Sexual Selection and Imitation: Females Copy the Mate Choice of Others

One major question regarding female choice that remains unanswered is to what extent a female's preference is affected by the preference of other females. Losey et al (1986) found that under some conditions, "mate copying" may be a conditional evolutionarily stable strategy. More recently, Wade and Pruett-Jones (1990) have shown that female mate copying behavior increases the variance in male reproductive success and thus the potential for sexual selection. Although many studies of lekking behavior have shown that particular males may obtain a disproportionate number of matings, it is difficult to determine whether this represents a case of female copying or simply similar preference on the part of females. I examined female copying behavior during mate choice in the Trinidadian guppy (Poecilia reticulata ).