| Title: | Evolutionary loss of a signalling colour is linked to increased response to conspecific chemicals |
| Author(s): | Romero-Diaz C; Pruett JA; Campos SM; Ossip-Drahos AG; Zuniga-Vega JJ; Vital-Garcia C; Hews DK; Martins EP; |
| Address: | "School of Life Sciences, Arizona State University, Tempe, AZ, USA. Department of Biology, Indiana State University, Terre Haute, IN, USA. Department of Biological Sciences, Southeastern Oklahoma State University, Durant, OK, USA. Center for Behavioral Neuroscience, Neuroscience Institute, Georgia State University, Atlanta, GA, USA. Department of Chemistry and Physical Sciences, Marian University, Indianapolis, IN, USA. Departamento de Ecologia y Recursos Naturales, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Nacional Autonoma de Mexico, Mexico City, Mexico. Departamento de Ciencias Veterinarias, Instituto de Ciencias Biomedicas, Universidad Autonoma de Ciudad Juarez, Ciudad Juarez, Mexico" |
| ISSN/ISBN: | 1471-2954 (Electronic) 0962-8452 (Print) 0962-8452 (Linking) |
| Abstract: | "Behavioural responses to communicative signals combine input from multiple sensory modalities and signal compensation theory predicts that evolutionary shifts in one sensory modality could impact the response to signals in other sensory modalities. Here, we conducted two types of field experiments with 11 species spread across the lizard genus Sceloporus to test the hypothesis that the loss of visual signal elements affects behavioural responses to a chemical signal (conspecific scents) or to a predominantly visual signal (a conspecific lizard), both of which are used in intraspecific communication. We found that three species that have independently lost a visual signal trait, a colourful belly patch, responded to conspecific scents with increased chemosensory behaviour compared to a chemical control, while species with the belly patch did not. However, most species, with and without the belly patch, responded to live conspecifics with increased visual displays of similar magnitude. While aggressive responses to visual stimuli are taxonomically widespread in Sceloporus, our results suggest that increased chemosensory response behaviour is linked to colour patch loss. Thus, interactions across sensory modalities could constrain the evolution of complex signalling phenotypes, thereby influencing signal diversity" |
| Keywords: | Aggression Animals Color *Lizards Phenotype Pheromones Sceloporus lizards chemical communication comparative behaviour multimodal compensation visual communication;neuroscience; |
| Notes: | "MedlineRomero-Diaz, Cristina Pruett, Jake A Campos, Stephanie M Ossip-Drahos, Alison G Zuniga-Vega, J Jaime Vital-Garcia, Cuauhcihuatl Hews, Diana K Martins, Emilia P eng Research Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S. England 2021/04/01 Proc Biol Sci. 2021 Mar 31; 288(1947):20210256. doi: 10.1098/rspb.2021.0256. Epub 2021 Mar 31" |
