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Mate Choice

Mate Choice

Mate choice—the decision about whom to mate with—is a type of natural selection, since animals must reproduce to pass down their genes. Mate choice is also called intersexual selection because the behavior occurs between the sexes.

Communication

Communication

Communication between two animals occurs when one animal transmits an information signal that causes a change in the animal that receives the information. Organisms communicate with one another in a host of different ways. Signals can be auditory, chemical, visual, tactile, or a combination of these. Communication is a critical behavioral adaptation that promotes survival, growth, and reproduction.

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

Natural Selection and Mating Preferences

The principle of natural selection posits that organisms better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce. This principle is closely intertwined with mating preferences, a key aspect of sexual selection, which evolutionary psychologists believe is driven by instincts to propagate one's genes. Such instincts significantly influence mating behaviors and preferences between genders.
Females, due to their biological roles in conception, pregnancy, and nursing, inherently...

Types of Selection

Types of Selection

Natural selection influences the frequencies of particular alleles and phenotypes within populations in several different ways. Primarily, natural selection can be directional, stabilizing, or disruptive. Directional selection favors one extreme trait and shifts the population towards that phenotype while selecting against individuals displaying alternate traits. Stabilizing selection favors an intermediate trait with a narrow range of variation. Deviation from the optimal phenotype towards an...

Frequency-dependent Selection

Frequency-dependent Selection

When the fitness of a trait is influenced by how common it is (i.e., its frequency) relative to different traits within a population, this is referred to as frequency-dependent selection. Frequency-dependent selection may occur between species or within a single species. This type of selection can either be positive—with more common phenotypes having higher fitness—or negative, with rarer phenotypes conferring increased fitness.Positive Frequency-Dependent SelectionIn positive...

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Background and Environment Affect Phenotype

Although the genetic makeup of an organism plays a major role in determining the phenotype, there are also several environmental factors, such as temperature, oxygen availability, presence of mutagens, that can alter an organism’s phenotype.
An example of how genetic background affects phenotype can be seen in horses. The Extension gene in horses is responsible for their coat color. A wild-type gene (EE) produces black pigment in the coat, while a mutant gene (ee) produces red pigment. A...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Reproductive Techniques for Ovarian Monitoring and Control in Amphibians

Reproductive Techniques for Ovarian Monitoring and Control in Amphibians

Published on: May 12, 2019

Sexual selection and communication in frogs.

¹Michael Ryan is at the Dept of Zoology, University of Texas, Austin, TX 78712, USA; Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, Balboa, Panama.

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

|January 15, 2011

Summary

Frogs use communication to recognize species and choose mates. This research explores anuran communication to advance understanding of sexual selection and evolutionary processes.

Area of Science:

Zoology
Neuroscience
Evolutionary Biology

Background:

Anuran (frog) communication serves as a key model for understanding species recognition.
Behavioral and neural mechanisms underlying anuran communication are well-studied.

Purpose of the Study:

To extend the study of anuran communication to intraspecific mate choice.
To investigate advances in understanding sexual selection through anuran models.

Main Methods:

Utilizing anuran communication as a model system.
Integrating phylogenetic studies with behavioral analyses.
Examining intraspecific mate choice in anurans.

Main Results:

New insights into the behavioral and neural bases of species recognition in anurans.

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Two Types of Assays for Detecting Frog Sperm Chemoattraction

Two Types of Assays for Detecting Frog Sperm Chemoattraction

Published on: December 27, 2011

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Last Updated: Jun 5, 2026

Reproductive Techniques for Ovarian Monitoring and Control in Amphibians

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Published on: May 12, 2019

Assays to Detect UV-reflecting Structures and Determine their Importance in Mate Preference using the Sailfin Molly Poecilia latipinna

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Two Types of Assays for Detecting Frog Sperm Chemoattraction

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Advances in understanding the role of sexual selection in anuran evolution.

Demonstrated utility of anuran models for studying mate choice.

Conclusions:

Anuran communication provides a robust framework for dissecting species recognition.
Extending this model to mate choice reveals new dimensions of sexual selection.
Phylogenetic integration enhances evolutionary insights into anuran reproductive behaviors.