Females prefer the calls of better fathers in a Neotropical frog with biparental care

Male secondary sexual traits potentially function as indicators of direct or indirect fitness benefits to females. Direct benefits, such as paternal care, may be especially important to females in species with biparental care. In an experimental field study of the golden rocket frog (Anomaloglossus beebei), a Neotropical species with biparental care, we tested predictions from four hypotheses proposed to explain the evolutionary relationship between male secondary sexual traits and paternal care quality (the “good parent,” “differential-allocation,” “trade-off,” and “essential male care” hypotheses). We examined: (i) the influence of paternal care on offspring survival, (ii) the relationships between male calls and paternal care, maternal care, and opportunities for males to acquire multiple mates, and (iii) female preferences for three acoustic properties of male advertisement calls. Our results reveal that paternal care positively impacts offspring survival, that males producing longe...