Male phenotypic diversity experienced during ontogeny mediates female mate choice in guppies

Early social experience can be important in shaping female mate choice. Previous work has shown that females adjust their decisions based on the distribution of male sexual trait values encountered during development. However, other phenotypic features could be important in the formation of mate preferences if, for example, they provide additional information about the males available. Here, we examined how the level of overall phenotypic variance (independent of trait values) experienced during ontogeny, mediated female choice in guppies, Poecilia reticulata. Developing females were reared with males either all different in colouration or all similar in colouration or with adult females representing high variance, low variance and no experience of male variance respectively. We found that females were more sexually responsive when reared with females only than in either of the male treatments. When reared with males, responsiveness was greater in the low-variance compared to the high v...早期社会经验对雌性择偶偏好的塑造具有重要意义。既往研究表明，雌性会根据发育阶段中接触到的雄性性特征值分布调整择偶决策。然而，若其他表型特征能够为现有可接触雄性提供额外相关信息，则其可能在择偶偏好形成中发挥关键作用。本研究以孔雀鱼（*Poecilia reticulata*）为实验对象，探究了个体发育过程中经历的整体表型变异水平（与特征值无关）如何介导雌性择偶行为。实验中将发育中的雌性个体分为三组饲养：第一组与体色均一的雄性共处，第二组与体色各异的雄性共处，第三组仅与成年雌性共处，分别对应高变异、低变异及无雄性变异经验的处理组。研究结果显示，仅与雌性共处的雌性个体，其性响应程度显著高于两种雄性饲养处理组；而在雄性饲养组中，低变异处理组的雌性性响应程度高于高变异组（原文未完结）