Tradeoffs limit the evolution of male traits that are attractive to females

Tradeoffs occur between a variety of traits in a diversity of organisms, and these tradeoffs can have major effects on ecological and evolutionary processes. Far less is known, however, about tradeoffs between male traits that affect mate attraction than about tradeoffs between other types of traits...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Proceedings of the Royal Society. B, Biological sciences Biological sciences, 2012-07, Vol.279 (1739), p.2899-2906
Main Authors: Wagner, William E., Beckers, Oliver M., Tolle, Amanda E., Basolo, Alexandra L.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Animal Communication
Animal vocalization
Animals
Biological Evolution
Chirp
Diet
Evolution
Female
Female Choice
Field Crickets
Genotype
Gryllidae
Gryllidae - genetics
Gryllidae - physiology
Gryllus lineaticeps
Male
Male animals
Mating behavior
Mating Preference, Animal
Phenotypic traits
Population characteristics
Population mean
Preferred Male Traits
Sex Characteristics
Sexual Selection
Tradeoffs
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Summary:Tradeoffs occur between a variety of traits in a diversity of organisms, and these tradeoffs can have major effects on ecological and evolutionary processes. Far less is known, however, about tradeoffs between male traits that affect mate attraction than about tradeoffs between other types of traits. Previous results indicate that females of the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, prefer male songs with higher chirp rates and longer chirp durations. In the current study, we tested the hypothesis that a tradeoff between these traits affects the evolution of male song. The two traits were negatively correlated among full-sibling families, consistent with a genetically based tradeoff, and the tradeoff was stronger when nutrients were limiting. In addition, for males from 12 populations reared in a common environment, the traits were negatively correlated within populations, the strength of the tradeoff was largely invariant across populations, and the within-population tradeoff predicted how the traits have evolved among populations. A widespread tradeoff thus affects male trait evolution. Finally, for males from four populations assayed in the field, the traits were negatively correlated within and among populations. The tradeoff is thus robust to the presence of environmental factors that might mask its effects. Together, our results indicate there is a fundamental tradeoff between male traits that: (i) limits the ability of males to produce multiple attractive traits; (ii) limits how male traits evolve; and (iii) might favour plasticity in female mating preferences.
ISSN:0962-8452
1471-2954
DOI:10.1098/rspb.2012.0275