Abstract
Color polymorphisms are associated with variation in other traits which may affect individual fitness, and these color‐trait associations are expected to contribute to nonrandom mating in polymorphic species. The red‐backed salamander (Plethodon cinereus) exhibits a polymorphism in dorsal pattern: striped and unstriped, and previous studies have suggested that they may mate nonrandomly. However, the mechanism(s) contributing to this behavior remain unclear. Here we consider the role that male preference may have in driving mating behavior in P. cinereus. We limit our focus to striped individuals because this morph is most likely to be choosy given their dominant, aggressive behavioral profiles relative to unstriped males. Specifically, we evaluated (a) whether striped males preferentially associate with females with respect to her dorsum color, size, and body condition and (b) if so, whether female traits are evaluated via visual or chemical cues. We also considered whether the frequency of another male social behavior, nose taps, was associated with mate preferences. We found that striped male P. cinereus nose tapped more often to preferred females. However, males only assessed potential mates via chemical cues, preferring larger females overall. Reproductive phenology data on a sample of gravid females drawn from the same population indicated that the color morphs do not differ in reproductive traits, but larger females have greater fecundity. Given our findings, we conclude that female P. cinereus are under fecundity selection, mediated by male preference. In this manner, male mating behavior contributes to observations of nonrandom mate associations in this population of P. cinereus.
Highlights
| INTRODUCTIONMany species exhibit discrete color morphs whereby differences in color coincide with variation in several fitness-relevant physiological and behavioral traits
Many species exhibit discrete color morphs whereby differences in color coincide with variation in several fitness-relevant physiological and behavioral traits (Brodie, 1992; Corl, Davis, Kuchta, Comendant, & Sinervo, 2010; Moreno, 1989; Reiter, Anthony, &Hickerson, 2014)
Interest and appreciation of the role of male mate preferences in mating interactions has grown over the past several years, revealing a growing consensus that males contribute to the maintenance and evolution of phenotypic diversity in animal populations
Summary
Many species exhibit discrete color morphs whereby differences in color coincide with variation in several fitness-relevant physiological and behavioral traits Previous studies support that these two morphs diverge along multiple ecological axes, including aspects of diet selection (Anthony, Venesky, & Hickerson, 2008; Stuczka, Hickerson, & Anthony, 2016), territorial behavior (Reiter et al, 2014), anti-predator responses (Venesky & Anthony, 2007), and seasonal activity (Anthony et al, 2008; Moreno, 1989) These trait patterns support that morph coloration may provide key information regarding individual quality during mate assessment (e.g., differences in prey or habitat use; Walls, Mathis, Jaeger, & Gergits, 1989). Because P. cinereus rely on both chemical and visual cues to communicate, we predict that male preference patterns will overlap in both experiments
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