The shape of female mating preferences.
The "shape" of a female mating preference is the relationship between a male trait and the probability of acceptance as a mating partner. The shape of preferences is important in many models of sexual selection, mate recognition, communication, and speciation, yet it has rarely been measured precisely. Here I examine preference shape for male calling song in a bushcricket (katydid). Preferences change dramatically between races of a species, from strongly directional to broadly stabilizing (but with a net directional effect). Preference shape generally matches the distribution of the male trait. This is compatible with a coevolutionary model of signal-preference evolution, although it does not rule out an alternative model, sensory exploitation. Preference shapes are shown to be genetic in origin.
Ritchie
M G
MG
University of St Andrews, Fife, Scotland.
D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal; D005075:Biological Evolution; D005260:Female; D007313:Insecta / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male