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from the dept. Spring is the season for flashy mates, at least for finches. It is only later in the year that the females choose based on genetic diversity, according to new research from two scientists at the University of Arizona. Their 10-year study of a colony of 12,000 finches in Montana has revealed the seasonal dynamics of finch attraction and thereby resolved an evolutionary conundrum. Previous research had shown that female birds go for the most resplendent mates; in the case of finches, this means the males with the reddest breast. Some scientists argue that such sexual selection is the driving force behind apparently useless displays, such as red breasts or the brilliance of a male peacock's tail. "For such elaborate traits to evolve, you have to have mating patterns where everyone wants the same thing," explains ecologist Kevin Oh.On the other hand, in a relatively stable population, if all females mated with the flashiest guy, the charm of finches would become inbred. Instead, female finches should seek out males with the most genetic difference from themselves. But this would lead to a variety of hues for male finch breasts. "Even though preference for genetically complementary mates is widely documented, it has always puzzled people that individual differences in mate preference do not prevent the evolution of elaborate ornaments," notes ecologist Alexander Badyaev. Read more in Scientific American < | >
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Finches Provide Answer to Another Evolutionary Riddle
