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Avian Research 2022, 13(1): 100008 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100008
Research | Open Access | Issue | Published: 24 February 2022

The evolution of courtship displays in Galliformes

Show Author's Information Xiyuan Guana,1,  Xiaodong Raob,1,  Gang Songa,  Daiping Wangc( )
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
College of Forestry / Wuzhishan National Long Term Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Research Station, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

1 These authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Keywords:
Galliformes, Sexual selection, Ancestral state analysis, Comparative studies, Courtship displays, Transition rate analysis
Cite this article:
Guan X, Rao X, Song G, et al. The evolution of courtship displays in Galliformes. Avian Research, 2022, 13(1): 100008. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.avrs.2022.100008
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Abstract Full text About this article

Species in Galliformes have elaborate ritual courtship displays, often including strutting, fluffing of tail or head feathers, and vocal sounds that serve as excellent examples of sexual selection. According to the male orientation to the female while either posturing or moving, these courtship displays of gallinaceous species can be classified into three categories: 1) ‘frontal displays’, 2) ‘lateral displays’, and 3) ‘both frontal and lateral displays’. Questions regarding which category of displays is the ancestral state and the evolutionary history of courtship displays in Galliformes remain unanswered. We collected and classified 131 species in terms of their courtship displays into the three categories listed above and carried out a large-scale comparative analysis to reveal the evolutionary trajectory of this trait. We found that the ancestral state of courtship displays of Galliformes involves both relatively short and straightforward frontal and lateral elements (i.e., the category of ‘both frontal and lateral displays’). Furthermore, ancestral trait reconstructions suggest that transitions from ‘lateral displays’ to ‘frontal displays’ occurred more frequently than the other way around (i.e., from ‘frontal displays’ to ‘lateral displays’). In addition, some transitions occurred from ‘both frontal and lateral displays’ to ‘lateral displays’ but not from ‘both frontal and lateral displays’ to ‘frontal displays’. Ancestral state reconstruction of courtship displays at the root of the Galliformes phylogeny supports the ‘both frontal and lateral displays’ first scenario. This original state then evolved towards two extremes, either ‘frontal displays’ or ‘lateral displays’, with more complicated and elaborate display components. Moreover, subsequent transitions occurred from ‘lateral displays’ to ‘frontal displays’ much more frequently than the other way around during the evolutionary history, indicating positive selection of ‘frontal displays’.


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The evolution of courtship displays in Galliformes

Show Author's information Xiyuan Guana,1, Xiaodong Raob,1, Gang Songa, Daiping Wangc( )
Key Laboratory of Zoological Systematics and Evolution, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China
College of Forestry / Wuzhishan National Long Term Forest Ecosystem Monitoring Research Station, Hainan University, Haikou, 570228, China
Key Laboratory of Animal Ecology and Conservation Biology, Institute of Zoology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing, 100101, China

1 These authors contributed equally to the manuscript.

Abstract

Species in Galliformes have elaborate ritual courtship displays, often including strutting, fluffing of tail or head feathers, and vocal sounds that serve as excellent examples of sexual selection. According to the male orientation to the female while either posturing or moving, these courtship displays of gallinaceous species can be classified into three categories: 1) ‘frontal displays’, 2) ‘lateral displays’, and 3) ‘both frontal and lateral displays’. Questions regarding which category of displays is the ancestral state and the evolutionary history of courtship displays in Galliformes remain unanswered. We collected and classified 131 species in terms of their courtship displays into the three categories listed above and carried out a large-scale comparative analysis to reveal the evolutionary trajectory of this trait. We found that the ancestral state of courtship displays of Galliformes involves both relatively short and straightforward frontal and lateral elements (i.e., the category of ‘both frontal and lateral displays’). Furthermore, ancestral trait reconstructions suggest that transitions from ‘lateral displays’ to ‘frontal displays’ occurred more frequently than the other way around (i.e., from ‘frontal displays’ to ‘lateral displays’). In addition, some transitions occurred from ‘both frontal and lateral displays’ to ‘lateral displays’ but not from ‘both frontal and lateral displays’ to ‘frontal displays’. Ancestral state reconstruction of courtship displays at the root of the Galliformes phylogeny supports the ‘both frontal and lateral displays’ first scenario. This original state then evolved towards two extremes, either ‘frontal displays’ or ‘lateral displays’, with more complicated and elaborate display components. Moreover, subsequent transitions occurred from ‘lateral displays’ to ‘frontal displays’ much more frequently than the other way around during the evolutionary history, indicating positive selection of ‘frontal displays’.

Keywords: Galliformes, Sexual selection, Ancestral state analysis, Comparative studies, Courtship displays, Transition rate analysis

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Published: 24 February 2022
Issue date: March 2022

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© 2022 The Authors.

Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

We thank Prof. Dr. Damien Farine for providing courtship display data of Vulturine Guineafowl. We thank the two reviewers who provided constructive comments for our manuscript. D.W. was supported by the CAS pioneer hundred talents program. X.G. and G.S. were supported by the National Science and Technology Major Project (No. 2018ZX10101004). X.R. was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 31800320), the Joint Fund of the Natural Science Foundation of Hainan Province (No. 320RC506), and the Scientific Research start-up Fund of Hainan University (No. KYQD (ZR) 20057).

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