Finding the one: optimal choosiness under sequential mate choice.
J Evol Biol
; 31(8): 1193-1203, 2018 08.
Article
em En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-29802664
ABSTRACT
When mates are encountered sequentially, each encounter involves a decision whether to reject the current suitor and risk not finding a better mate, or to accept them despite their flaws. I provide a flexible framework for modelling optimal choosiness when mate encounters occur unpredictably in time. The model allows for temporal variation in the fitness benefits of mating, including seasonal breeding conditions, accrual of mate search costs, survival of the choosing individual or senescence of gametes. The basic optimality framework can be applied iteratively to obtain mate choice equilibria in dynamically evolving populations. My model predicts that individuals should be choosier when the average rate of mate encounters is high, but that choosiness should decline over time as the likelihood of future mate encounters decreases. When mate encounters are uncertain, there is a trade-off between reproductive timing and mate choice (the 'when' and the 'who'). Mate choice may be selected against when reproductive timing is highly important (e.g. when breeding conditions show a narrow peak in time). This can even lead to step-shaped mate choice functions, where individuals abruptly switch from rejecting to accepting all suitors as peak breeding conditions approach. The model contributes to our understanding of why individuals may not express mate preferences, even when there is substantial variation in mate quality.
Palavras-chave
Texto completo:
1
Coleções:
01-internacional
Base de dados:
MEDLINE
Assunto principal:
Comportamento Sexual Animal
/
Comportamento de Escolha
/
Aptidão Genética
Tipo de estudo:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Limite:
Animals
Idioma:
En
Ano de publicação:
2018
Tipo de documento:
Article