Repetitive signals and mate choice: insights from contest theory

Courtship displays are important in governing mate choice, ubiquitous throughout the animal kingdom and often spectacular in appearance. As such, they have received a long history of study that has greatly advanced our knowledge of intersexual selection. Yet despite this historical interest, critical gaps remain in our understanding of what aspects of courtship mates find attractive. In particular, the importance of signal repetition during courtship is beginning to become more apparent, but its functional significance in mate choice is still unclear. We outline how models of repeated displays, which have allowed us to make great strides in understanding agonistic contests, can also help us to understand mate choice. In fact, we contend that such models are essential for understanding the existence of repetitious courtship signals and the decision rules used by females when choosing among possible mates. Models of repeated displays offer an important, and currently unutilized, tool for the study of mate choice that we anticipate will provide new insights on intersexual selection. To facilitate this end, we present a practical guide of how researchers can implement a game theory approach in their studies of courtship displays and mate choice.