Male mate preference as an agent of fecundity selection in a polymorphic salamander. Issue 17 (7th August 2018)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Jaworski, Kortney E.; Lattanzio, Matthew S.; Hickerson, Cari‐Ann M.; Anthony, Carl D.
• Is Part Of: Ecology and evolution. Volume 8:Issue 17(2018)
• Page Start: 8750
• Page End: 8760
• Publication Date: 2018-08-07
• Subjects: assortative mating -- body size -- clutch size -- color polymorphism -- mate choice -- Plethodon cinereus; Ecology -- Periodicals; Evolution -- Periodicals; 577.05
• DOI: 10.1002/ece3.4298
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 2045-7758

Abstract

Abstract: Color polymorphisms are associated with variation in other traits which may affect individual fitness, and these color‐trait associations are expected to contribute to nonrandom mating in polymorphic species. The red‐backed salamander ( Plethodon cinereus ) exhibits a polymorphism in dorsal pattern: striped and unstriped, and previous studies have suggested that they may mate nonrandomly. However, the mechanism(s) contributing to this behavior remain unclear. Here we consider the role that male preference may have in driving mating behavior in P. cinereus . We limit our focus to striped individuals because this morph is most likely to be choosy given their dominant, aggressive behavioral profiles relative to unstriped males. Specifically, we evaluated (a) whether striped males preferentially associate with females with respect to her dorsum color, size, and body condition and (b) if so, whether female traits are evaluated via visual or chemical cues. We also considered whether the frequency of another male social behavior, nose taps, was associated with mate preferences. We found that striped male P. cinereus nose tapped more often to preferred females. However, males only assessed potential mates via chemical cues, preferring larger females overall. Reproductive phenology data on a sample of gravid females drawn from the same population indicated that the color morphs do not differ in reproductive traits, but larger females have greater fecundity. Given our findings, we conclude that female P. cinereus are under fecundity selection, mediated by male preference. In this manner, male mating behavior contributes to observations of nonrandom mate associations in this population of P. cinereus . Abstract : We evaluated male mate choice in a color polymorphic species, as well as the relationship between female body size and fecundity (number of eggs). Our findings reveal that dominant male preferences were not color morph specific. However, males preferred larger females overall, revealing a role for male preference as an agent of fecundity selection in our study system.