1
|
Chartrain J, Knott KE, Michalczyk Ł, Calhim S. First evidence of sex-specific responses to chemical cues in tardigrade mate searching behaviour. J Exp Biol 2023; 226:jeb245836. [PMID: 37599615 DOI: 10.1242/jeb.245836] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/17/2023] [Accepted: 08/17/2023] [Indexed: 08/22/2023]
Abstract
Chemical cues are widely used in intraspecific and interspecific communication, either as substances deposited in the substrate or as molecules diffused in water or air. In tardigrades, an emerging microscopic study system, chemical communication and its role in reproduction are poorly known. Here, we assessed sex differences in the detection of (a) short-range diffusing signals and (b) deposited cue trails during the mate-searching behaviour of freely moving virgin male and female Macrobiotus polonicus. We tracked individual behaviour (a) in simultaneous double-choice chambers, where live conspecifics of each sex were presented in water and (b) of freely moving pairs on agar without water. We found that males, but not females, preferentially associated with opposite-sex individuals in trials conducted in water. In contrast, neither sex detected nor followed cues deposited on agar. In conclusion, our study suggests that mate discrimination and approach are male-specific traits and are limited to waterborne chemical cues. These results support the existence of Darwinian sex roles in pre-mating behaviour in an animal group with virtually non-existing sex differences in morphology or ecology.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Justine Chartrain
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
| | - K Emily Knott
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
| | - Łukasz Michalczyk
- Department of Invertebrate Evolution, Institute of Zoology and Biomedical Research, Faculty of Biology, Jagiellonian University, Gronostajowa 9, 30-387 Kraków, Poland
| | - Sara Calhim
- Department of Biological and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, FI-40014, Finland
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Hanna CS, Alihosseini C, Fischer HM, Davoli EC, Granatosky MC. Are they arboreal? Climbing abilities and mechanics in the red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus). JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2021; 337:238-249. [PMID: 34752693 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2561] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2021] [Revised: 09/14/2021] [Accepted: 10/19/2021] [Indexed: 11/10/2022]
Abstract
While red-backed salamanders (Plethodon cinereus) are most often observed in terrestrial forested areas, several studies report arboreal substrate use and climbing behavior. However, salamanders do not have any of the anatomical features commonly observed in specialized climbing species (e.g., claws, setae, suction cups). Instead, salamanders cling to surfaces using the shear and adhesive properties of their mucous layer. In this study, we explore the capabilities and spatiotemporal gait patterns of arboreal locomotion in the red-backed salamander as they move across twelve substrate conditions ranging in diameter, orientation, and roughness. On arboreal substrates, red-backed salamanders decreased locomotor speed, stride frequency, phase and stride length, and increased duty factor and stride duration. Such responses have been observed in other non-salamander species and are posited to increase arboreal stability. Furthermore, these findings indicate that amphibian locomotion, or at least the locomotor behavior of the red-backed salamander, is not stereotyped and that some locomotor plasticity is possible in response to the demands of the external environment. However, red-backed salamanders were unable to locomote on any small-diameter or vertically-oriented coarse substrates. This finding provides strong evidence that the climbing abilities of red-backed salamanders are attributable solely to mucous adhesion and that this species is unable to produce the necessary external "gripping" forces to achieve fine-branch arboreal locomotion or scale substrates where adhesion is not possible. The red-backed salamander provides an ideal model for arboreal locomotor performance of anatomically-unspecialized amphibians and offers insight into transitionary stages in the evolution of arborealism in this lineage.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Christopher S Hanna
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Christopher Alihosseini
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Hannah M Fischer
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Elizabeth C Davoli
- New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| | - Michael C Granatosky
- Department of Anatomy, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA.,Center for Biomedical Innovation, New York Institute of Technology College of Osteopathic Medicine, Old Westbury, New York, USA
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Wiens JJ, Tuschhoff E. Songs versus colours versus horns: what explains the diversity of sexually selected traits? Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc 2020; 95:847-864. [PMID: 32092241 DOI: 10.1111/brv.12593] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2019] [Revised: 01/25/2020] [Accepted: 02/10/2020] [Indexed: 01/14/2023]
Abstract
Papers on sexual selection often highlight the incredible diversity of sexually selected traits across animals. Yet, few studies have tried to explain why this diversity evolved. Animals use many different types of traits to attract mates and outcompete rivals, including colours, songs, and horns, but it remains unclear why, for example, some taxa have songs, others have colours, and others horns. Here, we first conduct a systematic survey of the basic diversity and distribution of different types of sexually selected signals and weapons across the animal Tree of Life. Based on this survey, we describe seven major patterns in trait diversity and distributions. We then discuss 10 unanswered questions raised by these patterns, and how they might be addressed. One major pattern is that most types of sexually selected signals and weapons are apparently absent from most animal phyla (88%), in contrast to the conventional wisdom that a diversity of sexually selected traits is present across animals. Furthermore, most trait diversity is clustered in Arthropoda and Chordata, but only within certain clades. Within these clades, many different types of traits have evolved, and many types appear to have evolved repeatedly. By contrast, other major arthropod and chordate clades appear to lack all or most trait types, and similar patterns are repeated at smaller phylogenetic scales (e.g. within insects). Although most research on sexual selection focuses on female choice, we find similar numbers of traits (among sampled species) are involved in male contests (44%) and female choice (55%). Overall, these patterns are largely unexplained and unexplored, as are many other fundamental questions about the evolution of these traits. We suggest that understanding the diversity of sexually selected traits may require a shift towards macroevolutionary studies at relatively deep timescales (e.g. tens to hundreds of millions of years ago).
