The evolution and evolutionary consequences of social plasticity in mate preferences

In many animals, experience modifies behaviour in a variety of ways and contexts. Here we focus on experience of social environments and phenotypic plasticity in mate preferences. We first review adaptive hypotheses about the evolution of social plasticity in mate preferences, finding support for all of them across different species. We suggest that future work should assess which patterns of variation in social environments select for which forms of plasticity in mate preferences. We then highlight that social plasticity in mate preferences creates feedback loops between the role of social environments as causes of variation in phenotypes and the role of social environments as causes of selection on phenotypes. Fully understanding the consequences of these feedbacks will involve assessing both how selection shapes the plastic response to variation in social environments and how individuals in social environments are selected to influence the mate preferences of others. This task is just beginning, but we review evidence of genetic variation in both of these aspects of social plasticity in mate preferences.

► We review the evolution of socially induced plasticity in mate preferences. ► Different patterns of variation in social environments select for different forms of social plasticity in mate preferences. ► We discuss evidence of genetic variation in the plastic response of mate preferences to social environments. ► We also discuss evidence of genetic variation in the social induction of plasticity in mate preferences.