Beak colour dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins

Quentin Schull; F. Stephen Dobson; Antoine Stier; Jean-Patrice Robin; Pierre Bize; Vincent A. Viblanc

doi:10.1093/beheco/arw091

Beak colour dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins

Quentin Schull, F. Stephen Dobson, Antoine Stier, Jean-Patrice Robin, Pierre Bize, Vincent A. Viblanc

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

15 Citations (Scopus)

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Abstract

Dynamic ornamental signals that vary over minutes, hours or weeks can yield continuous information on individual condition (e.g., energy reserves or immune status), and may therefore be under strong social and/or sexual selection. In vertebrates, the coloration of the integument is often viewed as a dynamic ornament, which in birds can be apparent in the beak. King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are monomorphic seabirds that possess conspicuous yellow–orange (YO) and ultraviolet (UV) beak spots that are used by both males and females in mate choice. We studied the dynamicity of beak spot sexual traits, and to what extent they reflected changes in individual condition in fasting king penguins and in penguins treated with an anti-parasitic drug. We also describe the maturation of this colorful ornament during the yearly catastrophic moult. On a time-scale of days to weeks, beak spot coloration changed in response to fasting and experimental changes in parasite load. Beak spot UV brightness decreased over a 10-day fast in breeding birds. For birds caught during courtship and held in captivity YO chroma decreased after a 24-day fast. Birds that were treated with an anti-parasitic solution showed an increase in UV coloration after parasite removal. Altogether, our results show that beak spot coloration is a dynamic ornament that reflects multiple dimensions of changes in individual condition in breeding-fasting penguins.

Original language	English
Pages (from-to)	1684-1693
Number of pages	10
Journal	Behavioral Ecology
Volume	27
Issue number	6
Early online date	22 Jun 2016
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1093/beheco/arw091
Publication status	Published - 1 Nov 2016

Bibliographical note

This research was funded by the French Polar Institute (IPEV–Research Program 119) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS-INEE). Field logistic support was provided by Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises. Q.S. was funded by a doctoral fellowship from the Ministère Français de l’Education Supérieur et de la Recherche.

We thank all over-wintering assistants: Benoit Gineste, Sylvia Pardonnet, Laureline Durand, Emilie Lefol and Hédi Saadaoui for field work and Emilio Rojas for helpful discussion on the analyses. We apologize to our stick insect (Carausius morosus) for bearing with VAV’s inquisitive curiosity during our debates on color ornaments in king penguins. We sincerely thank the editor and 2 anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on a previous version of the paper.

Keywords

dynamic ornament
fasting
honest signal
king penguin
parasites
sexual selection

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10.1093/beheco/arw091Licence: Unspecified

Accepted Manuscript
This is a pre-copyedited, author-produced version of an article accepted for publication in Behavioral Ecology following peer review. The version of record [Quentin Schull, F. Stephen Dobson, Antoine Stier, Jean-Patrice Robin, Pierre Bize, Vincent A. Viblanc; Beak color dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins. Behav Ecol 2016; 27 (6): 1684-1693] is available online at: https://academic.oup.com/beheco/article/27/6/1684/2453468/
Accepted author manuscript, 576 KBLicence: Unspecified

Cite this

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title = "Beak colour dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins",

abstract = "Dynamic ornamental signals that vary over minutes, hours or weeks can yield continuous information on individual condition (e.g., energy reserves or immune status), and may therefore be under strong social and/or sexual selection. In vertebrates, the coloration of the integument is often viewed as a dynamic ornament, which in birds can be apparent in the beak. King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are monomorphic seabirds that possess conspicuous yellow–orange (YO) and ultraviolet (UV) beak spots that are used by both males and females in mate choice. We studied the dynamicity of beak spot sexual traits, and to what extent they reflected changes in individual condition in fasting king penguins and in penguins treated with an anti-parasitic drug. We also describe the maturation of this colorful ornament during the yearly catastrophic moult. On a time-scale of days to weeks, beak spot coloration changed in response to fasting and experimental changes in parasite load. Beak spot UV brightness decreased over a 10-day fast in breeding birds. For birds caught during courtship and held in captivity YO chroma decreased after a 24-day fast. Birds that were treated with an anti-parasitic solution showed an increase in UV coloration after parasite removal. Altogether, our results show that beak spot coloration is a dynamic ornament that reflects multiple dimensions of changes in individual condition in breeding-fasting penguins.",

keywords = "dynamic ornament, fasting, honest signal, king penguin, parasites, sexual selection",

author = "Quentin Schull and Dobson, {F. Stephen} and Antoine Stier and Jean-Patrice Robin and Pierre Bize and Viblanc, {Vincent A.}",

