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Journal Articles Biological Journal of the Linnean Society Year : 2020

Male ultraviolet reflectance and female mating history influence female mate choice and male mating success in a polyandrous lizard

Abstract

Pre-copulatory female mate choice based on male ultraviolet (UV) coloration has been demonstrated in several vertebrate species, but post-copulatory mechanisms have been largely overlooked. Here, we investigated female mate preference based on male UV coloration in the common lizard Zootoca vivipara, in which males display conspicuous UV coloration on their throat. During two successive years, we staged sequential mating trials between females and four different males with UV-reduced or control belly and throat coloration. We recorded pre-copulatory female behavior, copulation behavior and assigned paternity to all offspring. Females were more aggressive towards UV-reduced males and, in one year, UV-reduced males had a lower probability of siring at least one egg (fertilization success) during the last mating trials. However, in one year, copulation was shorter with control males. Altogether, our results suggest that females exert subtle pre-copulatory mate preference based on male UV ornaments and, conditional on the study year and female mating history, some degree of post-copulatory preference for UV-control males leading to differential male fertilization success. This study suggests that UV-based female mate choice may be more widespread than previously thought vertebrates, and emphasize the importance to use a study design well adapted to the species reproductive behavior.
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Dates and versions

hal-02995819 , version 1 (19-11-2020)

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Arnaud Badiane, Mélissa Martin, Sandrine Meylan, Murielle Richard, Beatriz Decenci Ferrandière, et al.. Male ultraviolet reflectance and female mating history influence female mate choice and male mating success in a polyandrous lizard. Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2020, 130 (3), pp.586-598. ⟨10.1093/biolinnean/blaa061⟩. ⟨hal-02995819⟩
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