The physiological costs of being colourful: nutritional control of carotenoid utilization in the American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis 

@article{McGraw2005ThePC,
  title={The physiological costs of being colourful: nutritional control of carotenoid utilization in the American goldfinch, Carduelis tristis
},
  author={Kevin J. McGraw and Geoffrey E. Hill and Robert S. Parker},
  journal={Animal Behaviour},
  year={2005},
  volume={69},
  pages={653-660}
}
View on Elsevier
public.asu.edu
106 Citations
Highly Influential Citations
10
Background Citations
60
Methods Citations
4
Results Citations
3

Figures and Tables from this paper

106 Citations

Carotenoid Access, Nutritional Stress, and the Dewlap Color of Male Brown Anoles

It is demonstrated that dewlap color of adult male Brown Anoles does not change in response to food access or carotenoid supplementation, and post-experimental dew Lap spectral variation did not differ significantly among groups that were provided a standard or reduced diet.

Carotenoid-based bill and eye ring coloration as honest signals of condition: an experimental test in the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa)

It is shown that the eye ring pigmentation and bill redness of the red-legged partridge (Alectoris rufa) are positively associated to body condition and recent changes in body mass, and condition dependence of carotenoid-based ornaments are condition-dependent traits in this bird.

Carotenoid Coloration in Greenfinches Is Individually Consistent Irrespective of Foraging Ability

It is shown that carotenoid‐based plumage coloration can reveal circulating carotENoid levels over a very wide range of concentrations, suggesting the ample signaling potential of such a mechanism.

Carotenoid trade-off between parasitic resistance and sexual display: an experimental study in the blackbird (Turdus merula)

It is demonstrated that bill colour reflects a bird's health, and that only males with a carotenoid-rich diet are capable of coping with costs associated with parasitic infection.

Environmental stress affects the expression of a carotenoid-based sexual trait in male zebra finches

The findings suggest that carotenoids are a limiting resource under cold exposure and that they might be prioritized for self-maintenance at the expense of the ornament.

A novel lipoprotein-mediated mechanism controlling sexual attractiveness in a colorful songbird

Carotenoid maintenance handicap and the physiology of carotenoid-based signalisation of health

This work develops the models currently proposed to explain the honesty of carotenoid-based signalisation of heath status by adding the handicap principle concept regulated by testosterone and suggests that testosterone which enhances ornamentation by increasing carotanoid bioavailability may also promote oxidative stress and hence lower antioxidant reserves.

Carotenoid‐Based Plumage Colors and Immune Function: Is There a Trade‐Off for Rare Carotenoids?

The results indicate that honesty of carotenoid‐based signals is maintained by an individual’s physiological limitation to absorb and/or transportCarotenoids and by access to carotanoids, indicating that preferences for carOTenoids‐based traits in sexual selection or parent‐offspring interactions select for competitive individuals, rather than specifically for immune function.

Melanin- versus carotenoid-based sexual signals: is the difference really so black and red?

Pigment-based skin colour in the blue-footed booby: an honest signal of current condition used by females to adjust reproductive investment

The data indicate that blue-footed booby females are continuously evaluating their mates and can perform rapid adjustments of reproductive investment by using dynamic sexual traits, and suggests that this fine-tuned adjustment may be widespread in socially monogamous animals.
...

References

SHOWING 1-10 OF 54 REFERENCES

Carotenoid pigments in male American goldfinches: what is the optimal biochemical strategy for becoming colourful?

The results indicate that the types of dietary carotenoids available across seasons do not change in American goldfinches, and that the best biochemical strategy for becoming a colourful, wild male goldfinch is to accumulate as many dietary/blood pigments as possible during moult.

The effect of dietary carotenoid access on sexual dichromatism and plumage pigment composition in the American goldfinch.

DIET, PLASMA CAROTENOIDS, AND SEXUAL COLORATION IN THE ZEBRA FINCH (TAENIOPYGIA GUTTATA)

Results suggest that physiological factors such as pigment transport may play a more important role in shaping variability in carotenoid-based bill coloration in this species than does diet.

Carotenoids, Immunocompetence, and the Information Content of Sexual Colors: An Experimental Test

Experimental findings suggest that carotenoid‐based color signals in birds may directly signal male health via the immunostimulatory action of ingested and circulated carOTenoid pigments.

Differential effects of endoparasitism on the expression of carotenoid- and melanin-based ornamental coloration

  • K. McGrawG. Hill
  • Biology
    Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
  • 2000
It is found that the carotenoid–based plumage and bill coloration of parasitized males was less saturated than that developed by unparasitized males, but that the brightness and size of melanin–based black caps did not differ between the groups.

Dietary carotenoid pigments and immune function in a songbird with extensive carotenoid-based plumage coloration

The hypothesis that songbirds with extensive carotenoid-based plumage displays trade off the use of carotanoid pigments for ornamentation versus immune function is not supported.

Energetic constraints on expression of carotenoid-based plumage coloration

Observations provide the best evidence to date of an energetic cost of carotenoid utilization in the generation of colorful plumage.

Plumage colour signals nutritional condition in the house finch

  • G. HillR. Montgomerie
  • Biology
    Proceedings of the Royal Society of London. Series B: Biological Sciences
  • 1994
Observations provide support for the hypothesis that carotenoid-based plumage coloration is an indicator of nutritional condition during moult, which may arise from differences among individuals in either their foraging ability or their health.

Carotenoid access and intraspecific variation in plumage pigmentation in male American Goldfinches (Carduelis tristis) and Northern Cardinals (Cardinalis cardinalis)

The results suggest that carotenoid-based plumage variation in male goldfinches and cardinals is less sensitive to pigment availability in the diet than colour variation observed in other studied taxa.

Sexual dichromatism in birds independent of diet, parasites and androgens

It is suggested that neglected physiological processes may regulate carotenoids, and hence some colour variation need not be explained by parasites, androgens or diet.
...