Do animals ever select mates based on physical appearance?

Question

For example, if there was a male dog in a room with two female dogs in heat (one mangey and ugly and the other one pretty and well groomed), would the boy dog be more likely to want to mate with the pretty dog or how would he choose? Do they just go entirely by scent or do looks play a part as well?

Crazy question but I was just wondering...

Answer 1

it depends on who's the first one who approaches the male or the female.some animals base their mating partner based on who's the stronger one or who's the first one to approach.they aren't like some humans.they don't always base mates dependsing on the face.

but some animals also DO base it on appearance.some show off their natural colorings or intenses it to attract a mate suitable for them.like some frogs and fish.during mating season,they make their colorings brighter and more colorful to add attraction.this brings in to the attention of another animal of their own specie and that starts a mating ritual.

i hope i helped!good luck!

Answer 2

Of course. Why do you think the males of so many bird species are so brightly-coloured?

Dogs don't judge by appearances, though. In your scenario, the male dog would mate with both females if they were in heat, regardless of their appearance.

Answer 3

Dogs seem pretty indiscriminate critters, but I have seen a few females give a male that "WTH!? Get off my tail!" reaction.

I do know of a few studies where it is shown some animals do base mate selection on appearance. For example, in one study, female birds (sparrows or some small common bird) were given a choice between two males which appeared the same, except one male was given little decorations. The females always went for the more decorative.

Another observation is with Hawaiian Rock Wallabies who grew larger and had a different coat pattern than the species from which they descended. The Hawaiian species would not mate with members of the ancestor species, even though they could.

Answer 4

this is one of those questions that is kind of hard to answer.  usually an animal will mate the strongest of the species around them but when my cat was in heat i observed her amongst five toms and only two got her. the others would distract her so they could get in close enough to mount. and boy did she fight them . some birds will select their mates by looks though

Answer 5

beauty is only skin deep,that why a lot of ppl wear theirs inside out

Answer 6

Many animals don't look at physical appearance specifically, but if the mate in question is suitable to raise young. For example, many females usually look for the largest male, which shows strength and dominance.

Bird species, however, do select mates based on physical attraction. They look for the biggest and brightest colored males of some species.

Answer 7

No, I don't think they care about appearance, as long as they have a v****a, and the female is ready to mate. lol funny huh?

Answer 8

NO looks only matter to us humans even though we are animals ourselves.* By the way you are very attractive yourself.* ~~ No the Dog would mate with them both, looks would not matter.*

Answer 9

There are many scientific papers published that indicate humans select mates based on physical attractiveness.

For example:

http://www.jstor.org/sici?sici=0011-3204...

Animals have also been shown to select mates based on physical attributes that give them no distinct ecological advantage.

Article: An evolutionary perspective on physical attractiveness

http://www3.interscience.wiley.com/journ...

Short answer: Yes, both humans and animals appear to select mates based on physical attractiveness.

Answer 10

Yes.  I was watching Planet Earth on DVD and one segment was about this particular bird.  I can't remember in what part of the world this species of bird was located, but part of its ritual to attract a female mate was to put on a sort of dance and the male bird totally changed his appearance.  It was sort of humorous.  The markings on the back of the bird looked like an African mask when he spread his feathers.  To his dismay, she did not choose him.  The Planet Earth DVD's are spectacular.  There are 4 of them in the collection.  Get the one narrated by the BBC.

Answer 11

definitely. a well groomed animal would be seen as a better mate because it shows that that animal might be less prone to getting parasites and also is well fed. this makes the female believe that those genes could be passed onto her young. also, it shows that the male knows how to take care of himself and will be able to provide for the young. there are also studies that involve looking at the symmetry of looks. its called fluctuating assymetry ( i think) and these studies have shown that females will choose males that have more symmetry. for instance, if a deers antlers are more symmetrical that anothers, a female might choose this male over the other.

Answer 12

Male dogs pursue female dogs in heat regardless of appearances. Dogs sometimes choose mates (their version of LTR) based on more than season. A mate is an individual with whom he will stay and defend for a major portion of his life. Such females have more going for them than being in heat (I suspect some personality trait the male identifies with). A dog may choose a mate to be with but may have s*x with another female in heat. He will be unlikely to stay with and defend the nonmate female however regardless of outcomes. For his mate a male dog with access to a natural enough environment will often dig a burrow and defend it from intruders. He may even bring back food for his mate and vomit it up for her (doesn't get more romantic than that).

Looks are more important to wolves perhaps. Wolves have been known to kill wolves that look different. Whether they are responding to an appearance or a smell is unknown. Modern dogs tend to be more accepting of differences but seem to take an instant liking or disliking to each other which may also be scent based.

Animals that take looks into consideration are more likely to have prominent eyes and smaller noses. Birds and primates tend to fit this bill the most.

Answer 13

An animals idea of beautiful isn't necessarily a persons.  With birds it could be the mating dance or how vivid the colors are...with a dog it could be how strong the "in heat" is or just a feeling.

Some animals do love.  Some Geese mate for life and if they lose their mate they might stay alone the rest of their lives because of their grief.