9707349 Nordell One of the most important decisions that an animal must make during it's lifetime is determining which individual(s) to choose as a mate. This decision is often made by the female since she usually incurs the higher cost in reproduction and is therefore very choosy in her selection of a mate. The mate will provide genetic material for the offspring and perhaps other resources as well (such as food, care, defense, etc.) therefore it is important to choose the best possible individual. How do individuals decide who to mate with? The mate choice decision involves a decision about which individuals to reject and which individuals to select as mates. This research will address the question of how individuals assess the quality of potential mates. Prior theoretical work assumes that females can perfectly assess the quality of potential mates and that they should mate with the first male whose quality is greater than the expected quality of future potential males (One-Step decision rule). However, empirical studies often find that females sample n males and then select the one of the highest quality (Best-of-n decision rule). One explanation for the discrepancy between theoretical predictions and observed behavior is that females can not perfectly assess the quality of potential mates. This research will specifically address the ability of female guppies to discriminate between pairs of males that differ only slightly in their quality. This research will allow a better understanding of the discriminatory ability of individual female guppies and therefore their mate choice decision process. Understanding how animals make mate choice decisions is an important aspect of the management and conservation of species.
