Increased signalling effort when survival prospects decrease: male–male competition ensures honesty

doi:10.1006/anbe.2000.1481

Animal Behaviour

Volume 60, Issue 4, October 2000, Pages 417-422

https://doi.org/10.1006/anbe.2000.1481 Get rights and content

Abstract

For signalling to be honest the handicap principle claims that signals must impose fitness costs so that only the best individuals can afford the most exaggerated signals. The cost of signalling in terms of reduced survival decreases, however, towards the end of an individual's lifetime, which can induce an increase in signalling effort as a terminal effort. I show for the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus, that a decrease in survival prospects through impaired condition leads to an increase in red nuptial coloration that makes the signal less reliable as an indicator of male parental ability. Males in poor condition with a large signal sometimes cannibalized all the eggs they received, probably to start a new breeding cycle with a higher energy reserve. However, the inclusion of socially imposed costs of signalling through male–male competition during courtship increased the honesty of the signal, as some males in poor condition and of poor parental ability decreased their signal expression. Some cheaters still occurred, but the signalling system was honest on average. This implies that socially imposed costs are important in the maintenance of honest sexual signalling. Dishonesty may occur under favourable conditions when the cost of signalling is reduced. This emphasizes the importance of considering the environmental conditions experienced by individuals when investigating the evolution and maintenance of honest sexual signals.

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^f1: Correspondence and present address: U. Candolin, School of Biological Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich NR4 7TJ, U.K. (email:[email protected]).

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Regular ArticleIncreased signalling effort when survival prospects decrease: male–male competition ensures honesty

Abstract

Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour

Journal of Theoretical Biology

Journal of Theoretical Biology

Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour

Animal Behaviour

Journal of Theoretical Biology

Lekking in the black grouse: a test of male viability

Nature

Determinants of dominance in male sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus)

Behaviour

Male-male competition facilitates female choice in sticklebacks

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B

Female sand gobies prefer good fathers over dominant males

Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, Series B

The breeding coloration of male three-spined sticklebacks (Gasterosteus aculeatus) as an indicator of energy investment in vigour

Evolutionary Ecology

Handicap signalling: when fecundity and viability do not add up

Animal Behaviour

Regular Article
Increased signalling effort when survival prospects decrease: male–male competition ensures honesty