Assessment of distance to potential mates by female barking treefrogs (Hyla gratiosa)
Publication Type: |
Journal Article |
Year of Publication: |
2008 |
Authors: |
Christopher G. Murphy |
Publication/Journal: |
Journal of Comparative Psychology |
Keywords: |
anuran amphibians, distance, hyla gratiosa, mate choice, triangulation |
ISBN: |
1939-2087 0735-7036 |
Abstract:
This study investigated the cues used by female barking treefrogs, Hyla gratiosa, to assess distances to potential mates. Eight-speaker playback experiments were used to demonstrate that distance affects female choice in complex acoustic environments and to test 3 possible cues that females might use to assess distance: (a) degradation in spectral and temporal cues of calls, (b) relative call amplitude at the female’s location, and (c) the rate at which the amplitude of calls increases as a female approaches a calling male. All 3 hypotheses were refuted, suggesting that females use a more complex mechanism, such as triangulation, to assess distance. Females preferred speakers with greater source amplitudes even when they had to travel further to reach those speakers. Determination of source amplitude is possible only if females can assess independently both the distance to sound sources and the amplitude of calls at the females’ location. Hence, anuran amphibians may possess greater cognitive abilities than are generally attributed to them