Female Choice Research Articles

From darkness to twilight: Morphological divergence between cave and surface-subterranean ecotone Niphargus species.

Subterranean and surface habitats are in stark contrast in several environmental factors. Therefore, adaptation to the subterranean environment typically impedes the (re)colonisation of surface habitats. The genus Niphargus includes amphipod crustaceans that primarily occupy subterranean habitats. All its species show typical adaptations to the subterranean environment. However, some Niphargus species occur in surface-subterranean ecotones. To understand whether (i) habitat-based phenotypic divergence is present between the cave and the ecotone species and (ii) similar phenotypes emerge independently in each ecotone, we studied morphological divergence between four cave and four ecotone Niphargus species based on 13 functional morphological traits. To account for different selection acting on the sexes, we included both males (N = 244) and females (N = 222). Nine out of 13 traits showed habitat-divergence. Traits related to feeding and crawling were shorter, while traits related to oxygenation were larger in ecotone species. Eleven out of 13 traits were sexually dimorphic. Traits related to oxygenation and crawling were larger in females, while the trait related to swimming was larger in males. We found that the extent of sexual dimorphism differs between the habitats in eight traits related to sensing, feeding, oxygenation and crawling. Additionally, we found that in certain traits related to sensing and oxygenation, habitat-related differences are only present in one sex, but not the other. We conclude that the detected differences between the cave and the ecotone species indicate divergent evolution, where similarities among the different species within habitat type indicate convergent evolution. The high degree of sexual dimorphism paired with differences in sexual dimorphism between the habitats in certain traits suggest that sexual and fecundity selections have comparable effects to environmental selection. Thus, studies of habitat-dependent adaptations investigating one sex only, or not considering sexual dimorphism, can lead to erroneous conclusions.

Brief report: Social comparison, hypercompetitiveness, and indirect aggression: Associations with loneliness and mental health.

Indirect aggression is commonly used in adulthood, but most researchers have focused on this behavior in romantic relationships or from an intrasexual competition perspective. Therefore, we aimed to understand the social characteristics and mental health correlates of indirect aggression by combining perspectives from developmental psychopathology and evolutionary psychology. We examined: (1) whether social characteristics (social comparison, hypercompetitiveness) contributed to indirect aggression (perpetration, victimization) and (2) whether there were indirect effects from indirect aggression (perpetration, victimization) to mental health difficulties through loneliness. In a cross-sectional sample of 475 young adults (57.7% women, 51.6% White, Mage = 20.2, SDage = 2.18), path analyses revealed that social comparison predicted indirect aggression victimization, which indirectly predicted mental health difficulties (depression, anxiety, somatic symptoms) through loneliness. In contrast, indirect aggression perpetration was only predicted by hypercompetitiveness. The findings highlight that reframing cognitions associated with social comparison could help prevent indirect aggression and mental health difficulties among young people.

RETRACTION: Non‐conceptive sexual behavior in spiders: A form of play associated with body condition, personality type, and male intrasexual selection

Retraction: Pruitt, J. N., Burghardt, G. M., & Riechert, S. E. (2011). Non‐conceptive sexual behavior in spiders: A form of play associated with body condition, personality type, and male intrasexual selection. Ethology, 118(1), 33–40. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439‐0310.2011.01980.xThe above article, published online on October 23, 2011 in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) has been retracted by agreement between the Journal's Editor‐in‐Chief, Wolfgang Goymann, and Wiley‐VCH GmbH. The retraction has been agreed upon following concerns raised about the validity of the quantitative data reported. J.N. Pruitt, the corresponding author, did not respond following repeated requests to provide the primary data. During the investigation, coauthors S.E. Riechert and G.M. Burghardt requested retraction because they would have no way to validate the article's conclusions without those data. The coauthors have lost confidence in the conclusions of the article, as have the editors and Wiley, hence our decision to retract. Corresponding author J.N. Pruitt was informed of the decision but has remained unresponsive.

