Female mate attraction in ornate tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus: a multivariate analysis

Hamilton, Paul S.; Sullivan, Brian K.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2004.03.011

Cited by 66 publications

(72 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Mate-choice studies of lizards were also rare, though perhaps justifiably so: a recent review of mate choice in lizards suggests that females in many species simply do not attend to exaggerated male display traits in mate choice (e.g. Olsson and Madsen 1995;Tokarz 1995; but see Hamilton and Sullivan 2005).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic and sensory biases in the mate-choice literature: there are far too few studies of chemical and multimodal communication

Coleman

2008

acta ethol

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The sexual selection literature has grown rapidly in recent years. In an effort to elucidate biases in the focus of current mate-choice research here, I review 297 studies among 230 species. Among taxa, studies of birds were most common (40% of all studies), with insects, fishes, and anurans less well represented (20%, 18%, 14%, respectively). All other taxa were poorly represented in the literature (<3%). Across sensory modalities, studies of visual and acoustic signals were most common (46%, 30%, respectively), with relatively few studies investigating chemical, tactile, and electrical signals in mate choice (3%, 3%, <1%, respectively). Most mate-choice studies of birds and fishes investigated visual signals, while the majority of insect and anuran studies investigated acoustic signals. While these associations may reflect biological realities-birds and anurans tend not to emphasize chemical cues in mate choice; electric communication may indeed be quite uncommon-they may also be grossly misleading: chemical cues are likely critical for mate choice in millions of insect species. Moreover, I suggest that the particularly high vulnerability of chemical communication networks to anthropogenic fouling should provide immediate motivation for many more studies of chemical signals in mate choice. Finally, I find that despite widespread acceptance that male displays are often comprised of multiple elements produced across sensory modalities, studies simultaneously investigating the use of multiple cues in mate choice are rare. While not exhaustive, this review identifies biases in the focus of mate-choice studies, and should serve to identify fruitful directions for future mate-choice research.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Taxonomic and sensory biases in the mate-choice literature: there are far too few studies of chemical and multimodal communication

Coleman

2008

acta ethol

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“…Larger males have better territories and, perhaps as a consequence, exhibit better ability to hold harems. Indeed, female preference for larger males has been reported in various lizard species (Cooper and Vitt 1993, Wikelski et al 1996, Calsbeek and Sinervo 2002b, although there are also several lizard species where females' choice is not observed Madsen 1995, Hamilton andSullivan 2005). Female T. torquatus can be actually attracted by the high-quality territories that are secured by larger males (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Territory quality and male dominance in Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae)

Kohlsdorf¹,

Ribeiro²,

Navas³

2006

Phyllomedusa

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Territory quality and male dominance in Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae). In territorial species, females are often attracted by high-quality territories, which are expected to be owned by males that successfully won competition with other males. Because morphological and behavioral traits frequently influence males' combat success, these parameters may be used by females to assess the male (and associated territory) quality. In the present study, we tested the hypothesis that organismal traits in dominant males of the lizard Tropidurus torquatus are associated with the quality of the territory owned. After characterizing the territories occupied, we used a discriminant analysis to test if morphological and behavioral traits of the dominant male predict the quality of the territory owned. High-quality territories were characterized by a larger number of refuges, shorter distances among shelters and a well-defined harem, in comparison with low-quality territories. Organismal traits predicted with 100% accuracy the type of the territory owned: high-quality territories were associated with larger males that had longer heads, while males occupying lowquality territories exhibited more head displays, traveled larger distances and ran slightly slower than those associated with high-quality territories. We discuss possible implications of territory quality and male traits for reproductive success in Tropidurus torquatus.

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“…We used the decision tree analysis to examine the degree of influence each male trait had on female association, an important question that cannot be answered simply by manipulating individual traits (Hamilton and Sullivan 2005). Because the male traits in this study were often highly correlated, we performed a principal components analysis of the significant traits with a correlation matrix to obtain a single measure (principal component 1, PC1) of overall "quality."…”

Section: Decision Tree Analysismentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Association is a good indicator of the female's likelihood of mating with each male if given the opportunity (Walling et al 2010) and is used widely as a proxy for female mate choice in lizards (Sigmund 1983;Olsson and Madsen 1995;Smith and Zucker 1997;Lebas and Marshall 2001;Olsson et al 2003;Hamilton and Sullivan 2005;Lailvaux and Irschick 2006;Bajer et al 2010). At the end of each trial, we designated the male with the highest association time as "preferred" and the other male as "nonpreferred".…”

Section: Female Associationmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…However, most studies are unable to distinguish if female choice of male traits is a consequence of female choice of male territory or if female choice acts directly on male traits exclusive of territory. Few studies have tested for female choice of multiple male traits while controlling for territory (Alatalo et al 1986;Arvidsson and Neergaard 1991;Mountjoy and Lemon 1996;Calsbeek and Sinervo 2002;Eckerle and Thompson 2006;Liu et al 2009;Sirkiä and Laaksonen 2009), and even fewer consider the relative importance of multiple traits in female choice in territorial species (but see Candolin and Reynolds 2001;Hamilton and Sullivan 2005). Controlling for territory is critical if we are to understand the mechanisms shaping male phenotype in territorial species and the relative importance of multiple, nonterritory traits in female choice of males.…”

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confidence: 98%

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Female lizards discriminate between potential reproductive partners using multiple male traits when territory cues are absent

Swierk

Ridgway

Langkilde

2012

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Female choice can powerfully influence the evolution of male phenotypes. In territorial species, it is challenging to determine the targets of female choice because male traits (e.g., behavior and morphology) are often correlated with territory. We sought to elucidate if and how females specifically evaluate male traits in a territorial species. In this study, we presented female fence lizards, Sceloporus undulatus, with two potential mates to examine mate choice in the absence of territory cues. Females associated more with males possessing better body condition, longer heads, and wider throat badges, and that performed more shudder behavior, which females responded to by approaching shuddering males and performing push-ups. A post hoc decision tree analysis suggests that the strongest predictor of female association was an overall quality index that incorporates all of these traits, rather than individual traits. Male snout-vent length, head width, abdominal badge width, and push-up behavior did not affect female association. Further research on why these traits, which are known to correlate with fitness, do not appear to be used by females when selecting mates would improve our understanding of the evolution of male traits. Our study reveals that females of this territorial species possess the ability to use multiple male traits interactively to make fitness-relevant mate choice decisions in the absence of direct territory cues.

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Female mate attraction in ornate tree lizards, Urosaurus ornatus: a multivariate analysis

Cited by 66 publications

References 34 publications

Taxonomic and sensory biases in the mate-choice literature: there are far too few studies of chemical and multimodal communication

Taxonomic and sensory biases in the mate-choice literature: there are far too few studies of chemical and multimodal communication

Territory quality and male dominance in Tropidurus torquatus (Squamata, Tropiduridae)

Female lizards discriminate between potential reproductive partners using multiple male traits when territory cues are absent

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