Communication of Direct Mating Benefits to Females

雌性通常根据雄性交配信号的变化来选择配偶，因为它们直接受益于与首选雄性的交配。对于女性的选择基于信号的直接利益的演变，必须有机制，约束生产的欺骗性信号的低质量的男性和机制，约束高质量的男性欺骗承诺的好处，他们的信号。在可变领域的蟋蟀，蟋蟀lineaticeps，男性产生较高的啁啾率出现转移射精产品的女性，积极影响女性的生育力和生育能力。因此，雄性信号提供了有关交配后直接益处的质量的信息。 研究者将检查两类可能影响G.线头。首先，研究者将检查男性的营养状况是否影响效益质量，这反映在啁啾率。第二，三个假设，女性行为如何制裁男性提供低质量的交配效益将进行测试，包括效益质量的影响：（1）女性终止精子转移;（2）女性重新与男性交配;（3）女性与另一个男性交配所需的时间。如果女性表达有条件的交配策略，制裁男性谁提供低质量的好处，这将有利于高质量的男性谁提供的好处，他们的信号表示。初步数据表明，效益质量有很强的影响，女性重新交配;女性谁收到较高质量的好处，从一个给定的男性重新交配的男性比女性谁收到较低质量的好处。这项研究是对限制低质量和高质量男性欺骗的因素的首次测试。本文的研究成果将对本科生科研能力的培养产生重要的影响。在过去的八年里，有49名本科生在研究人员的实验室工作，其中12人来自少数民族。这些本科生中有五人是已发表论文的合著者，四人将是将提交出版的手稿的合著者。每年至少有两名本科生将参加拟议的研究，少数群体的学生将继续被招募。最有前途的本科生将出席并展示他们的研究，并满足潜在的研究生导师。

Females often select mates based on variation in male mating signals because they directly benefit from mating with preferred males. For female choice based on signals of direct benefits to evolve, there must be mechanisms that constrain the production of deceptive signals by low quality males and mechanisms that constrain high quality males from cheating on the benefits promised by their signals. In the variable field cricket, Gryllus lineaticeps, males that produce higher chirp rates appear to transfer ejaculate products to females that positively affect female fecundity and fertility. Male signals thus provide information about the quality of a post-mating direct benefit. The investigator will examine two classes of factors that may affect the evolution of signals of benefit quality in G. lineaticeps. First, the researcher will examine whether male nutritional condition affects benefit quality, which is reflected in chirp rate. Second, three hypotheses about how female behavior sanctions males who provide lower quality mating benefits will be tested, including the effect of benefit quality on: (1) female termination of sperm transfer; (2) female re-mating with a male; and (3) the time taken by a female to mate with another male. If females express conditional mating tactics that sanction males who provide lower quality benefits, this will favor high quality males who provide the benefits indicated by their signals. Preliminary data suggest that benefit quality has a strong effect on female re-mating; females who receive higher quality benefits from a given male re-mate sooner with that male than do females who receive lower quality benefits. The proposed research is the first test of the factors that constrain deception by both low and high quality males. The proposed research will have an important impact on undergraduate research training. Forty-nine undergraduates have worked in the researcher's laboratory over the past eight years, twelve of whom were from minority groups. Five of these undergraduates are coauthors on published papers and four will be coauthors on manuscripts that will be submitted for publication. A minimum of two undergraduates per year will participate in the proposed research, and students from minority groups will continue to be recruited. The most promising undergraduates will attend and present their research, and meet potential graduate mentors.