A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation.
In animals, color signals that convey information about quality are often associated with costs linked to the expression of coloration and may therefore be honest signals of sender quality. Honest indicators are often seen in sexual signals that are used by males to advertise quality to females. Car...
| Main Authors: | , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Public Library of Science (PLoS)
2018-01-01
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| Series: | PLoS ONE |
| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209261 |
| _version_ | 1818403321028804608 |
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| author | Yasmeen R Erritouni Beth A Reinke Ryan Calsbeek |
| author_facet | Yasmeen R Erritouni Beth A Reinke Ryan Calsbeek |
| author_sort | Yasmeen R Erritouni |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In animals, color signals that convey information about quality are often associated with costs linked to the expression of coloration and may therefore be honest signals of sender quality. Honest indicators are often seen in sexual signals that are used by males to advertise quality to females. Carotenoid and pterin pigments are responsible for yellow, orange, and red coloration in a variety of taxa, but can also serve important roles as antioxidants by reducing free radicals in the body. In this study, we test the effects of a novel full-bodied orange color phenotype of the brown anole, Anolis sagrei, on mate choice, physiology, and survival. We found no evidence that lizards expressing the orange phenotype were preferred by females. Additionally, they did not differ in immune function, running endurance, or maximum sprint speed from lizards that did not express the novel phenotype. Pigment extractions revealed that orange body coloration resulted from pterin pigments and not carotenoids. Visual models suggest that the orange phenotype is less conspicuous to bird predators than the brown phenotype and may provide an adaptive explanation for the persistence of this trait. Given its small, yet positive effect on fitness, we expect the orange color phenotype to increase in frequency in subsequent decades. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:22:24Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-269d0b2abb5a49f3afceb19707842918 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1932-6203 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:22:24Z |
| publishDate | 2018-01-01 |
| publisher | Public Library of Science (PLoS) |
| record_format | Article |
| series | PLoS ONE |
| spelling | doaj.art-269d0b2abb5a49f3afceb197078429182022-12-21T23:09:45ZengPublic Library of Science (PLoS)PLoS ONE1932-62032018-01-011312e020926110.1371/journal.pone.0209261A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation.Yasmeen R ErritouniBeth A ReinkeRyan CalsbeekIn animals, color signals that convey information about quality are often associated with costs linked to the expression of coloration and may therefore be honest signals of sender quality. Honest indicators are often seen in sexual signals that are used by males to advertise quality to females. Carotenoid and pterin pigments are responsible for yellow, orange, and red coloration in a variety of taxa, but can also serve important roles as antioxidants by reducing free radicals in the body. In this study, we test the effects of a novel full-bodied orange color phenotype of the brown anole, Anolis sagrei, on mate choice, physiology, and survival. We found no evidence that lizards expressing the orange phenotype were preferred by females. Additionally, they did not differ in immune function, running endurance, or maximum sprint speed from lizards that did not express the novel phenotype. Pigment extractions revealed that orange body coloration resulted from pterin pigments and not carotenoids. Visual models suggest that the orange phenotype is less conspicuous to bird predators than the brown phenotype and may provide an adaptive explanation for the persistence of this trait. Given its small, yet positive effect on fitness, we expect the orange color phenotype to increase in frequency in subsequent decades.https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209261 |
| spellingShingle | Yasmeen R Erritouni Beth A Reinke Ryan Calsbeek A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation. PLoS ONE |
| title | A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation. |
| title_full | A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation. |
| title_fullStr | A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation. |
| title_full_unstemmed | A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation. |
| title_short | A novel body coloration phenotype in Anolis sagrei: Implications for physiology, fitness, and predation. |
| title_sort | novel body coloration phenotype in anolis sagrei implications for physiology fitness and predation |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0209261 |
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