Determining the Burden of Dysmenorrhea on Women's Quality of Life: The Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference Scale

OBJECTIVE: Dysmenorrhea negatively impacts a woman's quality of life. The lack of proper awareness results in poor coping mechanisms in females. This study aims to determine the association of dysmenorrhea with quality of life using the Dysmenorrhea Symptom Interference (DSI) Scale and the management choices of females. STUDY DESIGN: This cross-sectional study was conducted among females studying at various universities in Karachi from March 2023 to May 2023. The calculated sample size was 270. A non-probability, convenience sampling technique was applied. A web-based, structured, self-administered questionnaire was used to collect data. RESULTS: 278 females completed the survey. The Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) score (1–10) indicated the degree of dysmenorrhea. The majority of the females, 40.6% (n=113), had moderate dysmenorrhea. Quality of life was measured according to the DSI Score (maximum score=5). The mean DSI score recorded was 2.75. Most participants (27%; n=75) were found in the mood component of DSI. Most of the females used lifestyle modifications, followed by home remedies and medications. A significant positive correlation between the NRS score and the DSI score (p<0.001) suggests that an increased degree of dysmenorrhea led to a significant decline in the quality of life. CONCLUSION: We conclude that dysmenorrhea is associated with a decreased quality of life and the DSI Scale is a valid tool for assessing its impact on quality of life. There is a general lack of knowledge about adequate pain management.

Antisocial Personality Disorder as a Form of Adaptive Strategy

Background: in contemporary domestic psychiatry the evolutionary explanations of antisocial personality disorder are practically lacking. The aim of study: the analysis of the significant concepts of the evolutionary approach to understanding the origins and typology of antisocial, or dissocial, personality disorder. Material and methods: a narrative review of contemporary English-language psychiatric and psychological literature using all available search engines using the keywords “antisocial psychopathy” and “evolutionary psychiatry and psychology”. Discussion and conclusion: in English-language psychiatric and psychological literature the affective component of antisocial traits, emphasized only in ICD-10, is called “primary psychopathy,” while the behavioral component of antisocial traits, associated with “sensation seeking” and “hyperactivation,” is called “secondary” psychopathy. Evolutionary and ecological approaches emphasize the adaptive role of aggressive and antisocial behavior, viewing such behavior as a “high-risk strategy” in social and sexual competition, as “costly” but potentially adaptive (rather than as “behavioral dysfunctions”). The understanding of persistent antisocial behavior as a social “trickster” strategy exploiting the trust and cooperative behavior of others is based on the R. Axelrod-W. Hamilton “iterated” prisoner’s dilemma. In the Prisoner’s Dilemma evolutionary model, the player’s payoff is determined by the effects on “fitness”: survival and fertility. Participating in several interactions with individuals, an antisocial “deceiver” with high mobility is able to exist, manifesting itself with a fairly low frequency in the population. Non-cooperative behavior in both animals and humans reduces the fitness of others and includes aggressive behavior, deception, betrayal, predation and social parasitism. From the point of view of the concept of “economic games,” people with subclinically expressed primary psychopathic traits (emotional coldness, manipulativeness, Machiavellianism) are represented as “strategists” with cooperation partners: they give with reciprocity to those partners whom they consider “highly valuable” (with the potential for great benefits in future), and only “take”, manipulating and deceiving, from those of “low value”. In a broad sense, evolutionary psychologists and psychiatrists find in the characteristics of antisocial individuals a predominance of a set of properties of “fast” life strategies, while the concept of “fast strategies” is also used to explain geographical differences in the prevalence of aggressive behavior.

Intra-sexual selection in a North American annual killifish: does the color-polymorphism matter?

Intra-sexual selection in a North American annual killifish: does the color-polymorphism matter?

