Increased signal complexity is associated with increased mating success

Authors

Noori Choi, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Matt Adams, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Kasey Fowler-Finn, Saint Louis UniversityFollow
Elise Knowlton, University of Oklahoma School of Community Medicine
Malcolm Rosenthal, University of California-Berkeley
Aaron Rundus, West Chester University
Roger D. Santer, Aberystwyth University
Dustin J. Wilgers, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
Eileen Hebets, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow

ORCID IDs

NC, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8988-3334

RDS, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8248-0532

EAH, http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9382-2040

Date of this Version

2022

Citation

Choi N, Adams M, Fowler- Finn K, Knowlton E, Rosenthal M, Rundus A, Santer RD, Wilgers D, Hebets EA. 2022 Increased signal complexity is associated with increased mating success. Biol. Lett. 18: 20220052. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsbl.2022.0052

Comments

© 2022 The Authors. Published by the Royal Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License

Abstract

The evolution of complex signals has often been explored by testing multiple functional hypotheses regarding how independent signal components provide selective benefits to offset the costs of their production. In the present study, we take a different approach by exploring the function of complexity per se. We test the hypothesis that increased vibratory signal complexity— based on both proportional and temporal patterning—provides selective benefits to courting male Schizocosa stridulans wolf spiders. In support of this hypothesis, all of our quantified metrics of vibratory signal complexity predicted the mating success of male S. stridulans. The rate of visual signalling, which is mechanistically tied to vibratory signal production, was also associated with mating success. We additionally found evidence that males can dynamically adjust the complexity of their vibratory signalling. Together, our results suggest that complexity per se may be a target of female choice.