Rival assessment and comparison of morphological and performance-based predictors of fighting ability in Lake Eyre dragon lizards, Ctenophorus maculosus

Abstract

Although the outcome of contests is often critical to fitness, we still have much to learn regarding the reliability of different predictors of fighting ability (e.g. morphological traits versus performance measures) and the strategies individuals use to decide when to withdraw. We examined predictors of contest success and assessment strategies in staged contests between male Lake Eyre dragon lizards, Ctenophorus maculosus, in which males engage in escalated contests. Bite force was the only significant predictor of contest success. Although head width and depth predicted the number and duration of bites during contests, neither of these traits predicted contest outcome, nor did body size o..