Relationship between walking movement and reproductive traits in the red flour beetle Tribolium castaneum

AbstractMany animal species have movement abilities. Behavior is important for evolutionary ecology because animal movement leads to dispersal, migration, search for food and mates, and escaping from enemies. However, individual differences in movement activity are found within a population. This phenomenon can be affected by various factors, one of which is suggesting that higher moving activity has fitness cost, whereas lower moving activity has benefits. Animal movement may also affect reproduction (e.g., resource allocation tradeoff between movement and reproduction as well as intra‐ and intersexual selection). Although many previous studies have investigated the relationship between movement and reproduction, less attention has been paid to walking movement. In this study, previous studies that investigated the relationship between movement and reproduction were reviewed using the flour beetle Tribolium castaneum, a model insect in behavioral ecology and genetics. Several previous studies suggest that beetle walking is strongly associated with male and female reproductive traits. In recent years, empirical studies on the correlation between walking and other traits have increased, particularly in T. castaneum. Although this species can fly and walk, the movement is often discussed without discriminating between flight and walk. Differences in modes of movement may affect the correlation between movement and other traits; thus, discussing each mode of movement separately is necessary.

The effect of mixed honeybee drone semen on sperm quality characteristics: A preliminary study

Following copulation, sperm of multiple honeybee (Apis mellifera (A.m.) Linnaeus (Apidae)) drones are mixed inside the spermatheca of a queen, and sperm behaviour in this environment is of importance for sperm survival and successful fertilization. The polyandrous mating system of honeybees further may allow for cryptic female choice and sperm competition to select for specific sperm traits to enable successful reproduction. This preliminary study therefore examined multiple sperm quality parameters in mixed drone semen. Thirty-one drone ejaculates were collected and split to be mixed with one and two other drones’ semen. A computerised sperm analysis system was used for analysing sperm functionality parameters, at baseline and 60 minutes. Morphology measurements included head, tail, and total sperm length. Sperm concentration was significantly higher in three-drone samples compared to other groups (p < 0.001), while comparisons of sperm functional and morphometric parameters did not reveal differences. However, after 60 minutes, mixed semen samples displayed changes in terms of sperm functionality. The motility percentage significantly decreased in two-drone samples (p = 0.004). In contrast, three-drone samples had consistently lower motility and kinematic parameters at baseline, but following an hour it was the only group to show improvement in sperm progressive motility, swimming speed and kinematics. Sperm concentration correlated with the majority of functionality parameters, while, morphological measurements did not. Sperm functionality changes observed in this study, can be attributed to a combination of factors, including, mixing of drone semen, sperm concentration, and time allowing for potential sperm interaction.

Odor cues rather than personality affect tadpole deposition in a neotropical poison frog.

Animals constantly need to evaluate available external and internal information to make appropriate decisions. Identifying, assessing, and acting on relevant cues in contexts such as mate choice, intra-sexual competition, and parental care is particularly important for optimizing individual reproductive success. Several factors can influence decision-making, such as external environmental cues and the animal's own internal state, yet, we have limited knowledge on how animals integrate available information. Here, we used an entire island population (57 males, 53 females, and 1,109 tadpoles) of the neotropical brilliant-thighed poison frog Allobates femoralis to investigate how 2 factors (olfactory cues and personality traits) influence the ability of males to find and use new resources for tadpole deposition. We experimentally manipulated the location of tadpole deposition sites and their associated olfactory cues, and repeatedly measured exploration and boldness in adult males. We further reconstructed tadpole deposition choices via inferred parent-offspring relationships of adult frogs and tadpoles deposited in our experimental pools using molecular parentage analysis. We found that the discovery and use of new rearing sites were heavily influenced by olfactory cues; however, we did not find an effect of the measured behavioral traits on resource discovery and use. We conclude that in highly dynamic environments such as tropical rainforests, reliable external cues likely take priority over personality traits, helping individuals to discover and make use of reproductive resources.

