Cited by 372Animal Behavior and ReproductionEvolutionary Psychology and Human BehaviorAmphibian and Reptile Biology

Testosterone, Endurance, and Darwinian Fitness: Natural and Sexual Selection on the Physiological Bases of Alternative Male Behaviors in Side-Blotched Lizards

Sinervo, Barry, Miles, Donald B., Frankino, W.Anthony, Klukowski, Matthew, DeNardo, Dale F.·2000·Hormones and Behavior

Abstract

The mechanistic bases of natural and sexual selection on physiological and behavioral traits were examined in male morphs of three colors of the side-blotched lizard, Uta stansburiana. Orange-throated males are aggressive and defend large territories with many females. Blue-throated males defend smaller territories with fewer females; however, blue-throated males assiduously mate guard females on their territory. Yellow-throated males do not defend a territory, but patrol a large home range. They obtain secretive copulations from females on the territories of dominant males. Males with bright orange throats had higher levels of plasma testosterone (T), endurance, activity, and home range size and concomitantly gained greater control over female home ranges than blue- or yellow-throated males. Experimentally elevating plasma T in yellow- and blue-throated males increased their endurance, activity, home range size, and control over female territories to levels that were seen in unmanipulated orange-throated males that had naturally high plasma T. However, the enhanced performance of orange-throated males is not without costs. Orange-throated males had low survival compared to the other morphs. Finally, some yellow-throated males transformed to a partial blue morphology late in the season and the endurance of these transforming yellow-throated males increased from early to late in the season. In addition, yellow-throated males that transformed to blue also had significantly higher plasma T late in the season compared to the plasma T earlier in the season. T appears to play an important role in the physiological changes that all three color morphs undergo during the process of maturation. In some yellow males, T plays an additional role in plastic changes in behavior and physiology late in the reproductive season. We discuss natural and sexual selection on physiological and behavioral traits that leads to the evolution of steroid regulation in the context of alternative male strategies.

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Crossref · 10.1006/hbeh.2000.1622

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63 of 63 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

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  • An increase in testosterone could stimulate muscle growth in peacocks, which could in turn influence seasonal differences in locomotion.

    “An increase in testosterone could stimulate muscle growth in peacocks2829, which could in turn influence seasonal differences in locomotion303132.”

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Authors
Sinervo, B., Miles, D. B., Frankino, W. A., Klukowski, M., & DeNardo, D. F.
Affiliations
  • University of California, Santa Cruz (US)
  • Ohio University (US)
  • Indiana University Bloomington (US)
  • University of California, Berkeley (US)
Corresponding author
Sinervo, Barry
Venue
Hormones and Behavior
Publisher
Elsevier BV
Published
2000-12
Volume
38
Issue
4
Pages
222-233
ISSN
0018-506X (ISSN-L)
OpenAlex
W2126864878
Cited by
372
References
63
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 6 · 2024: 13 · 2023: 7 · 2022: 14 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 6 · 2018: 9 · 2017: 20 · 2016: 28 · 2015: 21 · 2014: 18 · 2013: 20 · 2012: 22
FWCI
14.49
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Locations
  • Hormones and Behavior (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics › Animal Behavior and Reproduction
  • Social Sciences › Psychology › Experimental and Cognitive Psychology › Evolutionary Psychology and Human Behavior
  • Physical Sciences › Environmental Science › Global and Planetary Change › Amphibian and Reptile Biology
Keywords
testosterone, Uta stansburiana, side-blotched lizard, sexual selection, natural selection, territoriality, mate guarding, home range size, endurance, survival costs, steroid regulation, Darwinian fitness, physiological plasticity
MeSH terms
Aggression, Animals, Biological Evolution, Female, Lizards, Male, Physical Endurance, Seasons, Sexual Behavior, Animal, Skin Pigmentation, Social Dominance, Territoriality, Testosterone

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