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opencc-by-4.0Jan 2020View details →

High MHC gene copy number maintains diversity despite homozygosity in a Critically Endangered single-island endemic bird, but no evidence of MHC-based mate choice

Raw sequence data from two amplicon libraries of MHC class I exon 3 of Raso Lark Alauda razae, sequenced on an Illumina Miseq. The two different libraries (two different Illumina runs) are collected in separat tar archive (.tar). Within each of those are individual sequence reads as gzipped fastq files (.fastq.gz). Each sample has two files, one for read 1 (R1) and one for read 2 (R2), with file names structured as follows. Delimited by underscore (_) are: <ol> <li>sample name as referred to in the data and paper (“RingNo” in the Supporting data table);</li> <li>formal ID (also referred to in data table, often corresponding to full ring number);</li> <li>Illumina sample number (i.e. based on the order that samples are listed in the sample sheet);</li> <li>Illumina lane number (static as L001, as Miseq instruments have a single lane on their flow cells);</li> <li>read number (R1 [forward] or R2 [reverse]);</li> <li>static identifier from Illumina (001).</li> </ol> Thus, the file 83304_TJ83304_S163_L001_R2_001.fastq.gz is the reverse (read 2) MHC class I exon 3 sequence of individual 83304 (ring number TJ83304).

opencc-zeroJan 2024View details →

Data from: Effects of past mating behavior versus past ejaculation on male mate choice and male attractiveness

Past reproductive effort allows males to assess their ability to acquire mates, but it also consumes resources that can reduce their future competitive ability. Few studies have examined how a male's reproductive history affects his subsequent mate choice; and, to date, no study has determined the relative contribution of past mating behavior and past ejaculate production because these two forms of investment are naturally highly correlated. Here, we disentangled the relative effects of past mating behavior and past ejaculate production in male mosquitofish (Gambusia holbrooki) by experimentally preventing some males from ejaculating when trying to mate. We assessed the effect of mating behavior on mate choice by comparing males that had previously been with or without access to females and male rivals for 16 weeks; and assessed the effect of ejaculation on mate choice by comparing males that either could or could not ejaculate when they had access to females for 16 weeks. We compared (1) time females spent with each male, (2) total distance males swam, (3) total time males spent inspecting females, (4) proportion of time males spent with the solitary females in separate models, with age (week 8, week 16) and treatment of reproductive history ("naive male", "mating only male" and "mating and ejaculation males") as fixed factors. We showed that reproductive history did not affect male attractiveness, but it did affect male mate choice. Somewhat surprisingly, in two-choice trials males from all three treatments preferred females in the vicinity of a rival over solitary females. This preference was marginally stronger for males engaging in previous mating behavior but was unaffected by past ejaculate production. This is the first study to quantify the relative influence of pre- and post-copulatory reproductive investment on male mate choice.

opencc-zeroFeb 2024View details →

Data from: Response to MHC-based olfactory cues in a mate choice context in two species of darter (Percidae: Etheostoma)

Mate choice is hypothesized to play an important role in maintaining high diversity at major histocompatibility complex (MHC) genes in vertebrates. Many studies have revealed that females across taxa prefer the scent of males with MHC genotypes different to their own. In this study we tested the "opposites-attract" hypothesis in two species of darter with known differences in female criteria used in mate choice: in the fantail darters (a paternal-care species), females prefer males with visual traits related to nest guarding and egg tending, while in rainbow darters (not a paternal-care species) female mate choice criteria are unknown. In dichotomous mate-choice trials, we presented females of both species with the scents of conspecific males with MHC class IIb genotypes that were either similar or dissimilar to that of the focal female. We evaluated the proportion of time each female spent with each male and calculated the average strength of female preference for both species. Female fantail darters demonstrated a preference for the scent of males with similar (rather than dissimilar) MHC genotypes, but this result was not statistically significant. Rainbow darter females showed no preference for the scent of males with similar or dissimilar MHC genotypes. Our results do not support the "opposites-attract" hypothesis in darters.

