The evolution and evolutionary consequences of social plasticity in mate preferences

Rodrı́guez, Rafael L.; Rebar, Darren; Fowler‐Finn, Kasey D.

doi:10.1016/j.anbehav.2013.01.006

Cited by 83 publications

(64 citation statements)

References 76 publications

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“…We expect social plasticity to be common in females, because reproductive investment is often substantial in this sex. The empirical data support this view, with female mate choice often observed as highly socially plastic (Rodriguez et al 2013; Lyons et al 2014). Other female reproductive behaviours also exhibit social plasticity.…”

Section: Social and Sexual Plasticity Is Expressed By Both Sexesmentioning

confidence: 84%

The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity

Dore

McDowall

Rouse

et al. 2018

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

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Phenotypic plasticity can be a key determinant of fitness. The degree to which the expression of plasticity is adaptive relies upon the accuracy with which information about the state of the environment is integrated. This step might be particularly beneficial when environments, e.g. the social and sexual context, change rapidly. Fluctuating temporal dynamics could increase the difficulty of determining the appropriate level of expression of a plastic response. In this review, we suggest that new insights into plastic responses to the social and sexual environment (social and reproductive plasticity) may be gained by examining the role of complex cues (those comprising multiple, distinct sensory components). Such cues can enable individuals to more accurately monitor their environment in order to respond adaptively to it across the whole life course. We briefly review the hypotheses for the evolution of complex cues and then adapt these ideas to the context of social and sexual plasticity. We propose that the ability to perceive complex cues can facilitate plasticity, increase the associated fitness benefits and decrease the risk of costly ‘mismatches’ between phenotype and environment by (i) increasing the robustness of information gained from highly variable environments, (ii) fine-tuning responses by using multiple strands of information and (iii) reducing time lags in adaptive responses. We conclude by outlining areas for future research that will help to determine the interplay between complex cues and plasticity.

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Section: Social and Sexual Plasticity Is Expressed By Both Sexesmentioning

confidence: 84%

The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity

Dore

McDowall

Rouse

et al. 2018

Behav Ecol Sociobiol

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…Several investigators have explored how plasticity in sexual ornaments and/or in mate preferences may influence the dynamics of sexual selection and interactions between species (Ingleby et al ., ; Pfennig et al ., ; Verzijden et al ., ; Rodríguez et al ., ). Recent research on banded demoiselles ( C. splendens ), for example, demonstrates that the ability of females to discriminate between conspecific and heterospecific ( Calopteryx virgo ) males is largely learned, perhaps as a mechanism of local adaptation in the presence of gene flow (Svensson et al ., , ).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Seasonal polyphenism in wing coloration affects species recognition in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

Drury

Anderson

Grether

2015

J of Evolutionary Biology

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Understanding how phenotypic plasticity evolves and in turn affects the course of evolution is a major challenge in modern biology. By definition, biological species are reproductively isolated, but many animals fail to distinguish between conspecifics and closely related heterospecifics. In some cases, phenotypic plasticity may interfere with species recognition. Here, we document a seasonal polyphenism in the degree of dark wing pigmentation in smoky rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina titia) -a shift so pronounced that it led early researchers to classify different forms of H. titia as separate species. We further show how the seasonal colour shift impacts species recognition with the sympatric congener Hetaerina occisa. Interspecific aggression (territorial fights) and reproductive interference (mating attempts) are much more frequent early in the year, when H. titia more closely resembles H. occisa, compared to later in the year when the dark phase of H. titia predominates. Using wing colour manipulations of tethered damselflies, we show that the seasonal changes in interspecific interactions are caused not only by the seasonal colour shift but also by shifts in discriminatory behaviour in both species. We also experimentally tested and rejected the hypothesis that learning underlies the behavioural shifts in H. occisa. An alternative hypothesis, which remains to be tested, is that the seasonal polyphenism in H. titia wing coloration has resulted in the evolution of a corresponding seasonal polyphenism in species recognition in H. occisa. This study illustrates one of the many possible ways that plasticity in species recognition cues may influence the evolution of interspecific interactions.

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“…Recall that the social environment is both a determinant of reproductive success [8,10,14] and a cause of phenotypic plasticity in traits such as mate preferences [1][2][3][4][5][6]. This double-role of the social environment can generate feedback loops between the causes of variation in phenotypes and the causes of selection on phenotypes.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…First, through various forms of behavioural and developmental plasticity, social interactions are pervasive causes of variation in phenotypes [1][2][3][4][5][6]. Second, because of the nature of competition with conspecifics for mates and other resources, social interactions are strong causes of variation in fitness [7][8][9][10][11][12].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences

Rebar

Rodrı́guez

2013

Proc. R. Soc. B.

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Patterns of phenotypic variation arise in part from plasticity owing to social interactions, and these patterns contribute, in turn, to the form of selection that shapes the variation we observe in natural populations. This proximate-ultimate dynamic brings genetic variation in social environments to the forefront of evolutionary theory. However, the extent of this variation remains largely unknown. Here, we use a member of the Enchenopa binotata species complex of treehoppers (Hemiptera: Membracidae) to assess how mate preferences are influenced by genetic variation in the social environment. We used full-sibling split-families as 'treatment' social environments, and reared focal females alongside each treatment family, describing the mate preferences of the focal females. With this method, we detected substantial genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences. The mate preferences of focal females varied according to the treatment families along with which they grew up. We discuss the evolutionary implications of the presence of such genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences, including potential contributions to the maintenance of genetic variation, the promotion of divergence, and the adaptive evolution of social effects on fitness-related traits.

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The evolution and evolutionary consequences of social plasticity in mate preferences

Cited by 83 publications

References 76 publications

The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity

The role of complex cues in social and reproductive plasticity

Seasonal polyphenism in wing coloration affects species recognition in rubyspot damselflies (Hetaerina spp.)

Genetic variation in social influence on mate preferences

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