Sexual Selection And The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Dragon Lizards

IP Chen; D Stuart-Fox; AF Hugall; MRE Symonds

Journal article

Sexual Selection And The Evolution Of Complex Color Patterns In Dragon Lizards

IP Chen, D Stuart-Fox, AF Hugall, MRE Symonds

Evolution | Published : 2012

DOI: 10.1111/j.1558-5646.2012.01698.x

Abstract

Many species have elaborate and complex coloration and patterning, which often differ between the sexes. Sexual selection may increase the size or intensity of color patches (elaboration) in one sex or drive the evolution of novel signal elements (innovation). The latter potentially increases color pattern complexity. Color pattern complexity may also be influenced by ecological factors related to predation and environment; however, very few studies have investigated the effects of both sexual and natural selection on color pattern complexity across species. We used a phylogenetic comparative approach to examine these effects in 85 species and subspecies of Australian dragon lizards (family ..

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University of Melbourne Researchers

Devi Stuart-Fox Author

Related Projects (1)

Colour polymorphisms and speciation: linking macroevolutionary patterns with microevolutionary processes

Polymorphic species with many different colour forms have inspired biological inquiry since Aristotle. This project takes advantage of remar..

Grants

Awarded by Australian Research Council

Funding Acknowledgements

We thank M. Hutchinson (South Australian Museum) and, especially, J. Melville (Museum Victoria) for access to lizard specimens, as well as discussion and advice on lizard coloration, phylogeny, sexing, and ecological backgrounds. T. Ord, E. Martins, R. Fuller, and three anonymous reviewers provided helpful comments and criticism. The project was funded in part by an Australian Research Council Discovery Grant DP1092908 to DS-F, and a University of Melbourne International Fee Remission Scholarship to I-PC.