Learning magnifies individual variation in heterospecific mating propensity
Recent research indicating learning in the context of sexual behaviour in fruit flies suggests that learning could increase levels of assortative mating between partially diverged populations. We present a graphic model examining the role of learning and a series of experiments evaluating assumptions and predictions of the model. We found that male Drosophila persimilis that […]
Dynamics of learning in the context of courtship in Drosophila persimilis and D. pseudoobscura
Recent data indicating that male fruit flies adaptively reduce courtship of heterospecific females, which typically reject them, suggest that learning could contribute to reduced levels of matings between individuals from diverging populations with partial premating isolation. To further examine the robustness of learning in the context of courtship in fruit flies, I wished to broaden […]
Nesting success in Darwin’s small tree finch, Camarhynchus parvulus: evidence of female preference for older males and more concealed nests
Age-assortative mating has been documented among birds, but there is little evidence of direct benefits to females that pair with older males. In this study, I examined nest concealment in Darwin’s small tree finch and tested the following predictions: (1) nest concealment increases with male age, (2) females prefer males that build well-concealed nests, and […]
Avian personalities: characterization and epigenesis
The work presented here aims at understanding the nature, epigenesis and function of personality types (here called behavioral profiles) in birds, focusing on a wild bird species, the great tit (Parus major). Lines bidirectionally selected for exploration show a wide array of social and non-social behavioral differences, and also some differences in physiological parameters. Line […]
Taking the sensory approach: how individual differences in sensory perception can influence mate choice
Many male signallers convey information to female receivers in multimodal courtship displays. While much is known about how males vary in terms of signalling, variation in female detection of these multimodal signals is relatively unexplored. We suggest that there is a critical, albeit underdeveloped, link between multimodal sensory reception and individual variation in mate choice. […]