Physiological control of elaborate male courtship: female choice for neuromuscular systems

Leonida Fusani; Julia Barske; Lainy D Day; Matthew J Fuxjager; Barney A Schlinger

doi:10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.017

Physiological control of elaborate male courtship: female choice for neuromuscular systems

Neurosci Biobehav Rev. 2014 Oct;46 Pt 4(0 4):534-46. doi: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2014.07.017. Epub 2014 Jul 31.

Authors

Leonida Fusani¹, Julia Barske², Lainy D Day³, Matthew J Fuxjager⁴, Barney A Schlinger⁵

Affiliations

¹ Department of Life Sciences and Biotechnology, University of Ferrara, 44121 Ferrara, Italy. Electronic address: leofusani@gmail.com.
² Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: julia@barske.info.
³ Department of Biology, University of Mississippi, University, MS 38677, USA. Electronic address: lainyday@gmail.com.
⁴ Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: mfoxhunter@gmail.com.
⁵ Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Laboratory of Neuroendocrinology, Brain Research Institute, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA; Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USA. Electronic address: schlinge@lifesci.ucla.edu.

Abstract

Males of many animal species perform specialized courtship behaviours to gain copulations with females. Identifying physiological and anatomical specializations underlying performance of these behaviours helps clarify mechanisms through which sexual selection promotes the evolution of elaborate courtship. Our knowledge about neuromuscular specializations that support elaborate displays is limited to a few model species. In this review, we focus on the physiological control of the courtship of a tropical bird, the golden-collared manakin, which has been the focus of our research for nearly 20 years. Male manakins perform physically elaborate courtship displays that are quick, accurate and powerful. Females seem to choose males based on their motor skills suggesting that neuromuscular specializations possessed by these males are driven by female choice. Male courtship is activated by androgens and androgen receptors are expressed in qualitatively and quantitatively unconventional ways in manakin brain, spinal cord and skeletal muscles. We propose that in some species, females select males based on their neuromuscular capabilities and acquired skills and that elaborate steroid-dependent courtship displays evolve to signal these traits.

Keywords: Androgen; Courtship; Courtship display; Manacus; Manakin; Neuromuscular system; Sexual behaviour; Sexual selection.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.
Review

MeSH terms

Animals
Choice Behavior*
Female
Male
Neuromuscular Junction / physiology*
Passeriformes
Sex Characteristics*
Sexual Behavior, Animal / physiology*

Grants and funding

T32 HD007228/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States