note = "This research was funded by the French Polar Institute (IPEV–Research Program 119) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS-INEE). Field logistic support was provided by Terres Australes et Antarctiques Fran{\c c}aises. Q.S. was funded by a doctoral fellowship from the Minist{\`e}re Fran{\c c}ais de l{\textquoteright}Education Sup{\'e}rieur et de la Recherche. We thank all over-wintering assistants: Benoit Gineste, Sylvia Pardonnet, Laureline Durand, Emilie Lefol and H{\'e}di Saadaoui for field work and Emilio Rojas for helpful discussion on the analyses. We apologize to our stick insect (Carausius morosus) for bearing with VAV{\textquoteright}s inquisitive curiosity during our debates on color ornaments in king penguins. We sincerely thank the editor and 2 anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on a previous version of the paper.",

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T1 - Beak colour dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins

AU - Schull, Quentin

AU - Dobson, F. Stephen

AU - Stier, Antoine

AU - Robin, Jean-Patrice

AU - Bize, Pierre

AU - Viblanc, Vincent A.

N1 - This research was funded by the French Polar Institute (IPEV–Research Program 119) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS-INEE). Field logistic support was provided by Terres Australes et Antarctiques Françaises. Q.S. was funded by a doctoral fellowship from the Ministère Français de l’Education Supérieur et de la Recherche. We thank all over-wintering assistants: Benoit Gineste, Sylvia Pardonnet, Laureline Durand, Emilie Lefol and Hédi Saadaoui for field work and Emilio Rojas for helpful discussion on the analyses. We apologize to our stick insect (Carausius morosus) for bearing with VAV’s inquisitive curiosity during our debates on color ornaments in king penguins. We sincerely thank the editor and 2 anonymous reviewers for their helpful comments on a previous version of the paper.

PY - 2016/11/1

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N2 - Dynamic ornamental signals that vary over minutes, hours or weeks can yield continuous information on individual condition (e.g., energy reserves or immune status), and may therefore be under strong social and/or sexual selection. In vertebrates, the coloration of the integument is often viewed as a dynamic ornament, which in birds can be apparent in the beak. King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are monomorphic seabirds that possess conspicuous yellow–orange (YO) and ultraviolet (UV) beak spots that are used by both males and females in mate choice. We studied the dynamicity of beak spot sexual traits, and to what extent they reflected changes in individual condition in fasting king penguins and in penguins treated with an anti-parasitic drug. We also describe the maturation of this colorful ornament during the yearly catastrophic moult. On a time-scale of days to weeks, beak spot coloration changed in response to fasting and experimental changes in parasite load. Beak spot UV brightness decreased over a 10-day fast in breeding birds. For birds caught during courtship and held in captivity YO chroma decreased after a 24-day fast. Birds that were treated with an anti-parasitic solution showed an increase in UV coloration after parasite removal. Altogether, our results show that beak spot coloration is a dynamic ornament that reflects multiple dimensions of changes in individual condition in breeding-fasting penguins.

AB - Dynamic ornamental signals that vary over minutes, hours or weeks can yield continuous information on individual condition (e.g., energy reserves or immune status), and may therefore be under strong social and/or sexual selection. In vertebrates, the coloration of the integument is often viewed as a dynamic ornament, which in birds can be apparent in the beak. King penguins (Aptenodytes patagonicus) are monomorphic seabirds that possess conspicuous yellow–orange (YO) and ultraviolet (UV) beak spots that are used by both males and females in mate choice. We studied the dynamicity of beak spot sexual traits, and to what extent they reflected changes in individual condition in fasting king penguins and in penguins treated with an anti-parasitic drug. We also describe the maturation of this colorful ornament during the yearly catastrophic moult. On a time-scale of days to weeks, beak spot coloration changed in response to fasting and experimental changes in parasite load. Beak spot UV brightness decreased over a 10-day fast in breeding birds. For birds caught during courtship and held in captivity YO chroma decreased after a 24-day fast. Birds that were treated with an anti-parasitic solution showed an increase in UV coloration after parasite removal. Altogether, our results show that beak spot coloration is a dynamic ornament that reflects multiple dimensions of changes in individual condition in breeding-fasting penguins.

KW - dynamic ornament

KW - fasting

KW - honest signal

KW - king penguin

KW - parasites

KW - sexual selection

U2 - 10.1093/beheco/arw091

DO - 10.1093/beheco/arw091

M3 - Article

SN - 1045-2249

VL - 27

SP - 1684

EP - 1693

JO - Behavioral Ecology

JF - Behavioral Ecology

IS - 6

ER -

Beak colour dynamically signals changes in fasting status and parasite loads in king penguins

Abstract

Bibliographical note

Keywords

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