Mate-choice copying: A fitness-enhancing behavior that evolves by indirect selection.

Mauro Santos,Susana A M Varela,Manuel Sapage,Margarida Matos

doi:10.1111/evo.13235

Abstract

A spatially explicit, individual-based simulation model is used to study the spread of an allele for mate-choice copying (MCC) through horizontal cultural transmission when female innate preferences do or do not coevolve with a male viability-increasing trait. Evolution of MCC is unlikely when innate female preferences coevolve with the trait, as copier females cannot express a higher preference than noncopier females for high-fitness males. However, if a genetic polymorphism for innate preference persists in the population, MCC can evolve by indirect selection through hitchhiking: the copying allele hitchhikes on the male trait. MCC can be an adaptive behavior-that is, a behavior that increases a population's average fitness relative to populations without MCC-even though the copying allele itself may be neutral or mildly deleterious.

Highlights

Many animals acquire new patterns of behavior by witnessing what others are doing, a process known as social learning (Heyes and Galef 1996; Galef and Laland 2005).Mate-choice copying is one form of social learning based on inadvertent social information where mating decisions are influenced by observation of the mating preferences of others (Pruett-Jones1992; Dugatkin 1996a)
Results show that Fisherian sexual selection, where innate female preference coevolves with the male trait, makes the evolution of mate-choice copying (MCC) unlikely
The spread of the copying allele by indirect selection can reinforce the invasion of a new, high-fitness male trait once a genetic polymorphism for innate female preference is allowed to persist

Summary

Introduction

Many animals acquire new patterns of behavior by witnessing what others are doing, a process known as social learning (Heyes and Galef 1996; Galef and Laland 2005).Mate-choice copying (hereafter referred to as MCC) is one form of social learning based on inadvertent social information ( known as public information; Danchin et al 2004; but see Wagner and Danchin 2010) where mating decisions (usually by females) are influenced by observation of the mating preferences of others (Pruett-Jones1992; Dugatkin 1996a). Servedio and Kirkpatrick (1996) assume both copier and non-copier females are born with an innate preference for high-fitness (combination of natural and sexual selection) males. Results show that Fisherian sexual selection, where innate female preference coevolves with the male trait, makes the evolution of MCC unlikely.

Results

Conclusion