1
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Tartu S, Lorrain-Soligon L, Cheron M, Dupoué A, Brischoux F. Colouration matters in dull toads: ultraviolet adornment for ladies and agrochemicals fading effects. Oecologia 2023; 203:491-502. [PMID: 37982911 DOI: 10.1007/s00442-023-05482-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 11/06/2023] [Indexed: 11/21/2023]
Abstract
Integument colouration can influence many aspects of fitness, and is under strong sexual selection. Amphibians often express sexual dichromatism, and ultra-violet (UV) colouration is usually biased toward males as a sexual signal. As an honest signal, colouration is related to several individual traits, but can also be related to environmental factors such as anthropogenic pollutants, to which amphibians are highly sensitive. In this study, we investigated sexual dichromatism and UV reflectance covering a large visual spectrum (wavelength ranging from 300 to 700 nm) on different body areas (throat, ventral and dorsal areas), in a widespread amphibian species, the spiny toad (Bufo spinosus). Then, we tested the impact of chronic exposure to two widespread herbicides (glyphosate's primary metabolite [AMPA] and Nicosulfuron) on their colouration. We found a strong but unexpected sexual dichromatism with females reflecting more in the UV spectrum (throat and ventral area) than males, suggesting these body parts might be critical in intra-specific signalling. Females with higher ventral UV reflectance were in better body condition, suggesting an honest signal role of UV reflectance which could influence male choice. Throat colouration was further differentially influenced by agrochemicals according to sexes. In AMPA-exposed males, throat was more saturated in yellow-orange than in control males, and Nicosulfuron exposure decreased the throat's reflectance hue in females, which can bear consequences on mate attractiveness. Future studies need to investigate the underlying mechanisms that are altered by agrochemical exposure.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sabrina Tartu
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Léa Lorrain-Soligon
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France.
| | - Marion Cheron
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
| | - Andréaz Dupoué
- Ifremer, Univ Brest, CNRS, IRD, UMR 6539, LEMAR, Plouzane, France
| | - François Brischoux
- Centre d'Etudes Biologiques de Chizé (CEBC), UMR 7372 CNRS-Université de la Rochelle, 79360, Villiers-en-Bois, France
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2
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Dougherty LR, Rovenolt F, Luyet A, Jokela J, Stephenson JF. Ornaments indicate parasite load only if they are dynamic or parasites are contagious. Evol Lett 2023; 7:176-190. [PMID: 37251584 PMCID: PMC10210455 DOI: 10.1093/evlett/qrad017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/07/2022] [Revised: 04/11/2023] [Accepted: 04/18/2023] [Indexed: 05/31/2023] Open
Abstract
Choosing to mate with an infected partner has several potential fitness costs, including disease transmission and infection-induced reductions in fecundity and parental care. By instead choosing a mate with no, or few, parasites, animals avoid these costs and may also obtain resistance genes for offspring. Within a population, then, the quality of sexually selected ornaments on which mate choice is based should correlate negatively with the number of parasites with which a host is infected ("parasite load"). However, the hundreds of tests of this prediction yield positive, negative, or no correlation between parasite load and ornament quality. Here, we use phylogenetically controlled meta-analysis of 424 correlations from 142 studies on a wide range of host and parasite taxa to evaluate explanations for this ambiguity. We found that ornament quality is weakly negatively correlated with parasite load overall, but the relationship is more strongly negative among ornaments that can dynamically change in quality, such as behavioral displays and skin pigmentation, and thus can accurately reflect current parasite load. The relationship was also more strongly negative among parasites that can transmit during sex. Thus, the direct benefit of avoiding parasite transmission may be a key driver of parasite-mediated sexual selection. No other moderators, including methodological details and whether males exhibit parental care, explained the substantial heterogeneity in our data set. We hope to stimulate research that more inclusively considers the many and varied ways in which parasites, sexual selection, and epidemiology intersect.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liam R Dougherty
- Department of Evolution, Ecology and Behaviour, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Faith Rovenolt
- Department of Biological Sciences, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, PA, United States
| | - Alexia Luyet
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jukka Jokela
- Department of Aquatic Ecology, EAWAG, Swiss Federal Institute of Aquatic Science and Technology, Dübendorf, Switzerland
- Institute for Integrative Biology, ETH Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland
| | - Jessica F Stephenson
- Corresponding author: University of Pittsburgh Department of Biological Sciences, Clapp Hall, 4249 Fifth Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA 15260 USA.
