Agonistic character displacement of genetically based male colour patterns across darters.

ABSTRACT: Agonistic character displacement (ACD) occurs when selection to avoid maladaptive interspecific aggression leads to the evolution of agonistic signals and/or associated behavioural biases in sympatry. Here, we test for a pattern consistent with ACD in male colour pattern in darters (Percidae: Etheostoma). Male colour pattern has been shown to function in male-male competition rather than female mating preferences in several darter species. Additionally, males bias their aggression towards conspecific over heterospecific males in sympatry but not in allopatry, consistent with divergent ACD in male behavioural biases. We use a common garden approach to show that differences in male colour pattern among four closely related darter species are genetically based. Additionally, we demonst

SUBMITTER: Moran RL 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6111152 | biostudies-literature | 2018 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature