RT Journal Article
T1 Structural- and carotenoid-based throat colour patches in males of Lacerta schreiberi reflect different parasitic diseases
A1 Megia Palma, Rodrigo Manuel
A1 Martínez, Javier
A1 Merino, Santiago
AB Host species in populations under strong pressures from parasitic diseases may evolve ornaments to signal individual host quality to conspecifics. Colour ornaments in lizards result from the interaction of different layers in the skin. When inner layers of melanin and well-arranged iridophores are combined, UV-blue structural colouration results. On the other hand, when layers of erythrophores are densely loaded with carotenoids, a UV-yellow colouration is seen. The expression of carotenoid-based traits has been frequently studied in relation to parasite infections. However, few studies have explored the relationship between parasitic diseases and structural colouration. In this study, we investigated the expression of UV-blue and UV-yellow throat colour patches in males of Lacerta schreiberi in relation to infection by haemoparasites, ixodid ticks and intestinal nematodes. The brightness of the UV-yellow throat patch (a carotenoid-based ornament) was positively correlated with body condition and negatively correlated with the number of attached ticks, supporting Hamilton and Zuk’s hypothesis. Additionally, individuals that passed nematode eggs in the faeces had UV-yellow throat patches with higher hue values (more greenish colouration). Strikingly, the individuals infected by haemoparasites of the genus Schellackia showed UV-blue throat patches (a melanin-based ornament) with higher values of both UV-blue chroma and hue (i.e., UV-biased throats) than did uninfected individuals, suggesting a key role for melanin in the nuptial colouration of this lizard species. Thus, the combined information from both UV-blue and UV-yellow throat patches may convey integrative information about individual quality in this lacertid species.
PB Springer Nature
SN 0340-5443
YR 2016
FD 2016
LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/112858
UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/112858
LA eng
NO 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 70, 2017–2025 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00265-016-2205-0
NO Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad (España)
NO Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (España)
DS Docta Complutense
RD 8 abr 2025