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3
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Information content of ultraviolet-reflecting colour patches and visual perception of body coloration in the Tyrrhenian wall lizard Podarcis tiliguerta. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2021. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-021-03023-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
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4
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Rodríguez-Ruiz G, Ortega J, Cuervo JJ, López P, Salvador A, Martín J. Male rock lizards may compensate reproductive costs of an immune challenge affecting sexual signals. Behav Ecol 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/beheco/araa047] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract
Sexual signals can be evolutionarily stable if they are condition dependent or costly to the signaler. One of these costs may be the trade-off between maintaining the immune system and the elaboration of ornaments. Experimental immune challenges in captivity show a reduction in the expression of sexual signals, but it is not clear whether these detrimental effects are important in nature and, more importantly, whether they have reproductive consequences. We designed a field experiment to challenge the immune system of wild male Carpetan rock lizards, Iberolacerta cyreni, with a bacterial antigen (lipopolysaccharide). The immune challenge decreased relative reflectance of ultraviolet structural and melanin-dependent sexual coloration in the throat and the lateral ocelli, whereas the carotenoid-dependent dorsal green coloration was not affected. Immune activation also decreased proportions of ergosterol and cholesta-5,7-dien-3-ol in femoral secretions. These results support a trade-off between the immune system and both visual and chemical sexual ornaments. Moreover, the reproductive success of males, estimated with DNA microsatellites, depended on the expression of some color and chemical traits. However, the immune challenge did not cause overall differences in reproductive success, although it increased with body size/age in control but not in challenged males. This suggests the use of alternative reproductive strategies (e.g., forced matings) in challenged males, particularly in smaller ones. These males might consider that their survival probabilities are low and increase reproductive effort as a form of terminal investment in spite of their “low-quality” sexual signals and potential survival costs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gonzalo Rodríguez-Ruiz
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Jesús Ortega
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Javier Cuervo
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Pilar López
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - Alfredo Salvador
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
| | - José Martín
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales, CSIC, José Gutiérrez Abascal 2, Madrid, Spain
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5
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Abramjan A, Arakelyan M, Frynta D. Does reproductive mode affect sexually-selected coloration? Evaluating UV-blue spots in parthenogenetic and bisexual lizards of the genus Darevskia. Curr Zool 2020; 67:201-213. [PMID: 33854538 PMCID: PMC8026159 DOI: 10.1093/cz/zoaa039] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/01/2020] [Accepted: 07/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Sexual selection often leads to evolution of conspicuous signals, raising the chances of attracting not only potential mates, but also predators. In lacertid lizards, ultraviolet (UV)–blue spots on flanks and shoulders represent such a trait. Some level of correlation between male and female ornamentation is also known to exist. Therefore, the phenotype of females may change in the absence of sexual selection. We tested this hypothesis on a complex of parthenogenetic and bisexual lizards of the genus Darevskia. We evaluated area, counts, and chromatic properties (UV opponency, saturation) of UV–blue spots and compared the values between the clones and their bisexual progenitor species. We found a fair heterogeneity between the parthenogenetic species, but no general tendency toward higher crypsis or conspicuousness. Values of the parthenogens were not significantly different from the values of sexual females. A possible explanation is that the changes in selective forces associated with parthenogenetic reproduction are too small to affect the resulting pattern of selective pressures on the studied traits, or that the phenotypes of the parthenogens result from the unique combination of parental genomes and are conserved by clonal reproduction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andran Abramjan
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
| | - Marine Arakelyan
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Biology, Yerevan State University, Alek Manoogian 1, Yerevan, 0025, Armenia
| | - Daniel Frynta
- Department of Zoology, Faculty of Science, Charles University, Viničná 7, Prague, 12843, Czech Republic
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6
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Pellitteri-Rosa D, Gazzola A, Todisco S, Mastropasqua F, Liuzzi C. Lizard colour plasticity tracks background seasonal changes. Biol Open 2020; 9:bio052415. [PMID: 32414767 PMCID: PMC7286296 DOI: 10.1242/bio.052415] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/28/2020] [Accepted: 04/30/2020] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Environmental heterogeneity on a spatial and temporal scale fosters an organism's capacity to plastically alter coloration. Predation risk might favour the evolution of phenotypic plasticity in colour patterns, as individuals who change colour throughout the year may be able to improve their fitness. Here we explored the change in dorsal pigmentation of the Italian wall lizard (Podarcis siculus campestris) at three time points (March, July, October) during a period of activity in a Mediterranean natural area in southern Italy. Following a preliminary investigation conducted in 2018, during 2019 we captured 135 lizards and took a picture of their ventral scales to check for possible recapture over the sessions. Lizard dorsal pictures were collected in the field with the support of a reference chart to quantitatively estimate chromatic variables (hue, saturation and value). At the same time, pictures of the environmental background were collected. Our findings suggest that lizards are capable of altering dorsal coloration during seasonal change. They vary from green at the onset of spring, to brownish in the middle of summer and to a greyish colour in October. This modification closely followed environmental background colour variation and enhanced lizard crypsis during each season.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniele Pellitteri-Rosa
