Presentation Details
How relaxed preferences facilitate the evolution of novel animal signals

Gabrielle Welsh1, Jay Gallagher2, Mary Westwood3, Robin Tinghitella3.

1University of Chicago, Chicago, IL, USA.2University of Califoria, Davis, CA, USA.3University of Denver, Denver, CO, USA

Abstract


The evolution of sexual signals is critical to the generation of biodiversity. Yet, how novel signals arise and spread is difficult to envision because if receiver preferences are aligned with existing signals, when a novel trait initially invades and is very rare, most receivers should discriminate against it. I investigated an underappreciated hypothesis: relaxed receiver preferences facilitate the earliest stages of novel signal evolution. I capitalized on the Pacific field cricket, Teleogryllus oceanicus, which recently evolved multiple novel acoustic signals in response to an eavesdropping parasitoid fly only found in the crickets’ introduced range in Hawaii. I conducted phonotaxis trials with females from the cricket’s native range (Australia and French Polynesia) and its introduced range (Hawaii, where it coincides with the fly), presenting females with novel songs and the typical song. In the field, Hawaiian females responded more positively to the novel rattling and typical songs than those from Australia. In the lab, however, those differences across regions were less pronounced. This relaxation in Hawaiian female preferences is likely giving novel signals a foothold.

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