For decades, scientists have noted connections between individual condition and
carotenoid-based coloration in terrestrial and aquatic animals. Organisms that produce more …

Mechanisms maintaining honesty of sexual signals are far from resolved, limiting our
understanding of sexual selection and potential important parts of physiology. Carotenoid …

Resumen· La presencia de aberraciones cromáticas en las aves ha llamado la atención de
los investigadores desde hace mucho tiempo. En México se ha notado un reciente …

Females in various species typically avoid males infected with parasites, while parasite-free
males advertise their status through conspicuous phenotypic traits. This process selects for …

Choosing to mate with an infected partner has several potential fitness costs, including
disease transmission and infection-induced reductions in fecundity and parental care. By …

The importance of carotenoids for natural colouration, in relation to other classes of
pigments and structural colours, has been outlined in Chapter 10. But colour only has …

Avian plumage has captivated scientists and the public alike for generations and has been a
fundamental study system for research into signal evolution. By contrast, relatively little …

Carotenoid pigments cannot be synthesized by vertebrates but must be ingested through the
diet. As they seem to be a limited resource, carotenoid-based ornaments are particularly …

Sexual ornaments might indicate better condition, fewer parasites or a greater immune
responsiveness. Carotenoid‐based ornaments are common sexual signals of birds and …

Many animal ornaments may have evolved as signals advertising the quality of the bearer.
The honesty of the information content of these signals would rely on the costs associated …