Institute of Biosciences, Vilnius University Life Sciences Center, Vilnius, Lithuania; CEFE, Univ Montpellier, Montpellier, France; Department of Biology, Stanford University, Stanford, United States
Technical University of Munich, TUM School of Life Sciences, Ecosystem Dynamics and Forest Management, Hans-Carl-von-Carlowitz-Platz, Freising, Germany; Berchtesgaden National Park, Doktorberg, Berchtesgaden, Germany
Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Biology and Environmental Science, University of Jyväskylä, Jyväskylä, Finland
Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland; Institute of Electronic Music and Acoustics, University of Music and Performing Arts Graz, Graz, Austria; Department of Behavioral and Cognitive Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria; Department of Evolutionary Biology, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Research Center on Animal Cognition, Center for Integrative Biology, CNRS - Paul Sabatier University, Toulouse, France
Alejandro Marcillo-Lara
Department of Integrative Biology, Oklahoma State University, Stillwater, United States; Centro Jambatu de Investigación y Conservación de Anfibios, Quito, Ecuador
Division of Behavioural Ecology, Institute of Ecology and Evolution, University of Bern, Hinterkappelen, Switzerland; Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria
Sex differences in vertebrate spatial abilities are typically interpreted under the adaptive specialization hypothesis, which posits that male reproductive success is linked to larger home ranges and better navigational skills. The androgen spillover hypothesis counters that enhanced male spatial performance may be a byproduct of higher androgen levels. Animal groups that include species where females are expected to outperform males based on life-history traits are key for disentangling these hypotheses. We investigated the association between sex differences in reproductive strategies, spatial behavior, and androgen levels in three species of poison frogs. We tracked individuals in natural environments to show that contrasting parental sex roles shape sex differences in space use, where the sex performing parental duties shows wider-ranging movements. We then translocated frogs from their home areas to test their navigational performance and found that the caring sex outperformed the non-caring sex only in one out of three species. In addition, males across species displayed more explorative behavior than females and androgen levels correlated with explorative behavior and homing accuracy. Overall, we reveal that poison frog reproductive strategies shape movement patterns but not necessarily navigational performance. Together this work suggests that prevailing adaptive hypotheses provide an incomplete explanation of sex differences in spatial abilities.
