Color: so HOT right now!

1. Color: so HOT right now! Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

2. Color • Carotenoid Pigmentation • Contribution of genes • Condition-dependency Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

3. Study • Female house finch preference for color • Intersexual selection: what other factors? Age, size, dominance, activity? Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

4. Methods • Captured house finches from areas of southeastern Michigan along in southwestern Ohio • It was right before breeding time (July and December) • Setting of experiment • Central Chamber and four auxiliary chambers • Measurements: • Time spent in association in the male’s mini chamber Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

5. Results • Females showed a non-random association preference for the more colorful males • After a manipulation, results were consistent Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

6. Conclusion • Females prefer more colorful males • Intersexual selection suggests that the good genes are in the color • Combination of genes and physical fitness/competence Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

7. Interesting Points… • The usage of color dye in the experiment distinguishes plumage (color) brightness from other confounding factors as the defining attribute by which female house finches select mates • The experiment using female finches as visual stimuli indicates that this plumage brightness factor is a feature of sexual attraction/ selection of a male counterpart, and thus not just a color preference Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

8. Points Of Concern… • Females who choose males “probably respond to characteristics of males and not the quality of resources associated with a male.” • The test female could only view one of the males at a time because of the design of the chambers. However, all four males could be heard for the duration of the trials. The female would leave her preferred male periodically regardless of her preference. Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

9. True/ False Questions • Female house finch birds preferred brighter plumage males even when the males were artificially dyed. • Female house finch birds prefer brighter and more colorful plumage in both males and females of their species. • House finch birds are monogamous. Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology

10. Multiple Choice Questions • Female house finch birds that did not pair with males in the experiment • Were older • Probably paired in the wild • Preferred brighter plumage males • All of the above Hill, G.E. (1990) Female house finches prefer colourful males: sexual selection for a condition-dependent trait. Museum of Zoology and Department of Biology