- Laboratorio di Zoologia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Andrea Gazzola
- Laboratorio di Zoologia, Dipartimento di Scienze della Terra e dell'Ambiente, Università di Pavia, Pavia 27100, Italy
| | - Simone Todisco
- Societas Herpetologica Italica, Sezione Puglia, Bitritto, BA 70020, Italy
| | - Fabio Mastropasqua
- Societas Herpetologica Italica, Sezione Puglia, Bitritto, BA 70020, Italy
| | - Cristiano Liuzzi
- Societas Herpetologica Italica, Sezione Puglia, Bitritto, BA 70020, Italy
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7
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Badiane A, Martin M, Meylan S, Richard M, Decencière Ferrandière B, Le Galliard JF. Male ultraviolet reflectance and female mating history influence female mate choice and male mating success in a polyandrous lizard. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2020. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blaa061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/14/2022]
Abstract
AbstractPre-copulatory female mate choice based on male ultraviolet (UV) coloration has been demonstrated in several vertebrate species; however, post-copulatory mechanisms have been largely overlooked. Here, we investigated female mate preference based on male UV coloration in the common lizard Zootoca vivipara, in which males display conspicuous UV coloration on their throat. During two successive years, we staged sequential mating trials between females and four different males with UV-reduced or control belly and throat coloration. We recorded pre-copulatory female behaviour, copulation behaviour and assigned paternity to all offspring. Females were more aggressive towards UV-reduced males and, during the second year, UV-reduced males had a lower probability of siring at least one egg (fertilization success) during the last mating trials. However, in the second year, copulation was shorter with control males. Altogether, our results suggest that females exert subtle pre-copulatory mate preference based on male UV ornaments and, conditional on the study year and female mating history, some degree of post-copulatory preference for UV-control males leading to differential male fertilization success. This study suggests that UV-based female mate choice may be more widespread than previously thought in vertebrates, and emphasizes the importance of using a study design well adapted to the species reproductive behaviour.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arnaud Badiane
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Mélissa Martin
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Sandrine Meylan
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
| | - Murielle Richard
- CNRS UMR 5321, Station d’Écologie Théorique et Expérimentale, Route du CNRS, Saint-Girons, France
| | - Beatriz Decencière Ferrandière
- Centre de Recherche en écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL Research University, UMS 3194, 11 chemin de Busseau, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
| | - Jean-François Le Galliard
- Institut d’Écologie et des Sciences de l’Environnement (IEES), CNRS, IRD, INRA, Sorbonne Université, 4 Place Jussieu, Paris, France
- Centre de Recherche en écologie Expérimentale et Prédictive (CEREEP-Ecotron IleDeFrance), Ecole normale supérieure, CNRS, PSL Research University, UMS 3194, 11 chemin de Busseau, Saint-Pierre-lès-Nemours, France
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8
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Abstract
Colourful ornaments often communicate salient information to mates, and theory predicts covariance between signal expression and individual quality. This has borne out among pigment-based signals, but the potential for 'honesty' in structural coloration is unresolved. Here, I synthesized the available evidence to test this prediction via meta-analysis and found that, overall, the expression of structurally coloured sexual signals is positively associated with individual quality. The effects varied by the measure of quality, however, with body condition and immune function reliably encoded across taxa, but not age nor parasite resistance. The relationship was apparent for both the colour and brightness of signals and was slightly stronger for iridescent ornaments. These results suggest diverse pathways to the encoding and exchange of information among structural colours while highlighting outstanding questions as to the development, visual ecology and evolution of this striking adornment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas E White
- School of Life and Environmental Sciences, The University of Sydney, Sydney, New South Wales 2106, Australia
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9
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Goodlett C, Stephenson BP. Body Color and Morphological Correlates of Fitness in Eastern Fence Lizards (Sceloporus undulatus): A Spectrophotometric Approach. HERPETOLOGICA 2019. [DOI: 10.1655/d-17-00012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Cambre Goodlett
- Department of Biology, Mercer University, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207, USA
| | - Barry P. Stephenson
- Department of Biology, Mercer University, 1501 Mercer University Drive, Macon, GA 31207, USA
