Abstract

Mate-choice copying is a form of social learning in which an individual’s choice of mate is influenced by the apparent choices of other individuals of the same sex and has been observed in more than 20 species across a broad taxonomic range. Though fitness benefits of copying have proven difficult to measure, theory suggests that copying should not be beneficial for all species or contexts. However, the factors influencing the evolution and expression of copying have proven difficult to resolve. We systematically searched the literature for studies of mate-choice copying in nonhuman animals and, then, performed a phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis to explore which factors influence the expression of copying across species. Across 58 published studies in 23 species, we find strong evidence that animals copy the mate choice of others. The strength of copying was significantly influenced by taxonomic group; however, sample size limitations mean it is difficult to draw firm conclusions regarding copying in mammals and arthropods. The strength of copying was also influenced by experimental design: copying was stronger when choosers were tested before and after witnessing a conspecific’s mate choice compared to when choosers with social information were compared to choosers without. Importantly, we did not detect any difference in the strength of copying between males and females or in relation to the rate of multiple mating. Our search also highlights that more empirical work is needed to investigate copying in a broader range of species, especially those with differing mating systems and levels of reproductive investment.

中文翻译：

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对动物择偶复制强度影响因素的荟萃分析

摘要

择偶复制是一种社会学习的形式，其中个体对伴侣的选择会受到其他同性个体的明显选择的影响，并且已经在广泛的分类学范围内的20多个物种中得到了观察。尽管事实证明，复制对健身的好处难以衡量，但理论表明，复制并非对所有物种或环境都有利。但是，已证明难以解决影响复制演变和表达的因素。我们系统地搜索了文献，以研究非人类动物的择偶复制，然后进行了系统发育控制的荟萃分析，以探讨哪些因素影响跨物种复制的表达。在涉及23个物种的58项已发表的研究中，我们发现有力的证据表明动物复制了其他物种的伴侣选择。分类组显着影响复制强度。然而，样本量的限制意味着很难得出关于在哺乳动物和节肢动物中复制的可靠结论。复制的强度还受实验设计的影响：与目击者的伴侣选择前后相比，选择者在见证同伴的伴侣选择之前和之后进行测试时，与将具有社交信息的选择者与没有社交信息的选择者进行比较相比，复制的能力更强。重要的是，我们没有发现雌雄之间复制强度的任何差异，也没有发现多次交配的比率。我们的搜索结果还强调，需要更多的经验工作来研究更广泛种类的物种的复制，尤其是那些具有不同交配系统和生殖投资水平的物种。