| Summary: | 碩士 === 東海大學 === 生命科學系 === 106 === Sexual selection plays an important role in the evolution of phenotypes. Females choose potential mates based on a variety of traits, including morphological traits, display performances, vocal signals, and territory qualities. Previous studies focused on the effect of a single criterion in mate selection, however, multiple criteria probably play a even more important role in the process. To date, the mechanism of sexual selection under multiple criteria are relatively unexplored, and the mechanism of female choice of frogs with resource defense breeding system is still controversial. Females may use both acoustic traits and territorial traits to choose potential mates. In my study, I used a resource-defensed species, Kurixalus eiffingeri, to investigate the effects of acoustic and territorial traits on mating success and offspring. I totally recorded 81 calling males in summer 2016 and 2017. I investigated the effects of body conditions, call properties, and territory qualities of male frogs on mating success, clutch size, and egg hatching rate. Results showed that(1)Acoustic traits including sound pressure, call duration, and spectrum properties are correlated with body size of male frogs. Further, I compared the trait differences between mated and unmated males. Mated males have longer call duration, bigger body size, and greater relative amplitude of frequency. Also, mated male hold a bamboo stump with larger egg-laying space. All findings suggest that female may first choose male frogs with bigger body size and better quality through call traits. After choosing a male, she may assess site quality through territorial traits. (2)Traits preferred by females including males’ body size and egg-laying space, are positively correlated to clutch size, but not egg hatching rate. This suggests that traits preferred by females can bring benefits for females by producing larger clutches. Although these traits did not affect hatching rate, they might have effect on the future stage of offspring, such as tadpole period.
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