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The impact of learning on sexual selection and speciation.

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Author

  • Machteld Verzijden
  • Carel Ten Cate
  • Maria R Servedio
  • Genevieve M Kozak
  • Jenny W Boughman
  • Erik Svensson

Summary, in English

Learning is widespread in nature, occurring in most animal taxa and in several different ecological contexts and, thus, might play a key role in evolutionary processes. Here, we review the accumulating empirical evidence for the involvement of learning in mate choice and the consequences for sexual selection and reproductive isolation. We distinguish two broad categories: learned mate preferences and learned traits under mate selection (such as bird song). We point out that the context of learning, namely how and when learning takes place, often makes a crucial difference to the predicted evolutionary outcome. Factors causing biases in learning and when one should expect the evolution of learning itself are also explored.

Publishing year

2012

Language

English

Pages

511-519

Publication/Series

Trends in Ecology & Evolution

Volume

27

Issue

9

Document type

Journal article

Publisher

Elsevier

Topic

  • Biological Sciences

Status

Published

Research group

  • Evolution and Ecology of Phenotypes in Nature

ISBN/ISSN/Other

  • ISSN: 1872-8383