Signal content of red facial coloration in female mandrills (Mandrillus sphinx).

ABSTRACT: Studies of secondary sexual ornamentation and its maintenance by sexual selection tend to focus on males; however, females may also possess showy ornaments. For example, female mandrills possess facial coloration that ranges from black to bright pink. We used fortnightly photographs of 52 semi-free-ranging females aged above 3years over 19 months to evaluate whether colour conveys information concerning female competitive ability, reproductive quality, age or reproductive status. Colour was not related to female rank or quality (body mass index, age at first birth or mean inter-birth interval); however, colour did increase significantly with age and primiparous females were darker than multiparous females. Colour may therefore signal reproductive quality, as younger females are less fertil

SUBMITTER: Setchell JM 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC1636084 | biostudies-literature | 2006 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature