Eenie Meenie Miney Moe: The Influence of Female Body Size and Color on Male Sexual Selection

Abstract

After a long period of research, it was discovered that guppies, Poecilia reticulata, have a mating choice that is influenced by many different characteristics that are favored by the level of gaudiness present in the female. Guppies are very often observed of their mate choice because of their tranquility in experimentation replication. The use of elements that are 3D models have been commonly used as an efficient alternative in experimenting with stimuli; causing more flexibility, and the anxiety and stress in the guppy subjects to lessen in extensive amounts. The majority of recent studies focus on the behavioral patterns of guppies during sexual selection, but our experiment demonstrates the importance of size through a large amount of trials and how the male guppy reacts to smaller female guppies. This experiment has potential new discoveries by studying 3D models and their size characteristics that influence mate choice.