title: Negative correlation between nuptial throat colour and blood parasite load in male European green lizards supports the Hamilton-Zuk hypothesis.
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.
authors: Department of Biological Sciences, Life Sciences Center, Dartmouth College, 78 College Street, Hanover, NH 03755, USA. orsolya.r.molnar@dartmouth.edu
authors: Orsolya
authors: O
authors: Molnár
authors: Katalin
authors: K
authors: Bajer
authors: Boglárka
authors: B
authors: Mészáros
authors: János
authors: J
authors: Török
authors: Gábor
authors: G
authors: Herczeg
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D003048:Coccidiosis / Q000097:blood* / Q000473:pathology; D016783:Eucoccidiida / Q000502:physiology*; D008116:Lizards / Q000469:parasitology*; D008297:Male; D059208:Parasite Load; D010858:Pigmentation / Q000502:physiology*; D012726:Sexual Behavior, Animal
references: Proc Biol Sci. 2000 Aug 7;267(1452):1525-31
references: 11007328
references: Parasitol Res. 2007 Apr;100(5):949-54
references: 17205352
references: Parasitol Today. 1991 Dec;7(12):329-34
references: 15463407
references: Parasitol Res. 2005 Aug;96(6):378-81
references: 15940525
references: Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2004 Aug;79(3):583-610
references: 15366764
references: Biol Lett. 2005 Sep 22;1(3):375-7
references: 17148210
references: Oecologia. 1989 Feb;78(2):158-164
references: 28312354
references: Oecologia. 1997 Aug;111(4):543-548
references: 28308116
references: Parasite. 2007 Dec;14(4):323-8
references: 18225421
references: Science. 1982 Oct 22;218(4570):384-7
references: 7123238
references: Oecologia. 2002 Aug;132(4):492-500
references: 28547634
references: PLoS One. 2012;7(3):e34359
references: 22479611
references: J Anim Ecol. 2010 Jul;79(4):843-50
references: 20412349
references: J Parasitol. 2003 Oct;89(5):913-7
references: 14627137
references: J Exp Biol. 2002 Dec;205(Pt 23):3747-55
references: 12409501
references: Oecologia. 1987 Sep;73(3):389-392
references: 28311520
references: Biol Rev Camb Philos Soc. 2003 Nov;78(4):575-95
references: 14700392
references: J Egypt Soc Parasitol. 2011 Apr;41(1):7-15
references: 21634237
references: Oecologia. 2010 Apr;162(4):825-35
references: 19937348
references: Parasitol Res. 1999 Oct;85(10):858-63
references: 10494815
references: Naturwissenschaften. 2008 Apr;95(4):293-300
references: 18060654
references: Syst Parasitol. 2010 Jan;75(1):75-9
references: 20012520
references: Biol Lett. 2011 Dec 23;7(6):866-8
references: 21715397
references: Biol Lett. 2006 Jun 22;2(2):169-72
references: 17148355
references: Infect Immun. 1997 Jan;65(1):335-8
references: 8975935
references: Ecol Lett. 2009 Oct;12(10):1061-8
references: 19702634
references: Behav Ecol Sociobiol. 2010 Sep;64(9):1495-1503
references: 20802788
references: Oecologia. 2003 Feb;134(3):301-7
references: 12647136
references: J Theor Biol. 1977 Aug 7;67(3):603-5
references: 904334
references: Parasitol Res. 2006 Apr;98(5):468-71
references: 16416117
references: J Theor Biol. 1975 Sep;53(1):205-14
references: 1195756
references: Ecology. 2011 Apr;92(4):952-66
references: 21661557
references: Parasite. 2004 Jun;11(2):175-81
references: 15224579