Sexually selected egg coloration in spotless starlings

The American Naturalist
Juan J SolerJosé J Cuervo

Abstract

It has been recently proposed that the blue-green coloration in eggs of many avian species may constitute a sexually selected female signal. Blue-green color intensity would reflect the physiological condition of females, and hence it might also affect the allocation of male parental care. In this study, we use three different experimental approaches to explore the importance of sexual selection on blue-green egg coloration of spotless starling (Sturnus unicolor) eggs. First, experimental deterioration of female body condition (by means of wing feather removal) negatively affected the intensity of blue-green egg coloration. Second, blue-green color intensity of artificial model eggs had a significant positive influence on paternal feeding effort. Finally, we found a negative relationship between the effect of experimental food supply on nestling immunocompetence and the intensity of blue-green coloration of eggs, suggesting that egg color predicts nutritional conditions that nestlings will experience during development. All these results taken together strongly support a role of sexual selection in the blue-green coloration of spotless starling eggs.

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Citations

Feb 4, 2010·Die Naturwissenschaften·Judith MoralesAlberto Velando
Nov 27, 2009·Die Naturwissenschaften·Jesús M AvilésJuan J Soler
Mar 24, 2010·Die Naturwissenschaften·Jesús Martínez-PadillaJuan A Fargallo
Jan 13, 2012·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Jesús M AvilésBård G Stokke
Dec 12, 2012·PloS One·Marie-Jeanne HolveckClaire Doutrelant
Jul 12, 2014·Die Naturwissenschaften·Juan J SolerN Juárez-García-Pelayo
Sep 3, 2008·The Journal of Animal Ecology·Juan José Sanz, Vicente García-Navas
Sep 2, 2015·Current Biology : CB·Martin Stevens
Apr 16, 2019·FEMS Microbiology Ecology·Cristina Ruiz-CastellanoJuan José Soler
May 19, 2020·Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society of London. Series B, Biological Sciences·Jesús M Avilés
Jul 16, 2010·Journal of Evolutionary Biology·J MoralesJ Moreno
Feb 9, 2017·Ecology and Evolution·Miroslav PoláčekHerbert Hoi
Nov 8, 2018·Current Zoology·Courtney L FitzpatrickUNKNOWN Handling editor: Ingo Schlupp
May 6, 2021·Proceedings. Biological Sciences·Silvia Díaz-LoraManuel Martín-Vivaldi

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