Please help me out with this assignment. Thanks. Please read the "mate choice intro slides" and " mate choice protocol" and complete the data spreadsheet and the mate choice worksheet. Treatment 1: ht

Mate selection • Most studied preference in behavioral ecology • Prime tool for studying sexual selection • The chooser and the chosen → coevolution between male and female Greater kudu Peacock Choosy Females • Females are usually the “choosy” sex… WHY? • Anisogamy vs Isogamy: • Gamete Size • Females produce large, immobile, food -rich gametes = eggs COSTLY • Males produce tiny, mobile, self -propelled DNA = sperm • Parental Care • Should males to invest? • Reproductive potential… Fig. 7.2 Parker et al. (1972) proposed that anisogamy evolved from isogamy by disruptive selection for two gamete sizes: large gametes with food reserves (eggs) and small gametes (sperm) which parasitize the investment of the large gametes Maximum # of offspring produced during lifetime Species Male Female Elephant seal 100 8 Red deer 24 14 Man 888 69 Kittiwake gull 26 28 Table 7.1 In polygamous or promiscuous species some males have a much higher potential reproductive rate than females Why be choosy? • Males compete for the female’s investment • Females choose males based on: • Best resources • Good genes Choosy Males • When would we expect to see this? • Males that provide the bulk of parental care Mutual Selection • When would we expect to see this? • Both parents involved in raising offspring • Sea birds House Crickets:

Courting and Reproduction What do we know: - male crickets call to attract females - females can estimate the male’s size by the frequency of the call …chirp chirp … .. ….. … ………. .. chirp.. -female mounts the male (chooses!) To d a y : A s s e s s i n g F e m a l e P r e f e r e n c e i n m a l e House Crickets Treatment 1:

Large Owner vs. Small Intruder Large: territory, size advantage Small: no territory, no size advantage Treatment 2:

Large Intruder vs. Small Owner Large: no territory, size advantage Small: territory, no size advantage Treatment 3:

Large Intruder vs. Small Intruder Large: no territory, size advantage Small: no territory, no size advantage House Crickets:

Anatomy -females are typically larger than males -females have an OVIPOSITOR -don’t confuse for male wing tips MALE FEMALE Cricket Behaviors – dominant only! • Antenna Tap • Body Raise • Leg Kick • Head Butt • Chase • Shudder • Sing/Chirp • Crawl Over • Mount (females only) Example: Small Male Female Large Male