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10
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Bruinjé AC, Moura MO, Maggi BS, São-Pedro VA, Pessoa DM, Costa GC. Conspecifics of the Striped Lava Lizard are able to distinguish sex and male colour morphs in apparently homogeneous dull dorsal colouration. AMPHIBIA-REPTILIA 2019. [DOI: 10.1163/15685381-20181048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
Animal colouration plays a key role in inter and intraspecific interactions, pre-eminently in mate signalling. When multiple types of colouration occur within sexes it is possible that they show alternative reproductive strategies. In lizards, most colouration studies do not incorporate how colour is perceived by conspecifics. Here, we used unbiased colour analysis methods (spectrophotometry and visual modelling) to test for sexual dimorphism and within male dichromatism in the Striped Lava Lizard. We found that males express two distinct colourations that are different from females in several dorsal and ventral body regions. Our results showed UV reflection at the throat, an important body region for signalling. Ventral patches, the coloured badge seen in adult males of Tropidurus spp., have two distinct colour classes within males (Y and B males). Morphs are best discriminated by blue and yellow chroma, and brightness. Body size had little influence on colouration, suggesting that colour may be linked to inheritance rather than growth. Our study clearly shows sexual dichromatism and the existence of colour morphs in this species. Moreover, morph differences in colouration are perceptible by conspecifics. These differences are not only between ventral patches, but also in other body parts such as the dorsum, previously considered as cryptic by human observers. We suggest that colouration at the ventral patches and throat might play a role in intraspecific interactions. Patches increase colour intensity during breeding season and are likely to be costly by pigment-based expression, whereas throat’s UV reflection might have a cost infringed by conspicuousness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andre C. Bruinjé
- 1Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
- 2Laboratory of Biogeography, Macroecology and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Mauricio O. Moura
- 1Graduate Program in Ecology and Conservation Biology, Department of Zoology, Universidade Federal do Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil
| | - Bruno S. Maggi
- 2Laboratory of Biogeography, Macroecology and Evolutionary Biology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Vinicius A. São-Pedro
- 3Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
- 4Centro de Ciências da Natureza, Universidade Federal de São Carlos, Campus Lagoa do Sino, Buri, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Daniel M.A. Pessoa
- 3Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil
| | - Gabriel C. Costa
- 5Department of Biology, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36124, USA
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11
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Tseng WH, Lin JW, Lou CH, Lee KH, Wu LS, Wang TY, Wang FY, Irschick DJ, Lin SM. Opsin gene expression regulated by testosterone level in a sexually dimorphic lizard. Sci Rep 2018; 8:16055. [PMID: 30375514 PMCID: PMC6207759 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-34284-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2018] [Accepted: 10/15/2018] [Indexed: 11/09/2022] Open
Abstract
Expression of nuptial color is usually energetically costly, and is therefore regarded as an 'honest signal' to reflect mate quality. In order to choose a mate with high quality, both sexes may benefit from the ability to precisely evaluate their mates through optimizing visual systems which is in turn partially regulated by opsin gene modification. However, how terrestrial vertebrates regulate their color vision sensitivity is poorly studied. The green-spotted grass lizard Takydromus viridipunctatus is a sexually dimorphic lizard in which males exhibit prominent green lateral colors in the breeding season. In order to clarify relationships among male coloration, female preference, and chromatic visual sensitivity, we conducted testosterone manipulation with mate choice experiments, and evaluated the change of opsin gene expression from different testosterone treatments and different seasons. The results indicated that males with testosterone supplementation showed a significant increase in nuptial color coverage, and were preferred by females in mate choice experiments. By using quantitative PCR (qPCR), we also found that higher levels of testosterone may lead to an increase in rhodopsin-like 2 (rh2) and a decrease in long-wavelength sensitive (lws) gene expression in males, a pattern which was also observed in wild males undergoing maturation as they approached the breeding season. In contrast, females showed the opposite pattern, with increased lws and decreased rh2 expression in the breeding season. We suggest this alteration may facilitate the ability of male lizards to more effectively evaluate color cues, and also may provide females with the ability to more effectively evaluate the brightness of potential mates. Our findings suggest that both sexes of this chromatically dimorphic lizard regulate their opsin expression seasonally, which might play an important role in the evolution of nuptial coloration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Wen-Hsuan Tseng
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan
| | - Jhan-Wei Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan
| | - Chen-Han Lou
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan
| | - Ko-Huan Lee
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan
| | - Leang-Shin Wu
- Department of Animal Science and Technology, National Taiwan University, Taipei, 106, Taiwan
| | - Tzi-Yuan Wang
- Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica, Taipei, 115, Taiwan
| | - Feng-Yu Wang
- National Applied Research Laboratories, Taiwan Ocean Research Institute, Kaohsiung, 801, Taiwan.