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- John J Wiens
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, U.S.A
| | - E Tuschhoff
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Arizona, Tucson, AZ, 85721-0088, U.S.A
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Jaworski KE, Lattanzio MS, Hickerson CM, Anthony CD. Male mate preference as an agent of fecundity selection in a polymorphic salamander. Ecol Evol 2018; 8:8750-8760. [PMID: 30271542 PMCID: PMC6157696 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/14/2018] [Revised: 05/08/2018] [Accepted: 05/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Color polymorphisms are associated with variation in other traits which may affect individual fitness, and these color-trait associations are expected to contribute to nonrandom mating in polymorphic species. The red-backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) exhibits a polymorphism in dorsal pattern: striped and unstriped, and previous studies have suggested that they may mate nonrandomly. However, the mechanism(s) contributing to this behavior remain unclear. Here we consider the role that male preference may have in driving mating behavior in P. cinereus. We limit our focus to striped individuals because this morph is most likely to be choosy given their dominant, aggressive behavioral profiles relative to unstriped males. Specifically, we evaluated (a) whether striped males preferentially associate with females with respect to her dorsum color, size, and body condition and (b) if so, whether female traits are evaluated via visual or chemical cues. We also considered whether the frequency of another male social behavior, nose taps, was associated with mate preferences. We found that striped male P. cinereus nose tapped more often to preferred females. However, males only assessed potential mates via chemical cues, preferring larger females overall. Reproductive phenology data on a sample of gravid females drawn from the same population indicated that the color morphs do not differ in reproductive traits, but larger females have greater fecundity. Given our findings, we conclude that female P. cinereus are under fecundity selection, mediated by male preference. In this manner, male mating behavior contributes to observations of nonrandom mate associations in this population of P. cinereus.
Collapse
|
5
|
Belliure J, Fresnillo B, Cuervo JJ. Male mate choice based on female coloration in a lizard: the role of a juvenile trait. Behav Ecol 2018. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/ary005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Josabel Belliure
- Department of Life Sciences, Ecology Section, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - Belén Fresnillo
- Department of Life Sciences, Ecology Section, University of Alcalá, Alcalá de Henares, Madrid, Spain
| | - José J Cuervo
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales (CSIC), Madrid, Spain
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Wilburn DB, Arnold SJ, Houck LD, Feldhoff PW, Feldhoff RC. Gene Duplication, Co-option, Structural Evolution, and Phenotypic Tango in the Courtship Pheromones of Plethodontid Salamanders. HERPETOLOGICA 2017. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-16-00082.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Damien B. Wilburn
- Department of Genome Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA
| | - Stevan J. Arnold
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Lynne D. Houck
- Department of Integrative Biology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331, USA
| | - Pamela W. Feldhoff
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| | - Richard C. Feldhoff
- Department of Biochemistry, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY 40292, USA
| |
Collapse
|
7
|
Effects of size, caudal autotomy, and predator kairomones on the foraging behavior of Allegheny Mountain dusky salamanders (Desmognathus ochrophaeus). Acta Ethol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-017-0259-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
8
|
Eddy SL, Wilburn DB, Chouinard AJ, Doty KA, Kiemnec-Tyburczy KM, Houck LD. Male terrestrial salamanders demonstrate sequential mate choice based on female gravidity and size. Anim Behav 2016. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2015.12.016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
9
|
|
10
|
