Female zebra finches prefer males with symmetric chest plumage
@article{Swaddle1994FemaleZF,
title={Female zebra finches prefer males with symmetric chest plumage},
author={John P. Swaddle and Innes C. Cuthill},
journal={Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences},
year={1994},
volume={258},
pages={267 - 271}
}The level of fluctuating asymmetry in a secondary sexual character is believed to reveal aspects of male quality. Previous investigations have demonstrated that females may pay attention to this information when making mate choice decisions; females prefer symmetric over asymmetric males. However, these studies have involved either manipulation of functionally important flight feathers, or of artificial ornaments. Here, we manipulate an existing secondary sexual plumage trait, one that does not…
145 Citations
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