Diversification under sexual selection: the relative roles of mate preference strength and the degree of divergence in mate preferences

The contribution of sexual selection to diversification remains poorly understood after decades of research. This may be in part because studies have focused predominantly on the strength of sexual selection, which offers an incomplete view of selection regimes. By contrast, students of natural selection focus on environmental differences that help compare selection regimes across populations. To ask how this disparity in focus may affect the conclusions of evolutionary research, we relate the amount of diversification in mating displays to quantitative descriptions of the strength and the amount of divergence in mate preferences across a diverse set of case studies of mate choice. We find that display diversification is better explained by preference divergence rather than preference strength; the effect of the latter is more subtle, and is best revealed as an interaction with the former. Our findings cast the action of sexual selection (and selection in general) in a novel light: the strength of selection influences the rate of evolution, and how divergent selection is determines how much diversification can occur. Adopting this view will enhance tests of the relative role of natural and sexual selection in processes such as speciation

Diversification under sexual selection: the relative roles of mate preference strength and the degree of divergence in mate preferences

The contribution of sexual selection to diversification remains poorly understood after decades of research. This may be in part because studies have focused predominantly on the strength of sexual selection, which offers an incomplete view of selection regimes. By contrast, students of natural selection focus on environmental differences that help compare selection regimes across populations. To ask how this disparity in focus may affect the conclusions of evolutionary research, we relate the amount of diversification in mating displays to quantitative descriptions of the strength and the amount of divergence in mate preferences across a diverse set of case studies of mate choice. We find that display diversification is better explained by preference divergence rather than preference strength; the effect of the latter is more subtle, and is best revealed as an interaction with the former. Our findings cast the action of sexual selection (and selection in general) in a novel light: the strength of selection influences the rate of evolution, and how divergent selection is determines how much diversification can occur. Adopting this view will enhance tests of the relative role of natural and sexual selection in processes such as speciation

Data from: Social facilitation is a better predictor of frog reproductive activity than environmental factors

Anuran breeding activity is frequently linked to environmental factors, mainly temperature and rainfall. However, a key feature of anuran reproductive behavior—gathering in choruses and producing loud advertisement calls to attract females—generates a conspicuous social cue that may also facilitate reproductive behavior. Here, I examine the relative importance of environmental and social factors in explaining the intensity of reproductive activity in the Neotropical treefrog Hypsiboas rosenbergi. I show that social cues generally play an important role, but that there are sex differences: male behavior is associated with a combination of environmental and social factors, while female behavior is associated almost exclusively with social cues. I discuss the potential benefits of using social cues in regulating breeding activity, and suggest that conservation efforts may take advantage of the apparently widespread pattern of social facilitation in anuran reproductive ecology

RosenbergiBreedingDeterminants

Data in this excel file pertain to a study of the environmental and social factors determining reproductive activity of the neotropical treefrog Hypsiboas rosenbergi. Data collected between May-August 1995 at La Gamba Biological Station, Puntarenas Province, Costa Rica Three types of environmental factors sampled (Temperature, precipitation and lunar cues), as well as number of calling males and breeding females (see excel data file for more info)

Male call differences and female discrimination thresholds

excel file containing male call recordings, the analysis steps to compare call differences between nearest neighbour males, as well as female choice data that were the basis for determining female discrimination thresholds. Data file contains several sheets. Description of analysis and abbreviations given on the respective sheets

Neelon_Hoebel All Data for BehavEcol

Excel file containing all data used for figures and statistical analysis

Call Period Raw Data

Raw data for female responses to the call period stimul

Data from: Social plasticity in choosiness in green tree frogs, Hyla cinerea

Mate choice is an important driver of the evolution of sexual traits and can promote divergence and speciation. Understanding the underlying variation in mate choice decisions is crucial to understand variation in the strength and direction of sexual selection. We explored whether variation in the social environment influences mate choice decisions and focus on the aspect of mate choice termed choosiness (i.e. the effort invested in mate assessment and acquisition). Using call playbacks, we manipulated the social environment female green tree frogs would experience as they entered a chorus, and then we conducted two-choice playback trials to assess whether females exhibited social plasticity in choosiness. We explored social plasticity at 2 levels: in one experiment, we manipulated the presence or absence of preferred (attractive) and less preferred (unattractive) conspecific males (i.e. intraspecific context), and in the other experiment, we manipulated the presence or absence of preferred (conspecific) and less preferred closely related heterospecific males (i.e. interspecific context). We found that in the intraspecific context, the presence of attractive males increased choosiness, while absence of attractive males reduced choosiness. In the interspecific context, choosiness remained stable in most treatments, but was lowered when females experienced a mixture of conspecific and heterospecific calls. We discuss the effect of social plasticity in choosiness on mate choice decisions and highlight its evolutionary consequences

Hyla cinerea call data

Call data for Hyla cinerea. See Readme file for more detail

Call Frequency Preference Function Data

Descriptive measurements for female preference functions measured in response to the call frequency stimul