Premium
Moult speed constrains the expression of a carotenoid‐based sexual ornament
Author(s) -
SERRA L.,
GRIGGIO M.,
LICHERI D.,
PILASTRO A.
Publication year - 2007
Publication title -
journal of evolutionary biology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.289
H-Index - 128
eISSN - 1420-9101
pISSN - 1010-061X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1420-9101.2007.01360.x
Subject(s) - moulting , feather , biology , ornaments , seasonal breeder , sparrow , passerine , photoperiodism , plumage , zoology , carotenoid , ecology , reproductive success , botany , demography , history , population , archaeology , sociology , larva , style (visual arts)
We investigated the effect of moult speed on the expression of a sexually selected, carotenoid‐based feather ornament in the rock sparrow ( Petronia petronia ). We experimentally accelerated the moult speed of a group of birds by exposing them to a rapidly decreasing photoperiod and compared the area and the spectral characteristics of their ornaments with those of control birds. Birds with accelerated moulting rate showed a smaller yellow patch with lower yellow reflectance compared to their slow‐moulting counterparts. Considering that the time available for moulting is usually constrained between the end of the breeding season and migration or wintering, carotenoid feather ornaments, whose expression is mediated by moult speed, may convey long term information about an individual's condition, potentially encompassing the previous breeding season. Furthermore, the observed trade‐off between moult speed and ornament expression may represent a previously unrecognized selective advantage for early breeding birds.