title: Information-content of morphological and behavioural sexual traits in the Palmate newt (Lissotriton helveticus).
abstract: The question of why females evaluate more than one sexual trait to choose their mates has received increasing attention in recent years. Here, we investigated the information-content of both morphological and behavioural sexual traits that have been identified as predictors of male reproductive success in the palmate newt, Lissotriton helveticus. We examined the co-variation of multiple traits with one aspect of male quality, the male body condition, using both a correlative study and an experimental diet restriction. We found that the development of the three morphological sexual traits (filament length, hind-foot-web size, and crest size) was positively inter-correlated, and was correlated to body condition. In contrast, courtship activity, an important indicator for male reproductive success, was uncorrelated to male body condition. Our results suggest that females likely obtain redundant information on male condition when evaluating filament length, hind-foot-web size and crest size during mate choice. Contrary to our expectations, display activity was not a reliable indicator of male condition, leaving the information-content of this trait unraveled. Our results further suggest that complex, multiple traits may evolve because redundant message, unreliable signals and, possibly, multiple messages can coexist.
authors.affiliation: Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France; TerrOïko, 2 rue Clémence Isaure, 31250 Revel, France. Electronic address: jeremie_cornuau@hotmail.fr.
authors.forename: Jérémie H
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Cornuau
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Université de Toulouse; UPS, INPT; EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Dirk S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Schmeller
authors.affiliation: Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France; IRD 224-UM1-UM2, Maladies Infectieuses et Vecteurs: Ecologie, Génétique, Evolution et Contrôle (MIVEGEC), 34000 Montpellier, France.
authors.forename: Romain
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Pigeault
authors.affiliation: Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France.
authors.forename: Adelaïde
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Sibeaux
authors.affiliation: Station d'Ecologie Expérimentale du CNRS à Moulis, 2-4 Route du CNRS, Moulis Village, 09200 Saint Girons, France.
authors.forename: Audrey
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tourat
authors.affiliation: Department of Conservation Biology, Helmholtz Centre for Environmental Research-UFZ, Permoserstrasse 15, 04318 Leipzig, Germany; Université de Toulouse; UPS, INPT; EcoLab (Laboratoire Ecologie Fonctionnelle et Environnement), 118 route de Narbonne, 31062 Toulouse, France; CNRS, EcoLab, 31062 Toulouse, France.
authors.forename: Adeline
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Loyau
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D003380:Courtship; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D052586:Mating Preference, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D012455:Salamandridae / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000502:physiology*; D012727:Sex Characteristics
keywords: Back-up signal; Condition dependence; Mate choice; Multiple signal theory; Redundancy; Sexual selection