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Why do male animals perform thrilling courtship dances? You won't guess the secret behind it!
Across the animal kingdom, male animals often display stunning courtship behaviors, including thrilling dances, spectacular calls and elaborate decorations. What biological secrets lie behind these behaviors? Why do males in crested swallowtails, cherry blossom birds, and other species strive to attract females? These behaviors are not random but are strongly influenced by evolution, with female selection of courtship displays becoming a major driver of male competition.
Courtship display is a series of behaviors that male animals use to attract mates. These behaviors can be dancing, calling or showing off their beauty and strength.
Courtship behavior of male animals
Many male animals engage in elaborate dances and visual displays to attract mates. For example, the males of Parotia lawesii perform a unique "ballerina dance" during courtship, which is particularly fascinating. In addition, male Calypte anna and Stellula calliope also display courtship behaviors that combine visual and acoustic behaviors. These actions not only attract females, but also strengthen their genetic advantages.
Interestingly, some animals even build elaborate nests to attract females, such as the Australian velvet bird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus), where males decorate their nests to attract females during courtship.
Female choice and courtship
While male animals are generally more overt in their courtship behavior, in some cases females can also engage in distinctive courtship displays. In some species, low-survival males such as the tubefish (Syngnathus typhle) may face special external pressures on females to display behaviors that convey their attractiveness, thereby affecting the distribution of reproductive advantage.
It is worth noting that this female courtship behavior will use color or pattern, such as the stripes of female tube fish to attract males or suppress competitors.
Transmission of multiple signals
Research shows that many animals use complex multi-modal signals to court mates. For example, when the green tree frog (Hyla cinerea) combines visual and auditory signals to attract a mate, it increases the female's attraction to her and increases her mating success.
The evolution of this multi-modal signal will be more effective and help females evaluate and select courtship behavior.
Interactive courtship display
In some social species, males and females engage in synchronized courtship displays to strengthen the pair bond. For example, some birds engage in communicative calls, a courtship behavior that not only promotes their bond but also reinforces both partners' recognition of each other's propensity to reproduce.
For example, the joint calls of male and female terns can strengthen social bonds between them.
Sexual conflict and its impact
Sexual conflict refers to the different needs of males and females during reproduction, which usually leads to different selection preferences. Males want species to reproduce more widely, while females value diversity in genetic quality, which has a direct impact on the development of courtship behavior and reproductive strategies. These sexual conflicts also promote various competitive mechanisms, such as sperm competition or the production of mating plugs, to increase the likelihood of successful mating.
Relationship between evolution and courtship behavior
The evolution of courtship behavior remains the subject of heated discussion in the biological community. Whether through difficult survival choices or the transmission of genetic advantages, courtship behavior displays a magnificent natural selection process in the animal kingdom. As time goes by, these behaviors will inevitably adjust and change according to different circumstances.
What unsolved mystery lies behind this courtship dance?