Cote G, Getty S, Vokoun A, Carmichael S, Hunt H, Letton N, McEntire K, Wooten JA, Camp CD. A test of scent-trailing as a contributing factor in the climbing behaviour of the redback salamander (Plethodon cinereus). AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2016. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-00003023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Terrestrial salamanders of the family Plethodontidae are common predators of invertebrates in deciduous forest communities of eastern North America. While normally residing and foraging in forest-floor microhabitats, many species facultatively climb vegetation. Different hypotheses have been proffered to explain this behaviour including optimal-foraging strategies and predator avoidance. Using laboratory-based trials, we tested the hypothesis that the terrestrial salamander Plethodon cinereus climbs in response to scent trails left by insect prey. We found that salamanders climbed significantly higher and spent significantly more time climbing on wooden dowel rods that had been treated with prey residue than they did on control rods. Scent trailing possibly interacts with other factors such as optimal-foraging opportunities and predation risk in influencing climbing behaviour in these salamanders.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Griffin Cote
- Department of Biology, Centre College, Danville, KY, USA
| | - Sarah Getty
- Department of Biology, Centre College, Danville, KY, USA
| | - Amanda Vokoun
- Department of Biology, Centre College, Danville, KY, USA
| | | | - Hallee Hunt
- Department of Biology, Centre College, Danville, KY, USA
| | - Nate Letton
- Department of Biology, Centre College, Danville, KY, USA
| | - Kira D. McEntire
- Warnell School of Forestry and Natural Resources, University of Georgia, Athens, GA, USA
| | | | - Carlos D. Camp
- Department of Biology, Piedmont College, Demorest, GA, USA
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
Olivero PA, González A, Mattoni CI, Peretti A. Chemical caressess: geographical variation of male sexual signals in a Neotropical scorpion. BEHAVIOUR 2015. [DOI: 10.1163/1568539x-00003302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Differences in sexual signals among species are common, and may influence mate recognition and reproductive isolation. In scorpions, behavioural mechanisms and other sexual signals involved in mate selection and reproductive isolation have been scarcely studied. In this paper, we compare different male sexual signals between two distant populations of the scorpion Bothriurus bonariensis, one located in Uruguay and the other in Central Argentina. We compare sexual behaviours from intra-populations and inter-populations matings. In addition, we extent this comparison to the secreted compounds and morphology of the exocrine glands located on the dorsal side of the telson in this species. Males of B. bonariensis performed stimulatory behaviours to the female with different frequency of occurrence and duration in the two populations. Chemical analyses of the glandular extracts showed that Uruguayan males present compounds which are absent in males of Argentinian population. In addition, we observed that in inter-population matings, stimulatory behaviours had intermediate patterns to intra-population matings. However, males failed to achieve a successful sperm transfer with females of different population. Mechanisms of sexual isolation between these two distant populations of B. bonariensis apparently seem to have evolved due to divergence in allopatry. The differences in stimulatory levels during courtship between the two populations studied here give evidence for an early behavioural divergence promoted by sexual selection.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Paola A. Olivero
- aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
- bMuséum National d’Histoire Naturelle, Institut de Systématique, Evolution et Biodiversité, ISYEB, UMR 7205 CNRS MNHN UPMC EPHE, CP 50 (Entomologie), 45 rue Buffon, 75005 Paris, France
| | - Andrés González
- cDepartamento de Química Orgánica, Facultad de Química, Universidad de la República, Avenida Gral. Flores 2124, Montevideo, Uruguay
| | - Camilo I. Mattoni
- aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| | - Alfredo V. Peretti
- aLaboratorio de Biología Reproductiva y Evolución, Instituto de Diversidad y Ecología Animal (IDEA, CONICET), Facultad de Ciencias Exactas, Físicas y Naturales, Universidad Nacional de Córdoba, Avenida Vélez Sarsfield 299, X5000JJC, Córdoba, Argentina
| |
Collapse
|
12
|
Effect of Signaler Body Size on the Response of Male Striped Plateau Lizards (Sceloporus virgatus) to Conspecific Chemical Cues. J HERPETOL 2012. [DOI: 10.1670/10-166] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
|
13
|
Chouinard AJ. Rapid onset of mate quality assessment via chemical signals in a woodland salamander (Plethodon cinereus). Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1324-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
14
|
Schulte LM, Yeager J, Schulte R, Veith M, Werner P, Beck LA, Lötters S. The smell of success: choice of larval rearing sites by means of chemical cues in a Peruvian poison frog. Anim Behav 2011. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.02.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 62] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
15
|
|
16
|
Dreiss AN, Guillaume O, Clobert J. Diverging Cave- and River-Dwelling Newts Exert the Same Mate Preference in their Native Light Conditions. Ethology 2009. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2009.01693.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
17
|
