10.5061/DRYAD.51G4T
Reichert, Michael S.
University College Cork
Humboldt University of Berlin
Finck, Jonas
Humboldt University of Berlin
Ronacher, Bernhard
Humboldt University of Berlin
Data from: Exploring the hidden landscape of female preferences for
complex signals
Dryad
dataset
2017
Chorthippus biguttulus hedickei
sensory bias
complex signal
Orthoptera
Adaptive landscape
Chorthippus biguttulus
Chorthippus brunneus
signal evolution
Orthopteran
Chorthippus mollis
Gomphocerinae
National Science Foundation
https://ror.org/021nxhr62
IRFP 1158968
2017-02-03T15:35:13Z
2017-02-03T15:35:13Z
en
https://doi.org/10.1111/evo.13202
552898 bytes
1
CC0 1.0 Universal (CC0 1.0) Public Domain Dedication
A major challenge in evolutionary biology is explaining the origins of
complex phenotypic diversity. In animal communication, complex signals may
evolve from simpler signals because novel signal elements exploit
preexisting biases in receivers’ sensory systems. Investigating the shape
of female preference functions for novel signal characteristics is a
powerful, but underutilized, method to describe the adaptive landscape
potentially guiding complex signal evolution. We measured female
preference functions for characteristics of acoustic appendages added to
male calling songs in the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus, which
naturally produces only simple songs. We discovered both hidden
preferences for and biases against novel complex songs, and identified
rules governing song attractiveness based on multiple characteristics of
both the base song and appendage. The appendage's temporal position
and duration were especially important: long appendages preceding the song
often made songs less attractive, while following appendages were neutral
or weakly attractive. Appendages had stronger effects on songs of shorter
duration, but did not restore the attractiveness of very unattractive
songs. We conclude that sensory biases favor, within predictable limits,
the evolution of complex songs in grasshoppers. The function-valued
approach is an important tool in determining the generality of these
limits in other taxa and signaling modalities.
Female Response dataRaw data of female response to each
stimulusData.txtStimulus ListList of the experimental stimuli with a short
description. Stimulus numbers correspond to stimulus ID in
"Data.txt" file. See ReadMe for further details.StimulusList.txt
Austria
Kuehtai
Berlin
Germany
Goettingen