Sequential mate choice by multiply mating smooth newts: females become more choosy

Abstract

In some species, females sequentially mate with different males within a single mating period, store sperm until the eggs are eventually fertilized, and gain no other resources from the males. Halliday hypothesized that, for such species, a female could ensure fertilization of her eggs by mating with the first male that she encounters; thereafter, she can maximize the quality of her progeny by sampling further males and by mating only with males of higher quality than previously mated males. This hypothesis predicts that females' choosiness will increase as the breeding season progresses. We tested this prediction of Haffiday's hypothesis by examining mate choice by female smooth newts (THturui vuigaris vuigaris). Males of this species develop a dorsal crest during the courtship season. Crest height varies between males and is potentially an indicator of male quality. Initially, female smooth newts were equally willing to mate with males with low or high crests. However, in their second mating, females remated only with high-crested males. These results support our prediction and are consistent with HaOiday's hypothesis. If crest height in smooth newts is an indicator of quality, this change in females' mate choice criterion allows females both to initiate egg-laying very early in the season and, subsequently, to mate preferentially with higher quality mates.

Computational mate choice: Theory and empirical evidence

“…stage (Forsgren, 1997;Gabor and Halliday, 1997;Lynch et al, 2005;Qvarnstrom et al, 2000). For example, a study on plasticity in mating preference in Túngara frog females (Lynch et al, 2005) has shown that the probability of recognizing both a conspecific call (receptivity) and a call less attractive than a conspecific call (permissiveness) changes during the reproductive stages of females, probably because of differences in their hormonal state (Lynch et al, 2006).…”

Sexual Conflict and Cryptic Female Choice in the Black Field Cricket, Teleogryllus Commodus

“…The ability of females to "trade-up" with regard to mate quality (Halliday 1983;Jennions and Petrie 2000) has been documented in a range of species that exhibit sequential mate choice (Bakker and Milinski 1991;Brooks and Caithness 1995;Gabor and Halliday 1997;Pitcher et al 2003), including the field cricket, Gryllus bimaculatus (Bateman et al 2001). In T. commodus, we found no evidence that CFC depended on the relative attractiveness of previous mates.…”

Relatedness, body size and paternity in the alpine newt,Triturus alpestris

“…Crest height is condition dependent (Green 1991a;Baker 1992), and large-crested males are able to signal quality both through the height of the crest and the vigour of their courtship (Green 1991b). Large crests are favoured by females (Green 1991a;Gabor & Halliday 1997). Thus, in these two species, female choice should favour an optimal phenotype (i.e.…”