Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs
Many animals rely on complex signals that target multiple senses to attract mates and repel rivals. These multimodal displays can however also attract unintended receivers, which can be an important driver of signal complexity. Despite being taxonomically widespread, we often lack insight into how m...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
eLife Sciences Publications Ltd
2022-05-01
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| Series: | eLife |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://elifesciences.org/articles/76083 |
| _version_ | 1811203352779816960 |
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| author | Longhui Zhao Jichao Wang Haodi Zhang Tongliang Wang Yue Yang Yezhong Tang Wouter Halfwerk Jianguo Cui |
| author_facet | Longhui Zhao Jichao Wang Haodi Zhang Tongliang Wang Yue Yang Yezhong Tang Wouter Halfwerk Jianguo Cui |
| author_sort | Longhui Zhao |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Many animals rely on complex signals that target multiple senses to attract mates and repel rivals. These multimodal displays can however also attract unintended receivers, which can be an important driver of signal complexity. Despite being taxonomically widespread, we often lack insight into how multimodal signals evolve from unimodal signals and in particular what roles unintended eavesdroppers play. Here, we assess whether the physical movements of parasite defense behavior increase the complexity and attractiveness of an acoustic sexual signal in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis). Calling males of this species often display limb movements in order to defend against blood-sucking parasites such as frog-biting midges that eavesdrop on their acoustic signal. Through mate choice tests we show that some of these midge-evoked movements influence female preference for acoustic signals. Our data suggest that midge-induced movements may be incorporated into a sexual display, targeting both hearing and vision in the intended receiver. Females may play an important role in incorporating these multiple components because they prefer signals which combine multiple modalities. Our results thus help to understand the relationship between natural and sexual selection pressure operating on signalers and how in turn this may influence multimodal signal evolution. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:54:29Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c7f64cede39d4620b8d523c4aaf4cf24 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2050-084X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-12T02:54:29Z |
| publishDate | 2022-05-01 |
| publisher | eLife Sciences Publications Ltd |
| record_format | Article |
| series | eLife |
| spelling | doaj.art-c7f64cede39d4620b8d523c4aaf4cf242022-12-22T03:50:53ZengeLife Sciences Publications LtdeLife2050-084X2022-05-011110.7554/eLife.76083Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogsLonghui Zhao0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8746-2803Jichao Wang1Haodi Zhang2Tongliang Wang3Yue Yang4Yezhong Tang5Wouter Halfwerk6Jianguo Cui7CAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, China; Ministry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaMinistry of Education Key Laboratory for Ecology of Tropical Islands, Key Laboratory of Tropical Animal and Plant Ecology of Hainan Province, College of Life Sciences, Hainan Normal University, Haikou, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaDepartment of Ecological Sciences, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan, Amsterdam, NetherlandsCAS Key Laboratory of Mountain Ecological Restoration and Bioresource Utilization & Ecological Restoration and Biodiversity Conservation Key Laboratory of Sichuan Province, Chengdu Institute of Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chengdu, ChinaMany animals rely on complex signals that target multiple senses to attract mates and repel rivals. These multimodal displays can however also attract unintended receivers, which can be an important driver of signal complexity. Despite being taxonomically widespread, we often lack insight into how multimodal signals evolve from unimodal signals and in particular what roles unintended eavesdroppers play. Here, we assess whether the physical movements of parasite defense behavior increase the complexity and attractiveness of an acoustic sexual signal in the little torrent frog (Amolops torrentis). Calling males of this species often display limb movements in order to defend against blood-sucking parasites such as frog-biting midges that eavesdrop on their acoustic signal. Through mate choice tests we show that some of these midge-evoked movements influence female preference for acoustic signals. Our data suggest that midge-induced movements may be incorporated into a sexual display, targeting both hearing and vision in the intended receiver. Females may play an important role in incorporating these multiple components because they prefer signals which combine multiple modalities. Our results thus help to understand the relationship between natural and sexual selection pressure operating on signalers and how in turn this may influence multimodal signal evolution.https://elifesciences.org/articles/76083mate choicemultimodal communicationnatural selectionparasitepre-existing biasAmolops torrentis |
| spellingShingle | Longhui Zhao Jichao Wang Haodi Zhang Tongliang Wang Yue Yang Yezhong Tang Wouter Halfwerk Jianguo Cui Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs eLife mate choice multimodal communication natural selection parasite pre-existing bias Amolops torrentis |
| title | Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs |
| title_full | Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs |
| title_fullStr | Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs |
| title_full_unstemmed | Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs |
| title_short | Parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs |
| title_sort | parasite defensive limb movements enhance acoustic signal attraction in male little torrent frogs |
| topic | mate choice multimodal communication natural selection parasite pre-existing bias Amolops torrentis |
| url | https://elifesciences.org/articles/76083 |
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