Multivariate female preference tests reveal latent perceptual biases

Area of Science:

• Evolutionary Biology
• Animal Behavior
• Bioacoustics

Background:

• Elaborate male mating displays are common, driven by female preference.
• Reasons for female preference are debated, including direct/indirect fitness benefits or sensory biases.
• Previous research focused on chirp preferences in field crickets.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate multivariate female preference functions for male acoustic traits in two slow-pulsed field cricket species.
• To identify previously unobserved female preferences in cricket acoustic signals.

Main Methods:

• Analysis of female preference functions for male acoustic traits (chirps and trills).
• Focus on two field cricket species with slow pulse rates.
• Examination of evolutionary stability of preferences.

Main Results:

• Discovered cryptic female preferences for long trills, not previously observed in other chirping species.
• These trill preferences are evolutionarily pre-existing and not yet exploited by males.
• Trill preferences coexist with chirp preferences as alternative stable states in female song preference.

Conclusions:

• Female preferences for male acoustic signals can be more complex than previously understood.
• Latent preferences, like those for trills, may be driven by mechanisms such as escape from neuronal adaptation.
• These findings contribute to understanding the evolution of sexual selection and sensory biases.