| | - Duncan J Irschick
- Department of Biology, 221 Morrill Science Center, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA, 01003, USA
| | - Si-Min Lin
- Department of Life Science, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, 116, Taiwan.
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12
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Mészáros B, Herczeg G, Bajer K, Török J, Molnár O. Effects of energy and thermoregulation time on physiological state and sexual signal in a lizard. JOURNAL OF EXPERIMENTAL ZOOLOGY PART 2018; 327:570-578. [PMID: 29377549 DOI: 10.1002/jez.2143] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/15/2017] [Revised: 12/26/2017] [Accepted: 01/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Theory of sexual selection states that males often develop showy signals, which reduce their survival but increase their reproductive success. During mate choice, these conspicuous signals can be honest indicators of individual quality conveying information about the signaler's physiological state. Sexually selected signals are influenced by many environmental factors; however, whether signals and physiological state are affected together is rarely studied. The ultraviolet-blue throat color of male Lacerta viridis is an intra- and intersexually selected signal connected to blood parasite infection and influenced by environmental factors. The aim of this study was to experimentally investigate how ecologically relevant environmental factors affect color signal intensity and key physiological traits parallel. During the mating season, we exposed 40 adult male lizards infected with blood parasites to food and basking time treatments in a full factorial design. We measured color, amount of reactive oxygen metabolites (ROMs), hematocrit, immunocompetence, and blood parasite intensity before and after treatments. High basking time resulted in elevated immunocompetence coupled with increased ROMs. The high food treatment increased nuptial color brightness, but also increased ROMs and decreased immunocompetence. In summary, our study provides experimental evidence about environmentally induced parallel changes in an honest sexual signal and several quality-indicator physiological traits. We showed that available energy and time for high metabolism have independent and sometimes opposite effects on individual state.
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Affiliation(s)
- Boglárka Mészáros
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Katalin Bajer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.,Laboratório de Biogeografia e Macroecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, Ecologia e Zoologia, Campus Universitário, Lagoa Nova, Natal-RN, Brazil
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Orsolya Molnár
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.,Laboratório de Biogeografia e Macroecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, Ecologia e Zoologia, Campus Universitário, Lagoa Nova, Natal-RN, Brazil
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13
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Kopena R, López P, Martín J. Immune challenged male Iberian green lizards may increase the expression of some sexual signals if they have supplementary vitamin E. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2017. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-017-2401-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
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14
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Guimarães M, MunguÍa-Steyer R, Doherty PF, Sawaya RJ. No survival costs for sexually selected traits in a polygynous non-territorial lizard. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2017. [DOI: 10.1093/biolinnean/blx097] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022]
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15
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Lisboa CMCA, Bajer K, Pessoa DMA, Huber MAA, Costa GC. Female Brazilian whiptail lizards (Cnemidophorus ocellifer) prefer males with high ultraviolet ornament reflectance. Behav Processes 2017; 142:33-39. [PMID: 28528929 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2017.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Revised: 04/28/2017] [Accepted: 05/02/2017] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Conspicuous colouration is an important way of social communication in many taxa. The role of ultraviolet (UV) signals in intraspecific communication has only recently been studied in lizards, and there is not a general understanding of the adaptive role of UV colouration. Colour ornaments can signal male quality in mate choice and are therefore suitable for reliably predicting the outcome of female preference. Here, we tested the potential role of UV colouration in female spatial preference in a non-territorial teiid lizard, Cnemidophorus ocellifer. We experimentally manipulated the UV reflectance of size-matched male pairs and tested the effects of our treatment on females' spatial distribution. We found that females associated with males of higher UV reflectance, suggesting that UV colour can be an important clue during mate preference decisions. Our results provide the first empirical evidence for the importance of UV colouration in female preference in a mutually ornamented lizard species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carolina M C A Lisboa
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal RN 59078-900, Brazil.
