Researchers played different cricket calls to females and recorded the number that approached each speaker. Native calls had a 30-Hz pulse rate; experimental calls used 20, 30, 40, and 50 Hz.
What does the response pattern indicate about female mate choice?
- Acheck_circle
Females discriminate among calls and most strongly prefer the native species pulse rate.
- B
Pulse rate is irrelevant to females.
- C
Females cannot distinguish the songs.
- D
Higher pulse rates always attract more females.
Explanation
The peak response at the 30-Hz native rate (with sharp drop-off on either side) shows that females discriminate between calls and prefer their species-specific pulse rate, supporting species recognition through acoustic cues.