Nicole Stange & Bernhard Ronacher (2012): Grasshopper calling songs convey
information about condition and health of males. J. Comp. Physiol. A 198
(4), 309-318.
Abstract: Females of the grasshopper Chorthippus biguttulus invest much more
in the offspring than do males. As a consequence, females are the more
selective sex and exert a sexual selection on males by responding to the
songs of certain conspecific males while rejecting others. What kind of
information about the sender may a female obtain from a male?s song, in
addition to its species identity? We searched for correlations between a
series of song features and morphometric parameters of individual males. In
addition, also the immunocompetence of males was assessed by implanting
small pieces of nylon thread. We found significant, positive correlations
between certain song characteristics and indicators of male size and
immunocompetence. Thus, grasshopper females may?in principle?be able to
judge a male?s condition and health from the acoustic signals he produces.
URL: http://www.springerlink.com/content/xh7546488151ph76/
For reprints please contact N. Stange (email:
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Sonja
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