DISSERTATION RESEARCH: Functional Analysis of Coloration

摘要 Nowicki韦斯IBN 96-23869 女性生殖色彩的功能分析 雌性选择、雄性-雄性配偶竞争以及由此产生的性二态特征一直是动物行为研究的主要焦点。 在动物行为学领域，相对较新的概念是，具有传统性别角色的物种可能会表现出雌性与雌性的配偶竞争和雄性的挑剔。 这种繁殖模式可能是通信信号进化中的一种重要选择力量。 本研究旨在探讨雌性生殖色在性二型蜥蜴Sceloporus virgatus（蜥目：鬣蜥科）中的沟通功能。 它将确定这种颜色是否用于雌性之间的配偶竞争，功能是吸引挑剔的男性进入女性的家庭范围在她的接受期。 为了验证这一假设和其他关于雌性生殖色彩功能的假设，本研究将（1）确定色彩和展示行为的变化如何与生殖状态的季节性变化在时间上相关，（2）确定雌性质量的各个方面是否与色块特征相关，（3）采用选择测试范式，研究了雌性个体的颜色和炫耀行为对同种雄性个体行为的影响。

ABSTRACT Nowicki & Weiss IBN 96-23869 Functional Analysis of Female Reproductive Coloration Female choice, male-male mate competition, and resulting sexually dimorphic traits have been a primary focus in studies of animal behavior. Relatively new to the field of animal behavior is the concept that species with conventional sex-roles may exhibit female-female mate competition and male choosiness. Such reproductive patterns may be an important selective force in the evolution of communication signals. This proposal proposes a study of the communicative function of female reproductive coloration in the sexually dimorphic lizard, Sceloporus virgatus (Sauria: Iguanidae). It will be determined whether this coloration is used in female-female mate competition, functioning to attract choosy males into a female s home range during her receptive period. To test this and other hypotheses concerning the function of female reproductive coloration, this research will (1) determine how changes in coloration and display behavior are temporally associated with seasonal changes in reproductive state, (2) determine whether aspects of female quality are correlated with color patch characteristics, and (3) experimentally examine the effect of female coloration and display behavior on the behavior of conspecific males using a choice test paradigm.