Schwab RL, Brockmann HJ. The role of visual and chemical cues in the mating decisions of satellite male horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus. Anim Behav 2007. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2007.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
|
18
|
Abstract
Chemical signals are omnipresent in sexual communication in the vast majority of living organisms. The traditional paradigm was that their main purpose in sexual behaviour was to coordinate mate and species recognition and thus pheromones were conserved in structure and function. In recent years, this view has been challenged by theoretical analyses on the evolution of pheromones and empirical reports of mate choice based on chemical signals. The ability to measure precisely the quantity and quality of chemicals emitted by single individuals has also revealed considerable individual variation in chemical composition and release rates, and there is mounting evidence that prospecting mates respond to this variation. Here, we review the evidence for pheromones as indicators of mate quality and examine the extent of their use in individual mate assessment. We begin by briefly defining the levels of mate choice--species recognition, mate recognition and mate assessment. We then explore the degree to which pheromones satisfy the key criteria necessary for their evolution and maintenance as cues in mate assessment; that is, they should exhibit variation across individuals within a sex and species; they should honestly reflect an individual's quality and thus be costly to produce and/or maintain; they should display relatively high levels of heritability. There is now substantial empirical evidence that pheromones can satisfy all these criteria and, while measurements of the actual metabolic cost of pheromone production remain to some degree lacking, trade-offs between pheromone production and various fitness-related characters such as growth rate, immunocompetence and longevity have been reported for a range of species. In the penultimate section, we outline the growing number of studies where the consequences of chemical-based mate assessment have been investigated, specifically focussing on the reported direct and genetic benefits accrued by the receiver. Finally, we highlight potential areas for future research and in particular emphasise the need for interdisciplinary research that combines exploration of chemical, physiological and behavioural processes to further our understanding of the role of chemical cues in mate assessment.
Collapse
|
19
|
Costanzo K, Monteiro A. The use of chemical and visual cues in female choice in the butterfly Bicyclus anynana. Proc Biol Sci 2007; 274:845-51. [PMID: 17251116 PMCID: PMC2093980 DOI: 10.1098/rspb.2006.3729] [Citation(s) in RCA: 146] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Investigating the relative importance of multiple cues for mate choice within a species may highlight possible mechanisms that led to the diversification of closely related species in the past. Here, we investigate the importance of close-range pheromones produced by male Bicyclus anynana butterflies and determine the relative importance of these chemical cues versus visual cues in sexual selection by female choice. We first blocked putative androconial organs on the fore- and hindwings of males, while also manipulating the ability of females to perceive chemical signals via their antenna. We found that male chemical signals were emitted by both fore- and hindwing pairs and that they play an important role in female choice. We subsequently tested the relative importance of these chemical cues versus visual cues, previously identified for this species, and found that they play an equally important role in female choice in our laboratory setting. In addition, females will mate with males with only one signal present and blocking both androconial organs on males seems to interfere with male to male recognition. We discuss the possible functions of these signals and how this bimodal system may be used in intra- and interspecific mate evaluation.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Katie Costanzo
- Department of Biological Sciences, University at Buffalo, 109 Cooke Hall, Buffalo, NY 14260, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
20
|
Dantzer BJ, Jaeger RG. Detection of the Sexual Identity of Conspecifics through Volatile Chemical Signals in a Territorial Salamander. Ethology 2007. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0310.2006.01322.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
|
21
|
Poschadel JR, Rudolph A, Plath M. Nonvisual mate choice in the Pyrenean mountain newt (Euproctus asper): females prefer small males. Acta Ethol 2007. [DOI: 10.1007/s10211-007-0025-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
22
|
Thaker M, Gabor CR, Fries JN. SENSORY CUES FOR CONSPECIFIC ASSOCIATIONS IN AQUATIC SAN MARCOS SALAMANDERS. HERPETOLOGICA 2006. [DOI: 10.1655/05-38.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
23
|
