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Riebel K, Holveck MJ, Verhulst S, et al. Are high-quality mates always attractive?: State-dependent mate preferences in birds and humans. Commun Integr Biol. 2010;3(3):271-3doi: 10.4161/cib.3.3.11557.
Riebel, K., Holveck, M. J., Verhulst, S., & Fawcett, T. W. (2010). Are high-quality mates always attractive?: State-dependent mate preferences in birds and humans. Communicative & integrative biology, 3(3), 271-3. https://doi.org/10.4161/cib.3.3.11557
Riebel, Katharina, et al. "Are high-quality mates always attractive?: State-dependent mate preferences in birds and humans." Communicative & integrative biology vol. 3,3 (2010): 271-3. doi: https://doi.org/10.4161/cib.3.3.11557
Riebel K, Holveck MJ, Verhulst S, Fawcett TW. Are high-quality mates always attractive?: State-dependent mate preferences in birds and humans. Commun Integr Biol. 2010 May;3(3):271-3. doi: 10.4161/cib.3.3.11557. PMID: 20714411; PMCID: PMC2918774.
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Commun Integr Biol. 2010 May;3(3):271-3. doi: 10.4161/cib.3.3.11557.

Are high-quality mates always attractive?: State-dependent mate preferences in birds and humans.

Communicative & integrative biology

Katharina Riebel, Marie-Jeanne Holveck, Simon Verhulst, Tim W Fawcett

PMID: 20714411 PMCID: PMC2918774 DOI: 10.4161/cib.3.3.11557

Abstract

Sexual selection theory posits that females should choose mates in a way that maximizes their reproductive success. But what exactly is the optimal choice? Most empirical research is based on the assumption that females seek a male of the highest possible quality (in terms of the genes or resources he can provide), and hence show directional preferences for indicators of male quality. This implies that attractiveness and quality should be highly correlated. However, females frequently differ in what they find attractive. New theoretical and empirical insights provide mounting evidence that a female's own quality biases her judgement of male attractiveness, such that male quality and attractiveness do not always coincide. A recent experiment in songbirds demonstrated for the first time that manipulation of female condition can lead to divergent female preferences, with low-quality females actively preferring low-quality males over high-quality males. This result is in line with theory on state-dependent mate choice and is reminiscent of assortative mating preferences in humans. Here we discuss the implications of this work for the study of mate preferences.

Keywords: assortative mating; attractiveness; birds; choosiness; condition; constrained and unconstrained choice; humans; preference function; state-dependent mate choice; zebra finch

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