Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals?
Conspicuous sexual signals come with costs and benefits. Such signals increase reproductive success but may also reduce survival or viability. It has recently been suggested that non-signal traits may alleviate some of those costs (termed “compensatory traits”). In this perspective piece, we argue t...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Frontiers Media S.A.
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Frontiers in Ethology |
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| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2024.1473358/full |
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| author | Mary L. Westwood E. Dale Broder E. Dale Broder Gabrielle T. Welsh Robin M. Tinghitella |
| author_facet | Mary L. Westwood E. Dale Broder E. Dale Broder Gabrielle T. Welsh Robin M. Tinghitella |
| author_sort | Mary L. Westwood |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Conspicuous sexual signals come with costs and benefits. Such signals increase reproductive success but may also reduce survival or viability. It has recently been suggested that non-signal traits may alleviate some of those costs (termed “compensatory traits”). In this perspective piece, we argue that biological rhythms should be considered in the milieu of compensatory traits, as they can reduce the natural selection burden of signaling. This may be particularly true for the many sexual signals that are ephemeral (i.e., only periodically present like a courtship dance). Biological rhythms (e.g., circadian and circannual rhythms) are ubiquitous in nature and help organisms perform the right activity at the right time—this includes the timing of many sexual signals and reproductive traits. Timing itself may, in fact, reduce the costs of such sexual signals. Here, we review sexual signals that are governed by biological rhythms and discuss how signal modality and type (ornament, weapon, dominance trait) account for differences in how chronobiology may act as a compensatory trait. We then consider how biologists might examine the untested role of chronobiology as a compensatory trait and set forth compelling questions for future work. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-db815baa3def4f019384b01a128004ac |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2813-5091 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-01-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Ethology |
| spelling | doaj-art-db815baa3def4f019384b01a128004ac2025-01-07T05:24:06ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Ethology2813-50912025-01-01310.3389/fetho.2024.14733581473358Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals?Mary L. Westwood0E. Dale Broder1E. Dale Broder2Gabrielle T. Welsh3Robin M. Tinghitella4Biological Sciences Department, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United StatesBiological Sciences Department, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United StatesDepartment of Biology, American University, Washington, DC, United StatesBiological Sciences Department, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United StatesBiological Sciences Department, University of Denver, Denver, CO, United StatesConspicuous sexual signals come with costs and benefits. Such signals increase reproductive success but may also reduce survival or viability. It has recently been suggested that non-signal traits may alleviate some of those costs (termed “compensatory traits”). In this perspective piece, we argue that biological rhythms should be considered in the milieu of compensatory traits, as they can reduce the natural selection burden of signaling. This may be particularly true for the many sexual signals that are ephemeral (i.e., only periodically present like a courtship dance). Biological rhythms (e.g., circadian and circannual rhythms) are ubiquitous in nature and help organisms perform the right activity at the right time—this includes the timing of many sexual signals and reproductive traits. Timing itself may, in fact, reduce the costs of such sexual signals. Here, we review sexual signals that are governed by biological rhythms and discuss how signal modality and type (ornament, weapon, dominance trait) account for differences in how chronobiology may act as a compensatory trait. We then consider how biologists might examine the untested role of chronobiology as a compensatory trait and set forth compelling questions for future work.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2024.1473358/fullcircadian rhythmscircannual rhythmscircalunar rhythmscircatidal rhythmscompensatory traitsignal modality |
| spellingShingle | Mary L. Westwood E. Dale Broder E. Dale Broder Gabrielle T. Welsh Robin M. Tinghitella Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals? Frontiers in Ethology circadian rhythms circannual rhythms circalunar rhythms circatidal rhythms compensatory trait signal modality |
| title | Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals? |
| title_full | Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals? |
| title_fullStr | Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals? |
| title_full_unstemmed | Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals? |
| title_short | Chronobiology as compensation: can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals? |
| title_sort | chronobiology as compensation can biological rhythms compensate for sexual signals |
| topic | circadian rhythms circannual rhythms circalunar rhythms circatidal rhythms compensatory trait signal modality |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fetho.2024.1473358/full |
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