Evolution of female choosiness and mating frequency: effects of mating cost, density and sex ratio
Authored by David Laloi, Josefa Bleu, Carmen Bessa-Gomes
Date Published: 2012
DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2011.10.017
Sponsors:
No sponsors listed
Platforms:
No platforms listed
Model Documentation:
Other Narrative
Model Code URLs:
Model code not found
Abstract
Choice for mate quality and number of mates are key components of female
mating strategies. We investigated how selection on female choosiness
also influences number of matings in various ecological conditions. In
our individual-based model, females choose their first mate according to
an evolving acceptance threshold and then mate with males of increasing
quality (trade-up choice). We simulated evolution of this threshold
under various conditions of density, sex ratio and mating cost.
Thresholds rapidly evolve towards a small set of values that depend on
the tested parameters. Consistent with intuitive predictions, choosier
females are selected when either number of encounters with males or
mating cost is high. Selection results in most females sharing the same
threshold. Variation in female mating patterns remains because some
variation in thresholds is maintained, at least by mutations, and
because of random events affecting number of matings. Our model
indicates that mating cost strongly affects evolution of female
choosiness and mating frequency. Moreover, it influences the relative
importance of other factors: when mating cost is low, selection on
acceptance thresholds is weak and relatively more females use thresholds
that differ from the norm. In that context, mate quality is therefore
the most important factor affecting female reproductive success. When
mating cost is high, females evolve thresholds such that both the cost
of multiple mating and the risk of remaining unmated become as important
as mate quality. High mating cost, by selecting for high choosiness, also leads to females mating with fewer males. (C) 2011 The Association
for the Study of Animal Behaviour. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights
reserved.
Tags
selection
conflict
patterns
fitness
System
Polyandrous females
Lizard
Sequential mate choice
Genetic benefits
Multiple
paternity