Title

Plumage Reflectance Signals Dominance In Florida Scrub-Jay, Aphelocoma Coerulescens, Juveniles

Keywords

Aphelocoma coerulescens; Dominance; Juvenile plumage; Ornament; Scrub-jay; Status signalling; Structural coloration

Abstract

Although sexual selection is undeniably important in the evolution and maintenance of ornamental traits, it remains an unsuitable explanation for juvenile ornamentation. Male-male competition has been important in the evolution of UV-blue plumage ornamentation in birds, suggesting that this type of plumage may signal status more generally. In the present study, we compared dominance status of juvenile Florida scrub-jays before and after experimental plumage manipulation and found that plumage reflectance signalled status. Male-male competition is important in maintaining UV-blue plumage ornamentation in adults of other species. However, our evidence shows that sexually dimorphic ornamentation can also mediate competition over food resources in juvenile Florida scrub-jays. Understanding status signalling among juveniles may yield insights into differences in fitness, especially in species with cohesive social systems where early interactions are likely to influence future competitions over resources or mates. © 2012 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.

Publication Date

12-1-2012

Publication Title

Animal Behaviour

Volume

84

Issue

6

Number of Pages

1517-1522

Document Type

Article

Personal Identifier

scopus

DOI Link

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anbehav.2012.09.025

Socpus ID

84870403053 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84870403053

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