Polyploidy alters advertisement call structure in gray treefrogs

Whole-genome duplication is believed to have played a significant role in the early evolution and diversification of vertebrate animals. The establishment of newly arisen polyploid lineages of sexually reproducing animals requires assortative mating between polyploids. Here, we show that genome duplication can directly alter a phenotypic trait mediating mate choice in the absence of genotypic change. Our results suggest that the direct effect of polyploidy on behaviour is a consequence of increased cell size.