What is it about?
We tested several species on mollies for a pre-existing bias i.e. a preference for a sword which does not exist in those species. Two species, which also show elaborate courtship, did prefer the sword, whereas another species, which has no courtship, did not. In a hybrid species (from a mother with no preference and a father with a preference for a sword) we found that some preferred a sword, but others did not.
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Why is it important?
Female preferences for swords have been found in some naturally swordless species supporting the idea of preexisting biases. In this particular example we find a lot of variability.
Perspectives
Most interesting are the preferences found in the only hybrid species in the genus, the Amazon molly. Depending on where they live, they either show a preference or not. Difficult to interpret, but quite interesting!
Dr. Ingo Schlupp
University of Oklahoma
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Pre-existing biases for swords in mollies ( Poecilia ) , Behavioral Ecology, August 2015, Oxford University Press (OUP),
DOI: 10.1093/beheco/arv130.
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