FWF Esprit Project ESP 433-B

PI: Maria Santacà

Co-PI: Leonida Fusani

Co-PI: Cliodhna Quigley

Due to the greater reproductive success of attractive males, Darwin hypothesized sexual selection to explain the evolution of male sexual characteristics. However, our understanding of the processes employed to assess potential mates is still relatively limited. What is certain is that selecting a partner is greatly influenced by how attractive they are. Since it may be altered by subsequent or contemporaneous encounters with other possible mates, attractiveness is not a fixed and objective trait. Additionally, males indicate their fighting ability or dominance in encounters with other males by using the same physical features that females use to choose among them. Most studies conducted so far have not considered the influence of context on visual perception during these social decisions. To understand why animals respond to social signals, we need to understand how they subjectively perceive them, which can be influenced by visual illusions. Visual illusions are tricks that our brain plays on us, making us see things that aren’t really there or distorting what we see.

The goal of this project is to find out if animals’ perceptions of a possible partner or adversary are influenced by visual illusions. It will look at how the distinctive characteristics of the individuals, and the environment in which each encounter occurs affect how good a partner or opponent is seen to be.

Female ring doves will be observed before, during, and after recordings of male courting behavior in various illusory situations. The female reactions, including vocalizations, will be seen as a sign of sexual attraction. The same recordings will also be showed to male doves since they exhibit similar behaviors when interacting with other males. The quantity of behavioral reactions displayed by the males throughout the exposure will be measured, since it might reveal how they judge the quality of the opponent. In addition, hormone levels in blood and feces will be measured before, during, and after the playback testing to provide information on the hormonal reaction to these encounters.

This project’s findings will impact animal behavior research by offering new tools to accurately measure attractiveness and how males evaluate other rivals. It will also shed light on the cognitive processes that influence these social decisions and their similarities across different animals. Moreover, the project will contribute to our understanding of the evolutionary basis of perception, exploring the connection between seeing and perceiving.