Kaltenpoth M, Strohm E. The scent of senescence: age-dependent changes in the composition of the cephalic gland secretion of the male European beewolf, Philanthus triangulum. JOURNAL OF INSECT SCIENCE (ONLINE) 2006; 6:1-9. [PMID: 19537977 PMCID: PMC2990308 DOI: 10.1673/2006_06_20.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2005] [Accepted: 02/14/2006] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
The process of aging inevitably leads to changes in physiology, performance and fertility of eukaryotic organisms and results in trade-offs in the resource allocation between current and future reproduction and longevity. Such constraints may also affect the production of complex and costly signals used for mate attraction and might therefore be important in the context of mate choice. We investigated age-related changes in the amount and composition of the cephalic gland secretion that male European beewolves, Philanthus triangulum (Hymenoptera, Crabronidae) use to mark their territories. The secretion mainly consists of eleven long-chain compounds with large proportions of a carbon acid, a ketone and two alcohols, and small proportions of several alkanes and alkenes. Both the total amount and the composition of the gland content varied with age. The four compounds with functional groups were present in much lower proportions in very young and very old males compared to middle-aged males, suggesting that these components may be more costly than the alkanes and alkenes. Thus, physiological constraints may cause the delayed onset and early decline of these substances in the cephalic gland. There were also minor but significant changes in four components among the middle-aged males. These age-related changes in the amount and composition of the male marking secretion might provide reliable indicators for female choice.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Kaltenpoth
- University of Würzburg, Department for Animal Ecology and Tropical Biology, Würzburg.
| | | |
Collapse
|
24
|
Staub NL, Palmer CA, Carnes A, Quitiquit C, Susantio M. A DORSAL TAIL TUBERCLE CONTAINING HYPERTROPHIED GRANULAR AND MUCOUS GLANDS IS PRESENT IN FEMALE SALAMANDRA LUSCHANI (SALAMANDRIDAE). HERPETOLOGICA 2005. [DOI: 10.1655/04-84.1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
|
25
|
|
26
|
Marco A, Lizana M. The absence of species and sex recognition during mate search by male common toads,Bufo bufo. ETHOL ECOL EVOL 2002. [DOI: 10.1080/08927014.2002.9522756] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
|
27
|
Ptacek MB. The role of mating preferences in shaping interspecific divergence in mating signals in vertebrates. Behav Processes 2000; 51:111-134. [PMID: 11074316 DOI: 10.1016/s0376-6357(00)00123-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 109] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Vertebrates represent one of the best-studied groups in terms of the role that mating preferences have played in the evolution of exaggerated secondary sexual characters and mating behaviours within species. Vertebrate species however, also exhibit enormous interspecific diversity in features of mating signals that has potentially led to reproductive isolation and speciation in many groups. The role that sexual selection has played in interspecific divergence in mating signals has been less fully explored. This review summarizes our current knowledge of how mating preferences within species have shaped interspecific divergence in mate recognition signals among the major vertebrate groups. Certain signal modalities appear to characterize mating signal diversification among different vertebrate taxa. Acoustic signals play an important role in mating decisions in anuran amphibians and birds. Here, different properties of the signal may convey information regarding individual, neighbor and species recognition. Mating preferences for particular features of the acoustic signal have led to interspecific divergence in calls and songs. Divergence in morphological traits such as colouration or ornamentation appears to be important in interspecific diversity in certain groups of fishes and birds. Pheromonal signals serve as the primary basis for species-specific mating cues in many salamander species, most mammals and even some fishes. The evolution of interspecific divergence in elaborate courtship displays may have played an important role in speciation of lizards, and particular groups of fishes, salamanders, birds and mammals. While much research has focused on the importance of mating preferences in shaping the evolution of these types of mating signals within species, the link between intraspecific preferences and interspecific divergence and speciation remains to be more fully tested. Future studies should focus on identifying how variation in mating preferences within a species shapes interspecific diversity in features of mating signals in order to better understand how sexual selection may have led to speciation in vertebrates.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- MB Ptacek
- Idaho State University, 83209-8007, Pocatello, ID, USA
| |
Collapse
|