Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments
Effective signal transmission is essential for communication. In environments where signal transmission is highly variable, signalers may utilize complex signals, which incorporate multiple components and modalities, to maintain effective communication. Male Rabidosa rabida wolf spiders produce comp...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Oxford University Press
2011-04-01
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| Series: | Current Zoology |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.currentzoology.org/paperdetail.asp?id=11831 |
| _version_ | 1819168172615401472 |
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| author | Dustin J. WILGERS, Eileen A. HEBETS |
| author_facet | Dustin J. WILGERS, Eileen A. HEBETS |
| author_sort | Dustin J. WILGERS, Eileen A. HEBETS |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Effective signal transmission is essential for communication. In environments where signal transmission is highly variable, signalers may utilize complex signals, which incorporate multiple components and modalities, to maintain effective communication. Male Rabidosa rabida wolf spiders produce complex courtship signals, consisting of both visual and seismic components. We test the hypothesis that the complex signaling of R. rabida contributes to male reproductive success in variable signaling environments. We first examine the condition-dependence of ornamentation (a presumed visual signal) and seismic signal components and find that both may provide potentially redundant information on foraging history. Next, we assessed reproductive success across manipulated signaling environments that varied in the effectiveness of visual and/or seismic signal transmission. In environments where only one signal could be successfully transmitted (e.g., visual or seismic), pairs were still able to successfully copulate. Additionally, we found that males altered their courtship display depending on the current signaling environment. Specifically, males reduced their use of a visual display component in signaling environments where visual signal transmission was ablated. Incorporating signals in multiple modalities not only enables R. rabida males to maintain copulation success across variable signaling environments, but it also enables males to adjust their composite courtship display to current signaling conditions [Current Zoology 57 (2): 175–186, 2011]. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-22T18:59:23Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-68a56e7c10da49579b3e90770b9ac774 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1674-5507 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-22T18:59:23Z |
| publishDate | 2011-04-01 |
| publisher | Oxford University Press |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Current Zoology |
| spelling | doaj.art-68a56e7c10da49579b3e90770b9ac7742022-12-21T18:16:00ZengOxford University PressCurrent Zoology1674-55072011-04-01572175186Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environmentsDustin J. WILGERS, Eileen A. HEBETSEffective signal transmission is essential for communication. In environments where signal transmission is highly variable, signalers may utilize complex signals, which incorporate multiple components and modalities, to maintain effective communication. Male Rabidosa rabida wolf spiders produce complex courtship signals, consisting of both visual and seismic components. We test the hypothesis that the complex signaling of R. rabida contributes to male reproductive success in variable signaling environments. We first examine the condition-dependence of ornamentation (a presumed visual signal) and seismic signal components and find that both may provide potentially redundant information on foraging history. Next, we assessed reproductive success across manipulated signaling environments that varied in the effectiveness of visual and/or seismic signal transmission. In environments where only one signal could be successfully transmitted (e.g., visual or seismic), pairs were still able to successfully copulate. Additionally, we found that males altered their courtship display depending on the current signaling environment. Specifically, males reduced their use of a visual display component in signaling environments where visual signal transmission was ablated. Incorporating signals in multiple modalities not only enables R. rabida males to maintain copulation success across variable signaling environments, but it also enables males to adjust their composite courtship display to current signaling conditions [Current Zoology 57 (2): 175–186, 2011].http://www.currentzoology.org/paperdetail.asp?id=11831CommunicationMultimodalSignal evolutionCondition-dependentLycosidaeRabidosa rabidaEfficacy back-upRedundant signals |
| spellingShingle | Dustin J. WILGERS, Eileen A. HEBETS Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments Current Zoology Communication Multimodal Signal evolution Condition-dependent Lycosidae Rabidosa rabida Efficacy back-up Redundant signals |
| title | Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments |
| title_full | Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments |
| title_fullStr | Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments |
| title_full_unstemmed | Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments |
| title_short | Complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments |
| title_sort | complex courtship displays facilitate male reproductive success and plasticity in signaling across variable environments |
| topic | Communication Multimodal Signal evolution Condition-dependent Lycosidae Rabidosa rabida Efficacy back-up Redundant signals |
| url | http://www.currentzoology.org/paperdetail.asp?id=11831 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT dustinjwilgerseileenahebets complexcourtshipdisplaysfacilitatemalereproductivesuccessandplasticityinsignalingacrossvariableenvironments |