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of zebra finch males are as handsome as the females consider

Brad Pitt knows well: the attraction is important and, although he may not know all that well , physical attractiveness has important implications for reproductive success of humans and other animals. But physical attraction is not a fixed characteristic and depends on several factors such as sex ratio (ie many males are in relation to the amount of females) the risk of predation and social environment in which the appeal is assessed. Little is known yet about the way in which various species of animals obtain information about their own attractiveness. Knowing that it is so attractive in the arena of sexual competition is important because it can determine the benefits to be derived from the attractive and thus influence the reproductive success of individuals. has been shown in zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata ) females changed their preference depending on experience, and that males adjust their courtship displays depending on the response females. What is not clear yet is whether this colorful bird males adjust their behavior depending on the feedback they receive from females with respect to its appeal. Nick J Royle, and Thomas W Pike, University of Exeter in the UK were given the task of solving this mystery in a pilot study recently published in the journal Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology . The zebra finch (Taeniopygia guttata ) is a boisterous, gregarious and friendly bird of the order of passerine has been studied extensively by many ecologists behavior. Because they are very adaptable and seems very easy to breed in captivity, these birds are ideal for experimental studies. Macho zebra finch. Peripitus photo taken Wikimedia Commons. Macho zebra finch. Peripitus photo taken Wikimedia Commons.

One advantage in studying Nick and Thomas is that several years ago found that the attractiveness of males zebra finches can be manipulated experimentally with colored rings on their legs due to an incidental result of staining of these birds. Ornithologists and other bird scholars usually identify individual birds under study with small colored rings on their legs. However, study showed that in the zebra finch, the red rings makes these birds more attractive as green rings make them less handsome in the eyes of the females. Nick and Thomas took this finding to manipulate the handsomeness of the male and study and test whether the care provided by males depends on how attractive these are for females. To achieve this first used males and females raised in captivity and experimental cages in which a female could choose between two males without that they could see each other. The two males, each one on each side of the female and the female were in separate compartments, but the female could approach each and roost near each. Males also had a rack in the compartment near the compartment of the female, so to show interested parties could approach the female perched beside him. The males were randomly assigned either a red or a green ring. Once the trio was in the experimental cage, recorded the behavior of the female for 10 minutes and it was felt that a female had selected a male when he had spent more time on the perch near it. We have seen that the time proximity is a good indicator of preference in mate choice in this kind of lively birds. Then, patients were selected for the final experiment those females who had preferred males with red rings, but the final experiment males were different from those of the initial experiment.

For the final experiment used the same type of cage but as separation compartments had a screen with a coating that could see one or both directions. Each male used both the red and green ring and males of each experimental trio were always the same. As in the initial experiment was recorded female behavior and their preference for 10 minutes each, and also record if the male approached the female compartment.

The 4 experimental conditions in which each male participated were: 1) The male green belt could see the female but could not see it, 2) The male red ring could see the female but does not I could see, 3) male green belt could see the female and this too could see and 4) The male red ring could see the female and this too could see. In general, males spent more time near females when they could see the male and, especially, when they were using the red ring. But there was no difference in time spent near the female when she could not see. The time females spent near the male was proportional to the time that males spent near females. That is, the more care provided males to females they responded by getting closer to them. The simple and elegant study of Nick and Thomas suggests that male zebra finches that were experimentally manipulated to be more sexy gave more attention to females, regardless of other property or attribute. A strength of the study is that since each male used both the red and green ring at different times this allowed to have control of individual differences between males and allowed the authors to confirm that females were responding effectively to the (manipulated ) attractive males. This study is consistent with other studies that suggest that individuals of both sexes can modify their behavior depending on the feedback they receive from other group members. It is notable that the information obtained and used males regarding their appeal is independent of its intrinsic quality. In other words, in these birds, the attraction is also a social construction, determined in part by the feedback they received from females. Lack to whether the information males gain about the social impact assessment of physical skills is somehow stored and used later in their interactions with other males and females of the same species. For example, these birds could be modified other behaviors such as courtship, fidelity and even parental care in terms of its appeal. is to draw attention to another recent study , which also handled the appeal of male zebra finches, we found that over time the color of the rings on their legs affected the mass body, physical condition and courtship displays of males. Ie including males in the study obtained information about their appeal from the assessments of other birds and their behavior changed accordingly. Although unlike the study of Nick and Thomas in that study were the interactions males (and not between males and females) that were evaluated. therefore would not be unreasonable to think that just as males modify their behavior in the long term as a result of their interactions with other males, also the information obtained from their interactions with females could determine their decisions and affect its future performance . What happens in these birds is what would happen if suddenly Brad Pitt had to use-for example, black pants and that he did terribly unattractive to their fans and therefore stop making movies and trouser make much less. That is, Brad Pitt would not be inherently less attractive and would have decreased as a real way, say, just their behavior would be altered by the perception of its appeal would have gained from the opinions of their fans. Terrible situation that this would be for Brad.

The Nick and Thomas study highlights, among other things, the importance of social feedback has on the reproductive behavior of some species, in this case of male zebra finches.

female and male zebra finch. Stock Yap Lip Kee taken from Wikimedia Commons .

female and male zebra finch. Stock Yap Lip Kee taken from Wikimedia Commons .

reference article:

Royle, N., & Pike, T. (2010). Social feedback and attractiveness in zebra finches Behavioral Ecology and Sociobiology, 64 (12), 2015-2020 DOI: 10.1007/s00265-010-1013-1