选择更聪明的大脑还是更强的身体？Cell子刊解开雌性择偶之谜

Group 1 - The core finding of the research indicates that female house mice choose mates based on their own innovation abilities, preferring males with opposite traits, which contributes to maintaining variation in innovation within the population [3][6][10] - The study observed that approximately 23% of the mice were classified as "innovators," and the mating ratio between innovators and non-innovators was 45% higher than expected based on random mating [6][10] - The research highlights the significance of disassortative mating, where individuals prefer partners with contrasting characteristics, challenging the notion of "like attracts like" in mate selection [6][10] Group 2 - The experimental design involved placing 139 wild house mice in semi-natural enclosures and observing their mating behaviors over six months, with problem-solving tasks to access food [6][9] - Results showed that non-innovative female mice preferred to associate with innovative males, while innovative females showed the opposite preference, indicating a clear differentiation in mate choice based on innovation ability [10][12] - The study also revealed a trade-off for male mice between innovation ability and body size, with innovative males being smaller, which is a recognized competitive advantage in rodent species [12][15] Group 3 - The research provides insights into how sexual selection through balancing selection maintains behavioral diversity, preventing the fixation of innovation traits in the population [15][16] - It emphasizes the importance of considering both male and female traits in understanding mate selection, as overlooking female innovation ability could lead to incorrect conclusions about male preferences [16][17] - The findings suggest potential implications for understanding how animals adapt to rapidly changing environments, and raise questions about similar "complementary" mate selection patterns in human societies [17]