| | - Katalin Bajer
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal RN 59078-900, Brazil; Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - Daniel M A Pessoa
- Laboratory of Sensory Ecology, Department of Physiology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal, RN 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Marc A A Huber
- Laboratory of Biogeography and Macroecology, Department of Ecology, Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte, Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova, Natal RN 59078-900, Brazil
| | - Gabriel C Costa
- Department of Biology, Auburn University at Montgomery, Montgomery, AL 36124, USA
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Lindsay WR, Wapstra E, Silverin B, Olsson M. Corticosterone: a costly mediator of signal honesty in sand lizards. Ecol Evol 2016; 6:7451-7461. [PMID: 28725412 PMCID: PMC5513280 DOI: 10.1002/ece3.2318] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/30/2015] [Revised: 06/20/2016] [Accepted: 06/21/2016] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
The mechanisms underlying honest signal expression remain elusive and may involve the integration of social and physiological costs. Corticosterone is a socially modulated metabolic hormone that mediates energy investment and behavior and may therefore function to deter dishonest signal expression. We examined the relationship between corticosterone and green badge coloration in male sand lizards (Lacerta agilis), hypothesizing that physiological and behavioral costs resulting from elevated baseline glucocorticoids function in maintenance of honest signal expression. We found that large‐badged males had higher corticosterone titer, with this relationship apparent at the end of the season and absent early in the season. Large‐badged males also suffered higher ectoparasite load (number of tick nymphs), despite being in better condition than small‐badged males. Ectoparasite load was positively related to corticosterone titer early in the season at the time of badge formation. High‐condition individuals had lower corticosterone and lower numbers of ectoparasites than low‐condition individuals, suggestive of conditional variation in ability to withstand costs of corticosterone. We found an opposing negative relationship between corticosterone titer and endoparasite load. Corticosterone titer was also negatively associated with male mobility, a fitness‐determining behavior in this species. Because badge size is involved in mediating agonistic social interactions in this species, our results suggest that badge‐dependent variation in corticosterone is likely reflective of variation in social conditions experienced over the course of the season. Our results implicate corticosterone in maintenance of signal honesty, both early in the season through enforcement of physiological costs (ectoparasite load) and during the season through behavioral costs (male mobility). We propose that socially modulated variation in corticosterone critically functions in mediation of signal honesty without requiring a direct role for corticosterone in trait expression.
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Affiliation(s)
- Willow R Lindsay
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Göteborg University Göteborg Sweden
| | - Erik Wapstra
- School of Biological Sciences University of Tasmania Hobart Tas. Australia
| | - Bengt Silverin
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Göteborg University Göteborg Sweden
| | - Mats Olsson
- Department of Biological and Environmental Sciences Göteborg University Göteborg Sweden.,School of Biological Sciences University of Sydney Sydney NSW Australia
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Rodrigo MP, Javier M, Santiago M. Structural- and carotenoid-based throat colour patches in males of Lacerta schreiberi reflect different parasitic diseases. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-016-2205-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
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18
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Megía-Palma R, Martínez J, Merino S. A structural colour ornament correlates positively with parasite load and body condition in an insular lizard species. Naturwissenschaften 2016; 103:52. [PMID: 27262291 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-016-1378-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/28/2015] [Revised: 05/22/2016] [Accepted: 05/26/2016] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
Pigment-based ornaments in vertebrates may reflect the body condition or health status of the individual in correlation with environmental stress and hormonal balance. Among the environmental factors shaping sexual colouration, parasitic infections have been stressed as an important evolutionary pressure constraining the maintenance of pigment-based ornaments. However, the honesty of structure-based ornaments in vertebrates is still under debate. Structural UV-biased ornaments in Gallotia lizards were described as a trait used by conspecifics during mate and rival assessment suggesting the reliability of these signals. We investigated the relationship between parasitaemia, body condition and a structural-based ornament present in the cheek of the sexually dichromatic Canarian lacertid Gallotia galloti in a population with an almost 100 % prevalence of haemoparasites. Using spectrophotometric techniques, we found that males with higher values of cheek UV chroma were infected with more haemoparasites. No significant relationship was found between haemoparasite load and body condition. However, males with higher cheek UV chroma showed significantly better body condition. In addition, we found that cheek hue was significantly related to body condition of individuals in both sexes. In males, cheek reflectivity biased towards the UV range was significantly related to better body condition. In females, those individuals with better body condition showed more whitish cheeks with less UV suggesting that cheek hue serves as an intersexual signal for sex recognition. We conclude that the positive relationship between cheek chroma and parasite load in male lizards is compatible with both differential density of melanin and iridophore arrangement in the dermis conveying an individual's ability to cope with environmental stress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rodrigo Megía-Palma
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, J. Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain.