Transcriptomic changes in the posterior pallium of male zebra finches associated with social niche conformance

Animals plastically adjust their physiological and behavioural phenotypes to conform to their social environment—social niche conformance. The degree of sexual competition is a critical part of the social environment to which animals adjust their phenotypes, but the underlying genetic mechanisms are poorly understood. We conducted a study to investigate how differences in sperm competition risk affect the gene expression profiles of the testes and two brain areas (posterior pallium and optic tectum) in breeding male zebra finches (Taeniopygia castanotis). In this pre-registered study, we investigated a large sample of 59 individual transcriptomes. We compared two experimental groups: males held in single breeding pairs (low sexual competition) versus those held in two pairs (elevated sexual competition) per breeding cage. Using weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA), we observed significant effects of the social treatment in all three tissues. However, only the treatment effects found in the pallium were confirmed by an additional randomisation test for statistical robustness. Likewise, the differential gene expression analysis revealed treatment effects only in the posterior pallium (ten genes) and optic tectum (six genes). No treatment effects were found in the testis at the single gene level. Thus, our experiments do not provide strong evidence for transcriptomic adjustment specific to manipulated sperm competition risk. However, we did observe transcriptomic adjustments to the manipulated social environment in the posterior pallium. These effects were polygenic rather than based on few individual genes with strong effects. Our findings are discussed in relation to an accompanying paper using the same animals, which reports behavioural results consistent with the results presented here.

Foundation phase male teachers’ reflections in teaching of comprehensive sexuality education in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa

Children in their childhood and teenage years can acquire either healthy or unhealthy lifestyles. Without proper guidance, unhealthy lifestyles (e.g. risk-taking, substance abuse, poor family planning) may negatively affect their psychosexual development (i.e. ability to make healthier sexual choices). Male and female teachers can be role models for learners to acquire healthy sexual lifestyles. Historically, the Foundation Phase (FP) has been a highly feminine teaching space. Lately, however, the space has seen an increasing presence and participation of FP male teachers. This paper shares FP male teachers’ reflections in teaching comprehensive sexuality education (CSE) content within the Life Skills curriculum in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa. Five FP male teachers were engaged in a focus group conversation; data were thematically analysed, underpinned by a feminist post-structural lens. Although the teachers reported a restriction of FP male teachers in teaching CSE-related content, they also indicated that learners showed increased self-exposure to CSE-related content. To counter the censorship of FP male teachers in teaching CSE-related content, the study recommends explicit incorporation of feminist pedagogies to enable FP male teachers to be part of the delivery of SE content as equal stakeholders.

Does Estradiol Potentiate the Anxiolytic Effects of Oxytocin in Females and Males Following Intrasexual Competition? [Conference Presentation Abstract

Does Estradiol Potentiate the Anxiolytic Effects of Oxytocin in Females and Males Following Intrasexual Competition? [Conference Presentation Abstract

Unraveling female mate choice in Schizocosa mccooki: The interplay of male mass and vibratory courtship

AbstractSexual selection is an important evolutionary force and despite extensive research, understanding mate choice on naturally occurring trait variation remains an intriguing area of study. The correlation between mass, a trait associated with courter viability and common target for mate choice, and signals is particularly noteworthy. This study focuses on Schizocosa mccooki, the largest member of a wolf spider genus renowned for its diverse complex male courtship. Our objective was to understand the relationship of male mass and other courtship signals on female choice within this species. We conducted lab experiments involving random pairings of field caught males and females, recording vibratory courtship and its outcomes. Our findings revealed that S. mccooki courtship consisted of vibratory signals with two major components, thumps and raps. Male mass, overall courtship vigor, and thump duration were found to predict mating success. Interestingly, we found no correlation between temporal traits and mass suggesting independent information and an absence of trade‐offs between mass, courtship vigor, and signal component rates/durations. Instead, we found that heavier males tend to produce thumps with lower frequencies. The finding that male mass predicts mating success contrasts with patterns observed in other species in this well‐studied genus. By uncovering the mate choice patterns of S. mccooki, this study underscores the importance of comparative studies to understand the ways in which sexual selection drives diversification, even among closely related taxa.

