Washington, Aug 25 (ANI): It's well known that adventurous women are more likely to choose partners who have similar personalities, irrespective of their appearance.
Now, a study by researchers at the University of Exeter and the Royal Veterinary College has shown that the same can be said of birds.
The researchers found that adventurous female zebra finches were more likely to favour the most apparently outgoing and confident males, and seemed less impressed by the prospective partner's body size, condition or beak colour.
The study is the first to show that non-sexual behaviour or personality traits play a role in the choice of partner in animals other than humans.
The researchers conducted a series of behavioural tests on more than 150 birds, assessing males and females separately for personality traits.
Each female bird was then allowed to watch a pair of brothers exploring strange cages, unaware that one was being held back by an invisible box.
When the birds were put together, the more adventurous females tend to prefer the most out-going and confident males.
On the other hand, less exploratory females did not show a preference for either male.
"This is strong evidence that females care about the apparent personality of their male independently of his appearance. We have the first evidence that it is important for partners to have compatible personalities in the mating game. This is something we would probably all agree is the case for humans but which has been overlooked for other species," said team leader Dr Sasha Dall of the University of Exeter.
"Exploratory females seem to have the most to gain by choosing exploratory mates. This is the first evidence that the personality of both partners plays a role in mate choice," said lead author Dr Wiebke Schuett of the Royal Veterinary College. (ANI)
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