However, there is no evidence of mating preference for males who are more distantly related or have more MHC alleles distinct from their own, suggesting that female mate choice may be limited by other factors impacting male fertilization success.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY B-BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
(2023)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Koutaro Ould Maeno, Cyril Piou, Sidi Ould Ely, Sid'Ahmed Ould Mohamed, Mohamed El Hacen Jaavar, Said Ghaout, Mohamed Abdallahi Ould Babah Ebbe
Summary: Male mating harassment can be reduced in dense populations of desert locusts through behavioral adaptations, where non-gravid females and males live separately while males wait for gravid females at lekking sites to mate. In low-density populations, solitarious locusts display balanced sex ratios and females mate regardless of ovarian state. This suggests that group separation based on sex biases behavior to minimize male mating harassment and competition.
PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
(2021)
Article
Ecology
J. Colton Watts, Eileen A. Hebets, Brigitte Tenhumberg
Summary: Theory predicts that sexual selection should increase with population density, but empirical support remains mixed. Our study finds that the density dependence of sexual selection depends on the ecological context of mate sampling.
AMERICAN NATURALIST
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Samuel P. Caro, Leo Pierre, Matthieu Berges, Raldi Bakker, Claire Doutrelant, Francesco Bonadonna
Summary: The research found that both males and females are quite choosy when selecting sexual partners, with females being slightly pickier than males. They tend to prefer individuals with a pale chest plumage over colorful ones, with this preference being more pronounced in females. Additionally, individuals with paler chest plumage are more likely to be selected by birds that are also pale in color.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Maria Santaca, Alessandro Devigili, Clelia Gasparini
Summary: Female choice in zebrafish is influenced by their reproductive stage, with females being more receptive to larger males 7-10 days after spawning. Considering female receptivity is crucial for future studies on mate choice and for increasing egg production in zebrafish facilities.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY AND SOCIOBIOLOGY
(2022)
Article
Biology
Logan S. James, Wouter Halfwerk, Kimberly L. Hunter, Rachel A. Page, Ryan C. Taylor, Preston S. Wilson, Michael J. Ryan
Summary: This study examined the relationship between components of communication systems in female tungara frogs and fringelipped bats. The results showed that vocal sac volume, call amplitude, and water ripple height were correlated, with vocal sac volume and call amplitude showing the strongest association. Multimodal models were found to predict the mass of calling males better than unimodal models, providing a foundation for future studies on complex displays integration and comparison by receivers.
JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL BIOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Nayade Alvarez-Quintero, Alberto Velando, Sin-Yeon Kim
Summary: This study investigated the role of cognitive abilities in sexual selection in three-spined sticklebacks. Results showed that females prefer males with high cognitive abilities, and this preference is influenced by the females' own cognitive abilities. Additionally, males with higher cognitive abilities built more elaborate nests but displayed weaker nuptial coloration. This suggests that cognitive traits of both sexes play a role in influencing female mate preference in this species.
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2021)
Article
Ecology
Samuel S. Snow, Richard O. Prum
Summary: Models of sexual conflict have traditionally assumed that female resistance to male coercion requires direct confrontation, leading to antagonistic coevolutionary arms-races. However, our quantitative model introduces the concept that females can evolve new mate preferences for traits that undermine male coercion, thus enhancing their own sexual autonomy. This alternative mechanism allows females to avoid arms-races and gain indirect benefits of having attractive mates. Our analysis reveals the potential for evolutionary remodeling and the favoring of protective male traits, leading to expanding sexual autonomy.