The role of male quality in sequential mate choice: pregnancy replacement in small mammals?

Females mainly increase their reproductive success by improving the quality of their mates and need to be discriminative in their mate choices. Here, we investigate whether female mammals can trade up sire quality in sequential mate choice during already progressed pregnancies. A male-induced pregnancy termination (functional 'Bruce effect') could thus have an adaptive function in mate choice as a functional part of a pregnancy replacement. We used bank voles (Myodes glareolus) as a model system and exchanged the breeding male in the early second trimester of a potential pregnancy. Male quality was determined using urine marking values. Females were offered a sequence of either high- then low-quality male (HL) or a low- then high-quality male (LH). The majority of females bred with high-quality males independent of their position in the sequence, which may indicate a pregnancy replacement in LH but not in HL. The body size of the second male, which could have been related to the coercion of females by males into remating, did not explain late pregnancies. Thus, pregnancy replacement, often discussed as a counterstrategy to infanticide, may constitute adaptive mate choice in female mammals, and female choice may induce pregnancy replacement in mammals.

Visual cues do not function in a multimodal signalling context for mate attraction in eastern gray treefrogs

Abstract Anurans use different sensory modalities to communicate and interact socially, including acoustic, chemical, tactile, and visual signals. In a multimodal context, these sensory modes can transmit different information to the receiver or even reinforce the same message. In this study, we hypothesized that body colour traits and vocal sac movements of male eastern gray treefrogs [Dryophytes versicolor (= Hyla versicolor)] serve as secondary visual cues that increase their attractiveness while calling to attract mates. We tested this hypothesis using playback trials combining synthetic advertisement calls with a variety of visual cues, including differently coloured resin frog models, simulated vocal sacs, and live frogs. None of the visual stimuli tested impacted female choice, and there was no difference in response rate, response time, choice angle, or distance covered in the arena between multimodal and unimodal stimuli. However, females showed a strong preference for longer calls even if the less attractive calls were paired with a visual stimulus. The study provides comprehensive insights into the role of visual stimuli in the mate attraction of eastern gray treefrogs and suggests that call traits play a dominant role in the male-selection process of this species, contrary to what was observed for visual stimuli.

Steroid signaling controls sex-specific development in an invertebrate.

In vertebrate sexual development, two important steroid hormones, testosterone and estrogen, regulate the sex-specific development of many tissues. In contrast, invertebrates utilize a single steroid hormone, ecdysone, to regulate developmental timing in both sexes. However, here we show that in Drosophila melanogaster, sex-specific ecdysone (E) signaling controls important aspects of gonad sexual dimorphism. Rather than being regulated at the level of hormone production, hormone activity is regulated cell-autonomously through sex-specific hormone reception. Ecdysone receptor (EcR) expression is restricted to the developing ovary and is repressed in the testis at a time when ecdysone initiates ovary morphogenesis. Interestingly, EcR expression is regulated downstream of the sex determination factor Doublesex (Dsx), the founding member of the Dsx/Mab3 Related Transcription Factor (DMRT) family that regulates gonad development in all animals. E signaling is required for normal ovary development1,2, and ectopic activation of E signaling in the testis antagonized stem cell niche identity and feminized somatic support cells, which were transformed into follicle-like cells. This work demonstrates that invertebrates can also use steroid hormone signaling to control sex-specific development. Further, it may help explain recent work showing that vertebrate sexual development is surprisingly cell-autonomous. For example, chickens utilize testosterone and estrogen to control sex-specific development, but when they have a mixture of cells with male and female genotypes, the male cells develop as male and the female cells develop as female despite exposure to the same circulating hormones3. Sex-specific regulation of steroid hormone signaling may well underly such cell-autonomous sexual fate choices in vertebrates as it does in Drosophila.

