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Lowly females pick mediocre mates | Lowly females pick mediocre mates |
(31 minutes later) | |
Low-quality females prefer low-quality males, at least in the avian world. | Low-quality females prefer low-quality males, at least in the avian world. |
This is according to research published in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B, testing female zebra finches' taste in males. | This is according to research published in the Royal Society journal Proceedings B, testing female zebra finches' taste in males. |
As adults, the low-quality females showed a preference for the songs of males of the same quality, and for the male birds themselves. | As adults, the low-quality females showed a preference for the songs of males of the same quality, and for the male birds themselves. |
Evolutionary biologists previously thought that females would always opt for the best male available. | Evolutionary biologists previously thought that females would always opt for the best male available. |
The study was led by Marie-Jeanne Holveck from the Centre of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology in Montpellier, France. | The study was led by Marie-Jeanne Holveck from the Centre of Functional and Evolutionary Ecology in Montpellier, France. |
She explained that low- and high-quality birds differ in almost every important characteristic, including metabolism, longevity and attractiveness. | She explained that low- and high-quality birds differ in almost every important characteristic, including metabolism, longevity and attractiveness. |
The two individuals just accept each other faster - they just go for it Marie-Jeanne Holveck | The two individuals just accept each other faster - they just go for it Marie-Jeanne Holveck |
Her team was able to breed high-quality and low-quality finches simply by changing the size of the brood in which the birds were raised. | Her team was able to breed high-quality and low-quality finches simply by changing the size of the brood in which the birds were raised. |
In larger broods there is more competition between the chicks, she told BBC News, "so the larger groups produce lower quality chicks". | In larger broods there is more competition between the chicks, she told BBC News, "so the larger groups produce lower quality chicks". |
Dr Holveck's team tested the female chicks' preferences for males. | Dr Holveck's team tested the female chicks' preferences for males. |
"We trained in what we call an operant cage. They were trained to peck two keys, and each time they pecked a key it played a male's song," she told BBC News. | "We trained in what we call an operant cage. They were trained to peck two keys, and each time they pecked a key it played a male's song," she told BBC News. |
One of the keys played the song of a high-quality male and the other played a low-quality male's song. | One of the keys played the song of a high-quality male and the other played a low-quality male's song. |
"I think this is a powerful test, because it's the female telling us what she would like to hear," said Dr Holveck. | "I think this is a powerful test, because it's the female telling us what she would like to hear," said Dr Holveck. |
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This low-quality female repeatedly returns to peck the button on the right, which plays the song of low-quality male finch. | This low-quality female repeatedly returns to peck the button on the right, which plays the song of low-quality male finch. |
The low-quality females repeatedly pecked the key that played a low-quality male's song. | The low-quality females repeatedly pecked the key that played a low-quality male's song. |
Only male finches sing, and the song is an important reproductive signal to the females. | Only male finches sing, and the song is an important reproductive signal to the females. |
In the second part of her experiment, Dr Holveck found that these song preferences "actually translated into preferences for the live males". | In the second part of her experiment, Dr Holveck found that these song preferences "actually translated into preferences for the live males". |
"And quality-matched pairs," she explained, "bred faster - producing eggs faster than the mismatched pairs. | "And quality-matched pairs," she explained, "bred faster - producing eggs faster than the mismatched pairs. |
"The main reason, we think, could be that the two individuals just accept each other faster - they just go for it. | "The main reason, we think, could be that the two individuals just accept each other faster - they just go for it. |
"The really amazing thing is that the females are able to recognise what 'category' they are in. We'd like to investigate further to find out how they do this." | "The really amazing thing is that the females are able to recognise what 'category' they are in. We'd like to investigate further to find out how they do this." |
Joseph Tobias, a zoologist from Oxford University who was not involved in this study, said the findings were interesting. | Joseph Tobias, a zoologist from Oxford University who was not involved in this study, said the findings were interesting. |
"While [this] doesn't overturn evolutionary thinking, it does reveal some interesting trade-offs in breeding decisions," he said. | "While [this] doesn't overturn evolutionary thinking, it does reveal some interesting trade-offs in breeding decisions," he said. |
"It also raises the intriguing possibility that the environment in which individuals are reared strongly influences their mating preferences as adults." | "It also raises the intriguing possibility that the environment in which individuals are reared strongly influences their mating preferences as adults." |