Preference of pubescent females for dominant vs subordinate males in root voles 3

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1 49 (3) : A cta Zoologica S inica 3 ( ) ( ) ( ) : (1) ; (2) Y ; (3) 24 h ; [ 49 (3) : ] Preference of pubescent females for dominant vs subordinate males in root voles 3 ZHAO Ya2J un SUN Ru2Yong FAN G Ji2Ming L I Bao2Ming ZHAO Xin2Quan ( Mi nist ry of A gricult ure Key L aboratory f or A gro2biological Envi ronmental Engi neeri ng Chi na A gricult ural U niversity Beiji ng Chi na) ( Instit ute of Ecology Beiji ng Normal U niversity Beiji ng Chi na) ( Northwest Plateau Instit ute of Biology Chi nese Academy of Sciences Xi ni ng Chi na) Abstract A series of animal behavioral experiments were designed to investigate morphological and behavioral factors af2 fecting mate choice in the polygynous root vole ( Microtus oeconom us). Two laboratory experiments on the effect of male dominance on the mate choice of pubescent female root voles were conducted. In an experiment of dyadic interaction of male full siblings the heavier sibling was significantly more dominant than the other so the heavier sibling was regarded as the dominant. In a Y2shape maze experiment female root voles undergoing their first estrus spent more time visiting socializing and being amicable to dominant males than subordinate ones. After the test the three voles were housed to2 gether in a cage for 24 hours the dominant exhibited less latency of intromission than that of the subordinate and the dominant male s copulation with the female was not disrupted by the subordinate male. Combined with the female prefer2 ence for familiar males established in previous experiments ( Zhao et al ) the female preference for dominant males suggests that male social rank could be regarded as such a good indicator of mate choice in virgin female root voles. We hypothesise that interspecific variation in male dominance is consistent with the observed variation in body mass dimor2 phism among monogamous polygynous and promiscuous vole species. Therefore female mate choice for larger males can determine how polygamous vole species differ from monogamous and promiscuous ones [ Acta Zoologica Sinica 49 (3) : (No No ) [ This research was funded by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No and No ) and the Haibei Alpine Ecosystem Research Station Chinese Academy of Sciences] 33 : net ν 2003 Acta Zoologica Sinica

2 ]. Key words Root vole ( Microtus oeconom us) Pubescent females Mate choice Dyadic interaction of make full sib2 lings Dominance Polygyny F2 F4 ( Zhao et al. 1999) ( Drews 1993 ) Drews (1993) (1982) : 5114 d 4814 d Facemire et al. 42 d d 70 d (20 cm 6 cm 6 cm) 24 h (Dewsbury ) 112 TPX2CP24 ( 46 cm 31 cm 20 cm) ( Hoffmey2 - er 1982 ; Huck et al. 1982a b ; Shapiro et al. 1986a ; Drickmer 1992 ; Horne et al ; Kruczek 1997 ) ( Shapiro et al. 1986b ; 1 Zhang et al ; Zhao et al ; 2002a) ( 2002b) (1983) Y ( Zhao et al ; a b) ( Pierce et al ; Salo et al. 1995) (Dyadic habitation) ( 1 ) 14 5 d 5 d ( ) 2 2 d 1 (? ) 2? 48 h ( M icrot us oecono2 2 3 h m us Pallas) 15 min 2 2

3 3 : Wilcoxon 2 h 2 1 h Chi2square test McNemar Sign test Y 20 min min 30 min 211 : ( ) 5 d ( ) ( ) ( ) [ 1 = g 2 = g n ( = = n = 14 P > 0105) 24 h 3 ( P < 0101) : 1 1 h 1 24 h 2 ( = g = 2016 ( g n = 14 P < ) - - ( = g = 2016 ) ( 015 g n = 14 P < ) ( 1) ) min ( ) 114 SPSS/ PC + 2 = 14 P < 0101) ( 1) The Ob2 ( P < 01001) server ( ) ( ( Student s t ) Fig. 1 Difference in mass body ( Mean S E) between pairs of male siblings and sexual dimorphism in males of similar age to female root voles (Student s t2test 3333 P < n = 14)

4 ( Wilcoxon ) Fig. 2 Frequency in 15 min of dyadic interaction between lighter ( ) and heavier ( ) male sibling root voles and their courtship response to a conspecif ic female housed in a small cage of wire mesh within the test box (Wilcoxon test 33 P < P < n = 14) 015) ( P < 0101) ; 2 1 ; ( P < 0101) ; ; ( ) ( ) ( ) ; ( 2) ( 2) ( ) 1 Table 1 Mating preference of pubescent female root voles for dominant vs subordinate males Behavior Measure Subordinate male (Mean S E) Dominant male (Mean S E) Wilcoxon Test 22tailed P (Visiting) S (Social investigation) F S (Approach) F (Staring) F (Nose vs body) (Naso2genital) F S F S (Coquetting) S (Rejection) S (Aggression) F (Amicableness) F F S 30 min ( ) 14 ( The two males in each trial were full2siblings ; F S : frequency and duration of behaviors in seconds during 30 min tests ; n = 14)

5 3 : h 12 h ( P = Chi2 square test) 10 ( Trivers 1972) 1 ( P = McNe2 mar Sign test) ; 24 h 14 ( P Chi2square test) 13 ( P = McNemar Sign test ) 2 ; ( P = McNemar Sign test) 3 : 1) ( Clutton2Brock et al. 1992) 2 ( Horne et al. 1996) 2 ; 2) 2-2 ( Gilbert 1995) ; 3) (Lambin et al. 2 ( Rozenfeld et al. 1991) ( Tast ( 1966 ; 1982 ; Lambin et al ; Jo2 ) hannesen et al. 1996) ( ) (Lambin et al ; Johannesen et al. 1996) ( 1982 ; Lambin et al. 1992) ( ) ( ( Rozenfeld et al ; Horne et al ; Kruczek 1997) ( ( Potentilla f ruticosa) (Emlen et al. 1977) (Andersson 1994 ; Horne et al. 1996) 1992) 1982) ) (30 min) ( 1982) h 2

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