科研之友
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摘要
1. Many animals use signals to resolve disputes over resources. Some signals act as reliable indicators of other traits, such as whole-organism performance or body condition, which may also be important for resolving disputes. Because of the correlations inherent in reliable signals, it is challenging to determine which variables are directly relevant for resolving aggressive interactions. %26lt;br%26gt;2. We examined the relationships among dewlap size, bite force and condition, all traits that may be important to conflict resolution in male green anole lizards (Anolis carolinensis). Using a large sample of wild-caught animals, we showed significant positive correlations between dewlap size and maximum bite force capacity, when each trait is corrected for its correlation with body size. %26lt;br%26gt;3. We tested the relative importance of each trait to the outcome of interactions in a subset of our sample. We staged dominance encounters between size-matched male green anoles after surgically reducing the dewlap size of one competitor. %26lt;br%26gt;4. We show that reducing the size of the dewlap does not significantly change the outcome of staged interactions. Rather, males with higher values of bite force capacity were more likely to win fights. We hypothesize that during close-proximity aggressive interactions, male green anoles use more direct means of assessing one another and that dewlap size functions as a signal of bite force primarily during long-distance territorial displays. Body condition was correlated with bite force, but did not differ significantly between winners and losers. %26lt;br%26gt;5. Our results show how an experimental approach can decouple reliable signals from their correlated traits to test which factors influence male contest resolution.
- 出版日期2012-2
