CAREER: Defining a Sexually Selected Signal in Swordtail Fishes in Relation to Female Preferences

该研究项目考察了雌性剑尾鱼在选择配偶时如何评估多种雄性特征。雌性剑尾鱼更喜欢垂直条形的色素图案，这种图案是对称的，有许多深色条纹。雄性身上这种色素图案的各种成分可以被操纵，以确定来自不同物种的雌性是否对条形图案有不同的偏好，这可以解释不同物种之间条形图案的差异，(2)更喜欢具有对称条纹的雄性，因为它们处于更好的状态，以及(3)对提供更好的男性状况信息的成分有更强的偏好。教育计划是开发一个动物学导论的互动网页，增加学生获得实践研究经验的机会，并扩大与发现这些鱼的墨西哥同事的合作互动。任何动物做出的更重要的决定之一是决定它将与谁交配。研究人员发现，对于包括人类在内的不同生物群体来说，配偶选择的决定是基于多种男性特征的，但我们目前对多种偏好如何相互作用知之甚少。这项研究项目将为择偶过程提供一个更现实的视角，而教育计划将增加来自俄亥俄州和墨西哥的学生对研究的兴趣。

The research project examines how female swordtail fishes assess multiple male traits when choosing a mate. Female swordtail fish prefer vertical-bar pigment patterns that are symmetrical with many dark bars. The various components of this pigment pattern on males can be manipulated to determine if females from different species (1) have different preferences for the bars that could explain differences in the bar pattern across species, (2) prefer males with symmetrical bars because they are in better condition, and (3) have stronger preferences for components that provide better information about male condition. The educational plan is to develop an interactive Web page for Introduction to Zoology, increase opportunities for students to gain hands-on research experience, and expand collaborative interactions with Mexican colleagues where these fish are found.One of the more important decisions any animal makes is deciding with whom it will mate. Researchers are finding that, for a diverse group of organisms including humans, mate-choice decisions are based on multiple male traits, and yet we currently know very little about how multiple preferences interact. This research project will provide a more realistic view of the process of mate choice, while the educational plan will increase the interest of students from Ohio and Mexico in research.