Presentation Details
 Intraspecific color variation in a neotropical lizard and its evolutionary implications 

Janelle B.Talavera, Thomas H.Q.Powell, Lindsey Swierk.

Binghamton University, State University of New York, Binghamton, NY, USA

Abstract


Mate choice for colorful signals has been widely studied as a mechanism of sexual selection. There is still more to be understood about how ecological factors can affect mate choice and sexual signals among populations. Male Anolis lizards have sexual signals called dewlaps that are brightly colored and used for mate choice and intrasexual interactions. Anolis aquaticus is a southern Costa Rican species that exhibits intraspecific variation, as populations’ dewlaps vary in color from red to yellow. We hypothesize this variation in sexual signals relates to responsiveness to colorful signal among populations. We used visual modeling to simulate anole vision and model dewlap conspicuousness to the eyes of A. aquaticus, conducted visual grasp response trials as a proxy for mate choice. We found that the “yellow-ness” of a dewlap varies among populations, and larger male A. aquaticus respond to yellow stimuli more than smaller males. These results suggest the amount of yellow in dewlaps may be a signal that not only varies among populations but also elicits population-specific responses, potentially indicating that dewlap color selection may vary by population in this species.

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