Study on mate choice in animals

Sexual selection is critical to animal reproduction. Mate choice not only determines an individual's capacity for reproduction but is also the primary mode of selection in sexual selection. Mate choice behavior relies on social information, and animals can extract useful information (e.g., genetic quality, hormone levels, physiological status, habitat) about potential mates based on morphological and behavioral traits they observe or perceive and can modify their mate choice strategy by detecting and integrating this information. The information conveyed by potential mates is multimodal. This paper synthesizes the effects of several factors, including individual biological characteristics, sensory systems, hormones and genotype on mate choice, demonstrating that mate choice preferences in the traditional sense are generally more favorable for individuals with superior genes and phenotypes. And the paper also explores the limitations of these studies on mate choice and proposes the future major trend of the correlational research in this field. This work will provide helpful information for guiding the subsequent studies of mate choice in animals.