A potential deimatic display revealed in a lizard

dc.contributor.authorWhiting, Martin J.
dc.contributor.authorNoble, Daniel WA
dc.contributor.authorQi, Yin
dc.date.accessioned2024-04-04T03:24:48Z
dc.date.issued2022
dc.date.updated2022-11-13T07:19:54Z
dc.description.abstractConspicuously coloured signals may evolve via sexual selection to be ornaments or armaments, thereby conferring a fitness advantage to their bearer. Conversely, conspicuous colours may also evolve under natural selection as either aposematic signals or deimatic displays that deter attacks from predators. While conspicuous colour patches may evolve for one purpose (e.g. quality indicators), they may later be co-opted for another (e.g. anti-predator defence). Phrynocephalus mystaceus is a cryptic agamid lizard with flaps in both sexes that when folded against the head are inconspicuous, but when deployed are predicted to be highly conspicuous and to increase the appearance of body size. We tested whether head flaps play a role in social signalling via courtship or as status signals during contests in both sexes. We also tested whether the head flaps have an anti-predator function by simulating predatory encounters. Head flaps were never deployed in courtship or during contests and, therefore, are unlikely to be under sexual selection. However, head flaps and their deployment during simulated predatory encounters were consistent with the predictions associated with deimatic display theory. First, head flaps were similar in form and function between sexes. Second, they were highly conspicuous to both avian and snake predators. Third, there was a rapid transition from crypsis to conspicuousness when they deployed their head flaps during a late stage of predation, the subjugation phase, consistent with an ambush. Confirmation of the deimatic display hypothesis will require future testing of receiver responses.en_AU
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31872233, 31572273) and the Science & Technology Department of Sichuan Province (2020JDJQ0001)en_AU
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen_AU
dc.identifier.issn0024-4066en_AU
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1885/316511
dc.language.isoen_AUen_AU
dc.publisherLinnean Society of Londonen_AU
dc.rights© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Linnean Society of London. All rights reserveden_AU
dc.sourceBiological Journal of the Linnean Societyen_AU
dc.subjectanti-predator behaviouren_AU
dc.subjectdeimatic displayen_AU
dc.subjectlizarden_AU
dc.subjectlizard behaviouren_AU
dc.subjectsignalen_AU
dc.titleA potential deimatic display revealed in a lizarden_AU
dc.typeJournal articleen_AU
local.bibliographicCitation.issue3en_AU
local.bibliographicCitation.lastpage465en_AU
local.bibliographicCitation.startpage455en_AU
local.contributor.affiliationWhiting, Martin J., Macquarie Universityen_AU
local.contributor.affiliationNoble, Daniel, College of Science, ANUen_AU
local.contributor.affiliationQi, Yin, Chinese Academy of Sciencesen_AU
local.contributor.authoremailu5062688@anu.edu.auen_AU
local.contributor.authoruidNoble, Daniel, u5062688en_AU
local.description.embargo2099-12-31
local.description.notesImported from ARIESen_AU
local.identifier.absfor310300 - Ecologyen_AU
local.identifier.ariespublicationu9511635xPUB2339en_AU
local.identifier.citationvolume136en_AU
local.identifier.doi10.1093/biolinnean/blac044en_AU
local.identifier.uidSubmittedByu9511635en_AU
local.publisher.urlhttps://academic.oup.com/en_AU
local.type.statusPublished Versionen_AU

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