| | - Javier Martínez
- Área Parasitología. Departamento de Biomedicina y Biotecnología.Facultad de Farmacia, Universidad de Alcalá de Henares, Alcalá de Henares, E-28871, Madrid, Spain
| | - Santiago Merino
- Departamento de Ecología Evolutiva, Museo Nacional de Ciencias Naturales-CSIC, J. Gutiérrez Abascal 2, E-28006, Madrid, Spain
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Molnár O, Bajer K, Szövényi G, Török J, Herczeg G. Space Use Strategies and Nuptial Color in European Green Lizards. HERPETOLOGICA 2016. [DOI: 10.1655/herpetologica-d-13-00018] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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20
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Cardozo G, Naretto S, Blengini CS, Chiaraviglio M. Phenotypic Diversity in Female Body Shape is Related to Reproductive Potential inTupinambis merianaeLizards. ANN ZOOL FENN 2015. [DOI: 10.5735/086.052.0301] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
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Bajer K, Horváth G, Molnár O, Török J, Garamszegi LZ, Herczeg G. European green lizard (Lacerta viridis) personalities: Linking behavioural types to ecologically relevant traits at different ontogenetic stages. Behav Processes 2014; 111:67-74. [PMID: 25475912 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.11.020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/29/2014] [Revised: 11/05/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Consistent individual differences within (animal personality) and across (behavioural syndrome) behaviours became well recognized during the past decade. Nevertheless, our knowledge about the evolutionary and developmental mechanisms behind the phenomena is still incomplete. Here, we explored if risk-taking and exploration were consistent and linked to different ecologically relevant traits in wild-caught adult male European green lizards (Lacerta viridis) and in their 2-3 weeks old laboratory-reared offspring. Both adults and juveniles displayed animal personality, consistency being higher in juveniles. We found correlation between risk-taking and exploration (suggestive of a behavioural syndrome) only in adults. Juveniles were more explorative than adults. Large or ectoparasite-free adult males were more explorative than small or parasitized males. Juvenile females tended to be more risk-taking than males. Behaviour of fathers and their offspring did not correlate. We conclude that European green lizards show high behavioural consistency and age is an important determinant of its strength and links to traits likely affecting fitness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katalin Bajer
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Laboratório de Biogeografia e Macroecologia, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte, Centro de Biociências, Departamento de Botânica, Ecologia e Zoologia, Campus Universitário - Lagoa Nova, 59078-900 Natal, RN, Brazil
| | - Gergely Horváth
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary.
