Research report 2005 - Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior

Truth or dare: honesty of avian sexual signals

Authors
Peters, Anne
Departments

Vogelwarte Radolfzell (Dr. Wolfgang Fiedler)
MPI für Ornithologie, Seewiesen

Summary
Trade-offs with immunity can theoretically enforce honesty on sexual signals through testosterone, that stimulates sexual traits but also suppresses immunity, and/or carotenoids, that can be used in ornaments or support immune functions. Recently, researchers at the Max Planck Institute for Ornithology found evidence for such trade-offs in male mallards.

For the full text, see the German version.

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