Article
Psychology, Biological
Amber M. Makowicz, Ingo Schlupp
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Brent E. Eskridge, Elizabeth Valle, Ingo Schlupp
Article
Ecology
Ruediger Riesch, Martin Plath, Ingo Schlupp, Michael Tobler, R. Brian Langerhans
Article
Fisheries
Ingo Schlupp, Timothy J. Colston, Brandon L. Joachim, Ruediger Riesch
ECOLOGY OF FRESHWATER FISH
(2013)
Article
Ecology
M. Tobler, M. Plath, R. Riesch, I. Schlupp, A. Grasse, G. K. Munimanda, C. Setzer, D. J. Penn, Y. Moodley
JOURNAL OF EVOLUTIONARY BIOLOGY
(2014)
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Gabriel C. Costa, Ingo Schlupp
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2020)
Review
Ecology
Rodet Rodriguez-Silva, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: This study examines the biogeography of the West Indies, highlighting the differences in research attention between terrestrial vertebrates and aquatic groups. The findings suggest that the species richness of livebearing fishes on the Greater Antilles is influenced not only by island size, but also by the presence of elevations. The study sheds light on the differing mechanisms driving speciation in aquatic versus terrestrial environments, suggesting that ecological opportunity may play a more significant role than island size in speciation.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2021)
Article
Psychology, Biological
Montrai Spikes, Sophia Huebler, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: Female preference is often related to male secondary sexual traits, but the exact mechanisms remain unclear. This study found that Limia perugiae females exhibited a preference for male body size, preferring smaller males despite males in this species having the most secondary sexual traits. Further research is needed to understand the impact of male secondary sexual traits on female preference.
Article
Evolutionary Biology
Rudiger Riesch, Amy Curtis, Jonas Jourdan, Ingo Schlupp, Lenin Arias-Rodriguez, Martin Plath
Summary: Ecological gradients can drive adaptive phenotypic diversification, and the extent of local adaptation depends on the strength, temporal stability, and spatial dimensions of selective forces. Our study on a live-bearing fish in differential light regimes and toxicity levels revealed morphological and life history diversification. Despite exceeding the spatial dimensions of the gradients, the fish exhibited gradual changes in various traits along both gradients. The study also discovered remarkable temporal stability in two sampling periods.
BIOLOGICAL JOURNAL OF THE LINNEAN SOCIETY
(2022)
Article
Ecology
Rodet Rodriguez-Silva, Montrai Spikes, Manuel Iturriaga Monsisbay, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: In this study, two different approaches were used to investigate the presence of color polymorphism in the Cuban Limia fish. It was found that the frequency of black-spotted morphs was higher in brackish and saltwater environments, possibly due to higher predation pressure. The results suggest that habitat variation, particularly salinity levels, plays a key role in maintaining color polymorphism in this species.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Zoology
Rudiger Riesch, Luis R. Arriaga, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: Evaluating hybrid fitness provides insights into genetic differences between species or populations. We raised F1 hybrids of surface- and cave-ecotypes of Poecilia mexicana in a common-garden experiment to assess their survival, reproductive potential, and essential life-history traits. Compared to pure cave and surface fish, F1 hybrids had higher death rates and lower reproductive potential. We also observed sex-specific phenotype expression, with males expressing cave molly traits and females expressing surface molly traits. These findings suggest strong selection against hybrids in the cave molly system and a complex pattern of sex-specific dominance.
Article
Ecology
Frederic Fyon, Waldir Miron Berbel-Filho, Ingo Schlupp, Geoff Wild, Francisco Ubeda
Summary: This study presents a mathematical model proposing an alternative, adaptive route for the evolution of asexuality from previously sexual hybrids. The results show that when incompatibilities only affect the fusion of sperm and egg's genomes, the two traits that characterize asexuality can evolve separately, greatly facilitating the overall evolutionary route.
Review
Ecology
Karel Janko, Peter Mikulicek, Roman Hobza, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: Sexual reproduction is the primary mode of reproduction in eukaryotes, but some organisms have evolved into asexual reproduction. This review explores the mechanisms by which sperm-dependent asexuals can impact the evolution of coexisting sexual species and ecosystems, focusing on their impact on the gene pool, diversification rates, and spatial distribution of species. The review also proposes new research directions to enhance our understanding of genome evolution and biological interactions. Asexual species play important roles in ecosystems and their effects can last longer than traditionally believed.
ECOLOGY AND EVOLUTION
(2023)
Article
Biology
Rodet Rodriguez-Silva, Ingo Schlupp
Summary: Janzen's mountain passes hypothesis suggests different temperature gradients between low and high elevations in the tropics result in species evolving different thermal tolerances, but local-scale analysis of Limia fish populations did not support this hypothesis, indicating a need to consider other biotic factors in interpreting species distribution patterns.
NOVITATES CARIBAEA
(2021)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Amber M. Makowicz, Darrshini S. Muthurajah, Ingo Schlupp
BEHAVIORAL ECOLOGY
(2018)