Rapid beard darkening predicts contest outcome, not copulation success, in bearded dragon lizards

Abstract

Rapid colour change is widespread in animals and allows them to respond dynamically to the physical and social environment. However, few studies have examined the information conveyed by dynamic colour signals in different social contexts, such as courtship and rivalry contests. Furthermore, dynamic colour change on different body regions may be subject to different selection pressures and therefore serve different functions. We tested whether male colour or colour change predicts contest outcome in male–male interactions or the likelihood of copulation attempts in male–female interactions in the central bearded dragon, Pogona vitticeps. The extent of beard darkening strongly predicted conte..