Courtship (AQA A Level Biology)

Courtship

• Organisms belong to the same species if they interbreed in their natural habitat to produce fertile offspring

• The process of successful interbreeding or mating is preceded by some form of courtship behaviour

• Courtship in animals is a behaviour that eventually results in mating and reproduction

• It can be a very simple process that involves a small number of visual, chemical or auditory stimuli

• It can also be a highly complex sequence of acts by two or more individuals, which are using several modes of communication

  • Many birds of paradise have intricate and impressive courtship rituals

• Courtship can play a major role in species recognition

Courtship Behaviour in Drosophila

• There are several different species of fruit fly within the genus Drosophila

• It is extremely difficult to tell the different species apart from one another by their physical appearance

• However, the different species of fruit fly have different courtship rituals which aid species recognition

• Before mating the male fruit fly performs a dance: he vibrates his wings, alters his body position and licks the female

• This sequence of events performed by the male is controlled by several genes and is specific to each species

• A female will not respond to or mate with a male that displays an incorrect courtship dance

• Females also have certain actions that she goes through to tell the male she is not interested which is understood by the male