There is ample evidence that phenotypic traits are important mate choice criteria. Yet, we still know little about the importance of behavioural plasticity in attracting mates, although females could gain direct and/or indirect fitness benefits by choosing males that can adjust their behaviour to environmental fluctuations. Plasticity in foraging tactic use, particularly, might be a key determinant of fitness that could guide mate choice. In this study, we thus asked whether female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) prefer males exhibiting greater plasticity in their foraging tactic use. We measured individual plasticity in a producer–scrounger game where males and females, playing in turn, were exposed to two seed distribution treatments, and females could monitor the males’ behaviour, unbeknownst to them. Subsequently, we measured the time each female spent in front of the males they had previously observed in the expectation that females would exhibit a general preference for males with greater plasticity in tactic use. Contrary to our expectation, we found that females did not unanimously prefer the males exhibiting greater plasticity but differed widely in their preference with more plastic females showing a stronger preference for male plasticity compared to the other females. Thus, our findings suggest that differences among females in their mating preference would contribute to maintaining differences in plasticity in tactic use. Mate choice is a crucial decision in an individual’s life that directly impacts its fitness. Given that females could benefit from choosing males capable of responding to changes in environmental conditions, we asked in this study whether female zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) prefer males exhibiting greater plasticity in their foraging tactic use. We let females observe males expressing plasticity in a social foraging context and scored their mate preference for male plasticity. We found that females differed in their preference for male plasticity in tactic use, with more plastic females exhibiting a stronger preference for male plasticity compared to the others. Our results indicate that behavioural plasticity may be used as a mate choice criterion and hence suggest that mate choice might contribute to maintaining differences in male behavioural plasticity.

中文翻译：

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雌性斑胸草雀是否更喜欢在觅食策略使用中表现出更大可塑性的雄性？

有充分的证据表明表型特征是重要的配偶选择标准。然而，我们仍然对行为可塑性在吸引配偶方面的重要性知之甚少，尽管雌性可以通过选择能够根据环境波动调整其行为的雄性来获得直接和/或间接的健康益处。尤其是觅食策略使用的可塑性可能是健康的关键决定因素，可以指导配偶选择。在这项研究中，我们因此询问雌性斑胸草雀（Taeniopygia guttata）是否更喜欢在觅食策略使用中表现出更大可塑性的雄性。我们在一个生产者 - scrounger 游戏中测量了个体的可塑性，其中男性和女性轮流玩，接受两种种子分配处理，女性可以监测男性的行为，而它们并不知情。随后，我们测量了每个女性在他们之前观察到的男性面前花费的时间，期望女性会表现出对在战术使用上具有更大可塑性的男性的普遍偏好。与我们的预期相反，我们发现女性并没有一致喜欢表现出更大可塑性的男性，但她们的偏好差异很大，与其他女性相比，更多塑料的女性对男性可塑性表现出更强的偏好。因此，我们的研究结果表明，雌性交配偏好的差异将有助于维持战术使用可塑性的差异。配偶选择是个人生活中的一个关键决定，直接影响其健康。鉴于女性可以从选择能够应对环境条件变化的男性中受益，我们在这项研究中询问雌性斑胸草雀 (Taeniopygia guttata) 是否更喜欢在觅食策略使用中表现出更大可塑性的雄性。我们让雌性观察雄性在社会觅食环境中表现出的可塑性，并对它们对雄性可塑性的配偶偏好进行评分。我们发现女性在战术使用中对男性可塑性的偏好不同，与其他女性相比，更多的女性对男性可塑性表现出更强的偏好。我们的结果表明，行为可塑性可用作配偶选择标准，因此表明配偶选择可能有助于维持男性行为可塑性的差异。我们让雌性观察雄性在社会觅食环境中表现出的可塑性，并对它们对雄性可塑性的配偶偏好进行评分。我们发现女性在战术使用中对男性可塑性的偏好不同，与其他女性相比，更多的女性对男性可塑性表现出更强的偏好。我们的结果表明，行为可塑性可用作配偶选择标准，因此表明配偶选择可能有助于维持男性行为可塑性的差异。我们让雌性观察雄性在社会觅食环境中表现出的可塑性，并对它们对雄性可塑性的配偶偏好进行评分。我们发现女性在战术使用中对男性可塑性的偏好不同，与其他女性相比，更多的女性对男性可塑性表现出更强的偏好。我们的结果表明，行为可塑性可用作配偶选择标准，因此表明配偶选择可能有助于维持男性行为可塑性的差异。