Predictors of contest outcome in males of two subspecies of Gallotia galloti (Squamata: Lacertidae)

Bohórquez-Alonso, Martha L.; Mesa-Avila, Gara; Suárez-Rancel, M. Mercedes; Font, Enrique; Molina‐Borja, Miguel

doi:10.1007/s00265-018-2480-z

Cited by 12 publications

(16 citation statements)

References 65 publications

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“…We also examined whether the dominance of widebarred females in the experiment by Ziegelbecker et al (2018) could be explained by correlated behavioral traits (Schweitzer et al, 2015;Dijkstra et al, 2017;Bohórquez-Alonso et al, 2018). Individual levels of aggressiveness (e.g.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish

et al. 2020

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The famously diverse body coloration of cichlid fish serves communicative functions in mating and social interactions including competition for resources. Here, we examined the effects of a color pattern trait-the width of a yellow bar on a black body-on territorial competition in males and females of a color variant (''Ikola'') of the Lake Tanganyika cichlid Tropheus. First, measuring integumentary carotenoid concentrations in the yellow and black body regions, we established that wider yellow bars require more carotenoids allocated to body coloration. However, we also detected high carotenoid concentrations in the black body regions ([ 100 lg/g fresh skin), raising questions about the function of nondisplayed integumentary carotenoids. Behavioral experiments showed that fish with wider bars were quicker to explore an unfamiliar area of the tank. In experiments including presentations of fish dummies, the bar width of 'territorial' dummies had no effect on the latency time which test fish took to intrude into the dummies' territories. However, male test fish performed fewer aggressive acts against wide-barred than against narrow-barred dummy competitors. Our results suggest that intimidation by wide bars as well as correlations between bar width and explorative behavior may contribute to mediating success in territorial Tropheus ''Ikola''.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish

et al. 2020

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“…(2010); 46 = Emlen (1997); 47 = Bohórquez‐Alonso et al . (2018); 48 = Munoz & Zink (2012); 49 = Huyghe et al . (2005).…”

Section: General Meta‐analytical Proceduresmentioning

confidence: 99%

The hidden links between animal weapons, fighting style, and their effect on contest success: a meta‐analysis

Palaoro

Peixoto

2022

Biological Reviews

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In many species that fight over resources, individuals use specialized structures to gain a mechanical advantage over their rivals during contests (i.e. weapons). Although weapons are widespread across animals, how they affect the probability of winning contests is still debated. According to theory, understanding weapon function during contests is essential to: (i) understanding its importance in determining the winner, and (ii) identifying what weapon traits (e.g. weapon length versus shape versus performance) are most relevant for contest success. However, quantitative evaluations of how weapon function affects the extent to which weapon traits influence contest success are still lacking. Here, we first develop an individual‐based model to evaluate how increasing the influence of the weapon in determining the winner translates to differences between winners and losers. Then, we use a meta‐analysis to identify: (i) whether different weapon measures influence contest outcome differently; (ii) how animals use their weapons during fights – i.e. weapon function; and (iii) if weapon function correlates to how weapons influence contest outcome. Our model showed that, as weapons increased the chance of determining the winner, the mean difference between winners and losers also increased. Therefore, in our meta‐analysis we used the mean trait difference between winners and losers as a proxy for the extent to which weapons influence contest success. The literature search identified 49 suitable studies, containing information for 52 species, totalling 107 effect sizes. Four main patterns emerged. First, most of the literature focuses on linear measures of weapons, while performance measures are concentrated on Crustacea and Squamata; other types of measures were rare. Second, differences between winners and losers in linear measurements were greater than differences in performance measurements when all species were combined (and when we used only a subset). Third, species that bear weapons almost always perform visual/tactile displays before engaging in physical contact. And fourth, while the way individuals display their weapons did not influence the importance of weapon size on contest outcomes, fighting style predicted when differences between winners and losers would be higher. Species that used their weapons to push or lift (even when combined with other functions) showed greater differences between winners and losers when compared to species that used their weapons to impact, pierce, pull or squeeze. Overall, our results show that we have an incomplete understanding of animal weapons built mostly on weapon size and a few select taxa. Thus, we should start focusing on measuring weapons according to how they are used during contests and in a wider diversity of species. One way forward is to conduct studies that integrate weapon morphology to weapon function to ensure we are measuring the most ecologically relevant variables.

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“…Males were allowed to acclimate in captivity for 7 days prior to staging the pairwise contests (Bohórquez-Alonso et al 2018). The contests were staged in a neutral arena to remove the effect of residency (Sacchi et al 2009;Abalos et al 2016), and in a small confined room, free of noises and other distractions.…”

Section: Neutral Arena Setupmentioning

confidence: 99%

Male color armaments in lizards and a role for parasites in intrasexual selection

Megía‐Palma¹,

Paranjpe

Cooper

et al. 2020

Preprint

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Sexual armaments are usually structures or other traits used during agonistic displays that evolve by intrasexual competition. The role of parasites in their evolution remains obscure. We investigated the relation of infection by three parasites with the agonistic behavior of males Sceloporus occidentalis in male contests staged in the lab. The rivals' both behavior and blue patch chroma best predicted the aggression intensity of focal males. Infections by haemococcidians and ticks also contributed to explain the intensity of aggression in focal males. Lizards with fewer ticks engaged in more intense fights, while lizards with more ticks or haemococcidians were less aggressive. Interestingly, males with lower blue chroma were infected by intestinal coccidians and received more aggression. This study reveals direct roles for ticks and haemococcidians in male competition, and an indirect role of intestinal coccidians mediating sexual selection of a color armament in lizards.

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Predictors of contest outcome in males of two subspecies of Gallotia galloti (Squamata: Lacertidae)

Cited by 12 publications

References 65 publications

Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish

Wasteful carotenoid coloration and its effects on territorial behavior in a cichlid fish

The hidden links between animal weapons, fighting style, and their effect on contest success: a meta‐analysis

Male color armaments in lizards and a role for parasites in intrasexual selection

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