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Geographic variation in female preferences for male traits in Poecilia reticulata

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journal contribution
posted on 1995-06-01, 00:00 authored by John EndlerJohn Endler, A E Houde
We examined the preferences of female guppies (Poecilia reticulata) from 11 localities in Trinidad with respect to male color-pattern elements, body shape and size, and overall color and brightness contrast. Females are on average more attracted to males from their own population than from alien populations, and populations appear to vary in the criteria used in female choice. Multiple-regression analysis suggests that mate-preference criteria vary among localities in intensity, sign, and the number of traits used. Although preference estimators and color-pattern parameters are unique to each population, only orange, black, and color contrast showed a correlation between degree of male trait and degree of preference for that trait. There is a clear effect of water color and a possible effect of predation intensity. The results are discussed in light of various models of sexual selection and the early stages of speciation.

History

Journal

Evolution

Volume

49

Issue

3

Pagination

456 - 468

Publisher

Wiley

Location

Chichester, Eng.

ISSN

0014-3820

eISSN

1558-5646

Language

eng

Publication classification

C1.1 Refereed article in a scholarly journal

Copyright notice

1995, Society for the Study of Evolution