opencc-by-4.0May 2019View details →

Fig. 1 in On Mate Choice in two Xerophilic Species of Land Snails, Brephulopsis cylindrica (Pulmonata, Enidae) and Xeropicta derbentina (Pulmonata, Hygromiidae)

Fig. 1. The relationship between GD and WN in shells of Xeropicta derbentina ('Namyv' population, 1996).

opencc-zeroJun 2022View details →

Data for: Assortative mating in an ecological context: Effects of mate choice errors and relative species abundance on the frequency and asymmetry of hybridization

The frequency and asymmetry of mixed-species mating set the initial stage for the ecological and evolutionary implications of hybridization. How such patterns of mixed-species mating, in turn, are influenced by the combination of mate choice errors and relative species abundance remain largely unknown. We develop a mathematical model that generates predictions for how relative species abundances and mate choice errors affect hybridization patterns. When mate choice errors are small (<5%) the highest frequency of hybridization occurs when one of the hybridizing species is at low abundance, but when mate choice errors are high (>5%) the highest hybridization frequency occurs when species occur in equal proportions. Furthermore, females of the less abundant species are overrepresented in mixed-species matings. We compare our theoretical predictions with empirical data on naturally hybridizing Ficedula flycatchers and find that hybridization is highest when the two species occur in equal abundance, implying rather high mate choice errors. We discuss ecological and evolutionary implications of our findings and encourage future work on hybrid zone dynamics that take demographic aspects, such as relative species abundance, into account.

opencc-zeroMay 2024View details →

Mate choice in the brain: Species differ in how male traits 'turn on' gene expression in female brains

Mate choice plays a fundamental role in speciation, yet we know little about the molecular mechanisms that underpin this crucial decision-making process. Stickleback fish differentially adapted to limnetic and benthic habitats are reproductively isolated and females of each species use different male traits to evaluate prospective partners and reject heterospecific males. Here, we integrate behavioral data from a mate choice experiment with gene expression profiles from the brains of females actively deciding whether to mate. We find substantial gene expression variation between limnetic and benthic females, regardless of behavioral context, suggesting general divergence in constitutive gene expression patterns, corresponding to their genetic differentiation. Intriguingly, female gene co-expression modules covary with male display traits but in opposing directions for sympatric populations of the two species, suggesting male displays elicit a dynamic genomic response that reflects known differences in female preferences. Furthermore, we confirm the role of numerous candidate genes previously implicated in female mate choice in other species, suggesting that evolutionary tinkering with these conserved molecular processes underlies divergent mate preferences and sexual isolation. Taken together, our study adds important new insights to our understanding of the molecular processes underlying female decision-making critical for generating sexual isolation and speciation.

opencc-by-4.0Dec 2018View details →

Figure 1 in Does Male Sexual Experience Influence Female Mate Choice and Reproduction in the Melon Fly (Diptera: Tephritidae)?

Figure 1. (A) Number of eggs laid per female per week and (B) proportion of hatched eggs per week for Zeugodacus cucurbitae females mated to virgin or non-virgin (thrice-mated) males. Symbols represent averages (+ 1 SE) over 8 cages per male type.

opencc-by-4.0Aug 2024View details →

Female mate choice in an arachnid with exclusive paternal care: males in good condition have higher mating success, but only if they can advertise it