Virginity as a Choice: Expression of Gen Z about Sexual Agency in a Complex World

In a complicated and evolving environment, this research delves deeply into the ways that men and women of Generation Z express their sexual agency about virginity. Social pressures, cultural conventions, and the fast advancement of technology are all present in today's environment. The authors discovered through extensive qualitative research techniques and explored the perspectives of Generation Z (Gen Z) individuals in Surabaya City, Indonesia, that Generation Z handles their decisions about virginity in very personal and distinctive ways, frequently questioning and opposing conventional standards and expectations. The research aims to understand how Gen Z navigates their sexual choices in a complex socio-cultural environment. This article also assesses the effects of Generation Z's choices about virginity on their mental, emotional, and physical well-being. The findings demonstrate that, depending on the person and social situation, these decisions can have important and diverse outcomes. However, the authors stress that further study is required to completely comprehend the ramifications of this decision. The study employs in-depth interviews and focus group discussions as primary data collection methods. Participants include Gen Z individuals aged between 18 and 24 years, residing in Surabaya city. All things considered, this article offers significant new perspectives on how Generation Z perceives and uses their sexual agency when they are virgins. By offering a greater understanding of how young people navigate and comprehend their sexuality in a complicated world. Keywords: Virginity; Gender; Generation Z; Sexual Right (Agency).

Mating system variation and gene expression in the male reproductive tract of Peromyscus mice.

Genes involved in reproduction often evolve rapidly at the sequence level due to postcopulatory sexual selection (PCSS) driven by male-male competition and male-female sexual conflict, but the impact of PCSS on gene expression has been under-explored. Further, though multiple tissues contribute to male reproductive success, most studies have focused on the testes. To explore the influence of mating system variation on reproductive tract gene expression in natural populations, we captured adult males from monogamous Peromyscus californicus and polygynandrous P. boylii and P. maniculatus. We generated RNAseq libraries, quantified gene expression in the testis, seminal vesicle, epididymis, and liver, and identified 3627 mating system-associated differentially expressed genes (MS-DEGs), where expression shifted in the same direction in P. maniculatus and P. boylii relative to P. californicus. Gene expression variation was most strongly associated with mating behaviour in the seminal vesicles, where 89% of differentially expressed genes were MS-DEGs, including the key seminal fluid proteins Svs2 and Pate4. We also used published rodent genomes to test for positive and relaxed selection on Peromyscus-expressed genes. Though we did not observe more overlap than expected by chance between MS-DEGs and positively selected genes, 203 MS-DEGs showed evidence of positive selection. Fourteen reproductive genes were under tree-wide positive selection but convergent relaxed selection in P. californicus and Microtus ochrogaster, a distantly related monogamous species. Changes in transcript abundance and gene sequence evolution in association with mating behaviour suggest that male mice may respond to sexual selection intensity by altering aspects of sperm motility, sperm-egg binding and copulatory plug formation.

The role of self-perceived mate value and intrasexual competitiveness in tanning behavior.

The role of self-perceived mate value and intrasexual competitiveness in tanning behavior.

Proteomic analysis reveals dynamic changes in cloacal fluid composition during the reproductive season in a sexually promiscuous passerine

Cryptic female choice (CFC) is a component of postcopulatory sexual selection that allows females to influence the fertilization success of sperm from different males. While its precise mechanisms remain unclear, they may involve the influence of the protein composition of the female reproductive fluids on sperm functionality. This study maps the protein composition of the cloacal fluid across different phases of female reproductive cycle in a sexually promiscuous passerine, the barn swallow. Similar to mammals, the protein composition in the female reproductive tract differed between receptive (when females copulate) and nonreceptive phases. With the change in the protein background, the enriched gene ontology terms also shifted. Within the receptive phase, distinctions were observed between proteomes sampled just before and during egg laying. However, three proteins exhibited increased abundance during the entire receptive phase compared to nonreceptive phases. These proteins are candidates in cryptic female choice, as all of them can influence the functionality of sperm or sperm-egg interaction. Our study demonstrates dynamic changes in the cloacal environment throughout the avian breeding cycle, emphasizing the importance of considering these fluctuations in studies of cryptic female choice.