Hill Sarah E, Ryan Michael J
University of Texas at Austin, Department of Psychology, 1 University Station A8000, Austin, TX 78712, USA.
Biol Lett. 2006 Jun 22;2(2):203-5. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2005.0423.
Female mate choice copying is a socially mediated mate choice behaviour, in which a male's attractiveness to females increases if he was previously chosen by another female as a mate. Although copying has been demonstrated in numerous species, little is known about the specific benefits it confers to copying females. Here we demonstrate that the mate choice behaviour of female sailfin mollies (Poecilia latipinna) is influenced by the phenotypic quality of model females with whom males are observed consorting. Test females choosing between two males of similar body length were found to significantly increase time spent with previously non-preferred males after having observed them with a relatively high-quality female. Conversely, females were found to significantly decrease time spent with previously preferred males after having observed them with a relatively low-quality female. Female mate choice copying might be maintained by selection based on the heuristic value it provides females choosing between males whose quality differences are not easily distinguishable.
雌性配偶选择模仿是一种社会介导的配偶选择行为，在这种行为中，如果一只雄性先前被另一只雌性选为配偶，那么它对雌性的吸引力就会增加。尽管在许多物种中都已证明存在模仿行为，但对于模仿行为给进行模仿的雌性带来的具体益处却知之甚少。在此，我们证明了帆鳍玛丽鱼（Poecilia latipinna）雌性的配偶选择行为会受到与其观察到的雄性相伴的示范雌性的表型质量的影响。发现在两只体长相似的雄性之间进行选择的测试雌性，在观察到它们与一只相对高质量的雌性相伴后，会显著增加与先前不太受青睐的雄性相处的时间。相反，发现在观察到它们与一只相对低质量的雌性相伴后，雌性会显著减少与先前受青睐的雄性相处的时间。雌性配偶选择模仿可能是基于它为在质量差异不易区分的雄性之间进行选择的雌性提供的启发式价值而通过选择得以维持。