Female mate choice in an arachnid with exclusive paternal care: males in good condition have higher mating success, but only if they can advertise it This repository contains the .csv files used for the statistical analyses of the study "Female mate choice in an arachnid with exclusive paternal care: males in good condition have higher mating success, but only if they can advertise it". In case of questions, please email Laís A. Grossel: <a href="mailto:laisgrossel@gmail.com">laisgrossel@gmail.com</a> Data files and structure We have files for verifying the manipulation of males' body condition and a file to assess males' mating success. With the file morphometry.csv we determined the body density of all males included in our experiment, using the formula of the ellipsoid: Volume = 4/3 * π * BL/2 * BW/2 * BH/2. In this file, we have the headers: <ul> <li>maleID: identity of manipulated males</li> <li>visit: visits to the field, with 7 levels</li> <li>manipulation: the moment of taking the measures, with 2 levels: before manipulation and after manipulation</li> <li>diet: diet experimental group, with 2 levels: good and poor</li> <li>body_length: in mm</li> <li>body_width: in mm</li> <li>body_height: in mm</li> <li>body_mass: to the nearest 0.001 g</li> </ul> With the file diet_manipulation.csv we compared the body density of parental males before and after manipulation within each experimental group. In this file, we have the headers: <ul> <li>maleID: identity of manipulated males</li> <li>diet: diet experimental group, with 2 levels: good and poor</li> <li>density_before: body density before manipulation of diet</li> <li>density_after: body density after manipulation of diet</li> </ul> With the file density_difference.csv we compared the body density between males of the two experimental groups after manipulation. In this file, we have the headers: <ul> <li>diet: diet experimental group, with 2 levels: good and poor</li> <li>body_density: after manipulation, in g/mm3</li> </ul> With the file clutches.csv we analysed the mating success of the males in the experimental groups after manipulation. In this file, we have the headers: <ul> <li>maleID: identity of manipulated males</li> <li>visit: visits to the field, with 7 levels</li> <li>diet: diet experimental group, with 2 levels: good and poor</li> <li>glands: glands experimental group, with 2 levels: blocked and unblocked</li> <li>exp_group: experimental group combining the manipulation of diet and glands, with 4 levels: GCBG (good condition and blocked glands), GCUG (good condition and unblocked glands), PCBG (poor condition and blocked glands) and PCUB (poor condition and unblocked glands)</li> <li>clutch: if the male received eggs from females 15 or 30 days after manipulation, with 2 levels: 0 if the male did not receive eggs and 1 if the male received eggs</li> <li>eggs_number: number of eggs received from females 15 or 30 days after manipulation</li> </ul>

Fig. 5 in Zingerone feeding affects mate choice but not fecundity or fertility in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Fig. 5. Survival (mean ± SE) of zingerone-fed and unfed (control) males over 10 wk. Means represent the weekly percentage of males living in 6 cages containing 30 males each.

Fig. 4 in Zingerone feeding affects mate choice but not fecundity or fertility in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Fig. 4. Survival (mean ± SE) of females mated with zingerone-fed and unfed (control) males over 6 wk. Means represent the weekly percentage of females living in 6 cages containing 15 mated females each. Females were allowed to oviposit into egging cups 3 times per wk and the numbers of eggs laid were recorded.

Fig. 3 in Zingerone feeding affects mate choice but not fecundity or fertility in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Fig. 3. Percent hatch rate (mean ± SE) of eggs laid by females mated to zingerone-fed and unfed (control) males. Fify eggs were observed 3 times each wk and the hatch rate was averaged weekly. Means represent the weekly hatch rate of eggs collected from 6 cages containing 15 mated females each.

Fig. 1 in Zingerone feeding affects mate choice but not fecundity or fertility in the melon fly, Zeugodacus cucurbitae (Diptera: Tephritidae)

Fig. 1. Number of copulations by zingerone-fed and unfed (control) males in cages containing 1 female, 2 zingerone-fed males, and 2 control males. Copulations were observed 0 (same d), 1, 2, and 3 d afer zingerone-fed males consumed zingerone. An asterisk (*) denotes statistical significance at P <0.05.

opencc-zeroApr 2020View details →

Data from: Show me you care: female mate choice based on egg attendance rather than male or territorial traits

Female mate choice is often based on male traits, including signals or behaviors, and/or the quality of a male's territory. In species with obligate paternal care, where care directly affects offspring survival, females may also base their mate choices on the quality of a sire's care. Here, we quantified male reproductive success in a natural population of the glassfrog Hyalinobatrachium cappellei, a species with male parental care, to determine the influence of territory quality, male traits, and paternal care behaviors on female mate choice. We found that attending males have a higher chance of gaining new clutches than non-attending males. Our results indicate that females do not select males based only on body condition, calling persistence, or territory traits. Instead, our findings support the hypothesis that females choose males based on care status. Indeed, males already attending a clutch were 70% more likely to obtain another clutch, and the time to acquire an additional clutch was significantly shorter. We also found that males adjust their parental care effort in response to genetic relatedness, by caring only for their own offspring; however, remaining close to unrelated clutches serves as a strategy to attract females and increase chances of successful mating. Thus, males that establish territories that already contain clutches benefit from the signal eggs provide to females.

opencc-by-4.0Nov 2022View details →

Supplementary material to "Habitat detection, habitat choice copying, or mating benefits: what drives conspecific attraction in a nomadic songbird?"

