Plasticity of close-range courtship interactions in túngara frogs
Poster Number
15C
Faculty Mentor Name
Dr. Marcos Gridi-Papp
Format
Poster Presentation
Research or Creativity Area
Natural Sciences
Abstract
Courtship behaviors, shaped by sexual selection, facilitate communication between males and females through diverse signals. In the túngara frog (Engystomops pustulosus), males produce complex advertisement calls that attract females and mediate male competition. While calling is often viewed solely as a mate-attraction strategy, it may also influence female physiology by promoting egg maturation and oviposition. We explored how male túngara frog courtship behavior and mating success are plastic with regard to social context provided by the acoustic environment and male-female proximity. Randomly assigned males and females were put to breed in enclosures that restrict the pair to within clasping-range (10 cm). The pairs were then subjected to hearing either silence or one of six playback loops. Courtship behaviors were recorded through infrared cameras and microphones. We found that males persisted in calling despite the females being within clasping-range, and females had 36% more egg nests within the most stimulating playback treatment compared to the number of nests produced within the silence treatment. Our findings indicate that the male choice between signaling or amplecting is not altered by the chorus but its potential effect on the signaling of the male is currently being analysed. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how social context can influence the evolution of communication systems and reproductive behaviors.
Location
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
Start Date
24-4-2026 11:00 AM
End Date
24-4-2026 2:00 PM
Plasticity of close-range courtship interactions in túngara frogs
University of the Pacific, DeRosa University Center
Courtship behaviors, shaped by sexual selection, facilitate communication between males and females through diverse signals. In the túngara frog (Engystomops pustulosus), males produce complex advertisement calls that attract females and mediate male competition. While calling is often viewed solely as a mate-attraction strategy, it may also influence female physiology by promoting egg maturation and oviposition. We explored how male túngara frog courtship behavior and mating success are plastic with regard to social context provided by the acoustic environment and male-female proximity. Randomly assigned males and females were put to breed in enclosures that restrict the pair to within clasping-range (10 cm). The pairs were then subjected to hearing either silence or one of six playback loops. Courtship behaviors were recorded through infrared cameras and microphones. We found that males persisted in calling despite the females being within clasping-range, and females had 36% more egg nests within the most stimulating playback treatment compared to the number of nests produced within the silence treatment. Our findings indicate that the male choice between signaling or amplecting is not altered by the chorus but its potential effect on the signaling of the male is currently being analysed. These findings contribute to a broader understanding of how social context can influence the evolution of communication systems and reproductive behaviors.
