Understanding the factors influencing mate choice is a major focus of sexual selection. Many factors are potentially involved, including age of the individual. The good genes model and the youth advantage model both make predictions about the effect of age on mate choice. Under the good genes model older mates would be the more preferable due to their proven high survivability. The “youth advantage” model, predicts that young to intermediate age males would be more advantageous as mates because of a decrease in sperm quality and the possibility of increased germ-line mutations in older animals. I examined the effects of age on behavioral and physiological factors in Diaprepes abbreviatus experimentally. Both males and females were found to be the least optimal as mates during the intermediate stage of their lives, with preferences for young and old age classes. Females had higher fertilization rates when young and fertilization steadily declined with age, consistent with the youth advantage model. Males overall had higher fertilization rate and procured matings faster when they were older, which was in accordance with the good genes model, though experience could also play a role in this result. These data here suggest that in D. abbreviatus age may play an important role in mate choice decisions.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ucf.edu/oai:stars.library.ucf.edu:etd-3021 |
| Date | 01 January 2011 |
| Creators | Chasez, Heather R |
| Publisher | STARS |
| Source Sets | University of Central Florida |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | text |
| Format | application/pdf |
| Source | Electronic Theses and Dissertations |
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