Abstract <ol> <li>Conspecific attraction during habitat selection is common among animals, but the ultimate (i.e., fitness-related) reasons for this behavior often remain enigmatic.</li> <li>We aimed to evaluate the following three hypotheses for conspecific attraction during the breeding season in male Wood Warblers (Phylloscopus sibilatrix): the habitat detection hypothesis, the habitat choice copying hypothesis, and the female preference hypothesis. These hypotheses make different predictions with respect to the relative importance of social and non-social information during habitat assessment, and whether benefits accrue as a consequence of aggregation.</li> <li>We tested the above hypotheses using a combination of a two-year playback experiment, spatial statistics and mate choice models.</li> <li>The habitat detection hypothesis was the most likely explanation for conspecific attraction and aggregation in male Wood Warblers, based on the following results: 1) males were attracted to conspecific song playbacks, but fine-scale habitat heterogeneity was the better predictor of spatial patterns in the density of settling males; 2) male pairing success did not increase, but instead slightly decreased, as connectivity with other males (i.e., the number and proximity of neighboring males) increased.</li> <li>Our study highlights how consideration of the process by which animals detect and assess habitat, together with the potential fitness consequences of resulting aggregations, are important for understanding conspecific attraction and spatially clustered distributions.</li> </ol>

opencc-zeroApr 2023View details →

Data from: Remodeling male coercion and the evolution of sexual autonomy by mate choice

Models of sexual conflict over mating, including conflict over indirect benefits of mate choice, have generally presumed that female resistance to male coercion must involve direct confrontation, which can lead to sexually antagonistic co-evolutionary arms-races. We built a quantitative model examining the largely ignored possibility that females may evolve new, additional mate preferences for new male traits that undermine male capacity to coerce. Thus, females may "remodel" the coercive capacity of the male phenotype in order to enhance their own sexual autonomy – a novel alternative mechanism by which females may avoid arms-races. We demonstrate that evolutionary "remodeling" is possible, in spite of costs to males, because females that prefer males with protective, autonomy-enhancing traits (traits correlated with lower coercion effectiveness) are likelier to gain indirect benefits of having attractive mates. Our analysis reveals new possibilities for the evolution of systems of sexual conflict over indirect benefits, showing that autonomy-enhancing male traits can act as a "public good," benefiting all females regardless of mating preferences, leading to oscillatory dynamics; and that preferences for more protective male traits will often be favored relative to preferences for less protective traits, potentially leading to an evolutionary "snowball" of expanding sexual autonomy.

opencc-zeroOct 2023View details →

Data and code for: Disease outbreaks select for mate choice and coat color in wolves

We know much about pathogen evolution and the emergence of new disease strains but less about host resistance and how it is signaled to other individuals and subsequently maintained. The cline in frequency of black-coated wolves across North America is hypothesized to result from a relationship with canine distemper virus (CDV) outbreaks. We test this hypothesis using cross-sectional data from wolf populations across North America that vary in the prevalence of CDV and the allele that makes coats black, longitudinal data from Yellowstone National Park, and modeling. The frequency of CDV outbreaks generates fluctuating selection that results in heterozygote advantage that in turn impacts the frequency of the black allele, the optimal mating behavior, and the black wolf cline across the continent.

publicSep 2021View details →

Data from: Show me you care: female mate choice based on egg attendance rather than male or territorial traits

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publicApr 2021View details →

Does brain size affect mate choice? An experimental examination in pygmy halfbeaks

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publicFeb 2024View details →

Data from: Response to MHC-based olfactory cues in a mate choice context in two species of darter (Percidae: Etheostoma)

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