| | - Orsolya Molnár
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary; Department of Biological Sciences, Darthmouth College, Life Sciences Center, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH 03766, USA
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Zsolt Garamszegi
- Department of Evolutionary Ecology, Estación Biológica de Doñana-CSIC, c/Americo Vespucio, s/n, 41092 Seville, Spain
| | - Gábor Herczeg
- Behavioural Ecology Group, Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology, Eötvös Loránd University, Pázmány Péter sétány 1/c, H-1117 Budapest, Hungary
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22
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Hegyi G, Laczi M, Nagy G, Szász E, Kötél D, Török J. Stable correlation structure among multiple plumage colour traits: can they work as a single signal? Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2014. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Gergely Hegyi
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Miklós Laczi
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Gergely Nagy
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Eszter Szász
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - Dóra Kötél
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
| | - János Török
- Behavioural Ecology Group; Department of Systematic Zoology and Ecology; Eötvös Loránd University; Pázmány Péter sétány 1/C H1117 Budapest Hungary
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23
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Pérez i de Lanuza G, Carazo P, Font E. Colours of quality: structural (but not pigment) coloration informs about male quality in a polychromatic lizard. Anim Behav 2014. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anbehav.2014.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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Kopena R, López P, Martín J. Relative contribution of dietary carotenoids and vitamin E to visual and chemical sexual signals of male Iberian green lizards: an experimental test. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2014. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-013-1672-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
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25
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Ligon RA, McGraw KJ. Chameleons communicate with complex colour changes during contests: different body regions convey different information. Biol Lett 2013; 9:20130892. [PMID: 24335271 DOI: 10.1098/rsbl.2013.0892] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Many animals display static coloration (e.g. of feathers or fur) that can serve as a reliable sexual or social signal, but the communication function of rapidly changing colours (as in chameleons and cephalopods) is poorly understood. We used recently developed photographic and mathematical modelling tools to examine how rapid colour changes of veiled chameleons Chamaeleo calyptratus predict aggressive behaviour during male-male competitions. Males that achieved brighter stripe coloration were more likely to approach their opponent, and those that attained brighter head coloration were more likely to win fights; speed of head colour change was also an important predictor of contest outcome. This correlative study represents the first quantification of rapid colour change using organism-specific visual models and provides evidence that the rate of colour change, in addition to maximum display coloration, can be an important component of communication. Interestingly, the body and head locations of the relevant colour signals map onto the behavioural displays given during specific contest stages, with lateral displays from a distance followed by directed, head-on approaches prior to combat, suggesting that different colour change signals may evolve to communicate different information (motivation and fighting ability, respectively).
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Affiliation(s)
- Russell A Ligon
- School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, , Tempe, AZ 85287, USA
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26
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Martin M, Meylan S, Gomez D, Le Galliard JF. Ultraviolet and carotenoid-based coloration in the viviparous lizardZootoca vivipara(Squamata: Lacertidae) in relation to age, sex, and morphology. Biol J Linn Soc Lond 2013. [DOI: 10.1111/bij.12104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Mélissa Martin
- Laboratoire Ecologie & Evolution; Université Pierre et Marie Curie; CNRS UMR 7625; 7, quai Saint Bernard, case 237; 75005; Paris; France
| | | | - Doris Gomez
- Muséum National d'Histoire Naturelle; Département d'Ecologie et de Gestion de la Biodiversité; CNRS UMR 7179; 1 avenue du petit château; 91800; Brunoy; France
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Molnár O, Bajer K, Mészáros B, Török J, Herczeg G. Negative correlation between nuptial throat colour and blood parasite load in male European green lizards supports the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis. Naturwissenschaften 2013; 100:551-8. [PMID: 23644520 DOI: 10.1007/s00114-013-1051-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2013] [Revised: 04/16/2013] [Accepted: 04/18/2013] [Indexed: 01/09/2023]
Abstract
During female mate choice, conspicuous male sexual signals are used to infer male quality and choose the best sire for the offspring. The theory of parasite-mediated sexual selection (Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis) presumes that parasite infection can influence the elaboration of sexual signals: resistant individuals can invest more energy into signal expression and thus advertise their individual quality through signal intensity. By preferring these males, females can provide resistance genes for their offspring. Previous research showed that nuptial throat colour of male European green lizard, Lacerta viridis, plays a role in both inter- and intrasexual selections as a condition-dependent multiple signalling system. The aim of this study was to test the predictions of the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis on male European green lizards. By blood sampling 30 adult males during the reproductive season, we found members of the Haemogregarinidae family in all but one individual (prevalence = 96%). The infection intensity showed strong negative correlation with the throat and belly colour brightness in line with the predictions of the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis. In addition, we found other correlations between infection intensity and other fitness-related traits, suggesting that parasite load has a remarkable effect on individual fitness. This study shows that throat patch colour of the European green lizards not only is a multiple signalling system but also possibly acts as an honest sexual signal of health state in accordance with the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Orsolya Molnár
- Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH 03755, USA.
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Polo-Cavia N, López P, Martín J. Head coloration reflects health state in the red-eared slider Trachemys scripta elegans. Behav Ecol Sociobiol 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s00265-012-1435-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
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