Data from: Mate copying in Drosophila simulans
Data files
May 20, 2025 version files 49.61 KB
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Data_Dsim.xlsx
45.55 KB
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README.md
4.06 KB
Abstract
To facilitate the search for a suitable mating partner, many animals across all taxa use social information. One form of social learning is mate copying, in which individuals use information about potential mates by copying the mate choices of other individuals. While many studies have documented mate copying in Drosophila melanogaster and its potential for cultural evolution in the laboratory, little is known about mate copying in other Drosophila species. Here we report the first evidence that Drosophila simulans females can also acquire a sexual preference for a particular trait of a male after observing a single mating event. We used the same protocol developed for D. melanogaster: A naïve, unmated female first observes a conspecific's mate choice between one artificially colored green and one artificially colored pink male, and is subsequently allowed to choose between two males of the same phenotype herself. Just as with D. melanogaster, D. simulans females were more likely to choose the same type of male as in the demonstration. Thus, D. simulans females are capable of rapid social observational learning, and this highlights the potential importance of mate copying, a trait that may contribute to reproductive isolation.
Dataset DOI: 10.5061/dryad.zs7h44jmc
Description of the data and file structure
We conducted behavioural observations of the mate choice decisions of Drosophila simulans females from three different populations to test whether they copy the mate choice of their conspecifics.
Files and variables
File: Data_Dsim.xlsx
Description:
Variables
| Variable | Explanation | Level |
|---|---|---|
| Experimentor | Who did the experiment | SN (Sabine Nöbel)/TK (Tim Kaufmann) |
| Date | Date of the experiment | |
| TimeDemo | Beginning of the experiment | |
| Chamber | Position in the box | A, B, C, D, E, F |
| Device | Number of the set-up | |
| Strain | Fly population | H (Haale (Saale)), S (Maison Salasar), D (Deyme) |
| Treatment | Treatments | MC (mate copying = informed), C (control = uninformed) |
| Temp | Temperature [°C] in the room | |
| Humidity | Humidity [%] in the room | |
| ColourDemo | Colour of the male copulating in the demonstration | G (green), P (pink), NA (no copulation) |
| Colour1Court | Colour of the male that started the first courtship | G (green), P (pink), NA (no courtship) |
| Colour2Court | Colour of the male that started the second courtship | G (green), P (pink), NA (no courtship) |
| ColourTest | Colour of the male copulating in the test | G (green), P (pink), NA (no copulation) |
| MCS | Mate-copying score | 0 (observer female chose a different coloured male than the demonstrator), 1 (observer female chose the same coloured male as the demonstrator) |
Access information
Other publicly accessible locations of the data:
- N/A
Data was derived from the following sources:
- N/A
